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Original poster

Got angry when changing baby's nappy

37 replies

catlike1979 · 27/10/2016 20:29

I feel so bad, I have just got so angry and frustrated with 9 month old DS - when changing his nappy he flips over time and time again and will not lie still for even a second, I know this is normal behaviour but it drives me mad!! I just flipped him back over firmly and raised my voice at him, and now I feel like a terrible mum. Has anyone else done this?? Please help me feel less like the worst person in the world :-(

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themindbogglesallthetime · 27/10/2016 20:31

Me! Ds is 8 months and I feel your pain! It's frustrating as hell, I flip him over and have firmly raised my voice too! They drive you fucking insane sometimes! If I give him my phone to hold he generally stays still, but then we have screaming fucking abdabs when I take the phone away! Nothing else keeps him still though!

themindbogglesallthetime · 27/10/2016 20:32

By the way, your not a terrible mum!!

trebleclef101 · 27/10/2016 20:37

Definitely not a terrible mum, I think we've all been there!

The other day I had 15mo dd in her cot, trying to get her into her sleep sack and she thought it was a great game to roll over, stand up and bounce around the cot.

Resulted in me properly yelling 'It's not a f**king game' at her. Felt terrible after but at least she stopped moving out of shock

Take a deep breath and move on. He won't remember it.

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HardcoreLadyType · 27/10/2016 20:37

I am a much worse mother than you!

I can't remember exactly how old he was, but once I was changing DS, and saw he was playing with a 20p coin. I thought, "oh, well, it'll keep him occupied, while I change him..."

WHAT WAS I THINKING?

Of course, next time I looked, there was no coin to be seen, and a trip to A&E was in the offing. (No harm done, they x-rayed him to make sure it was on its way, through.)

He is now 12, and seeeeeeeems okay.

ohfourfoxache · 27/10/2016 20:46

You are SO not a terrible mum! Ds is 19 months and he did this for bloody ages. It is so frustrating, and then he'd pee all over the mat and wriggle even more as I tried to change his clothes. I've lost count of the number of stern words I've had with him!

I promise it gets easier - he's more likely to stay still during changes as we do most of them standing up now.

thenewaveragebear1983 · 27/10/2016 20:47

I feel your pain, we call it the crocodile death roll in our house- how can you be holding their ankles and yet they are facing the opposite way????
I have abandoned all use of the changing Mat and now change ds on a towel on my lap, which makes it considerably easier and less stressful.

MonkeyBrainsInPickle · 27/10/2016 20:51

Try the Pampers pull-up pants. They make life so much easier!

Spudlet · 27/10/2016 20:51

Oh god, I've used my sharp voice many a time when poo is being flung to every corner of the room by the madly rolling nutcase smeared in excrement. I make myself feel better by praising extravagantly when he stops spinning.

Toys that have lights and noises help a lot.

You're human. I'm human. There's only so many times any human can be hit in the face by ballistic shite before getting a little terse.

Quodlibet · 27/10/2016 20:54

Someone recommended a ball of sellotape to me - it sticks to their hands and they concentrate on trying to get it off while you change the nappy.

JosephineMaynard · 27/10/2016 21:09

It's frustrating, isn't it?

DS1 was like that. Once he was able to stand, we ended up doing all his nappy changes with him stood on a changing mat in front of the TV, as that was the only way we could get him to stay still for long enough.

Getnakedorgohome · 27/10/2016 21:12

I have perfected the nappy change with one of my legs across ds' chest. Nothing else worked. I just go as fast as possible and get it out of the way. Plus side is he is almost completely potty trained at 23 mo because he's figured out it's much quicker to use the toilet!

BoinkAlongQuietly · 27/10/2016 21:14

God I had that with 2 of mine.

It's very very trying. I got angry quite a few times.

It passed. They are in secondary now and doing well.

Have some

123bananas · 27/10/2016 21:15

No judging here.

I perfected the on the floor change by pinning wriggly child with one leg over their tummy freeing two hands to make quick work of the nappy. You have to sit side on to them.

