This is my first time exploring the wisdom of the hive mind for parenting.. so bear with me..

Our daughter is 10 months old and ever since she has been able to roll over and more recently crawl (faster than I had imagined!) trying to change her is an absolute mission and a half.. We’ve tried a few things but distraction seems to have been working up to now.. give her a toy (something she hasn’t played with before/much) and try to buy 30 seconds to swap the nappy..

However, at the moment you get about 1 second before she twists/rolls over/crawls off/etc. Took me over 10 mins this morning before going out for work.. it’s at the stage now where it’s a two person job. If it’s a number 1 then it’s manageable but number 2s are a different matter..

Obviously trying to reason with a small baby is not going to work.. if she just stayed still for a minute it would all be done and dusted without the crying and me trying to restrain her!

Any tips, tricks, things that have worked with your kids?

My wife is at her wits end being the main nappy changer on mat leave.

Cheers
Nick

Duct tape?

I don’t think you can do much other than what you are doing. Keep at it, she’ll get the message eventually. Beaker Jr pretty much from day one cried having a bath until he was about 18 months. What can you do? Before long she’ll twig that have soggy dirty bits isn’t fun and will asking to be changed….

It’s that bad I had considered it!

As much as tech at 10 months is too soon……. Super Simple Songs, on your phone.

Oh, and the massive wriggly phase will probably pass when she realises she gets freedom sooner just by being still(ish) for a minute……….. it also might return in future (v1 was 15 months when he decided for a while that he absolutely did ****ing not want to get his nappy changed!)

Cheers Beaker, aye I think we’re just going to have to persist with her. Just hoping she twigs sooner rather than later!

Cheers Mashr – we don’t want to resort to the phone but running out of options. Interesting that your son suddenly decided he was having none of it!

Mini used to be a nightmare to change. Two on one is best but when that wasn’t possible I found if distraction with toys didn’t work.kneeling over him with his arms pinned by the inside of my knees worked to change the nappy and get trousers on and off quickly. You will get some looks if you try this in public. Luckily Micro is very helpful when changing him.

Interesting that your son suddenly decided he was having none of it!

Lasted 3 weeks then back to normal, because children

Both ankles, gently but firmly,  in the left hand, one between the thumb and forefinger, the other in the remaining fingers.

Lift ( again gently) until her bottom leaves the table and she’s partially suspended by the ankles.

Leaves one hand free for the actual nappy change. You’ll soon learn to do it one handed.

PP – my hands aren’t big enough for that, one leg would get free and kick me in the teeth or sac.

PP – my hands aren’t big enough for that

Unless you’ve got tiny hands or a massive baby then they probably are big enough.

Just requires a bit of practice.

Luckily mini is now 8 so changes himself although he does still prefer to be naked. Micro likes being dressed so is helpful.

When Mini was younger he was quite chunky so I think the two things combined. Oh, and his ability to wriggle, twist and turn still is a sight to behold. 😀

Unless you’ve got tiny hands or a massive baby then they probably are big enough.

*Looks at child on the 98th percentile*…… yup

As perchy says, but by the end of a hard day gentle goes out the window and suspending baby upside down by her ankles is the order of the day…. She laughed…. Not that I ever did it.

Nowt you can do. Our first was cooperative. Our second wasn’t.

Our second still wasn’t potty trained at 24 months by which time he was still uncoperative but now *very* strong. I remember one nappy and babygro change where I had to take a break to get my breath back. I was sweating like a rapist. I say one, they were all like that.

if she just stayed still for a minute it would all be done and dusted

That’s parenting in a sentence.

Good luck, good times ahead!

I found doing it on a changing chest made it easier. They can’t just crawl off.

no pudding?

Right I have experience of this.

My approach after everything else failed. Change them whilst sitting with your legs apart (kinda box split). If little one continues to wiggle and try to escape one leg goes across the tummy/chest and effectively pins them down giving you two hands to deal with flailing legs. one hand can pin both feet back to said leg whilst you clean up the crap.

This approach still works when I occasionally have my now 4.5year refusing to get dressed in the morning.

“reasoning” does not work with my two when they decide to be uncorporative

if she just stayed still for a minute it would all be done and dusted

That’s parenting in a sentence.

That’s how you get there in the first place in a sentence.

The “beep beep thermometer” that also makes a pretty flashing colour can work to pacify our similarly-nappy-averse two year old. Gives you a window of opportunity anyway.

