In an ideal world, babies wouldn’t poop when traveling on airplanes. Or there would be larger lavatories on planes equipped with diaper changing stations, proper ventilation, and odor eliminating air freshener.
As parents we are out of routine at 37,000 feet and in front of an audience of hundreds of people.
How do we do this best? Where do we place our precious baby to protect him from germs and turbulence? What do we do with the diaper, the smell, or the dirty looks from others?
With 36 years of flight attendant experience, retired flight attendant Renee Taintor, offered these words of wisdom on this topic.
Re: Safety: Renee writes, “Parents must be continuously alert for clear air turbulence. They are out of their seats, the baby is out of the approved car seat and it is necessary to get the job done and get back to being secure in the seats. Adults weigh much more than infants and whereas we might just feel a little bump, an infant can actually lift off the seat or floor depending on the amount of turbluence. I would recommend that parents be diligent about getting the task done and back to their seats as quickly as possible.”
Re: Dirty Diapers: Renee states, “The dirty diapers should never be put in the seat pocket. Some flight attendants will not put them in the trash for you because they handle food and drink. The parent is responsible for the disposing of the diaper.”
Re: Flushing Those Dirty Diapers: Flight Attendant, Travel and Aviation Writer Beth Blair of The Vacation Gals informs us why diapers should NEVER be flushed down the toilet on an airplane. (I am sure she shudders with these memories) “I worked several flights where parents flushed diapers down the toilet but two of the times really stand out in my memory. One completely broke the lavatory and we had to lock it, with three hours left on the flight. The other time it caused severe flooding in the entire back lavatory, galley and rear passenger seating area.”
What are the options when there is not a diaper changing table or the lavatory line is LONG (and the stink is great)?
Re: Tray Table: Beth writes, “Great topic! It’s unbelievable how many people try and use the tray table for a changing table.
Using a tray table is unacceptable purely for sanitary reasons. The tray tables are used for food and beverages flight after flight and are rarely sanitized between flights. It’s also offensive to your fellow passengers. While it’s unfortunate many airplane lavatories do not offer changing tables, this is usually because the aircraft is outdated (built before changing tables were part of the cabin design) or the aircraft is too small and doesn’t have the capacity to accommodate them. The good news is that most of the newer wide-bodies do have changing tables in the lavatories.
When I worked as a flight attendant I found a parent’s best bet for changing a diaper, when a changing table wasn’t available, was on the galley floor closest to the lavatory. A changing pad is a must-have and I recommend a blanket or, better yet, a newspaper to put beneath the changing pad. Parents should bring large ziplock bags to dispose of the the soiled diaper then throw it away in the lavatory trash can and never flush a diaper down the toilet. (Bad memories – happened more than once!)
Diaper changing belongs in the lavatory or on the galley floor away from other passengers. ALWAYS use a diaper changing mat whether changing a baby on the galley floor, the lavatory changing station, or the closed toilet lid. Placing a newspaper under the diaper changing mat is also highly recommended. Those floors are not cleaned often or well.
As parents we can get immune to the smell, sight, or mess of diapers – especially our own child’s.
Respect that others don’t want to smell or see a dirty diaper, especially when there is no chance for escape. Respect that passengers (even you and your child) touch those trays and then eat or drink off them. Think about the bacteria, the contamination, and the stink…
Would you want someone to change their child’s diaper where your child is going to eat or play? Think about the microbiology experiments that could be done on those trays! Don’t add to the disgusting filth of planes.
This is not a big deal.
- Pack a diaper changing mat.
- Pack a ziplock bag to lock out smell before throwing away the diaper.
- Pack hypoallergenic spray to eliminate odors.
- Pack sanitary wipes to wipe down the tray table before eating or drinking or touching it (and don’t use the tray table for changing diapers!).
I recently was sent a sample of Skip Hop’s Pronto Changing Station for diaper changing convenience whether in airplanes, airports, parks, or the zoo. The extra wide diaper changing pad (great for wiggling babies) wipes clean after use. The pack stores up to 4 diapers and ointment (as well as the ziploc bags and sanitary wipes) as well as offers a zipped pocket for storing a small toy or book to distract the little one! The pad has a patent pending “pronto pillow” to offer some cushion for baby’s head.
Product can be found at: http://www.skiphop.com/
For those traveling with older kids, just zip the changing pad off and the Pronto holds “flight pants” and flushable wipes.
Changing diapers on a plane is not fun for anyone. But if equipped with the right tools, the process can be more comfortable for all!
Basic respect goes a long way on airplanes.
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