Victoria Gardens Shopping Centre, Richmond - Melbourne

Located just by the food court, this parents room was bright, colourful and roomy.

It was nice and clean and suitably decorated with cute ladybird lights on the walls and had a little table and chairs for the little ones.

Features

  • 2 private feeding rooms
  • 2 couches
  • 1 family toilet
  • 2 change bays
  • 1 microwave
  • 2 sinks 

I rated this room 7/10

Pran Central, Prahran - Melbourne

The best thing about finding this gem is that I can now safely wonder through the fabulous shops down Chapel Street at my leisure knowing that this is only minutes away.

Located on the mezzanine level, this very simple and modest room has all one needs (and I emphasise the word one)…almost. There was no microwave for mothers who bottle feed, however I’m sure one of the places in the food court would let you use a microwave if you asked.

It was clean and tidy, and after we left I even spotted a cleaner in there. I’m not sure how a twin pram would fare getting to it though - it was quite a narrow corridor to get to the door.

Features

  • 1 change bay
  • 1 toilet
  • 1 arm chair
  • 1 sink
  • no mircowave

I rated this room 4.5/10 (penalty points for no microwave and accessibility)

The Parents Retreat, Level 2 Melbourne Central - Melbourne

Amongst all the hustle and bustle, the Parent’s Retreat truly is lives up to its name. Located on level 2 of Melbourne Central just opposite the lifts (take the lifts by little lonsdale st) this brand new room wont stay a hidden gem for long.

This place feels like a parents room should. It’s big, colourful and there’s plenty of things to keep the kids entertained - all contained within childproof safety gates.

There is plenty of space for feeding. The private rooms have more than enough space to fit the entire family and the pram. There are also four comfy armchairs and two additional couches that could be used.

Kids will be kept entertained climbing the ropes, playing with puzzles on the wall or (if they’re able) reading the stories painted on the walls of the private feeding rooms.

The changing bays are nice and deep making it harder for determined wrigglers to get away and rubbish bins handily located in a pull out draw underneath the bench.

If I HAD to find fault with this place it’s that being as big as it is an extra microwave or sink wouldn’t have hurt…and maybe a mirror :)

Features

  • 6 change bays
  • 3 private feeding rooms
  • 2 toilets
  • 4 armchairs
  • spacious
  • activities for toddlers/children
  • toddlers picnic table
  • 1 microwave

This one’s going to be hard to beat. It’s definitely my new fav!

I rate this room 10/10

It’s so good we even caught the mall security guard using it!

David Jones, Chadstone Shopping Centre - Melbourne

In a mall full of people this parents room was nice and tranquil compared to the other two in the mall.

A nice open entrance way with tables and chairs for children separated the toilet at one end of the room from the two private feeding rooms at the other end which would help avoid congestion if the room were to get busy.

It was lovely and clean and welcoming too. Each of the feeding rooms were spacious enough and had their own fold down change table. There was no separate change table which I found a bit odd but I guess you could use the flat bench if you needed to.

Features

  • 2 feeding rooms
  • 2 fold down change tables
  • 1 microwave
  • 1 sink
  • 1 toilet
  • Chairs and tables for children
  • Good amount of space

I rated this 6/10

Chadstone Shopping Centre, Ground Floor

Well considering that this wasn’t the main parents room in the shopping centre it wasn’t too bad. This one was located on the ground floor by the food court and was one of three facilities that I saw. There was also one in the David Jones store, and another on the first level in the main mall.

This humble room had the basics of everything that you really needed but did get a little congested in the entrance way and wasn’t exactly the cleanest it could be - the rubbish bins did need to be emptied. In saying that though a cleaner did come in and picked up a little bit of rubbish and maybe was intending to return when it wasn’t as busy.

There was also a feed back form which was good. There really needed to be an extra changing bay though. As I was waiting to use it another mother came in and just decided to use one of the arm chairs in the feeding rooms instead.

