9 month old won't stay on his back

[daddy79]

I've got a very active 9 month old son who is a total menace on the changing table and it is impossible to keep him on his back unless a second person is around to provide entertainment. I've often had to put nappies on whilst he is standing up or on his front or sometimes just use a strong elbow to pin him down (with the associated screaming) whilst I adjust the nappy.

Any ideas for getting him to chill out when he is on the changing table?

He is not a grumpy child and just very inquisitive. He loves books and all sorts, so if anyone can recommend a book stand that suspend a book above him on the changing table that might work!

He was a wriggler even before he was born and he was pulling himself up to standing (with support) at 6 months and is now (at 9 months) in full on furniture-surfing-mode. On the changing table he will roll over onto his front so that he crawls either up the wall to standing, or try and dive into the drawers. I sometimes think he is just like a cat who won't sit still! He always sleeps in child's pose and never on his back.

I have thought about the changing mats that strap a baby down, but he is very strong and would easily flip the mat over to end up like a tortoise on the changing table... or if not he would just fight it to the point I wouldn't actually achieve anything with strapping him down, except for a very grumpy baby with flailing legs...

Any ideas? He is starting at nursery soon so I feel almost sorry for the nursery staff but it does mean I might get a break! ;-)

I would stop changing him on a table and just use a mat on the floor. It might not help with the actual putting on of the nappy, but at least there is less chance of him falling off a table.

As for the nappy, just hold him down as you are doing and be super quick.

My 10 month old DD is similar I just do all changes on my knee and give her something to hold. Floor changes are tricky it turns into a full on wrestling match as she tries to crawl away!

Pull ups?

One of my babies was exactly like this. I used to give him something interesting to hold; ribbon, torch, nappy cream tube.

Definitely start changing on the floor rather than table. When my lo went through this stage I used to sit with my legs out in front of me with his arms tucked under my knees so he couldn't flip.

iphone, hat, baby sunglasses, tube of something, toilet paper tube, hairbrush, set of keys.

Gift cards - christmas, birthday etc will give him something to look at with no weight and you won't care if they get crumpled. He might be a bit sparkly though.

Other than that. Elbow on upper sternum, a firm no or resort to the floor.

Change him on your bed or on the floor or somehwere else he can't fall from. He's not going to calm down and chill out. He's gearing up to crawl/walk. It's all about wriggling and exploring now.

He is a full on high speed crawler, standing, trying to walk a bit and a climber (like his dad!). He can do a half pull up when he is determined, such as when trying to get closer to the Christmas tree or the record player!

I'm not worried about him falling off the changing table as he is very stable, even when standing, he is just impossible to change. He is just as bad when asleep, so if I have to change him in the middle of night (such as when he had a tummy bug) he will roll onto his front and into child's pose and I'd then have to change him like that.

What would be ideal is nappies that fastened at the back, then I could change him in child's pose. Also makes it easier to wipe up the poo which always seems to up the back of the nappy rather than the front.

As for toys, nothing lasts long. We had some very annoying fisher price phone toy for Christmas from the grandparents, which worked for about a week, but he's bored of that and it is much more interesting trying to explore the changing table!

I've had 2 wrigglers. The best way i found is to change them on the floor. Sit at a 90 degree angle to him and put your leg across his chest so he can't roll over.

Easy ups!! They are one of the best inventions when it comes to babies. I have been changing my son standing up since he was 7 months old. No more battles, just give him a book or something to play with and it is so easy. There is no rule that says they have to lie down!

I've done my DS nappy standing up since he was able to stand he was the very same! I just put his fave show on the tv (mr tumble) so he stands in front of the tv and it's alot easier and less stressful for all involved! A number 2 takes a bit of practice to change standing up but it's much easier once u get the hang of it :)

My 10 mo is quite a wriggler but not as extreme as yours. I have a variety smallish books that I hand her, stuff stuck to the wall for her to look at, and anything noisy helps. Last week it was wheels on the bus cd, this week it's a old McDonald book with the annoying sound effects.

I do pin her down and say no firmly to finish. We had a similar issue at bath time when she was determined to stand up. A couple of weeks of repeatedly sitting her back down with a firm no - sit down and taking her hands off the sides and she's stopped doing it. Bath times were a misry of crying and v short baths. Hopefully she'll behave with nappy changes too soon.

I've ordered some easy ups!

There isn't any crying during changing, unless I use a very firm elbow and even then it is more of a fight back. The boy likes to turn...

Bathtimes I have the same problem with him standing up, but that is only because we have some chrome taps that if he stands up he can see our reflection in them. Again I get him to sit down and he is better now at not standing up when he has toys in both hands! Never had any crying in the bath, even when he's bumped the bath or gone under water. He likes to splash...

Thinking about it he sounds like a total bruiser, but he is very sweet! ;-)