Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Parenting

For free parenting resources please check out the Early Years Alliance's Family Corner.

Flip

1 2

Original poster

Any tricks for changing a V. WRIGGLY baby's nappy????? HELP!

26 replies

pixiella · 02/02/2008 16:49

hi, i'm nannying for this lovely little boy (1 year old) 3 days a week and he's delightful but I break into a cold sweat whenever I come to change his nappy because he won't lie still on his back or his front for me to change it and unless he has something to distract him (not a toy i give him but something he finds himself) he just crawls away very fast and if i try to put him down on his back to change nappy or put a new one on he just starts screaming and thrashing his body around, wriggles all around and then just crawls off again - it's SO hard - especially tricky if it's a pooey one ...ewww.

i have managed to change a wet nappy while he's standing u against the bed fiddling with the bedcovers without him protesting too much...but then he just kept trying to grap the sudocrem and started screaming when i took it away from him (his mum told me to under no circumstances to let him have the sudocrem cos he gets it everywhere).

but when i had to change a pooey nappy he started to crawl away with poo all up his back and everywhere so i just had to grab his ankles in one hand !

i used to look after a little girl who has mild cerebral palsy so even though she was older than this baby im looking after now she couldn't crawl or walk so it was really easy to change her nappy even if she was crying or something.

im thinking maybe he's still getting used to me or something?

but any tips would be VERY VERY appreciated. thank you !

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

babyjjbaby · 02/02/2008 16:55

there is a change mat u can get with i suppose u would call it a board which goes over the baby to keep them still i will have a look and see if i can find one and then put a link up

yorkshirepudding · 02/02/2008 16:55

Message withdrawn

Frizbe · 02/02/2008 16:57

you have to sit on the floor, with your feet gently on his arms, whilst you hold his legs with your spare hand I had to do this with dd2, works a treat.

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about these subjects:

Families General parenting

MegBusset · 02/02/2008 16:59

Lay him on his back, sit sideways on to him (with his head pointing right from your POV) and sling your right leg over his tummy, pinning him down gently but firmly with it. Then give him a toy to fiddle with and get on with the nappy.

We had the change mat with the board that BabyJJ mentions, it lasted, ooh, about five seconds!

WanderingTrolley · 02/02/2008 17:00

pin him down with your thumb under his armpit and your fingers over the top of his shoulder

sit on the floor and lie him down under your knee

change him on your lap

stand side-on to the changing table, facing his feet

give him a nappy and wipe to play with

give him a beaker of water to shake all over his face

I've changed many octopuses, can you tell?!

cece · 02/02/2008 17:00

I was going to suggest how Meg said - an excellent technique with my wriggly DS and with practice it can be very quick.

AdamAnt · 02/02/2008 17:05

Ditto the leg-pinning technique (I thought I was alone on that one). Baby wipes were also a great distraction. It's better to use clean ones though. And on no account be tempted to give them a pot of sudocreme to play with.

Indith · 02/02/2008 17:07

I lay ds on the bed with his legs dangling over the edge so he can't use them to flip over.

Original poster

pixiella · 02/02/2008 17:07

thanks !

meg - i can't quite picture what you mean....

do you mean sit on his left side with my leg over his tummy?

sounds good actually but i'd be mortified if his dad walked in (he works from home atm) and saw me pinning his son down (while screaming probably - the baby not me!)

wandering trolly - the under the knee things sounds great but again i'd feel weird if his dad walked in! and i also think that if i tried to restrict his movement in any way he would scream his head off and thrash around.

maybe im being too precious with him lol.

also no changing table. his mum said to change him wherever in the house - they don't even have a changing mat. lol

i will try all those things and maybe it will be better once he's more used to me.

OP posts:

Sunshinemummy · 02/02/2008 17:09

I found singing really helped when DS went through his wriggly phase.

