Changing diaper is a whole ordeal

amother

Rose

Tue, Mar 28 2017, 9:29 pm

For the past few months my baby (15 months) has been impossible when trying to change his diaper. He refuses to lay still for more than a second and constantly tries to flip over while I try to change him. I have to hold him down kicking and screaming and crying and it's really hard because he's so strong. Anyone else have this problem? I always give him something to distract him with but he just throws it on the floor.

gamanit

Tue, Mar 28 2017, 11:03 pm

Yes, my 19 month old has been doing this the past few months. We often just give him a bath instead of struggling to pin him down. If I'm in a rush I'll just hold his hands and feet with one hand and not care if he cries a bit and with the other hand change the diaper. Hatzlacha!

amother

Rose

Tue, Mar 28 2017, 11:05 pm

gamanit wrote:

So thats what I've been doing- holding him down with one hand and changing diaper with he other- but its very difficult! As for the bath- even getting a diaper on without wiping is a huge effort Sad

gamanit

Tue, Mar 28 2017, 11:08 pm

After a bath I can put the new diaper on while he's standing upright. I usually grab him with a towel, hug him with one hand and work the new diaper on carefully. By now I'm used to this...

amother

Rose

Tue, Mar 28 2017, 11:10 pm

gamanit wrote:

After a bath I can put the new diaper on while he's standing upright. I usually grab him with a towel, hug him with one hand and work the new diaper on carefully. By now I'm used to this...

I will have to try that!!

Ectomorph- he'll just throw the bottle on the floor- all he wants is to be on his stomach and nothing else!

amother

Hotpink

Tue, Mar 28 2017, 11:14 pm

Mine's 15 months too and does the same thing! I have to rotate the item that I let him hold. Two weeks ago it was a toy phone that makes noises when you press it. This week it's a digital thermometer (he likes hearing it beep and putting it back in its "case"). But sometimes he winds up throwing those on the floor (one reason I have to keep giving him new things to hold). I sing songs that include motions- that sometimes helps. Really lively happy songs. It's no fun though.

How long does this last? I keep joking with him that if he'd just go on the toilet he wouldn't need his diaper changed, too bad he doesn't understand that :-p

amother

Hotpink

Tue, Mar 28 2017, 11:30 pm

gamanit wrote:

After a bath I can put the new diaper on while he's standing upright. I usually grab him with a towel, hug him with one hand and work the new diaper on carefully. By now I'm used to this...

I can never get the diaper closed correctly when I try this. Sad

gamanit

Tue, Mar 28 2017, 11:32 pm

amother wrote:

I can never get the diaper closed correctly when I try this. Sad

It comes with practice Smile

. First you close one side incorrectly, just to get the diaper to hold in place, then you try to get the second side done right then go back to the first...

Tzutzie

Tue, Mar 28 2017, 11:35 pm

What does your kid really enjoy? Toys with lights? Books? Sensory toys? Tickling? Singing?
Can you try to distract him with physical touch like tickling? Playing peekagoo - putting his hands with one hands onto his face and while he's busy peekaboo-ing and I-c-u-ing quickly do your thing then repeat?

Dc1 was like that and dc2 is now really difficult to change too.
They both loved singing the most.
so singing her favorite songs while making funny faces (dont judge Wink

) works these days.
Sometimes, I need to try something new every time, its seasonal.

Good luck!

Iymnok

Wed, Mar 29 2017, 2:35 am

I remember my parents changing my sister's diaper. On the floor with on leg over her chest.
The thrice is to find a way to keep their torso pretty straight, and hips down.

newmom1987

Wed, Mar 29 2017, 3:42 am

Try changing him standing up. He may not like getting the poop squished on his back. He might be old enough to understand "do you want to lay down on the table or do you want to stand by the crib?"

amother

Rose

Wed, Mar 29 2017, 10:42 pm

Thanks everyone for your suggestions. I think I will just have to wait for him to grow out of it because whatever I give him, he throws on the door and nothing else works. At what age do kids understand when you tell them to lie still for a few seconds?? Lol

amother

Mauve

Thu, Mar 30 2017, 12:03 am

Can you give him a bottle, pacifer, cheap plastic cup to squash?? Distractions. My 15 month old gives me a really hard time and I am quick!

teddyb

Thu, Mar 30 2017, 12:26 am

I find singing songs with hand motions usually helps. Especially if you do different voices and faces. Wheels on the bus, itsy bitsy spider, where is thumbkin, open shut them. Have to teach the motions not during diaper changes tho.

FranticFrummie

Thu, Mar 30 2017, 3:00 am

DD hated getting her diaper changed! She screamed bloody murder, to the point where I was seriously afraid that the neighbors would call CPS on me.

I put a sparkly mobile above the changing table, and got it moving before I put her down. That kept her distracted as long as it kept moving, and she couldn't reach it. I also invested in a wipe warmer. She's really sensory, and the cold wipes were freaking her out.

It still wasn't easy, but it was a lot better.

The good news, is that she was really easy to potty train, because she hated being changed so much. She was really motivated to not be in diapers anymore. Hey, silver lining! Very Happy

Blue jay

Thu, Mar 30 2017, 9:57 am

keep on smiling, sing and talk while you change the diaper, give him a really interesting toy reserved only for diaper changing.

Also do you use the "under the diaper technique?"

I believe I am the original creator of this technique but then again I could be wrong:

Place clean open diaper on floor/ changing area first with sticky fastens unopened. Then place baby on top of the clean open diaper still wearing his dirty diaper. Then proceed to remove old diaper, clean and then slide away from under baby. Underneath child will be the new opened clean diaper then continue to fasten.

This technique eliminates the distressing step of holding up the babys legs in the air and creating unwanted breezes while reaching for a new diaper.

amother

Aubergine

Thu, Mar 30 2017, 10:23 am

My 26 mo. DS does this still, and stands up and runs away as soon as the old diaper is off. He loves to walk around naked.... Sometimes I just let it go - so he'll be naked for a while. And then I'll say, do you want a cookie, or a walk, or a toy? You need to put on your diaper first. I think the first time he wet the floor and slipped in it, he realized its not always so great to walk around naked....
Other tricks I use : asking him questions or singing a song (open shut them, etc) so he's so busy waiting for the next line that I can whip on the diaper.
Sometimes, when I'm stressed out, I have another child hold does his arms so I can hold the feet and just get the stupid diaper on already.
Can't wait for toilet training...

Iymnok

Thu, Mar 30 2017, 10:28 am

Sorry, I read this as 26YO! Rolling Laughter

amother wrote: