Seeking Diaper Changing Advice - 10 Month Old Rolls over and Sits Up

We have the same problem with our son who is 11 months. Ever since he learned to roll over at 7 months he has been trying to "avoid" the diaper change. I do a couple of things: sing to him - sometimes this is enough, but not always. I try to have either a favorite toy or one he hasn't seen in a while on hand and as soon as I lay him down, I hand it to him and usually it is enough to keep him interested for 30-60 seconds. I also tell him exactly what I am doing - "OK honey. Now I am going to lay you back and change you diaper." and then I make a "Beep, Beep" sound like a truck backing up as I lay him back. This way he knows what to expect. And the biggest piece of advice - I try to get in and out as quick as possible. No matter what I use as a distraction, my number one priority is to change that diaper in record time and them I let him roll right over to sitting and then he is super happy. Enjoy- in the end it is just fun to see all these milestones!

2 moms found this helpful

I was happy to find that many others have the same problem, but am a bit offended by the notion that we somehow created this problem by not treating the diaper change like a low key business event. Every baby is different, ours is a happy-go-lucky inquisitive little guy who wants to investigate everything, which makes it difficult to lay down for a diaper change. Like others we have developed different tactics to stimulate him so he will lay still for a while. But we do insist that he lay there and always have. To insinuate that because a baby just lies there for a diaper change has everything to do with proper parenting and not consider the innate differences in a childs temperament is absurd.

2 moms found this helpful

I remember these days so clearly! Aren't they fun /sarcasm off.

We just started strapping our son to the changing pad. Did he hate it? Of course. Did he roll over, smearing poop all over his body? Nope. Did diaper changes go from being a wrestling match that lasted an eternity to an immobile human who sat still for only a few moments? You betcha.

Instead of using toys to distract her, try using new objects. Be forewarned: the object will only hold her interest about a day or so. We have given our son a clean, empty Gatorade bottle filled with beans, the mini plastic diaper wipe holder that come with the jumbo sized refill pack, a washrag, whatever was close, handy, different, and new. He would flip it over, examine it, try to figure out how it worked, and by the time the diaper changing process was over, he hadn't had a chance to get bored!

Good luck to you. Our son is 18 months and STILL tries to thrash about.

1 mom found this helpful

I have a couple of things I do... one is when I take my 1yr olds pants off I drop them easily onto her face and we play peekaboo.. she loves it.. but sometimes she's not interested and wants to go go go.. if that's the case then I sit on the floor with my legs extended straight out in front of me... I place her on them and one hand holds her belly (that way I can tickle her if need be) while the other does the work. She can't roll over as she can't reach the floor to give herself something to push against. The other is to loosen the tabs quickly and pull them away then lift her legs and put her feet together and close to her face.. no where to go and a great shot at cleaning a poopy butt! If she is fussy.. again peek a boo but with her feet blocking her eyes (not on them!).. or I bounce her legs a little while singing silly songs.. gotta be fast and creative.. it's a dirty job..

1 mom found this helpful

I started using the strap attached to the changing pad. It was a lifesaver. Eventually my son learned that he had to stay on his back when I was changing his diaper. He would howl, and get really mad, but that's just too bad. She's going to have to cry and scream, unfortunately. I would strap him in, and tell him calmly "you know the drill. when mommy changes your diaper you have to be on your back." And I would say it *every* time. Now that he understands most of what we say (at 16 months), it's a lot easier. I can ask him to please lie down so I can change his diaper. Most of the time he lies down. If he starts to wrestle with me I tell him that if he doesn't lie down I'm going to have to strap him in. Presto, he lies down!

Good luck. It's a challenging time. Your daughter is starting to realize that she has control over her surroundings nad her body.

1 mom found this helpful

H.,
Hi, this is total normal. I have a 8 month old that does the same exact thing. It is just a phase, it will get better. What I have been doing is singing the ABC's (kind of loud)for him to focus on me, that helps a little, I also give him a diaper to play with.

