Diaper Changes Becoming Nightmarish

She could have sensory or motion problems (vestibular issues). You could have a pediatrician write a script to see an occupational therapist to do an evaluation. One place I know of is called City Kids.

Good luck!

if she can support her weight on her legs, stand her up in the sink so she can look in the mirror as you change her - she'll be much happier and distracted by her mirror image. I do this with the daycare kids when they hit that stage so I've become an expert at changing kids standing up and do it for all but the tiniest babies. (I do home daycare so change lots of kids)

Hi! No, this will not get worse and worse. This is just a phase. Both my kids went through it at about that time. This is the age when a child is beginning to understand that she has "control" over her body. (Well, at least enough control to move!)

Keep her down anyway you can without hurting her. The sooner she learns that you are not going to allow her to flip and struggle, the sooner she will calm down and return to allowing you to easily and quickly change her. It should only take about a week (probably less). I sometimes had to put my leg over my child's chest (no, not directly *on* her chest...but just slightly over and barely touching, so she couldn't turn). Don't feel guilty -- you are not hurting her. This is the just very first step of your daughter's emerging personality and independence -- so congratulations! :)

Sorry, it gets worse, and they get stronger! LOL! I keep items that are diaper table-only items so that my son only gets to play with them when he's on the diaper table. So, he actually looks forward to it. I also put pictures of various items on the wall next to the diaper table so that he'll look at those, too. You can change them out now and then to make them novel and interesting to your little one. You also can try playing music or sing a diaper-changing song. Good luck!

Have you tried giving her something to eat or drink? Perhaps she really likes juice, so diaper changing can be the only time during the day that she gets juice? Sounds like this is something that you should try to take care of right now, as it might get worse if you don't fix it now.

My friend had an issue like this with her 9 month old. She had to strap her baby in the changing table and work very quickly. SO perhaps try straps if you don't have them already.

Good luck.

Don't worry -- this is just a phase! Your daughter is now confident in her ability to roll over and is employing it. Try to get everything prepared in advance so that you can change her as quickly as possible. A toy can help (I know you've tried this, but maybe have a special changing table toy?), and singing/trying to engage her by talking to her (instead of getting frustrated) might, too. You could also try standing her up to put on her diaper -- this might be easier than on her tummy. My daughter was the same way, and she grew out of it within a few months, so hang in there!

Best,
R.

All three of my kids did this exact thing. Once they could stand I almost always changed them standing up, even the poops. It was easier, quicker and cleaner than struggling to pin them down and change them. Good luck! Maybe your daughter will only do it for a short while!

It will probably go away soon. And yes, it might happen again, but usually just as a short phase. Right now she just learned how to roll over and move around, so laying on her back isnt fun. My son did it at that age, and again when he started crawling, and again when he started walking. I got everything ready ahead of time, prayed for easy to clean diapers, and I also did the leg over the baby on the floor thing. Not hard, just to keep poop from getting all over. I also started counting with him. I would tell him I was gonna be done by the time I got to ten (I think I did this starting when he was 7 mos right after the crawling one) and then I would time it so that I was done on ten. Somehow he seemed to understand me, and he could count to ten as soon as he started talking. He was counting with me when I would do it the time after he started walking at 11 mos.

Hi there,

Don't worry, it's just a phase. My son is 16mos old and he goes through this off and on. When he is going through the phase, I try to give him ample warning that we are going to change his diaper in 5 minutes. Then I remind him with a minute to go, and then I scoop him up and change him. Sometimes he is fine, and sometimes he still protests. I have given him a book to look at, and some of them I have memorized so I can "read" it to him while he's looking at it and I am changing him. This helps!
Just try to get it over with as quick as possible and be serious when she tries to wiggle. It won't last forever!

Good luck

I remember this - what a pain!

Use the safety strap (we call it the seat belt in our house) that came with the changing pad and strap the baby down. Have everything ready for the diaper change so you can do it as quickly as possible. We also kept toys in the drawer and pulled out new ones for our son to play with while we changed him. It can be as simple as an empty plastic coke bottle filled with beans for him to shake - just anything new and different to distract him.

would she take a bottle while you're changing her? she's probably usually somewhat on her back when she's drinking a bottle...

