Squirmy for Diaper Changes

If he isn't squirming because of bein raw then I believe a pop on the butt/side of the leg and a firm no is in order. If you don't believe in spankings then you could always refasten his diaper and he could wear the messy one until he stays still, watch for diaper rash on that one though. But I bet he won't like the feel or stink of wearing a messy diaper and he will settle down. Bottom line is you are the parent and the one in charge. This will only work if you don't make diaper changing a game as well so they think they can squirm.

Don't change the diaper. Tell him you won't change his diaper unless he is still. At first he won't care. But after awhile he will want it changed. Only change it when he lies still. Worked for me. It took a couple of times, but then he stopped squirming. Offer him something positive afterwards - dance with him. good luck. G.

Our son has been doing that for months now (he's fifteen months). I've found that giving him my cell phone is a great way to distract him. It's a wee bit dangerous since there is the possibility the phone will end up in the poo but he it seems to work so I do it. I'd kind of like a new phone anyway so if an accident were to occur I'd be okay with it. We also have hung a mobile above the changing station. If I give it a twirl that usually gets his attention and gives me enough time to change his diaper.

When this rambunctious behavior first started, I called up my sister who has two older boys of her own. She recommended not having any big response to the squirmy baby. Otherwise the baby might begin to think of it as a game. Use the strap, if you have one, and try your best to contain the flailing arms and legs.

Both of my kids got too squirmy for the changing table. I ultimately changed them on the floor. To keep them from squirming while changing, I would sit down on the floor and place one leg over their arms and chest. My heel would rest on the floor on the other side of their body so the weight of my leg would not be on their chest. It worked like a charm. Good luck!

At that age, he should know that this is one rule he needs to follow, but I think the book thing is the best idea. Taking his mind from wanting to get away from you.

Might be hard because he is a little older but we always started with a book of pictures (family photos) that our kids could look through while we changed their diapers. Now we don't need it but it taught them to stay still. That is one thing that we quickly laid down the law for!

Hi M.:

I too have a squirmer:) He's 15 months and loves to move all over. Several months ago I was watch Super Nanny (I never watch it I was flipping channels) & this topic came up and she said, "give him/her something to occupy himself" I grab whatever is in his drawer..ball, diaper cream (closed of course), my keys, the nasal thing, the baby clippers backwards...it's only for a brief moment so give him something, change him quick and send him on his way...lol..above all remember you had this baby, you can do anything:)!!!

Might the first sign he is ready for potty training?

I have a 2 year old who is still squirmy...but small toys helps to distract OR we start singing together and what works best is naming body parts (i.e. where's Ben's nose? Where's Mommy's nose? Where's Ben's ears?). Sometimes we singe Twinkle Twinkle Little Star or I make up songs. That keeps him distracted long enough to quickly change the diaper.

I read the replies and there are a lot of great ideas in there. The one about letting your baby play with your cell phone (or cordless phone) however is extremely dangerous so I wouldn't use that one. Cell and cordless phones emit high levels of electromagnetic radiation and babies and children are more susceptible to it than adults because their skulls are thinner than ours, but we are too as well. Brain cancer is the fastest growing cancer in the world due to cell and cordless phones, a fact the phone companies work very hard to keep out of main stream media. But they are a convenience most are not willing to give up. But if you turn off your phone off or take out the battery, than it would be better, but still not an ideal toy to give to your baby. If you do some research online there are some great sites on how to reduce the amount of electomagnetic radiation exposure in our homes, and cell and cordless phones are the biggies. Children under the age of 16 should not use a cell phone at all.

Good luck on your squirmy baby :) I just thought I would warn you about the one suggestion. :) Good health to you both.

If you have not already tried it............An old watch or cell phone usually worked wonders for my little ones. I tried to keep something JUST for diaper changes that way it was "always new" to them!! They were usually fascinated with it for a few minutes at least.

I change my kids on the floor and am a little more flexible than average, so this won't work for everyone, but

when they are young enough to fit, I change them on my legs (less cold-floor contact) ... if they get squirmy, I put their head between my feet and hold it still with my feet (instead of resting it on top of my feet) ... I'm not sure if it is the holding-the-head-straight or the fact that the head is slightly tipped backwards and that makes them focus their distress at their tipped head instead of the diaper change they don't want to have ... but the butt-wiggling definitely cuts down to almost nil (some arm waving still must be dodged)

when they are too big to fit on my legs, they are also strong enough that I can't hold their head with my feet ... and when they go through a phase of fighting diaper changes, I pin their shoulders to the ground with my feet (only as firmly as necessary to make sure they can't roll around) ... this requires changing the diaper under my knees kinda ... or if they are really fighting, I sit with my thighs laid on their legs and my calves laid on their arms

in any case, whenever they hit this phase, it takes about a week for them to "give up" and I generally stop holding them as soon as I se them stop fighting ... they hate the immobility more than the diaper change, for sure, but it doesn't hurt them (unless they pop a blood vessel fighting, LOL--none of them have so far ;) ). This is how I laid down the Mommy Law ... because yes, it's not like it's an OPTION to jump around during diaper changes, that has GOT to stop ...

... but again, this would only work for ladies with handicaps and a good degree of flexibility and strength !

M. I have a 21 mo old girl and I still have this same problem, chasing her down to change her and then trying to imatate a professional wrestler to get the job done. I let her know if she doesnt like it she needs to start going on her potty and believe it or not it works sometimes, if you find a better solution PLEASE let me know too! Best of luck.

Our 18mo old son does the same thing so we sing to him. Stops him dead in his tracks everytime. I have to vary the song from time to time to keep him interested. We also keep toys with the diapers in his room to keep his hands occupied while mine are busy. Good luck!

Great advice so far...

I vote for the mirror. My little one LOVES to make faces at herself during diaper changes. Ours plays a song that has baby and animal sounds as well. It usually keeps her entertained pretty well.

I also change on the floor when she's squirmy to keep her from falling. I try to change poo diapers on the bathroom floor so the poo can go straight into the potty.

Good luck. I know things like this make enjoying time with the little one more difficult to do!

We deal with this daily too...and the only thing that works for us is a big supply of small toys and books (like others suggested) to distract her and changing her on a changing table. Once one is thrown, I reach for another. We also have a mirror that we hung above the changing table that helps a little too, my daughter loves to make faces at herself.
However, when my son was in diapers, we did what you did and changed him standing up. We ditched the changing table and used the floor for the poopy clean up (keeping him pinned down between my feet), but we always diapered him standing up. Odd things kept him entertained like keys, bottles of spices, the diaper ointment...but we really had to keep an eye on him since he was quick to learn how to open the containers.
Just keep trying new things to distract him...you'll find something that works (at least for a while). Good luck!

I let my 10 mo. old play with her toiletries -- wipes box, lotion bottle, clean diapers -- until I need them. This keeps her settled for most of the changing time.