“ If they are criers during diaper changes, limit your attempts to soothe them and just get it over with. Sometimes it’s best to just let them cry for 30 seconds than to sit there for 5 minutes trying to change a diaper.
“ Some people think mobiles are for cribs, but when Annabella was an infant you could find it directly above where she was changed. I wound it up and she would just watch the animals going round and round in the circle, she would forget all about getting the diaper changed.
“ As soon as we utter the word “diaper” the drama starts. She runs away and tries to hide. Well, you can run but you can’t hide! Then I pick her up and she goes wet noodle. Oh fun.
“ Well, when my babies got to the really wiggly stage, I’d start by making sure I was interacting with them. I’d talk about body parts, sing songs, make faces, play peekaboo, etc. When that stopped doing the trick, next I kept a toy on the changing table. Ones that made noise always seemed to grab their attention more
“ If the baby is old enough to hold a bottle, that is always a good trick too along with a pacifier. It’s soothing and takes their mind off of you taking away their fun!
“ I think the most important trick to changing a diaper is to be as quick as possible. The quicker you are means that baby has less time to get cranky, irritated and squirmy! Keep everything necessary for diaper changing in one spot for easy access! That includes diapers, wipes, ointment, lotion and powder.
Meet the Squirmers
“ Once they were good at standing, I’d do stand-up diaper changes in the bathroom. They’d stand on a stool and I’d sit on the edge of the tub, which meant I could see and clean up, and they could play in a sink of water, laugh in the mirror, or brush their teeth.
“ Find a diaper you like. Not all diapers are created equally. Get samples when you can until you find the diaper that works for you.
“ Create your own “Super Speed Diaper Changing Kit”. You can then whip the pad open, put the clean diaper under the baby, open the dirty one, wipe the bottom, stuff the dirty diaper into the trash bag, close the new diaper, and toss the bag into the trash container all with one hand when you hold your squirmy baby with the other.