Until she does inevitably break it.

30 seconds to swap the nappy..30 seconds to swap the nappy..

You could get this down to 10 seconds.

What your describing sounds normal, either it’ll pass and/or you’ll quicker.

I definitely remember struggling with our first. By the time the twins were 9 months nappy changes were performed with ruthless efficiency, often 2 at a time.

Pp has it and hurray for brakes.

DT78

Member

Right I have experience of this.

My approach after everything else failed. Change them whilst sitting with your legs apart (kinda box split). If little one continues to wiggle and try to escape one leg goes across the tummy/chest and effectively pins them down giving you two hands to deal with flailing legs. one hand can pin both feet back to said leg whilst you clean up the crap.

This approach still works when I occasionally have my now 4.5year refusing to get dressed in the morning.

I remember Shawn Michaels winning Wrestlemania with that move

LittleMissMC was a nightmare, and I hate to say it but one time when I was exceptionally tired and fed up with the fighting, I lost it for a second and slapped her leg. Do not do this, I still have the guilt 12 years later.

PP’s one handed method seemed to be the most effective.

MrsMC doesn’t have much use of her left hand, I have no idea how she used to cope when she was on her own doing it. Though there is an occasional half confessed tale about one of them falling off the changing table….

Put up with it for a few weeks, then that phase will be over and you’ll have something else to worry/think about/enjoy. And on and on and on… until, well, you’re dead.

Funkette who is just over two has suddenly decided she hates nappy changing time. Always amazes me how strong she is when in hulk mode. Just get it done as quickly as possible is my only advice.

Potty training is a weird one. With Funk Jr we read all the books, advice etc and worried about it. We then figured **** it! Like everything else he’ll do it in his own time when he’s good and ready. Worked a treat and never had a single accident. Not started with Funkette yet and she was two in October. Bad, bad parents.

funkmasterp. We are the same with Micro, he will dump in a plastic pot when he is ready. We followed the books with Mini and it was slow going until he was ready and then he was sorted in days with the odd accident.

MrsMC doesn’t have much use of her left hand,

Do you have a bike repair stand?

Do you have a bike repair stand?

Of course, she was useless at helping with bike fettling!

I feel your pain, both my daughters were wriggly as shit, but unless you’re using terry towelling nappies you have it easy. At least you’re not going to attach yourself to her with a humongous nappy pin ; )

Duct tape?

Reusable cable ties, surely. Are you not woke?

I always used to find that the solution to this was a as follows :-
Place junior on their back on changing mat.
You sit at end of changing mat and quickly place one foot over each armpit.
This leaves two hands free to change nappy and to hold ankles – prevents all squirming and wriggling.

Reasoning. LOL

Two options 1) hold down using legs, knees, arms etc 2) Shout really loud until they stop wriggling*

*may cause crying.

Trying to be helpful…. Number two for us was a strong wriggler. We’ve had him in pull-ups for ages and he is only starting potty training now at 2y3m. It means you just stress about the clean up and dont have to keep pinning them down to get the new one on.

I was initially reluctant to post this, but seem like others have posted some more extreme methods first.

On the floor, knee to the chest to pin them down.

Gently obviously, stoved in sternums tend to attract the attention of the nurses. #baddad

On the floor, knee to the chest to pin them down.

The less extreme method I used when the I was trying to deal with Shartmageddon up to the neck was to kneel beside them facing their feet. You can use your elbow to stop them flipping by opposing their shoulder whilst still using both hands. The leverage means no real force is needed.

I’m pretty sure this is one of these problems of our expectations as parents vs reality. There is no reason why a small, mad bundle of energy should lie still for our convenience on demand. If you can roll with it and chase them round a bit to put the nappy no harm done.

I’ve used the bunch all the limbs in one hand approach which works if they’re small. For child number 2 who’s a biffer I go for sat down with them between my legs and legs pinning both arms approach. They protest but if I’m doing that they’re generally not happy with the process and it’s in everyone’s interest to get it done quickly!

Sit at 90 degrees to your child and put one leg across their arms/chest to pin them down. You then have 2 hands free to change the nappy.

Or, Super Simple Songs on iPhone. Our son was proficient in unlocking the phone, finding the app, and searching for a favourite video from an obscenely young age because he was a total nightmare at nappy changes and I couldn’t deal with the screaming when I pinned him down with the technique above.

You can’t negotiate with terrorists. They’ll sense the weakness