You need to save a fun toy with lights, sounds, textures or dangly things for biting for changing time only to help distract them long enough too. Best if it is wipe clean though.

justinelibertine · 27/10/2016 21:18

MonkeyBrainsInPickle Just came on to say pull up pants, either Pampers or Asda with Peppa Pig on. DD has been wearing them since she was 6 months and started refusing to keep still. Another advocate of the stand up change nowadays. I'd never manage to keep her lay on a changing mat.

Atenco · 27/10/2016 21:50

My sympathies. Many years ago my mum gave me a childcare book that was so funny. It refers to your problem as "First catch your baby"

ohfourfoxache · 27/10/2016 21:51

Crocodile death roll

I love that- it's the perfect description!

JayDot500 · 27/10/2016 21:55

Another mum here experiencing the same

My 9 month old DS is exactly the same. He gets my phone, his dripping wet flannel fresh from his bath, my deodorant, tubes of cream etc etc shoved into his hand to distract him. I just need 5 seconds of stillness but that seems too much to ask. I'm forever using my firm voice during nappy and clothes changes. But sometimes I have to laugh, he puts so much effort into getting away. Bless 'im

Sunnydawn · 27/10/2016 22:01

Years since I changed a nappy, but my Mum was amazed when I bought a changing mat, as she'd been brought up to change a baby across her lap.

By the time ds1 was 6 months, I was changing on my lap too, much easier to hang onto them.

LynetteScavo · 27/10/2016 22:02

DH once took DS to be changed and I said "I'll come with you"

SIL scathingly said " it doesn't take two adults to change one baby'

Oh how DH and I laughed as we we pinned DS down.

I also suggest the standing up change method.

daisydalrymple · 27/10/2016 22:18

Dc3 turned 2 this week. Your thread reminded me of my many tears at EVERY SINGLE NAPPY CHANGE and being convinced he would never ever stop the moving, wriggling and screaming at me. I honestly can't remember the last truly bad one. It honestly does pass. Slowly so that you barely notice the change at the time.

I alternated between a range of different action songs (if you're happy, wheels on the bus etc), and a range of different little toys in the nappy box that only ever came out at each nappy change (toy mobile phones, mini books with rattles, vehicles etc). Sometimes one of them worked. Just sometimes.

Playitagainsam · 27/10/2016 22:18

We have an 18 month old exactly the bloody same. Screams the place down at EVERY nappy change. But am I missing something - how is anyone doing this with them standing up?! Doesn't the crap just fly everywhere?! Doesn't help that DS is not properly walking yet so not steady on his feet without someone holding him up....but seriously can someone tell me how they manage this?! And clearing the poo off their bits without them lying down?!

Mummyshortlegz · 27/10/2016 22:21

Changing mat on floor, have them laying across it and not feet to you. Place your leg over their tummy and change as fast as you can. I'm not saying crush or squeeze, but just rest your leg on them and they won't be able to flip. It's a nightmare and it does get easier. And then you have another one and it starts again!

TheHubblesWindscreenWipers · 27/10/2016 22:28

I will try the sellotape trick! Possibly the leg too but he's so bloody strong.
Up until this week, ds was being really good and lying on his back when I asked him to.
Today he flipped over in a flash and was off across the floor like lightning, leaving a trail of wee in his wake... the little bugger.
Nappy changes and bathtime have turned into a bit of a nightmare recently.

My mantra is 'it's all a phase...'

thatsn0tmyname · 27/10/2016 22:30

Been there, it's very annoying, you sound perfectly normal to me.

FireflyGirl · 27/10/2016 22:33

DS was up and cruising from 9 months and didn't stay still. We also moved on to pull-ups instead of my beautiful cloth nappies, sob!

With dirty nappies, I'd put a toy something on the couch to distract him - he's a fruit nut, so a tub of blueberries worked quite well. Much less bother than laying him down and trying to get him to stay still!

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