nappy changing and dressing nightmare

[milkybarsrus]

right, i have three kids, yes three. so please tell me why my 1 year old is fighting me the whole time i am trying to change a nappy and get him dressed (after all i've got loads of experience)should take no more than a few minutes but takes at least 15. HELP!!!

and by the way, feel like i've been in a battle with him before the day has hardly begun, cos he always has his nappy changed first thing (poo),so we start off fighting. should i just wait till he calms down or what?

have you tried giving him something to play with while changing? My dd likes to play with a wet wipe.But as you say you know what your doing being your 3rd. So maybe ask the health visitor? I have phoned them a couple of times in the past regarding similar situations. I found her very helpful, thay know lots of tricks.

Some kids are just like this - my dd1 was one of them - doesn't make any difference how experienced you are! Very relieved to get her potty trained before she was two.

My dd2 just lies there like an angel when I change a nappy - so much easier.

i've tried EVERYTHING i can think of, wet wipes, wet toothbrush toys, soft book. we end up in a near on fight with him and me covered in poo where he keeps putting his foot in it then i get it on my hands etc. I even avoid trying to change him when out cos its so embarassing! will try h.v though.

Same thing happens here with DS who is 1. Very occasionally he lies there looking angelic. 95% of the time he either kicks ferociously or, more often, flips over while I am holding his ankles and tries to get away. He screams and thrashes a lot. As soon as I let him go he is happy as larry. Poos are a nightmare. Does sometimes help giving him a toy etc but often makes no difference if he is determined not to enjoy it. So, I am no help at all but you are definitely not alone.

Oh and now I have had to go and eat some milkybar buttons after seeing your name. yuuuuuuuuuummy .

What a nightmare. Really feel for you, must be so frustrating. Hope the h.v. will help

Distractions sometimes worked for us, but v.noticeably, keeping calm and matter of fact worked loads better than showing any emotion. Singing at same tone throughout or something helped me keep my cool and blocked him out/ showed him I didn't care what he did as his nappy was going to be changed regardless. Then loads and loads of praise if he was even slightly better. And what's that MN mantra. "It's only a phase." Honest it is. I'd bet he fights getting into his buggy too doesn't he?

We have a fish mobile above the changing table which I blow on to make it move.
Also works a treat for my friends little girl who is 13 months too, a renouned wriggler!

Ah yes now you mention it when I sing Twinkle Twinkle to DS he does sometimes lie a bit stiller (is that a real word?). And he DEFINITELY is worst when I react. I used to shout "stop it" when he tried to wrench himself free and he laughed in my face, which in turn made me laugh. Not a good plan as he thought he was being super clever.

Milkybar, when DS was this age he didn't stop moving. I couldn't even get him to lie down on the changing mat for a second. My colleague suggested changing him standing up - and it worked a treat. It takes a bit of getting used to at first but it is possible to do it hygenically with a boy. Dressing him was a challenge too. I'd usually get his t-shirt over the head in one room, the arms in the sleeves the next etc.

my two wnet through a similar stage. the only way to distract dd was to give her the nappy cream to unscrew.

he's sleeping soundly now and looks like an angel, will try the standing up idea, and the emotionless face and see what happens. so glad i'm not the only one with a chucky child!

had that with dd2 - just bought nappies in a pull up style and she stood up and got dressed/changed with little hassle. Pooey nappies were a challenge but as she was happy standing most of the time, she was happy to lay down for poeey nappies.

hi eidsvold, do you mean the type for older babies, are they just as absorbant as normal nappies?

Dont recoil in horror, but DD used to ask for nappycream on her fingers, so I wuld dab one finger on each hand with the tiniest spot and she would lie there sucking it off while I changed her as quickly as poss.

Could do this confidently as a friends son ate a tub of sudocreme and the poisons helpine advised her that apart from geting the squits he would be fine!

Waiting to see if DS will be a good or bad changer. So far (11 weeks) good!

here in Aus - aldi do a pull up nappy that is just as absorbant as a 'normal' nappy although they are marked as toilet training nappies. Huggies are now also doing one but it is in the 14 - 18 kg weight range.

Don't pampers do an easy up or something that is a pull on nappy but not a training pant iyswim.

easy ups

A friend recommended pull ups as well, saying it was much easier, but I cant imagine how you can get poo out from the creases between the legs and torso very effectively! Also DS is fine at lifting a leg to get out of trousers etc, but when I have tried to get trousers on with him standing up he doesn't lift his legs enough for me to get them over his feet. Any tips on that?

the pull up nappies are great - Pampers Easy Ups or Huggies Little Walkers... not Huggies Pull Ups as they are for potty training and not absorbent at all.
They tear apart at the sides so you can take off pooey nappies like that.
I have to use them with DD2 (16m) as she won't lie down at all. I remember DD1 was the same at this age - exerting their independence.

Still use a Baby Dry at night though. The Pull Up ones aren't quite as absorbent imo (or maybe the wadding isn't in quite the same places)

try sitting him on your knee when dressing him / putting nappy on?

Yep, I use pampers pull ups for my dd. They are great. They feel a little softer too so gentle on the skin and easier to move. I find them quite absorbant, my dd uses them over night too.changing standing up is quite easy once you get the hang of it, I do that for wet nappies. I should have mentioned that earlier. sorry x

THANKS FOR ALL THE GREAT TIPS[GRIN], WILL TRY AND GET THE PULL UP NAPPIES AND SEE HOW IT GOES. HE'S NOT QUITE THERE YET WITH STANDING ON HIS OWN AND WALKING, BUT I SUPPOSE HE COULD SORT OF LEAN ON ME WHILE I PUT THEM ON HIM, PLUS HE COULD WIPE SNOT ALL OVER MY HAIR AT THE SAME TIME AS HE'S GOT A REAL BAD COLD! GONNA SHOP FRIDAY AND GET THIS SORTED!!!!![HMM]

Thanks god someone else has the same problems and it's not just us. My DS (11m) absolutely hates getting dressed and we have big tantrums and tears in the mornings while I try to put his clothes on. I often get very frustrated as I work full time and it's hard enough getting two of us ready without the 'battle of clothes' as it is known in our house. I've got to the point where I let him cry and scream and then we have a cuddle and a sign song afterwards to calm him down. Bizarrely his favourite is Santa Claus is Coming to Town so I can see me still singing that in the height of summer!