Help! 15 month girl has power struggle over napple changing

[notsosure]

I am starting to hate changing my 15 month girl's nappy. It is a real power struggle.

I have a changing station and lots of little distraction toys, small cardboard boxes, music etc - so I should be OK!

BUT most times she won't even lie down on the changing station. She starts standing up pointing to pictures on the wall and won't lie down at all.

I sometimes have to pick her up and lie her down up to 15 times before she will settle and let me change her nappy.

A couple of times I have had to put her in her cot and leave the room for a couple of minutes for me to calm down, as I get so angry sometimes. I try not to let this show most times, but when I do display anger she laughs. Ahhhh!

I have asked my husband to change her nappy a lot over the xmas holidays to get a break from it as it's "doing my head in" and becoming a hated task.

I realise that I may have created a "rod for my own back" by having a stimulating changing environment (ie pictures on wall, music playing most times), but I would like other people's advice on what to do to get the nappy changed as easily as possible, please.

As my daughter doesn't like being changed lying down, I have considered using pull-up nappies, but I wouldn't know how to clean up a pooey nappy standing up.

ANY EXPERT STANDING-UP NAPPY CHANGERS OUT THERE??
Any advise gratefully received.

Yours
notsosure (UK)

My ds is 14 months and is a real wriggler for nappy changes. My childminder gave me a good tip. I change him on the floor with one leg draped over him effectively pining him down while I quickly change his nappy. This works quite well as lon as you are quick!

My mum's technigque involves lying him across your lap and chaning him that way. At first he really struggled but has got used to it now and lies fairly still for him.

Not sure if it would work for you but the pin down method is great!

Ah my dd does this sometimes, and when she does, I just let her stand up and change her nappy whilst she's stood, I don't bother with pull up pants, we use pampers active fit and these seem to do the job as pull ups! or as ordinary nappies!?! don't worry about pooey nappies, I think they're easier standing up! as you can get to the bits that are heading up the back easier! (YUK)

My dd's always been a wriggler, i just got good at putting a nappy on a walking toddler, or i find if i'm in our bedroom, i playfully pick her up and "throw" her down, and leave her legs hanging off the bed so she has nowhere to go, whilst she is still laughing i switch the nappies! BTW we did away with changing stations as long time ago, i just change her in whatever room we are in to save the fight of "come and lie down".

Do you have a potty? Now could be the time to start using one - don't expect anything to be done in it mind! But if at home for the day, i have always let dd wander about with no nappy and keep a potty in sight. This began partly cos of the similar struggle that you have with nappy changes. Saves money too!!

She is now 2 and has v occasional accidents, but normally uses potty provided she is only wearing knickers (trouser seem to make her think she is wearing a nappy!! not sure how to get round that one)

Good luck

I change my dd standing up. I use Pampers Pull Ups. Get her to hold onto something, don't worry about a full clean-up just do your best - gets easier. When my dd started to get up & move away from nappy changing making a HUGE mess!! I put her standing up inside the bath. She stands holding onto the side - the perfect height. If it gets messy - I can just rinse everything away. Now I can change her anywhere & find standing up changing so much easier. I can't manage to fit a tabs nappy so just use pull-ups. Good-luck

oh yes - been there, still doing it. ds started this at 13m and it's still ongoing at 20m. Things that sometimes work - having a bit of 'rough' play on the changing table before getting down to business - tickling, raspberries on tum, feet, etc.; using the trampoline for changing him and bouncing him up and down when he's on his back; letting him have things he covets to play with only while changing - watch, car keys, nail clippers; 'asking' him if I can change him, not doing it right away when he resists, lots of praise as we make it through each stage, praise big time afterwards. When these things don't work I just get through best I can and keep repeating 'it's a phase, it's a phase'.

Thanks vey much for all your messages so far. Great response.
It's certainly given me food for thought.
Hubbies changed her pooey nappy this morning and I used a pull-up nappy this morning for her "wee-wee" nappy. It was so easy.

I guess I'll graduate to pull-ups for the poo-poohs now. Great idea.

