Mom Kicked Out of Restaurant After Changing Her Baby's Diaper

By SheSpeaksTeam Aug 12, 2014

Every mom knows the dilemma we face when we have a baby with a full diaper and no changing tables in sight. Mom Miranda Sowers faced this problem while out to eat at a pizza restaurant with her three children. She went to the bathroom and after realizing that the only surface to change her infant on would be the floor, she made the decision to make a quick change at her table with a changing pad down on the seat.

A CBS local Houston affiliate reports about how the local mom’s decision to change the 4-month-old baby in the restaurant caused her to be kicked out. Sowers explains that she didn’t want to take all of her children back to the mini-van to change the diaper (her two other children are age 8 and 4). She felt she had no other option but to change the baby on the seat. Sowers explains, “I thought you know what I’ve got my own changing pad, she’s tiny, she fits right here on the chair. So I laid her down quickly and quietly changed her diaper.”

Owners of the restaurant didn’t agree with Sowers’ idea of what was acceptable behavior. Bessa Lala, whose family owns the restaurant, explains that she saw the public diaper change and acted out of respect for the other customers. Lala says, How would you feel? You’re sitting there eating. I don’t want to lose all these other customers because they see a dirty diaper.”

After Sowers finished changing her baby’s diaper she was given all of her food in to-go containers and asked to leave the restaurant. Sowers feels the restaurants actions were unwarranted and that she made the diaper change discreetly enough so that no one saw her. She has also filed a complaint with the Better Business Bureau.

What do you think of the restaurant’s response to this mother’s public diaper change?

Do you think restaurants should be required to have changing tables in their bathrooms or is it up to the parents to secure a more private location to change diapers?

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Comments

by Momknowsbest34 | pittsburgh, PA

Aug 26, 2014

I have kids and been a manager of a restaurant. I would have kicked her out too. Check reviews to see which are baby friendly. They could get shut down by the health department if they did not react. They even gave her the food for free. Come on you can't put human feces near a table the public eats at. This was laziness. She could have went out to the van as she said herself. I would hate to eat at her house. It's just plain gross and nothing like breastfeeding in public. Not even close. Breastmilk don't make others literally sick.

by Csouth28 | SAVANNAH, GA

Aug 23, 2014

Yea I don't have any kids yet but when I do I won't do that in public. I have a changed alot of my god daughters diapers some were awful smelling just go to the car no one ain't got time for that :)

by smoeller67 | POUND RIDGE, NY

Aug 20, 2014

I don't want to have anyones feces near my food.

by The_Imp | Kimberley, OU

Aug 17, 2014

I have 5 kids at home, and changing a baby's diaper at the table is simply disgusting. People are eating, that's not the place for body waste.

by JadainGA | Grayson, GA

Aug 17, 2014

I see 2 errors: Error 1: The restaurant overreacted....I don't see a reason to "kick her out" after this faux pas. It was already a done deal. They definitely could have said something politely to her, asking her to not do that again. Error 2: The mom should have gone outside to her car or elsewhere, away from other customers. It is very bad manners to change a poopy diaper around customers trying to eat. Hopefully, the restaurant will take corrective action and put equipment in the restroom for future customers, AND the mom will think about her behavior as well! PS. I have 3 kids and have changed diapers in some CRAZY places....all moms have! It is an inconvenience sometimes! :)

by Jonij45 | PHOENIX, AZ

Aug 14, 2014

I think we all come across this dilemma at one time or another. I really don't want to smell a dirty diaper while I'm eating. Even if it was my own child's. I would have gone out to the car and changed the diaper in the back seat. I did it many times when no changing table was available. For people without kids they don't understand and I don't blame them for not wanting to have that experience. It's really not sanitary to change the diaper where someone will be eating. Did she wash her hands after changing the diaper at the table? Sometimes being a parent isn't always convenient.