to think there has to be a better way to change a toddlers nappy...please help!

[ICBINEG]

We are still using a change table which we should have stopped using about 6 months ago.

We also have a technique that seems to use around 200mls of water, 10 cotton wool squares, around 15 sheets of kitchen roll, and more patience than we apparently can muster. The location is our bedroom which means we have a shit covered toddler roaming over the bed while things get made ready and basically the room is full of non toddler friendly things and it sucks and I'm fed up.

Please tell me how you go about changing your toddlers nappy and where, for the sake of the environment if nothig else....

[ICBINEG]

We do actually use baby wipes on her face and hands before/after food etc. just not for changing.

I am still chuckling at the idea of just how well our attempts to cut her nails while she was asleep went...

oh yes I did little piggy till I was blue in the face also....she LOVES little piggy...unless she senses nail cutting and then it's time to duck and cover.

[Cae1985]

I bought water wipes for ds when he was born as I didn't want to faff around with cotton wool and water. I could only source them from amazon and kiddicare though and they are quite pricey, around £12 for 4 packets but they are 99% water and just a bit fruit extract, ds has been rash free so far.

[BillComptonstrousers]

Oh and toenails are done when they're asleep.

[ICBINEG]

Okay I am hearing pull ups a lot...that sounds good....changing while upright might be a plan but I have never seen her stand still long enough for and actual change. The novelty thing is also a red herring. You may get all of 30 seconds peace out of each new toy then it simple becomes a handy blunt instrument....

[LDNmummy]

Oh your toddler sounds just like mine!

I use Jackson Reece all natural and environmentally friendly baby wipes. They are absolutely amazing and never dry out which makes the whole process even quicker and cleaner. A dried out baby wipe doesn't get the poo off easily.

I buy them in bulk when they are on sale as they are a bit more expensive and currently have 20 packs.

My DH and I only liked to use water too before we discovered these wipes and he loves them. I love them for being degradable and not giving my extremely sensitive DD's skin any problems.

Otherwise, if your toddler likes bath time like mine, it might be worth standing her in the bath with a grip mat underneath. Fill up a bucket with a little water and use a plastic cup or jug to pour water over your toddlers bum and front while using your hand or a flannel to wipe them down. Or you can use the shower in the same way but just washing the bum and front area again. My DD loves this and I use a light cream to keep her from drying out there.

One more thing I do is change my DD on my bed so that if I do need to use a bit of force to restrain her, she won't hurt herself during the ensuing struggle. Sometimes you just have to be a little forceful unfortunately. I prefer to avoid this by washing her in the bath as she loves that.

[maddening]

We change ds (21mths) on a change Matt on living room floor. Use nappy bags and wipes. Cotton wool to dry to avoid nappy rash.

If he is up for wrestling I put Ben and holly on as that is like valium for ds.

[BertieBotts]

Sorry but it is utterly mad that your DH is happy to use wipes on her face but he won't use them on her bum!

DS never ever had a nappy rash, we used wipes from newborn.

Seriously, if her face doesn't get irritated by the wipes, then her bum defiitely won't, and the only other possible trigger they might provide for nappy rash is that they are wet - but then, so is the water on the cotton wool.

[steppemum]

with my first ds i didn't use wipes as you couldn't buy nice ones in the country I lived in. I had a pile of chopped up flannels, about baby wipe size.

I used to grab a handful of the flannels, run them under the tap so they are all damp, put them in a bowl on the changing table, and then proceed as if they were baby wipes.

Toe nails. You have to wait for deep sleep, and aim for max 2/3 nails. Is hard if they wear baby gro and sleeping bag!! But try it at midnight.

[PacificDogwood]

Distraction, you need major distraction

What does she really, really like or find fascination, but does not get v often?
DS4 2.7 only allows a dirty nappy changed when he has a car in each hand or the telly on .
I always change him on the floor, less chance for major injury.
Yy to babywipes - if I can remember I leave them in their plastic box on a radiator so they are less cool although room temperature is not a problem for us.

He hates, hates, hates being changed on my lap, but at times that is convenient.

Also, I am a fan of bribery and corruption: give her a mini-packet of raisins or chocolate buttons, she can fiddle with it while you change her and when you are done lots of praise and you open them for her as a reward.

