My guy is just over 10mo, enjoying his new found mobility by crawling everywhere and pulling up on everything. He's the happiest fella 99% of the time, but diaper changes have become Enemy No. 1. It doesn't matter if we're on the change table, a bed, or the floor - it's like trying to wrestle a lubed up bipedal crocodile.
It's gotten so bad that I dread diaper changes, and I'm sure he can feel the anxiety radiating off me. Just getting the clean diaper on takes at least ten minutes, one of us is crying, anything in arms reach is knocked to the ground, and it takes every ounce of patience for me not to lose my cool. Half the time the diaper is barely even hanging on, but at least it's something until we can both take a minute to reset. I'm grateful he only poops every three days, because those changes are a whole other animal.
For context, he's 27lb, 31" tall and we're currently using Huggies+ size 4. I've tried distracting him with something to hold, wearing a silly hat, singing songs, strapping him in, gentle but firm restraint.. Please give me all your tips and tricks, or send thoughts and prayers for my sanity.
My girl just turned 8m and also really started to hate diaper change. She started KICKING ME with BOTH LEGS AND FEET. GIRL I‘M JUST TRYING TO HELP YOU
And the wrestling oh my
Ahhh yes, this was a thing too for a bit. The accuracy which with he hit my scar every time was 🫠
The only way I could do it was to hold their legs and arms down with my legs.
Lots of tears...but once I wipe them from my face I put on some 360 cruisers because I can get one on in any position. Worth the extra cost. If there is poop, God help us all 💩
My LO poops 2-3 times a day and each change is basically a 2-person job 🫠 it's bad enough that his daycare teachers keep commenting on it. When I'm home alone with him, I change him on the floor with my leg over his torso and a death grip on both his ankles.
Yup leg over the torso works when you are by yourself. It holds them down but doesn’t hurt them.
On the floor, bonus if you have them on some kind of wipeable mat or surface. Leg over their upper torso to prevent the roll, and do your best. He's going to be pissed but if you move efficiently at least it gets over quickly.
My daughter is almost 6 months and seems to be trying to leg lock then alligator roll my hands every time I get near her diaper, maddening.
We switched to 360 diapers around this age. Rip off, wipe, slide on. My daughter is older now so she can lift her legs up for me to do standing changes. For poop diapers, I sing or count, and I try to get her to engage with that. I also run through words like “can you say xyz?” and it helps distract her. Offering something they’re not usually allowed to have also helps, like your phone or the wipe package or something.
I recently got these kind of diapers as a gift and I want to ask a stupid question, but: How do you get them on? Is there a trick to it? They're not small but trying to pull it over on her bum is a hassle. She's 6 months and isn't really fighting me on this, yet trying to slide the diaper on her bum is not easy.
Do they come off a different way than pulling down the legs? How does poop not get everywhere? I’m sure they do I just have no idea
It gets better, at some point, they will realize that they are an active participant in all this. Until then, I usually give baby a toy or something to keep their hands and mouth busy.
We started doing standing diaper changes around then with the 360 pull-ups. Give them something interesting to eat or play with and pray they don’t start peeing on the floor lol
For both of mine singing a song helped them hold still.
Wenn er stehen kann besorgt pants und wickelt im stehen.
Is there any toy or item he really likes that you can save for up on the change table? Also, have you tried sizing up on diapers? It's easier to get them on during wiggling when you have more room in the tabs to work with. I know every baby is different... but we were trying to squeeze our LO into size 4's for way too long since she was only 22 lbs and the box sizing said that they should fit. The size 5's actually fit so much better and are so much easier to get on.
We were in 5's for a bit before he started moving around, so I have some on hand. I'll give that a go, good idea!
This is just what they do. To them there are so many other interesting things to be doing rather than being stationary. Try to give him something to hold and inspect like a shampoo bottle. This always gets them interested although not for long. I just accept diaper changes are chaos but it needs to be done and they will be happy again soon enough.
Channel your inner Steve Irwin. Thoughts and prayers
I put the baby on the changing table (sideways changing table) and use my entire left forearm to hold the legs up towards the head. Like literally lean into it. As far down towards the thighs as I can without getting in the way of wiping! That way the little feet can’t slip out.