Otherwise my husband and I go through it everytime we need to change him. (also my other 3 children went through this)It just gets frustrating trying to change them.

Good luck
Roseann

1 mom found this helpful

In a silly voice I sing: "Belly belly button you're so perfectly Fiiiiiiiiine. Belly belly button you're a friend of Miiiiiine." Over and over. My son pats his belly - it might just be the cutest thing in the world. Now instead of dreading the diaper-squirm, I look forward to this fun time with him! Good luck - I imagine this will all pass ... and way too soon for me!!!

Hi, I think most people go through this challenge!!!! My son is 19 months, and he still does not like it at all!!! Sometimes I have to lay him on the ground and put my leg over his chest - it is quite comical!!! I now have been trying to give him something to distract him, and sometimes it works. It will pass - it only happens 1/2 the time for me now, but it is frustrating!!! AAaahh, the joys of being a Mom!!!

Take care & Good Luck!
M.

I also have a 10 month old who does the same thing. A few days ago out of desparation for a "happy, easy" diaper change I put a clean diaper on my head (opened up like a hat)and started asking my son "where is the diaper, I can't find it?". He has found this to be hilarious and it keeps him entertained long enough to very quickly change his diaper with out him rolling over and trying to crawl away. I have also tried (with limited success) blowing "raspberries" on his belly when it seems like he is about to flip over and that sometimes distracts him long enough for him to forget that he wanted to flip over. I hope you find something that works for you. Good luck!

This hasn't happened to me (yet); however, my brother-in-law's son started doing the same thing around 10 months and still does it at 13 months. To prevent him moving around (& standing) while diaper changing, they give him a bottle to distract him as a toy didn't do the trick. Maybe this might work for you??

I'll probably be booed for this, but the best time to deal with this problem is before baby stats to roll over, and that is by having diaper changing time be very low key and bussiness like. Now, for the problem at hand, you will need to make a two man job a one man job. Peek to see what you are dealing with if in doubt, if poo, get the new diaper opened, the wipes out of the container and work as fast as you can. Gently hold her down with your forearm across her chest as the other hand holds her by the ankles. When she shows a sign of not trying to turn over, quickly us the forearm arm and to open her diaper, slide it out from under her and tape it shut (you may have to skip this for awhile). All this time, since you are holding her legs together with the other arm at the ankles, she will try to turn herself but not be able to. You then lift baby by the ankles off the table except for her shoulders. Hold her legs firmly as you fold her a bit to begin wiping. If she can still roll herself, try a little higher or try wiping while she is holding herself sideways. Grab that diaper and get it on. Follow through training her that daiper time is not activity time by gently keeping her on her back as you put her bottoms back on. I never take off babies' shoes and pull down pants while changing diapers, it's easier to get them together again. When she learns that the proper behavior for diaper changing is docility, then you can go back to softly talking, or looking in her eyes or playing a leg game . Good luck.

I have no advice other than what you received. Just wanted to let you know you're not alone! My 9 1/2 month old is just the same.. and so stubborn! I think it's prepping me for the battles we'll have when she wants to get her ears pierced or shave her legs. :)

Our first son didn't really have this issue but our younger son (now 11 months) is TERRIBLE to change! It's a battle with him every single time. Which is odd because he is soooo laid back and was/is a very very easy baby. Our older son is the opposite. Anyway, we first try to give him something to hold that ISN'T a toy. The ear-thermometer, the nose sucker (clean, of course), an old pacifier from the hospital...anything that may be interesting to him. Since we're right there changing him, I can make sure he doesn't do damage to the object or himself.

If that doesn't work and he throws it on the floor, then I strap him down and just change him as FAST as possible. At this point, since he's almost a year, I do say to him, "Ryan, lay down please." He doesn't get it - or if he does, he doesn't care, lol, but we have been using words to redirect, correct and tell him what we want.