Features

  • 2 private feeding rooms
  • 1 toilet
  • 1 microwave
  • 1 change bay
  • 2 sinks
  • 1 couch

I rated this room 5.5/10

Harbour Town - Melbourne Clean, spacious and splashes of colour - this was more than I was expecting when I stepped through the door on the side of a concrete wall today. There was even a cleaning log! Bonus points!  There was lots of space to park the pram or wheel it to one of the two private rooms without having to worry about getting in anyone’s way. There were three change bays with a sink between each, bins right underneath and mirrors (great for mum to re-group, make yourself presentable again before heading back out with your calm little angel and walking past all those people who were looking at you with daggers because your screaming child was disrupting their lunch). There was also a nappy dispenser incase you were caught short you could buy one then and there. Is it just me who hates changing their baby side-on? I wish the change mats were facing me - it makes things so much easier. And it’s not like they didn’t have the space for it. Also the change mats are not fixed to the table. I tried turning the mat around but the table was too short :( Suggested improvements would be to have some music playing to create a bit more atmosphere and maybe even a area for kids e.g a play pen with some toys, and of course fix the change mat issue. Overall features 2 private feeding rooms 3 change bays 3 couches 1 family toilet 1 microwave  spacious I rate this room 7.5/10

Harbour Town - Melbourne

Clean, spacious and splashes of colour - this was more than I was expecting when I stepped through the door on the side of a concrete wall today. There was even a cleaning log! Bonus points! 

There was lots of space to park the pram or wheel it to one of the two private rooms without having to worry about getting in anyone’s way.

There were three change bays with a sink between each, bins right underneath and mirrors (great for mum to re-group, make yourself presentable again before heading back out with your calm little angel and walking past all those people who were looking at you with daggers because your screaming child was disrupting their lunch). There was also a nappy dispenser incase you were caught short you could buy one then and there.

Is it just me who hates changing their baby side-on? I wish the change mats were facing me - it makes things so much easier. And it’s not like they didn’t have the space for it. Also the change mats are not fixed to the table. I tried turning the mat around but the table was too short :(

Suggested improvements would be to have some music playing to create a bit more atmosphere and maybe even a area for kids e.g a play pen with some toys, and of course fix the change mat issue.

Overall features

  • 2 private feeding rooms
  • 3 change bays
  • 3 couches
  • 1 family toilet
  • 1 microwave 
  • spacious

I rate this room 7.5/10

David Jones - Burke St Mall, Melbourne A completely respectable parents room. I think I was expecting something with a little more character to it being that it was David Jones so maybe that’s why I was a little underwhelmed. It was nice, spacious and clean. There was a large area as you entered with a couple of arm chairs and seats/tables for kids. There were also two private feeding rooms, two family toilets, two change bays and one microwave. The private feeding room was good because as I’ve found now my wee one gets easily distracted if there is a lot happening around him. The room also had a fold down change table if you needed to change your baby. There was lots of space to park your pram and still have room for your partner or other children in the room. The things that weren’t so nice are that nappy disposal bins lined one entire side of the room that ended right beside the feeding chair which wasn’t particularly pleasant. It would have been better to have them on the other side - then they would also have been under the change table. And if you did decide to change your baby in the room there was no facility to wash your hands so you would have to go to the changing bay anyway. The bins were also an issue in the change bay area. Instead of being under the table making it convenient to just flip the lid and dispose, the bin was on the opposite wall. Even though it wasn’t far away, it still meant that you had to leave the soiled nappy next to you as you changed baby, then get everything packed up and ready to go before you could throw it away - especially as there were no restraints at the change bay I wasn’t leaving my child up there while I went to throw out the nappy. Overall 2 Change Bays 2 Private Feeding Rooms 2 Family Toilets 1 Microwave 3 Arm Chairs Spacious  I rated this 8/10

David Jones - Burke St Mall, Melbourne

A completely respectable parents room. I think I was expecting something with a little more character to it being that it was David Jones so maybe that’s why I was a little underwhelmed.

It was nice, spacious and clean. There was a large area as you entered with a couple of arm chairs and seats/tables for kids. There were also two private feeding rooms, two family toilets, two change bays and one microwave.

The private feeding room was good because as I’ve found now my wee one gets easily distracted if there is a lot happening around him. The room also had a fold down change table if you needed to change your baby. There was lots of space to park your pram and still have room for your partner or other children in the room.

The things that weren’t so nice are that nappy disposal bins lined one entire side of the room that ended right beside the feeding chair which wasn’t particularly pleasant. It would have been better to have them on the other side - then they would also have been under the change table. And if you did decide to change your baby in the room there was no facility to wash your hands so you would have to go to the changing bay anyway.

The bins were also an issue in the change bay area. Instead of being under the table making it convenient to just flip the lid and dispose, the bin was on the opposite wall. Even though it wasn’t far away, it still meant that you had to leave the soiled nappy next to you as you changed baby, then get everything packed up and ready to go before you could throw it away - especially as there were no restraints at the change bay I wasn’t leaving my child up there while I went to throw out the nappy.