I found that my son really loves flipping pages in a book so I give him some texture books that he can touch too, otherwise I’m powering through and singing songs for my own sanity
Standing changes
My 8 month old is like this. She’ll stay still to take it off but once it’s off she’s free. She starts crawling away thinking it’s so funny. Once I have her she will try to wrestle her way and scream at me. What has worked has been a baby wipe. Yes, I know I shouldn’t but I’m tired of the constant battles. She likes anything she can suck on and so far it’s helped.
I ask my baby to hold the wet wipes and she likes to crinkle the package
I learned how to change diapers while lo is standing reading a book. It's so way that way, no fighting at all
I switched to pull-ups and started “potty training” my son at 14 months for this reason. It’s been much less stressful. The pull-ups are easier if they stand/walk independently though. Almost 18 months and he does most of his poops in the toilet and we go through 3-4 pull-ups per day plus a night diaper.
Pull ups
We switched to diaper-pants plus I keep a non-working mobile phone in our diaper-organiser which I give to my LO if I need to clean her from poop. It works 70% of the time. Other 30% is literally every Steve Irving with crocodile video.
Introduce stand-up diapering! It is difficult at first but completely changes how your LO interacts during diaper changes, giving them more mobility and independence. I teach at a Montessori preschool (infancy to 6 years) and as soon as children are able to pull-to-stand we introduce stand-up diapering!
I have a death grip on one ankle and move like a nascar pit crew. The goal is under 30 seconds.
We used the Fisher price dj table and had her stand for diaper changes. I had one side of the diaper already velcroed on and treated it like a pull up.
Diaper pants. When my youngest started rolling around and grabbing everything, that's when I purchased the up-and-go diapers.
I do pee diapers while he has a bottle. I do dirty diapers with a reachable (wipeable) mobile or a hat or something on my head to get him to look at me.
If they can stand up, I switched to standing diaper changes, I couldn’t do the crocodile death rolls. It’s not perfect and I usually have to readjust but then he could keep playing and I’d clean behind him
"lubed up bipedal crocodile" ☠️☠️☠️
Buy this…. Chuckle & Roar Pop It & Learn Interactive Game It has changed diaper changes for us. Or I give my kiddo a toy in each hand so it’s harder to roll over 😂
I’ve had some luck hanging a mobile over the changing table low enough that he can grab and play with it!
Have you tried calling for help? Like literally calling out to someone (fictitious) in your house to come help? I swear by this… Calling out to someone (fill in name) who’s in the house stuns them still. “Wait, what? Who’s Jessica? And why is she coming here”. I think it’s the change in your voice that surprises them. I like to pretend I’m calling for my assistant and I’m bossy. “Jessica! Can you come in here please? I’m changing baby and need a hand….hurry please…” etc etc I switch up the names so he doesn’t develop a complex around the name Jessica lol It’s a thing on social media, parents calling out for “Jessica” to stop a tantrum. Good luck and lemme know how it goes ;)
Oo I saw this trend a few months ago, but he was too little then to care. Gonna give it a whirl, thank you!
This worked for us until she learnt to undo the straps 🥲 worth it though for four months of stationary changes. https://theturningtot.com/
Is it weighted? I fear my daughter would be crawling away with that on her back like a turtle 😂
This probably will be an unpopular opinion but this is the situation where i started introducing limited screen time after trying all the things you mentioned. I figured the safety concern of flying off the table outweighs screen time concerns. Ms rachel for the win. Pro tip play the potty training episode.
Yepppp! My girls been like this since 8am on the old. The happiest baby but starts crying as soon as the nappy change starts, immediately contorts her body and screams if I try turn her back. Everyone says pull ups but I don’t find they fit her well, she always ends up with a wedgie in them for some reason?! Sometimes, occasionally, giving her something to hold works but only if it’s something she really wants, which varies by day so we can’t have a go to item. I am also dreading nappy changes and going longer between them which is dreadful 😞
I feel like I just do it as fast as I can, and then I bought fake teething versions of a remote control and a phone and I only let her have them for diaper changes lol. But big poops tend to be 2 person jobs!
CONTROL THEIR HIPS.
Standing diaper changes are an absolute life saver once they can stand/bend over on their own. Before that, diaper changes are like wrangling a herd of cats.
I give her a toy or something for her to focus on