Nappy changes for a very active ten-month old

[sycamore54321]

I need help! My beautiful ten-month old baby boy is a real dynamo, always on the move. Nappy changes have become next to impossible. For wet ones, I can work around him while he is standing up against a piece of furniture or whatever but dirty nappies are a nightmare. He won't lay down, won't stay still, wriggles and struggles and clambers away getting poo all over his legs and the changing mat/floor/furniture/his and my clothes. I have to hold him quite firmly and be bordering on the rough sometimes while holding him. It upsets him and really upsets me as I hate having to grapple with him so strongly. I have tried distraction, giving him his favourite toys or real treats like my phine to hold, etc but it will only work one time in about four. Now that he has finally taken to the solid food, we are getting about three dirty nappies a day and my heart sinks each time I know there is another change needed.

I'm not a total wuss, honestly, I don't mind putting him in a bit of discomfort and have him whinge/cry to brush his teeth or give him medicinebut somehow the nappy changes are really stressing me out. I don't want to be harsh with him - and even being harsh/ectremely firm doesn't work all that well anyway.

Has anyone any special ideas or magic bullet to help?

[agapimou]

Sorry no advice here but am watching this thread with interest as 8 month old dd is exactly the same!

[4kidsandaunicorn]

DS is like this, I find speed is the key! I end up using far too many wet wipes and try and distract him with some. Somehow I managed to lie him down and hold onto both legs and hands at the same time.

Or I change him while the Twirlywoos is on the TV and then he remains distracted.

[asuwere]

DS is like this, if I try to lie him down, he just rolls over to get away. I change him on my knee (have done with all my DC) and it's much easier - he doesn't even try to roll!

[ODog]

My 1 yo has been like this since he could roll. I find putting him on a high up surface (ie his changing table) puts him off clambering about so much and obviously I am there so won't let him fall. Failing that it's stand up changes all the way here!

[Betsyblue]

My DS is the same- we just got really good at fast standing up changes :-)

[captainproton]

This is my son who is nearly 2. It's always worse when cutting a tooth, think maybe the pressure is too much for him. I do hold him firmly and tell him if he stayed still I wouldn't have to do it! I've started using washable terry wipes, you can clean up a really mushy one with two wipes, sometimes only one, which makes it much quicker. No getting wipes stuck together whilst trying to get them out the packet either. The downside is you have to wash them, but it's swings and roundabouts. I was sick of getting poo everywhere and wipes are expensive (I have 2 under 3 and another on the way).

[sycamore54321]

Thanks everyone. I haven't tried changing on my knee - can you explain exactly how this works? Is baby face up or face down? And lying along the length of your legs or sideways across them? How do you not get covered in poo yourself once the nappy comes off?

Gosh, I used to love nappy changes when we woukd play games, sing, get some of his best giggles. Now it's screamfest.

[squizita]

I change dd on the floor, with my legs each side to stop rolling away. I have the clean nappy unfolded on my left and the wipes unfurled from the pack (so no picking or tugging ) ready on the right.
I open the soiled nappy, lift her legs and wipe down into the nappy with my right hand, putting the wipes in the soiled nappy as I go, then I use my left hand to swap the nappies in about a second flat. I then wrestle shut the nappy as she wriggles.
I clean up afterwards.

I thought everyone did it like this till I got parents watching at an event when she needed a sudden change and saying it was like a F1 pit stop!

[squizita]

Oh and the unused hand is holding her legs. She will angrily flex at me like she's trying to dance the time warp but it's so fast that in under a minute she's rolling around pulling the nappy sacks out of their pack and throwing them usually, or unravelling a bog roll I keep in the changing basket.

[Littlef00t]

I found either changing on a changing table and firmly holding the legs even if it elicits winges, or changing on the floor with one leg arched over his chest so he can wriggle but not actually roll over works well.

Be consistent. You will not allow him to get up when mid nappy change, ever, if this causes him to howl and cry, so be it.

[dairyfreequeen]

could have written your post!! my ds flips over the minute he's on his back, singing and distraction works some of the time! i use the nappy to scoop off as much as possible while holding his ankles up, then if he escapes mess is limited! Then get the nappy out of the way to avoid feet, and i use cheeky wipes which are good. Theres no way i could change him on my knee! we'd both need a bath! im hoping this phase is short, its so knackering!

[AntiHop]

Been there and got the t shirt. Dd started being really difficult around 7 months when she started to crawl. The good news is it got better. She's 10 months now and it's only very difficult some nappy changes instead of all.

The way I do it is keep a stock of small items she can keep in each hand, preferably things that aren't toys such as a tube of moisturiser. This can sometimes keep her occupied. I then sometimes swap to a different location half way through like on the bed. Having a change of scene helps. My dp often changes her on his lap using a thin travel changing mat. He lies her bottom down.

[IBelieveInPink]

I had this with my dd at 9 months. She was a nightmare. A lovely friend told me the trick.... Take the poppers bits of vest, both over to one side, and twist so vest is snug. Then put your knee on the twisted bit of vest. (Obviously this is changing on floor)
Baby can still move but not as much, so you are able to do a quick change with as much distraction thrown in as possible!

[BearFoxBear]

Sounds familiar. I always unfold and put the clean nappy under my ds's bum so that I can whip the dirty one off and replace it quickly. Speed is the key!