Overall

  • 2 Change Bays
  • 2 Private Feeding Rooms
  • 2 Family Toilets
  • 1 Microwave
  • 3 Arm Chairs
  • Spacious 

I rated this 8/10

DFO - South Wharf, Melbourne I was pleasantly surprised to find large and clean facilities in the parents room here. Two large private rooms for feeding with comfortable armchair and shelf. Can easily fit the pram in and then some. Clean bench with two changing bays, microwave and one parents/children’s toilet. This is a photo of the room on the basement level of DFO by the main food court (near Peter Alexander) but also came across another parents room on the other side of the mall which I’m sure would be equally as nice. A couple of down sides…. that the changing bays were positioned so that baby lay side on to you making it a little harder to change than if they were front on. And while I was changing my DS, due to the layout I felt like I was a little in the way of people waiting to use the toilet. ideally the sink would have been in the middle of both change bays  also nappy disposal bin could have been closer to the change bays Overall 2 change bays 2 private feeding rooms 1 family toilet 1 microwave  I rated this 7/10

DFO - South Wharf, Melbourne

I was pleasantly surprised to find large and clean facilities in the parents room here.

Two large private rooms for feeding with comfortable armchair and shelf. Can easily fit the pram in and then some. Clean bench with two changing bays, microwave and one parents/children’s toilet.

This is a photo of the room on the basement level of DFO by the main food court (near Peter Alexander) but also came across another parents room on the other side of the mall which I’m sure would be equally as nice.

A couple of down sides…. 
that the changing bays were positioned so that baby lay side on to you making it a little harder to change than if they were front on. And while I was changing my DS, due to the layout I felt like I was a little in the way of people waiting to use the toilet. 
ideally the sink would have been in the middle of both change bays 

also nappy disposal bin could have been closer to the change bays

Overall

  • 2 change bays
  • 2 private feeding rooms
  • 1 family toilet
  • 1 microwave 

I rated this 7/10

Myers - Burke St Mall, Melbourne I wish I could have taken a photo but there were just too many people - but don’t worry, this is somewhere I’ll definitely come back to. Maybe it was the sweet relief of finally finding somewhere to feed my crying baby but walking into this family room was like walking into Eden. Located on Level 3, on the floor with the children’s wear (obviously) the family room here was brilliant. There were plenty of armchairs (maybe 6), 2 couches, a couple of private feeding rooms, a family toilet, 3 change bays and 2 microwaves. It was colourful and vibrant and felt like a family room. The only disadvantages of the room were that the arm chairs were quite close together but I cant imagine them being all full at once. My boy also got easily distracted (its a rather annoying stage) with all the people coming and going and when it was finally time to change him only the middle bay was free and there wasn’t enough room to wheel my pram up beside it, so I had to abandon the pram and head up solo. I rated it 8.5/10

Myers - Burke St Mall, Melbourne

I wish I could have taken a photo but there were just too many people - but don’t worry, this is somewhere I’ll definitely come back to.

Maybe it was the sweet relief of finally finding somewhere to feed my crying baby but walking into this family room was like walking into Eden. Located on Level 3, on the floor with the children’s wear (obviously) the family room here was brilliant. There were plenty of armchairs (maybe 6), 2 couches, a couple of private feeding rooms, a family toilet, 3 change bays and 2 microwaves. It was colourful and vibrant and felt like a family room.

The only disadvantages of the room were that the arm chairs were quite close together but I cant imagine them being all full at once. My boy also got easily distracted (its a rather annoying stage) with all the people coming and going and when it was finally time to change him only the middle bay was free and there wasn’t enough room to wheel my pram up beside it, so I had to abandon the pram and head up solo.

I rated it 8.5/10

Melbourne Central I was hugely disappointed. In a place that is pretty much a mall, I failed to find any place suitable to feed my child. The only signs I could find led me to dirty disable toilets with a fold down change table.  I would rather feed in the food court or one of the seating areas by the lifts than sit on a toilet in a room that smelt like someone had taken their sweet time using it before me if you catch my drift. But…there is hope. They are currently in the process of building a brand new parents room. I’m not sure when it will be ready for the public but I will find out and review it once it is. I rate this “room” 1.5/10

Melbourne Central

I was hugely disappointed. In a place that is pretty much a mall, I failed to find any place suitable to feed my child.

The only signs I could find led me to dirty disable toilets with a fold down change table. 

I would rather feed in the food court or one of the seating areas by the lifts than sit on a toilet in a room that smelt like someone had taken their sweet time using it before me if you catch my drift.

But…there is hope. They are currently in the process of building a brand new parents room. I’m not sure when it will be ready for the public but I will find out and review it once it is.

I rate this “room” 1.5/10