A wriggly baby at changing time is not a force to be reckoned with! More often than not the more frustrating it becomes for you, the funnier it becomes for baby. There is no switch off button when it comes to changing time or a million dollar remedy for it, because let’s face it, we’d all be cashing in on this common dilemma, right?
So if you’ve come to seek refuge and find some wriggly baby changing solutions then you’re in the right place! Here’s our tried and tested tips for containing a wriggly baby during changing time which will hopefully make it a more stress free and enjoyable time for the both of you.
I suppose we better grab a nappy and get started then…It’s easier than you think!
1. Eye Contact
When baby is little, wriggling, crying and screaming are among their top ways to communicate which becomes more frustrating for them as they get older and they can’t yet communicate properly. This feeling will always be heightened when they can’t see what is going on, especially if they can’t see their Mum or Dad when being changed. Traditional changing mats are completely flat which causes part of the problem before you even begin the changing process.
With this in mind we created the BabyDam SuperSnug Changing Mat which has a slightly elevated head which promotes better eye contact with parents, as well as helping aid symptoms that are caused by reflux in baby. It will make such a difference to how your little one feels when being changed if they can see you or see what is going on, as well as providing a lovely bit of time for bonding.
2. A High Quality Changing Mat
If you’re experiencing issues at changing time, take it back to the beginning. Is their changing mat comfortable enough for them? Does it provide enough support? Does it need to be repurchased?Would you lie on it? All these questions need to be asked, as if babies don’t like lying down full stop then there are ways and means around it. Whether that’s finding a higher quality mat, an elevated mat or changing them on the bed.
Traditional changing mats can be flimsy and do not provide much support for wriggly babies, and the risk of being able to easily roll off is very high. We designed our BabyDam Original Changing Mat with this in mind, the anti roll side bolsters provide support, and whilst baby should never be left unattended, the high sides also provide additional protection to stop them from rolling off the mat. As well as the innovative anti roll sides, the base on which the baby lies is 40mm thick which provides additional comfort and stability.
3. Distraction
Now you’ve got the foundations sorted, lets tackle the route of the wriggling! Here’s how to remove the distractions, and provide the distractions.
Changing baby directly on the floor will open your baby up to distraction central, they’ll be trying to move around and wriggle off in no time to the nearest thing that has caught their eye. Unlike being up on a changing table or a bed, they can literally make a move in seconds.
With the basic distractions covered, it’s time to bring the distractions to baby to try and quell their wriggling. If they’re teething, then provide them with their favourite teether to keep their gums and minds occupied. For anything else, give them a few of their favourite teddies, rattles or toys which will hopefully give you enough time to finish their change without too much of a wriggle or getaway from them.
4. Graduate To Pull Up Nappies
As soon as your little one is old enough, try and graduate them to pull up nappies. Then you are limiting the length of time that they have to lay flat and get distracted, once their old nappy has been taken off and they’ve been cleaned up it’s literally pull up and go!
5. Sing To Them
If all else fails, sing to them! This technique works so well from a young age as they become familiar to the soothing songs. It could be a special changing song or a lullaby that you sing to them as you try to get them to sleep, this works particularly well if you’re using the changing time for a bit of baby massage too. As they get older you could incorporate songs that feature actions that both you and little one can get involved in. Multi tasking for mum or dad at its best, huh?
6. Be Prepared
If baby is just not playing ball despite what you’re doing everything will be made much easier if you have everything to hand that you need for the change. You also don’t want to ever leave baby unattended on the mat, so get everything ready before the nappy change. This is even easier if you have a setup changing table stand with all the essentials, or if you change baby around the house you could have a nappy changing essentials bag to go they you could keep topping up as and when needed for added ease.
7. Speed
Practice makes perfect and it will come with time. The more nappy changing that you do the more proficient that you’ll become at it which will help you to up the speed a little bit on those days where the wriggling just can’t be contained!
Thank you to our beautiful baby model Leo and mum Alpna for these gorgeous photos, take a look at her Instagram feed for more beautiful photos.
Happy changing! What are your top tips for changing a wriggly baby? Keep up to date with the latest news from BabyDam over on our Facebook page, Instagram or Twitter!