How do you diaper a crawler?

[Kim B Lynn]

Hello!

If your baby crawls away during diaper changes, how do you get the darn thing on? My 8 month old is pretty strong and interested in other things than diapers and so diaper changes are pretty challenging. I have to hold him really hard to get him to stay and it's hard because he twists his hips and then the diapers are crooked. If I don't get them straight they leak, so I have to try again and again. Then it's almost not even worth it to do those little buttons on the onsies because we're both exhausted!

LOL it's kinda funny when I read what I've typed, but man...I could use a trick or two to make the process quicker and easier!

[Katie T]

I would have a stash of fun stuff that they could only play with during the diaper change. We did a bead necklace, a wind chime, contact case, lots of things that they don't get to play with on a regular basis.

It hasn't gotten any better with my almost 2yo, but I try to get her to see that if she holds still it is over sooner and when I try handing her things she just throws them now.

Hopefully he is young enough handing him something really fun helps!

[rachelsmama]

Some diapers fasten in the back, I found it easier to use those and just diaper on the crawl when it was just a pee. I also learned to clean poo off a standing kid, that helped too.

[quantumleap]

Umm, we rarely, if ever, use prefolds anymore. And, we do pretty much all of our diaper changes standing at the window. DD looks out the window, we frantically wipe and re-diaper. The standing thing is the key though. Objects, even completely otherwise forbidden objects have never been enough to entice our kiddo to lay on her back for more than 0.0001 seconds. You can also do up one side of the diaper and then you just pull it on like underwear and quickly fasten the other side - sometimes that works faster/better.
In the period before standing was an option and after movement was an issue, we did sometimes lay her on the bed and put one of our legs over her torso, which leaves both hands free to do the diaper change as quickly as possible while also keeping the kid from crawling away.

[Tiana]

"How do you diaper a crawler?"

Fast.


My son has become quite a horror to change. As soon as the diaper's off, he flips over and is off crawling somewhere in about a second. I try to distract with toys, which occasionally works. Sometimes, I can get him interested in the TV for a minute or two, and get the diaper on. If all else fails (this is going to sound horrible), I pin him down with my feet. Gently, of course.

I was fairly serious on the 'fast' above - speed is key. Having everything you need ready before you get babe helps. I use prefolds, and if he's being especially wiggly, I can't get any sort of fastener done up, so I make sure to tri-fold my new dipe in a clean cover and have it poised and at the ready. I dampen my wipes and have them ready, as well. And then change as fast as humanly possible and let him free. I'll let him go off and play for a minute or two, then scoop him back up for a quick check and adjustment if crooked.

[cristeen]

If he's in a crawling mood, then usually I'll just put a fleece blanket down plop him in the middle of it, fight him long enough to clean him up and then let him crawl naked for a couple minutes. Then I just flip him back on his back and get the dipe on quick. I hold onto both ankles with one hand and lift his butt off the surface... he can still twist and squirm, but eventually I'll get the dipe on him. And the cover I can get on him while he's on all fours.

And I've never done onesies - hate fiddling with them.

If he's not in a crawling mood, but is just fussy about having to lay down, then I'll hand him something - he's fascinated by the KK I use for wipe water, or the remote control, or I'll make faces and funny noises. Whatever it takes.

[dillonandmarasmom]

My LO has begun to do the twist-n-flip to get away from me, which he thinks is hilarious. I just make sure I have him on a big blanket, and I don't sweat it too much. When he flips over, I wipe his bum, then let him get it out of his system. Usually he just wants to get to something nearby, so I let him at it.

I hear you on how much of a struggle it is. Theya re surprisingly strong, aren't they!?

[trauerweidchen]

We have a similar problem here! DS is quite the crawler, and he hates sitting still for diaper changes. Some things we've tried more or less successfully include allowing him to play with something new or unusual, putting a diaper on backwards while he's crawling (my DH is amazingly good at doing this with a prefold), bribing him with Cheerios or fruit now that he's eating solids, and singing. Oddly enough, I read somewhere about singing "If You're Happy And You Know It" while changing diapers, and it often works really well to keep him distracted! I invent lyrics and try to make it interactive, and I think that's the key.

And sometimes I just try to hold him down and get it done quickly, but I hate doing that and so does he.

A local friend of mine also mentioned that signing with her toddler helped get past that phase--they learned (and signed) "diaper" and "clean", and now that he understands what she's doing, he's better about holding still for changes.

[treeoflife3]

The only thing that works with my kid is giving her something she probably actually shouldn't be playing with that has a lid she can try to put on. Sometimes its the lusa organics booty balm... sometimes it is the method brand diaper rash cream... sometimes it is lotion... but her concentration at getting it to do what she wants holds her still long enough for me to get a diaper on quickly.

The only draw backs are watching to make sure they don't go in her mouth (or making sure I wipe anything off that gets on her hands) and her crying when I take them away after the diaper change. She rarely gets anything on her or puts it in her mouth, but she always freaks out when I tell her time is up, no more playing with that.

I feel like a mean mommy, but she cries just as much the moment I lay her down with anything else (or nothing) and fights so hard that even a velcro AIO can't be put on right.. and they are the easiest/fastest! It is basically a lesser of two evils deal in this house.

[lifeguard]

We just flat out refused to change ds anywhere but the change table (unless we were out & about). There simply is no room for him to move around. Plus I find having everything at hand's reach & ready to go makes the process faster & I'm in a better position to encourage him to stay still.

A special toy (or in our case forbidden object) can really help too.