Hi There!

My son went through this at about the same age, and is back to his old tricks now at 2 1/2. You are going to think I'm totally crazy, but this is what worked for us. I would open the new, clean diaper and put it on my head like a hat. I would then pretend that I couldn't find it. The bigger the goofy faces and guestures I made the more he would concentrate on me and not on the fact that I was changing his diaper. I would "find" the diaper when he was all cleaned up, put it on and he'd be ready to go. As he got a little older we even played clean diaper peek-a-boo. What works for us currently is music. He has a special CD he can only listen to when he's getting a diaper change or getting dressed.

I know how stressful it can be to battle over diaper changes since they happen so often during the day. But if you go into the diaper change with a "let's make this fun" attitude rather than a "I'm dreading this because I know it's going to be horrible" attitude your child will pick up on that and start to be more pleasant during diaper changes. Good luck to you!

Welcome to the club.

My son is a year old and does the same thing. It's a BATTLE to get his diaper AND clothes on. Every now and then I'm able to hand him something (other than the toys he's familiar with) that'll keep him distracted long enough to get the diaper changed. The past few days, one of my closed mascara "tubes" seems to do the trick.

I'm not sure how you enforce discipline, but I had to give my son a little love tap on his thigh and sternly tell him to be still. I tried that because I noticed that when he gets his diaper changed at daycare he lays there just fine until they're finished. So I began realizing that he just knew that with mommy he could act like a fish out of water and it was okay!

It has definitely helped and we don't have the types of struggles that we were having before. Again, not sure how you discipline your daughter and that not be an option in your household. I happened to grow up with parents that weren't afraid to dole out spankings when we misbehaved. I think he's too young for "spankings" right now but an occasional tap on his diapered rear carries more of a shock value than anything.

Hope that helps!

Just saw your message and wanted to say that our son did the same thing around 6 months, then stopped for awhile, and now does it even more at 16 months! What works well for me is "zerberts" (however that would be spelled) on his tummy or legs. He thinks it's so funny that he forgets to fight to flip over. Or sometimes I make his legs go up and down and that has the same effect. I think you basically just need to find something that will distract your daughter long enough to do the diaper change. It will stop soon, but may start back up!!

It'll get worse, wait to she starts sitting up when your changing her. All you can do is be patient. Maybe keep pullups on hand to throw on her until you can get her to lay still long enough. Good luck

I remember hanging a mobile over my son's changing table and that helped. Try whispering to her while you are changing her diaper. At least when they're older they can stand up and get changed!

I was so at a loss when baby #1 starting doing this that I called my pediatrician. They told me that this was exactly what he was supposed to be doing, albeit annoying and difficult for us to deal with. ;) I now have an 8 month old baby #2 and just chuckle when she does it. Keep toys on hand that are fun and just for diaper changing time - then they will be like new (someone suggested this below, and that's what's worked for us). You only need a minute or so of still time to get that diaper on.

When you're in the middle of a diaper struggle, just stay patient and try to count your blessings that you have a normal, healthy baby! This will pass eventually, I promise.

It's just a phase, she'll get over it. Try singing to her. I made up a song that I sang to both my kids... it's called "stinky butt"... it goes like this "stinky butt, stinky butt, p- e- eow, stinky butt, stinky butt, I LOVE YOU!" and then I'd tickle their bellies.

Within a few days, they loved getting thier diaper changed. If that doesn't work, give her a toy that she normally doesn't play with (to help occupy herself).

It's a phase. Soon enough, you'll be asking her to lift up her dupa (butt) for you and she will and it will make your life much, much easier.

my son went through that phase only lasted a few months. i started making it a game. as soon as i laid him down i would tickle him and make him laugh. then i would tug on his pants so he would laugh more and eventually got down to the diaper i would open it and close it again like diaper peek a boo then make the quick change and once the diaper was on he cold move freely :)