My Child HATES Having His Diaper Changed

My 9 month old is THE SAME WAY...lol...I have been wondering what was going on also! She started off just starting to try and roll away from me and laughing, trying to make a game out of it (which is oh so much fun with a poopy diaper...lol...), but now she screams and screeches when I try and change her, unless she's tired and then she'll let me.
I'm hoping it is just a phase too!!
Good luck!!

PAIN IN THE BUTT ISNT IT! Haha My 12 month old does the same thing and has since about 9 months old...we have switched out toys or things for diaper changes- the tooth brush works great for mornings and night he brushes I sing his toothbrush song and he is happy! The rest of the time the only thing I can do is give him a toy or food-it sounds awful but it works! Good Luck and let me know if you have any other ideas :)

This is one of the many phases you will go through with your child. I remember it well. I woman recently told me she had a bin of 'toys' that the child is never allowed to use or touch or really gets to see that come out at diaper changing time to distract. I had to put my son in front of the TV some times in order to have him lay still and focus on it. It is frustrating but eventually it will pass. Can you sing his favorite song or give him his lovie to calm him down? Sounds like you are doing the right things.

My 19-month-old daughter has been intermittently resistant to diaper changes pretty much since she could sit up. Basically, once she was able to do that she just wasn't wild about being laid on her back (for diapers or anything else). Here's my recommendations: Try to make the diaper changes interactive, something you do together rather than something you do TO him. Give him a bit of warning that you're going to change his diaper in a minute. Describe what you're doing and why ("I'm going to wipe the poop off now so that you won't get a rash...we're going to put a clean, dry diaper on you and it will be much more comfortable"). Maybe involve him by letting him put the used diaper in the diaper pail (then you can both wash your hands and begin instilling that habit for later), or when he's a bit older letting him help to fasten the tabs on the diaper. Try making up a song to change by (e.g., to the tune of row row row your boat, "wipe, wipe, wipe the poop, wipe the poopy off" or whatever absurd lyrics you can think up on the spot). Finally, something that usually works for us, change the location of where you do the diaper change. For some reason, my daughter often fights the change if it's on her diaper table, but if we use the livngroom rug or the picnic table outside, she's okay with it. Hope this is helpful! Good luck.

Hi S.:

My son is still going through this phase with his diaper and has been since he was 5 months. He is now 18 months. Sometimes the distraction does work and other times it doesn't. I think with him it is just a control thing. So, I'm trying to discipline him more and make him lay down to have it changed.

Unless he's experiencing a rash, he's most likely not in pain. They start to "test" young.

-L.

No, this is completely normal. He's not in pain. It's a phase and he's busting your chops. This is great preparation for oppositional behavior when he's in the Terrible Twos or the Trying Teens. ;-) Try having diaper-change-only toys rather than things he can play with at other times. Put something on the changing table and something in the diaper bag, but that's it. You just have to tough it out and kind of lean on him to get it over with. Try not to get frustrated - sing a song or just smile and get it over with. You're normal, he's normal.

Yup, it is a phase and they all go through it! Nothing worked for my son either. It was weird too because after a while he finally stopped and laid nice while being changed but that only lasted so long! Then he started walking and it all started again and I hate to tell you this but it is even worse now! Good luck, I don't know what to tell you because I have tried EVERYTHING and nothing works for my little active guy.

Hi S.,

We are going through this right now too! My son is 11 months old, and started doing this in the last 3 weeks or so. A couple things that work is, singing 5 little monkeys jumping on the bed(he giggles and forgets he's being changed) or I give him paper to crumple- an ad from the newspaper works wonders. As a last resort, I strap him to the changing table if he has a messy diaper, he screams, but at least I don't have to worry about him falling or getting a big mess all over the living room while I struggle with him. Good Luck-

S.,

My daughter did the same thing. Still does sometimes. She started walking at 10 months and never wanted to be laid down or sit still for anything once she started. I think it's a phase. They're newly mobile and raring to go. Laying down when they don't want to is a huge step backwards and an insult to their newfound abilities to crawl, creep, walk, etc. She acted like I was torturing her or something with all the screaming, kicking, twisting, etc., that she'd do when I laid her down to change her. I was puzzled the first time or two myself just like you, but eventually chalked it up to her asserting herself. If there's no rash, no bulging in the tummy/groin, nothing on his back or butt that hurts him, I'd say it's normal & bone up on your wresting moves & fast reflexes! :)

Good luck!

R.

I tried giving him the phone. My son "calls" his grandparents and friends. Now that he's older, I give him stickers to play with too.

S., my 2.5 year old still hates having his diaper changed. I think it's all about his ability to have control over what he wants and does not want to do. I think he doesn't like being wiped (cold/wet). I switched to PULL-Ups because he was so difficult and that helped tremendously. We can now change him standing up (which he likes a lot better)... unless it's a stinky diaper.

Good luck! T.

I went through something similar when my daughter was a baby. She hated to lay down to have her diaper changed (it wasa result from having a really bad double ear infection) - I learned to change her while she was standing (not as difficult as you think) and IT WAS A PHASE. She now accepts lying down to have her diaper changed (although sometimes it is easier to do while standing) and I cant wait to start potty training!

it is the age as noted in previous advice. have you tried singing to him? my son loved this when i changed him. he still hates having his daiper changed.but he is almost 2 so the struggles does get better

Hi S.,
Our now almost 18 month old reacts to diaper changes the same exact way, about 9 time out of 10 we are struggling because she doesn't want to be held down. Your son is at the age where he wants to be on the go and not tied down for anything. You may experience this all the time because the older he gets, the more he wants to explore and be down on his own and not get his diapers changed. Our daughter still squirms, throws the toys I try to give her to keep her calm, she rolls around, half the time I am just putting her diaper on however I can. I wouldn't think your son is in pain, he just wants to do his own thing. Good luck with it though, I know we still have a little squirmer on our hands and I am thinking she won't stop until she is potty trained. :)

At this same age my daughter had started to walk and wanted nothing to do with getting on the changing table or down on the flor to get her diaper chaneged. I bought the absorbent (not training) pull up diapers by Pampers and changed her standing up while she was still busy playing. That left me with only poop diaper battles to fight which only happend once a day. For these I did have her get down on the changing table.

Good luck

The only thing that keeps my 10 month old on happily on her back while I change her diaper is I sing silly songs! The Wiggles is a good source :-)

Yup - I've struggled with this problem for the last 8 months (my son is 18 months old). Sorry to say - the only thing that works for me is to lay him on the floor, give him a bottle/sippy cup and restrain him with my leg (lightly) over his belly. I make sure I have everything I need within reach first, and then I'm like the fastest gun slinger in the west! I believe it is just a phase. Another thing we moms have to work out until they're on to the next phase...

I've resorted to changing him standing up, unless it's a bowel movement. Then it's WWF round 1, Mommy vs baby. Good luck.

Both of my girls were like this and they outgrew it after 18 months or so. We would constantly change our tactics but some favorites were: a squirt of lotion on their hands, give them a wipe to clean their belly or changing table with, toys that were only on the changing table, etc. Good luck.

Try singing the ABC's or any other song, this will usually hold his attention for the time it takes you to change his diaper, Good luck!!