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Parenting

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Original poster

Help! How do I change a crawling baby??

30 replies

sureitis · 30/08/2013 16:06

My baby has just started crawling and will not stay still now at all when I try to change her nappy.

Had a nightmare there when she had a dirty nappy and it went EVERYWHERE!

I was using a changing table but it's no longer safe so doing it on the floor now but she won't stay still. Starting to dread nappy changes and don't get me started on trying to dress her. Sob.

Any tips??

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

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AnythingNotEverything · 30/08/2013 16:09

Keep one hand on her belly at all times. Give her something to hold. Sing?

Glad you've moved off the changing table!

Also, I thought you meant "change the baby into something else" at first ...

AnotherStitchInTime · 30/08/2013 16:10

On the floor.

Toy or small board book for her hands to keep her occupied.

I sang nursery rhymes to mine to keep them calm when nappy changing and getting dressed.

Chocotrekkie · 30/08/2013 16:10

One hand on her chest other doing the nappy - takes practice but it only gets worse I'm afraid..
Chase me when I've done a poo to stop me going downstairs on my bum was my toddlers favourite game..

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MamaTo3Boys · 30/08/2013 16:18

Change her on your knee? That's what I did/am doing with my 3 x

GreggsOnLegs · 30/08/2013 16:22

We sing 12345 once I caught a fish alive & repeat til finished, but only at nappy changes. It has worked with both of mine 98% of the time

Original poster

sureitis · 30/08/2013 16:25

Thanks for your replies!

The toy distraction doesn't seem to work, think I'll need to find something extra special to distract her with!

Did not like the it'll get worse post Chocco I'm trying not to think about that...

Might give the on the knee a go but she's a big girl so not sure how that'll pan out...

OP posts:

Lurkymclurker · 30/08/2013 16:29

I still use the changing table for dd 23 months, I have a bad back and find it so much easier, one had on the stomach works here as does the singing and lots of lie down nice, followed with positive reinforcement.

I find she is worse if I have I change her on the floor as she knows she can get away.

Also we used to have specific toys for change time that were 'reserved' for this purpose and were fully washable/cheap to bin for that inevitable moment they get thrown into poop.

Good luck :)

HerrenaHarridan · 30/08/2013 16:44

Stapler

The hand/arm over the belly. Special toy/ song.

Give them a wipe to play with is most regularly effective for me

OneLittleToddleTerror · 30/08/2013 16:47

This too shall pass

But seriously, I couldn't keep DD down for a while. She'd just twist and ran away. Now she's 2, she will come and tell me she's done a poo poo. (Everything is a poo poo, including wees).

OneLittleToddleTerror · 30/08/2013 16:49

I think I use one hand on tum or holding her legs. But she still wiggled away. And not sure if changing on the changing table helped. There was a phase when DD was a total dare devil. She jumped off the sofa head first and we ended up in A&E. (She has also jumped off her activity cube in the garden but I caught her).

QuintessentialOldDear · 30/08/2013 16:51

You change her on your lap. She will soon realize that she will fall down if she wriggles. You can sit on a chair, and spread your legs to give her support on neck and on her bottom. (Some find it easier if they wear a skirt, but trousers are fine too) She will be on her back, and you hold her legs up with your left hand if her head is on your left, and do the cleaning with your right hand. I she wriggles then, she will hang upside down! She wont wriggle, i guarantee it....

RobotHamster · 30/08/2013 16:56

I pinned down with my legs for really messy ones, was the only way!

ipswichwitch · 30/08/2013 16:58

Get nappy unfolded and ready, take several wipes out of the packet, take the lid off the sudocrem. Then you can pin baby down with one hand and change with the other. Preparation is key - nothing more difficult than trying to open up a fresh nappy/pull wipes out of the packed single handed while pinning down a squirming baby. I also used to give DS the tv remote, which kept him occupied for maybe 10 seconds (I mastered super fast nappy changes after e got poo all over the brand new carpet, was using a changing mat too!)

Original poster

sureitis · 30/08/2013 17:35

I've learned the hard way that preparation is the key and have everything ready including 2 nappies in case she decides to go again mid change!

Nothing really seems to distract her so if all else fails I might have to pin her down after I've tried some more singing or on the knee changes. I'm sure that'll look really good when I'm at other people's houses changing her and I'm practically sitting on top of her trying to restrain her!

