6 week old (3 weeks corrected) hates having nappy changed

[KimchiLaLa]

Just that really. She screams blue murder, if she's sleepy it's ok, but if we have to do a full change and her vest is coming off, she cries like no tomorrow. What can I do to calm her? Have tried singing, one of us stroking her head while the other one changes her, etc...

Can you use the opportunity to do some baby massage? I sing to my baby when changing him too - we discovered that itsy-bitsy spider calms him almost without fail, with trying lots of songs outside of changing and with gestures. When he has a crying fit I also blow tummy raspberries - they usually shock him into quiet and then smiles 😉. Best of luck!

4 week old here who hates it!! I just try to be as quick as possible

My baby used to do this she’s much better now at five months old.

Try and keep room warm and do it as fast as possible. Can’t think of any other way. Dd eventually grew out of it.

My little one was the same. Now loves it. It's almost certainly a phase, so try and just get it done as quickly as you can. It will get better :)

We have a terry changing mat cover for ours- DD seems non plussed by changes now that her bottom isn't coming into contact with a changing mat which doesn't meet her temperature expectations!

It was a cheapy ikea job and they're handy to whip off and put in the wash when the inevitable poo-plosives happen

Have you checked back with an osteopath? My dad had slight lack of spine alinement after delivery that made her cry every time she lay on her back, sorted in one session.

My DD is a princess and she won't tolerate the changing mat unless it is lined with something. I use some plain muslins I was handed down.

That and a bit of distraction. I ended up making up silly songs/raps/rhymes about every stage of a nappy change. The clean nappy blues is still in use at 6 months

Also, remember that crying and even screaming blue murder are not as distressed as we might believe. Over time I began to hear a difference between her distressed screaming and pissed off screaming, so try not to feel too bad about it!

sucking on a soother during, soft blanket under head whilst being changed/swaddling top half in a musi.
still touch rather than stroking.
Skin to skin cuddles half way through when u have a min.

Mine was like that this. 4 weeks Prem. She got herself so upset and I hated to see her like that. I just tried to do it as calmly and quickly as I could and remember just talking to her the whole time " Oh dear it's the end of the world isn't it ? Mummy doing another happy change but it's time to change, won't be long... " and so on. A few months later it all changed and became a giggly fun time together with smiles and talking.

Keep her warm as possible. Towel on the changing mat. Warm room etc. To be honest though, she might just have to grow out of it.

DD is now 8 weeks and also hated changes.

We put a muslin down on the mat and make sure the room is warm. Are you using wipes or water and cotton wool? I'd strongly suggest warm water and cotton wool! And I either talk calmly to her, telling her what I'm doing or sing to her.

If it's a night change I'll stroke her and try not to speak but will do quietly if I have to.

She seems to have grown out of it a bit now but still has a whinge if anything has to go over her head but tbf I can remember being annoyed at my mum taking a jumper off over my head when I was small!

My premature baby hated it because she got cold and couldn’t manage her body temperature very well. I put a Muslim on the changing mat but nothing really helped until she gained a bit more weight and didn’t feel so cold. She now loves having her clothes off.

Mine HATED it. Now at almost 5 weeks he kicks happily away on the mat. Midwife said it's perfectly normal for tiny newborns to hate it. Clothes and being cold are very alien for them. We just got it over and done with as quickly as possible and lined the plastic change mat with a muslin

All newborns do it my DS done if for a good couple of weeks until he was much older still get the odd protest and he’s now 7 months old

I normally sing to him to try and calm him down was also told to gently apply palm of your hand on their chest skin on skin to calm them

I will also play a song that he likes which works at times

Mine was way overdue and still did this. It did get better but I can't remember when! It's really stressful, I can remember my DGM telling me to hurry when I was going as fast as I could.

I got a mobile for over the changing table that played music but it didn't really help tbh.

Sorry, that's not very helpful, but it'll pass, honestly...

It's a phase, it'll pass just grit your teeth and do it as quickly as possible!

Thanks all. I've got to admit we've just dealt with it but at her check up I had to change her and my mum heard someone in the waiting room say - that baby sounds like she's in pain! Well yes, she freaking hates having her bodysuit pulled off her! I can't wait until she enjoys it!

I agree with keeping as warm as possible and be as gentle as possible and talk soothingly. And be quick but gentle. And it's just a phase but it is quite distressing for the Mum when baby screams at something that has to be done. But maybe it's worth mentioning to Health Visitor if baby sounds as if she is in pain.

Mine did it too, she grew out of it, i always had a towel underneath her to stop her getting too cold, that helped a bit

Sorry to be a pedant but corrected age is only applied to babies born at 36 weeks or before. 37 weeks is full term, not premature

Change one half at a time! The vest can be slipped down to her waist and another put on top very quickly. When her top half is fully changed, start on the bottom half.

She's used to being all snuggled up inside you, this big outdoor world is a bit of a shock!

We ran a fan heater when we were doing it - DH built a changing table which is much longer than commercial ones, and the heater sat at one end of it. It helped us!

My 10 week old (6weeks corrected) hates it& always has done since birth- the world ends when I change his nappy! We bought a disco ball light bulb to go in his nursery light- works a treat! Have you tried a towel so the temp change isn’t too bad? x

Dd was the same. At some point she realised that it was nice having a clean nappy (and being nude tbh) and loves it now. Just persevere and be as fast as you can

MamaofTwos yes you are right but I got admitted literally just after midnight when it turned week 37 so the hospital told me while she will never be recorded as premature, for all intents and purposes, she basically was. Even my GP plots her weight on the standard and adjusted weight graph.