Aversion to Wiping

[chimbambaira]

Friends, help! My 13 month old has recently started crying and locking her legs when we try to wipe her. She's only ever stayed with her grandparents and immediate family, so I can't imagine that it's something sexual. Could someone have wiped her too hard? Or could it just be her asserting her independence? Have you ever had this happen? What should I do? I don't want to cause her trauma by wiping her when she doesn't want me to, but I surely don't want her to get an infection.

Thanks for your help!

[confustication]

My 2yo hates it as well- it is better when I use a super soft cloth and warm water, but he is still miserable. I just make it as quick as possible and distract him. I think it's pretty normal.

[ledzepplon]

Maybe you could try a wipe warmer. I thought they were the silliest things until ds2 came along and cried whenever we changed him with a cool wipe. The warmer was a pretty cool gadget after all!

[cyclamen]

My daughter recently started doing this too. I kind of wondered if she had an infection from not being cleaned good enough, so I've been washing her under running water in the sink. I used to do that when she was a baby, because my mom said it was the best way, and it seems to be helping. She definitely doesn't mind like she minds the wipe.

[CrunchyChristianMama]

If it's just pee, I'll let my DD wipe herself with a cloth wipe. She doesn't do a half bad job usually.

If it's poo, I taught her to put her hands on the ground and bum in the air so that it's easy to wipe. She thinks this is hilarious and is much happier to let me wipe her like that.

[luv-my-boys]

I had mine use a perineal bottle (like the kind you get after giving birth) filled with lukewarm water when they went thru the *no wipe* stage. Have you checked to make sure there isnt a small abrasion or something that might be causing discomfort if wiped? perhaps a uti?