Is it normal for a six month old to hate changes?

[MarLiz2026]

My 6.5 month old absolutely despises getting changed and I was wondering if this is normal?

She’s very mobile and absolutely hates it if we try and keep her on her back. I can understand she wants to move, but she really screams and cries and is in absolute despair at getting her nappy changed or changing her clothes. A lot of the time it is a 2 man job to try to change her, but when it is just me it is very difficult. She squirms and screams and really hates it.

With dressing I do a lot of the time just dress her when she is on her belly, or sat up. But with her nappy it is difficult to do this.

I know a lot of babies/toddlers don’t like getting changed, but I have never seen a baby as upset as her when I try to change her. I don’t know if this is ‘normal’ or if maybe there is something more going on?

She's finally at the point of having more body autonomy in the sense of being able to control her limbs, and she's seriously pissed off at being laid down. That's all. Just talk her through it, empathise that she finds it hard, and put one leg over her belly to hold her still while you're changing her alone. You've got this. She does too. It's just not what she wants to be doing.

What wipes are you using? Maybe worth switching to warm water and a soft cloth in case she is finding it sore.

I had a specific toy for nappy changes at that age, something really fascinating that only came out for that purpose (following advice on here!).

Could it be reflux? Maybe it’s being flat on her back that’s the problem rather than being changed?

One of mine was like that. I called them my fomo (fear of missing out) baby. At that age they’d fight naps, bedtime, eating, nappy changes, wearing anything on their head, not having favourite toy. 🧸 As a pp stated, they’ve discovered they are a seperate person and they have thoughts and wants of their own. They just can’t communicate very well yet. We started to teach baby sign
https://babysignlanguage.com/

and that was life changing!

Oh God yeah. As a nanny I see this alllll the time. It's very wearing! The ironic thing is the change takes so much longer when they fight it!

I have an armamentarium of things they're only allowed to hold while I'm changing them, Before anyone comes at me, I realise these aren't 'safe toys' - you are literally right there supervising them and take it away as soon as nanny changing is done!

A (well washed out!) roll on suncream dispenser. Label it (or remove the label) so you can recognise it
Cracker novelties (only if too big to choke on obviously)
A hot wheels car
An old bank card reader with timed-out bank card sticking out of the top
A wallet filled with expired cards and fake paper money
Yummikeys with a couple of different funky keyrings
An empty spice jar, cinnamon or basil, washed out but not so thoroughly you can't still smell it

I know there are more but I can't remember them off hand!

Yup. Mine never liked changes, right from the beginning. At about 4 months we wedged the changing mat between 2 cupboards on the floor so he couldn't escape. As soon as he could stand we change him standing. That was great when we could just prop him up against the coffee table and he couldn't go anywhere. It's a bit harder now he can cruise!

I take him to use the potty every time I go from 12 months. He's still too little to be dry because he can't tell us or operate clothes or walk to the pot, but it reduces the number of changes. I hope he’ll pretty much train himself very soon given how much he hates nappies.

Wooden spoon that they'll poke their eyes out with at normal times, balloon whisk, toy phone, mostly empty toilet roll, TV remote without battery, all the things that get confiscated normally! Nursery do the same

Yes, just a phase like most things. My nephew was like this but grown out of it now, by about 10 months.