Original poster

pixiella · 02/02/2008 17:13

Indith - genius !!! i will try that one too cos he likes being on his mum and dad's bed.

i think i need to perfect the art of a super fast nappy change lol.

also i guess it's alot easier to restrain or pin down - gently of course - your own baby. but with someone else's your more worried of accidently hurting them or of the mother/father walking in (if they are in the house) and thinking you're some sort of weirdo or even worse yelling at you - 'what on earth are you doing to my child???' because they're super protective or something.

but im sure she's not. she seems pretty relaxed.

oh and getting him dressed is an equally difficult task although not as potentially messy so i don't worry about it as much.

any tips on dressing a wriggly baby would be appreciated too!

thanks everyone : )

OP posts:

potoftea · 02/02/2008 17:17

Put a bit of sticky tape on his finger-tip that he takes a minute to pull off and is distracted by while you work very fast.
Or have something interesting caught between your teeth as you lean over so he tries to grab it. God, that sounds gross , I mean like a soft toy or bright sheet of paper etc.

babyjjbaby · 03/02/2008 11:28

cgi.ebay.co.uk/RABBITS-SAFETY-CHANGING-MAT-WITH-HARNESS_W0QQitemZ190195375934QQihZ009QQcategoryZ6667 4QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

babyjjbaby · 03/02/2008 11:30

cgi.ebay.co.uk/Rabbitts-Safe-Harness-Baby-Changing-Mat-BRAND-NEW_W0QQitemZ110219821639QQihZ001QQcate goryZ66674QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

babyjjbaby · 03/02/2008 11:33

cgi.ebay.co.uk/HALF-PRICE-Easy-Change-Changing-Mat-Cream_W0QQitemZ140204029679QQihZ004QQcategoryZ666 74QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

jeanybeeny · 05/02/2008 11:46

I could'nt be doing with all this nappy changing anywhere in the house business. My sister's a bit like that, she's got nappies and stuff all over the place. I think you need to be organised, and have a definate nappy changing area. It's important to be disciplned, and let the toddler in your care know whose boss when it comes to changing his nappy, and I'm sure the parents will understand. Some sort of changing table or similar area off the ground is quite good, because it restricts any attempts at escape. If he's not too big or heavy, have you tried changing his nappy with him lying on his back across your lap?

scattercushion · 05/02/2008 11:51

Like spinach, potoftea?

toastee · 05/02/2008 11:56

I'd agree about the changing on your lap, my son is still in nappies at 4yrs and I still change him this way. He does sometimes wriggle but at least when he's on over my lap theres nowhere to escape to ;-)

Boomally · 05/02/2008 16:44

My DS1 is comimg up to 4, and is now a bit too big to put over my lap to change his nappy, but I agree a table about waist height is ideal to do the job without any hassle or wriggling.

babyjjbaby · 05/02/2008 17:41

or a cot top change ri have got one very good

indiehendrix · 07/02/2008 22:54

I did my wriggly boy standing up was sooo easy and made less pooey mess!Simply use nappy to take off excess and wipe clean.. usually had him holding on to bath... kids haven't got time to lie down these days!

jeanybeeny · 10/02/2008 16:08

I've never been able to change a nappy with DD or DS standing up. I have to do it with them lying on their back, particularly with a dirty nappy. I've got a bit of a back problem, so a changing area/table at about waist height works well for me. Also, DS2 has got into the habit of sometimes having a wee when I undo his nappy. I think it's the reaction to cooler air on his bottom, so I always hold the nappy over his front for a few seconds just in case, which you could'nt do so easily with him standing up! With a changing table higher up off the ground, you're totally(??) in control, and there's no chance of escape!

Belgianchocolates · 10/02/2008 16:12

When my dd went through that phase I learnt do do it while she was standing up.
If that didn't work giving a toy or a book to distract her helped.

jeanybeeny · 12/02/2008 08:22

I went to my sisters for the day yesterday, and she volunteered to change DSs nappy, which she did on her sofa with him lying on his back, and his bottom up on her lap iyswim. He was as good as gold. Although, I've noticed he does'nt tend to play up if my mum or sister change his nappy.

toastee · 25/02/2008 20:51

I seem to remember reading somewhere of a mum who bought some kind of restraint for changing her wriggly toddler.

From what I recall it was some sort of contrivance with velcro to go round the childs ankles and thereby keeping both legs together but sufficiently far apart to allow her to bring the nappy up between the childs legs, she said it stopped hers from wriggling as much.

Sounds like a lot of faffing around to me but if it works then each to their own.

Anyone else ever seen or heard of such a thing ?

Flip

1 2

Swipe left for the next trending thread