I'd say it's a phase, but I don't know for sure as my older son wasn't difficult until he got to be about 2. And, for him we would just practice letters and numbers (a trick from day care!). It got him distracted and also made a challenging moment a teaching one.

Good luck.

For us, it was a short lived phase.

My seven month old does this, I'm hoping it's a phase!!! Like the other moms I suggest a toy (try them all to see which one keeps baby's attention!), Good Luck!

It will pass....although it might take awhile. I just fought diaper changes and had to almost lay part of my body on my daughter to get her to stay still long enough to wipe the poop from her butt! I also tried to make changing time special...with lots of talking and animated cooing to occupy her and make her want to get her diaper changed because of the special one on one close attention. Both kinda worked...its just something you have to deal with....and like I said....will grow out of if you don't let her continue to get up. She will learn that it isn't acceptable behavior if you stick to it. Even if it takes two people for a diaper change.

I do suggest sticking to it and not caving in ...and trying to change her on the go. If you let her go and do whatever she wants instead of insisting she stays still....it is just teaching her that she runs the show instead of you.

We went through this too. I started to give my son treats like puffs or cheerios we also used pull ups for a while they were much easier to work with then the diapers I would just tear open the sides to take them off. Good luck it will pass.

Give your daughter a baby wipe, toy, the desitin bottle, something she can hold onto and that intrigues her. This will keep her in place while you change her! Also, try singing a song to her while you change her.

10 months is not too early to try potty training. Get her her very own little potty to sit on next to yours (you sit on yours). Run the sink water if you have to and praise her greatly when she goes...show her mommy went too. She'll catch on quickly. Little girls are much easier to train than boys; that's daddys thing.

Oh H.! Can I relate! My daughter is now 15 months, and pretty active. Around 9 months, I had such a hard time changing her diapers because she would not stay still, she would roll over, crawl away, you name it. Yes, she would get away with poop on her butt, it was crazy! There were times when it would take 15 minutes to get a diaper on her, it was ridiculous. I was frustrated and she was too!

She loved to stand and play with things on the couch, or the ottomon in her bedroom. So I tried to put a regular diaper on her standing up...OH BOY! However, my saving grace for this period of time was Pampers Easy Ups, they are meant as a training pant, so they don't hold a ton, but I was happy to change her more often to give up this battle. Nightime, I had my husband help so I could get a regular nightime diaper on, but during the day, I would try once to get a diaper on her, if I couldn't get it on on the first or second try, then I just let her stand and play and I used an Easy Up.

We have just recently gotten back to being able to use regular diapers, but I still have Easy ups on hand, because to me, it is not worth the battle to fight her for a diaper change.

Good luck! :)

We had this issue... especially with our son. We found that we would rotate 'diaper-changing-only' items.... ranged from actual toys they could only hold/touch at diaper time to a spatula, to a spoon. :)

I have had the same problem with my strong-willed son (14 months old). One approach that seems to help is that we started telling him ahead of time what we are going to do: "Okay, it's time to change your diaper now. Do you want to help me get the changing pad out?..." etc. Some of the time, he actually toddles over to get the changing pad out for me! Even though it doesn't help every time, it has made a huge difference for us. Good luck!

She is so excited that she can do that!! Yes, it is a phase. But, they will squiggle and worm. Something that I perfected was putting on a diaper while they are standing or putting it on while they are on their tummies. It takes a while but does the trick.

A suggestion to us was to give our twins "kids" toothbrush with nothing on it and get in the habit of brushing their. Of course you have to watch them closely. Good Luck.

We have been changing my son while he is standing againts his bookshelf for the longest time...but, when he poops- I really have to clean and it is hard. He won't lay down to get his diaper changed- he gets really mad and throws huge tantrums...I just try to do what works.

It is a phase and he will grow out of it once crawling isn't such a novelty any longer. They don't want to stop for anything. Just keep doing what works, keep trying different things. This is a job you have to do it isn't an options so you have to just get through it as best as you can. Hang in there, this too shall pass.