OP posts:

Fifi2406 · 30/08/2013 18:05

My ds was an awful nappy changer when he started to crawl I had to put my leg over him not the whole weight obviously but a bit of brute force and sang songs made stupid faces at him he did lots of fighting and I constantly told him we aren't finished yet...now we are finished you can go!! but now 23 months he is perfect at nappy changing time gets the nappy and wipes out of the cupboard for me and puts them back when we are done! Get all the wipes out of the packet unfold the nappy be as quick as you can and have 6 arms/legs, you'll get used to it!

Original poster

sureitis · 30/08/2013 18:21

The first change since my posting was a success! She had just woken up from her tea time nap and she started to crawl away as soon as I put her down but I gave her a big pink slotted spoon that she gets very occasionally and that distracted her for the whole time and she never moved a muscle. Result!

Hopefully that'll work for a wee while!

OP posts:

surroundedbyblondes · 30/08/2013 18:25

I used the changing table still as I had everything to hand there. One hand on DD at all times, other hand wiping etc. We hung an ikea mobile from the ceiling on elastic so that she could look at and grab it.

ipswichwitch · 30/08/2013 18:26

Useful reference material

here

Original poster

sureitis · 30/08/2013 18:52

ipswich - that is priceless

Even though dd isn't walking yet that's pretty much how it goes on our house. Especially when introducing a new distraction in the oh-my-god-this-is-the-best-thing-in-the-whole-wide-world-how-have-you-never-seen-this-before tone of voice. Sigh.

OP posts:

slightlysoupstained · 30/08/2013 18:54

I find that blowing raspberries on his belly distracts him from the fact that he's ON HIS BACK AGAIN HOW DARE YOU, then I can give him a toy and sometimes that works. Other days I might end up pinning him, or letting him crawl off once he's clean and then getting a nappy on while he's standing up. Obviously this really doesn't work when out and about (but oddly, so far at least, he hasn't been as bad then).

One thing I have noticed is that if he is suspiciously peaceful and quiet for the first nappy change of the day, it's usually because he's saving a truly massive poo for the clean nappy.

Unfortunately the absolutely surefire way of keeping DS quiet requires two people: I feed him, while DP changes him.

HPsauceonbaconbuttiesmmm · 31/08/2013 08:02

I had an escape artist.

Prepare all, then put baby on floor and sit next to him with one leg over his chest/tummy to pin down, other leg wide out. Change nappy between your legs as fast as possible. Add distraction whenever possible. Not pretty but it works.

Sorry but it didn't get any better until he was out of nappies, which fortunately was just after his second birthday.

lola88 · 31/08/2013 15:20

Change her on your knee on the sofa so she's stuck in your lap and won't be able to roll easily

13lucky · 31/08/2013 21:54

The Rabbitts Safety Changing Mat 9www.amazon.co.uk/Rabbitts-Safety-Changing-Mat-Cream/dp/B000UEPTMU) was my saviour...it's a changing may with straps so you can strap the baby to it...not sure how I'd have coped without it with my (super) wriggly one. Believe me it is worth the money

mummyxtwo · 31/08/2013 22:12

Very much enjoyed ipswich's link - recommend looking it up for a chuckle.

Dd2 is now 10mo and an escape artist, and has reminded me how darn difficult it was to change ds1's nappy when he was mobile and determined to get away. I recall a lot of hanging on to his foot and hauling him back onto the changing mat while he writhed and twisted and attempted to get off. Dd2 loves to lie still and smile sweetly like butter wouldn't melt etc and then will make a sudden twisty lunge to one side when she thinks she has successfully lulled me into thinking she is going to behave and stay put.

I sing nursery rhymes in a slightly too loud and manic way, or make silly noises like 'pop' and tongue clicking, which occasionally works as she looks at me with a slightly alarmed who-are-you-insane-woman-and-what-have-you-done-with-my-mummy expression. No other pearls of wisdom sorry. Pin em down and get it done as fast as you can!

froken · 31/08/2013 22:45

My ds poos once a day as soon as he wakes up. I take him into the bath get him to stand holding onto the edge of the bath and take his nappy off and whipe him down with babywhipes.

He has recently found his willy so changing wee nappies has become lots easier, he lies very still just holding his willy.

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