I am going to get her a pot as well - just to get her used to the idea (maybe I could use it as a reward for good nappy changes)

Any more suggestions please keep them coming in, as I think it is a common problem around this time of baby development)

Bye for now

Yes its hard work isnt it! Mine is 17 months and still makes things difficult because he is simply too busy to lie for 1 minuite for a nappy change. (you know with the world to conquer and stuff to do!)
We dont have a change station but we do have a regular spot to change him in.
I try not to make a fuss and get his nappy stuff out and then chat to him for a while. I have to coax him over with something interesting and just get to it, some times he's ok, mostly he is'nt but i think it isnt forever, it's got to be done so there you have it, like it or lump it!
As he has proven to me over and over, its just another one of those toddler things sent to try us! .........onto the next.......

My ds is nearly 12 months and nappy changing is a constant battle. When ever anyone is with me I have to use their help because he just flips over and shoots off. He thinks it's hilarious and is always laughing. I do just change him where ever I am now rather than a specific place because he's not aware so quickly that his nappy is going to be changed.

Toddlers are often very interested in the tin opener - its intricate and fiddly.

I think by reading all the messages again I realise that I definitely need to lighten up over the nappy changing and just get on with it.
I can see by having a secific place to change her, it may build up a tense atmosphere. I'm thinking about changing the changing unit, but I do still find it handy as I auffer from a bad back.
I'm trying to turn it into a more fun place.
I've cuddled her more before and after the nappy changes and tried not to make such a "big deal" out of it, as I'm sure I was making the problem worse by getting tense.
Having a break over the last 2 days, when my husband has changed her nappy, has been good to put a new perspective on it all ( and of cousre getting all these brilliant bits of advice as well!)

Thanks

Notsosure xx

I have just read this thread with great interest as I have just had a huge power struggle with my 16-month old DS and got very stressed. He is always a wriggler and will try to squeeze himself into the corner of the bathroom by the loo so I can't reach him, which is maddening.

Having read all your advice I now have a few new things to change, but I think Notsosure had a great point when she said to lighten up about it - sometimes I get so wound up I could cry, or worse, shout at him. I haven't yet but I am always worried that I will snap and then scare him.

Anyway, thanks for this thread, even though it's nearly a year old before I read it, it is still very useful!

x

Whoops I meant "a few new things to try" Doh!

I got a wriggler too, my tip is change her in front of the TV, a little cbeebies usually does the trick. Failing that I do the leg over the body trick, I think she knows it's going to get changed whether she lieks it or not and she gives in.

Pulls up v expensive though!

My 12 month old has been hell to change since 7 months. I now often change him on the hoof, I use cloth, and just fasten loosely get him to step in whilst otherwise distracted, then tighten. Could you do this with disps??
When I take his nappy off I grab both legs at the ankles tightly and lift then up as high as I can, which seems to keep him reasonably still.
I use a kind of Aikido thingy on him sometimes too.
When he starts to roll over I grab the leading arm i.e. not the one he is lying on and push it back again. It kind of throws him off balance and it's quite hard to resist from his point of view.
If I do this for a while, he usually gives up long enough to fasten his nappy.
Good luck though.
Or hit her on the head with a book.

my dd is 2 and i've always had a problem with nappy changing with her. Now resorted tostanding up which she is v co-operative with. She is also aware ofwhat we're doing more and knows we wipe clean and then put on cream etc. It is a little more difficult toget a good fit but she seems ok with it and we just use active fit nappies. I agree pooey nappies aren't too bad standing up it doesn't seem to make as much mess somehow.

Have problems with DS 17m too. I find 2 things help:
-asking him "wheres your nose? where are your ears?" etc. Concentrating on this distracts him for long enough to do a quick change
-as he loves spiders and gets excited when he sees them I ask him if he can see any? He studies the ceiling and walls looking (a good reason not to go round with the feather duster!)

Yep me too - dd2 is 19 months and I am having the same thing but also if she has a wee in her nappy she pulls her trousers down and takes her nappy off no matter where she is (tesco's yesterady) then we have the same problem - won't lie down and even if she happily lies down refuses a nappy what can i do. It's costing me a fortune and really frustrating too.