When it comes to diaper changes nothing works, I have tried the distraction method and everything I can think of, short of swatting her. I believe in it, I am just afraid she is too young for it, and it would be pretty much pointless to try. I usually hold her ankles, like I did when she was little, but her legs are too strong, and my hands are too weak for that. are there any ways I could get her to comply with diaper changes? She also has started trying to put her hands down there. should I be worried? or is it more of a "hey, whats this?" kind of thing. She also bolts straight for the soiled diapers mid change. I hate cleaning poo off of her. especially right after a bath.
while she is still a squirmy wormy, I tried handing her an unused diaper, and it seems to help. she is incredibly entertained by it. I also started pushing her hands away from her messy bottom with a stern "no" I suppose it means it is working if she stops dead in her tracks and gets the "uh-oh" look. but then goes right back to it. thanks for all of the advise. :)
For awhile with my twins I would have to lay them on the ground and put my leg over them to force them to stay put (kind of like wrangling them). This was what worked for us. It will get easier again to put on a diaper.
I may be repeating some posts, but I would say:
first- this is totally normal for this age! Been there with my little one and the only thing that did help was a swat on his bare bottom. It has more of an effect with no diaper in the way so remember that.
second- i have a boy so believe me- this age is soooo interested in what is going on down there!
finally- I would try the singing thing or the 'toy' that they only get then... if the diaper is just wet, see if she will stand while you do it. Obviously dirty ones are must harder with all the moving, but it is just a process/stage that they all go through!
Good luck!
I agree with the singing. It helped me with my little one. Sometimes he would join in on the singing.
Touching down there is sooo normal. It's uncharted territory, so they like it. All I do when there is a messy diaper, is just push his hand away and say No very sternly. I don't care if he plays down there when clean, but messy is a no no. I would try getting a special diaper change toy.
Try giving her something to hold that you don't normally let her have- like a calculator or tv remote or something. Only let her have it when she's on the changing table so the novelty doesn't wear off.
Good Luck :)
You said you tried everything, but you didn't say what you tried. Have you tried giving her a binky or a toy when you change her diaper? What about music? Maybe hearing music will distract her? When you have an adult in the house, have them hold her legs for you. Yes, it is 100% normal for her to put her hands down there! She is curious. I know diaper changing can be challenging, but keep trying to distract her! One more thought - what about giving her a bottle or sippy cup when you change her diaper! Or, what about singing to her? Good luck!
Sounds like normal behavior to me. You just have to get quick with the diaper changes. If she likes tv, put her on the floor in front of a favorite show and be as quick as you can about it.
This is tough! My son went through this stage from about 8 months old till like 1.5 years. At first we could distract him with a toy or a song, then a sippie or something else. At one point, we changed all diapers while he stood up because he couldn't spare a minute for us to change the diaper while he was lying down, hehe. One idea to try is to engage him in teh diaper changing process - give him the diaper and ask him to open it for you. Give him the baby wipes and have him pull one out. My son LOVES to be helpful so if there's any way I can help him feel apart of some process, he's in. Whatever you do, know that it is frustrating and all kids go through this and it's just a stage that will pass. Good luck!
my son totally started doing the same thing at your daughter's age. I found giving him toy helped for a while, but what really helped was singing ABCs or any nursery rhyme song. He just kept listening and looking at me, and I was finally able to change his diaper with a little less resistance. What also may have helped to was a diaper wipe warmer-we started using one recently, and I think the warm wipes are more enjoyable for him than a cold wipe--now that he's becoming so aware of everything.
All in all, I think it's just part of them wanting to be on the go. Also, do not worry about her wondering what's down there-our pediatrician told us it was totally normal, and that overreacting to it could actually make it an issue. It's just a phase.
Hang in there, you will probably find yourself getting really fast at diapering!
She's not too young for a swat on the bottom; you don't have to swat her hard, just a light tap; if she's still wearing the diaper, it won't even hurt her, but the sound of your hand connecting to her diaper will startle her; if her butt is bear, it may sting a little bit, but she'll live.
Don't be worried about her hands, it's a hmm, what do I have here kind of thing? All kids play with themselves and when she's older, you can tell her that she should only do that in the bath room or her room; it's completely normal, don't worry about it. Good luck.