I cannot wait for DS4 to be potty trained - we had one disastrous attempt recently; I am giving it 4 weeks then I'll try again!

Good luck.

[Idocrazythings]

Otherwise install a tv screen in your ceiling- works for dentists! Can't you change her on her stomach then if she keeps flipping and just be really quick?? Toenails do them straight out the bath when they are soft, sit her in one of your laps and hold her foot firmly and the other one quickly snip. Or would she let u paint them with nail polish? You could paint and snip at the same time?

Have to admit though I'm struggling a little grasping your nail issues- I manage to do my cats claws by myself, with no injuries? slight unashamed cat boast

[maddening]

Ps we use makeup wipes as they don't leave trails of cotton wool.

We use a nappy cream as well.

[amarylisnightandday]

How the hell do you change her out and about?

[maddening]

Oh and I do his toenails when he's sat in his highchair - the tray obscures his view so he doesn't seem to notice.

[PacificDogwood]

Btw, MrOP, baby wipes are far less irritating to skin than poo and lots of rubbing .

Toe nails: doing it asleep has never worked for any of mine. A combination of bribery, reward, brute force, distraction in any order, did. And them growing up a bit.

You know the MN mantra: This too shall pass, this too shall pass, this too shall pass, this too shall pass...

[ditziness]

Still baffled at how many of you use wet wipes at home. Ok, I can understand if your out and about and caught out. But do none if you have bathrooms? If you shat your pants yourself, would you be happy lying on the bed or floor and wiping yourself with a wet wipe rather than going to the bathroom and having a wash? Weird!

[amarylisnightandday]

Bemused by the objection to baby wipes when this kid is already such hard work. Dd1 has had a slight nappy rash a handful of times which is neatly always caused by swim nappies and sea water - not baby wipes.
I use the same baby wipes to take my makeup off every night - harmless as far as I've experienced!

[ICBINEG]

heh well I think I could win a fight with a cat too...just not a determined toddler.

[foreverondiet]

Babywipes

Lie him on floor, stick clean nappy open underneath old nappy. Get wipes ready and nappy sack ready. Wipe up poo and stick nappy if bag. Still use changing table if upstairs - he is 2.5 - yes will potty train over christmas.

Can't imagine changing poo without wipes. FWIW my DD (now 9) had very sensitive skin and very prone to nappy rash, never had problem with wipes, only problem if she sat in poo for too long before we noticed it. If you are v concerned wipe bum after with tissue to make sure properly dry and add cream.

[ICBINEG]

We aren't worried about sensitivity to wipes so much, just the ease of getting the actual poo off. It certainly is easier with wet cotton wool squares...although that makes a lot of water on the loose....

[LingDiLong]

I've always done nails in the bath. They are relaxed and distracted, the nails are soft so easy to cut.

In terms of nappy changing, I had a wierd technique for this stage but it worked. Lie them down on the floor on a mat and straddle them, facing the bum area. Don't actually sit on them. Sitting on your toddler is generally frowned upon. Their view of what you are doing is now obscured which seems to help. If they try and hit you they can only reach your arse which hurts a lot less than the rest of your body. There will still need to be some firm holding of legs but if you can even just grab one of them you can do a pretty good job of wiping them clean. Sing loudly and cheerily throughout the process.

[WorraLiberty]

Stand her in the shower?

Covering toys and books in shit?

Jesus Christmas talk about making a 2 minute job into a bloody project.

Move everything out of her reach, shove a mat under her bum, keep her hands out of the way with one hand, change nappy and wipe her with the other.

Job done.

[amarylisnightandday]

Only crap wet wipes I've used are the Huggies pure - that involved poo scrubbing!

[LingDiLong]

Ditziness, if I shat myself I probably would have a go with the wipes actually. But because I can't see my own arse I would then jump in the bath or shower to make sure I hadn't missed anything. That situation doesn't really apply to babies though does it, a wipe does fine for them because you can actually see that all the poo has gone.

[ICBINEG]

worra how may hands is that you need? One for both of hers? are you kidding? what about her pro footballing feet? I make that at least 3 if not four hands needed....