Parenting Pointers: Wiggly Worm Babies

My two girls have for the most part been decent for diaper changes, but both of them got to a point where they got incredibly wiggly during that point of the day. Unfortunately, they were also older and stronger at this point, so it was harder to wrestle with them! In fact, I ended up calling both of them Würmchen at some point, and still do (although my oldest isn't in diapers anymore).

Würmchen is a German word that can refer to little kids. I also use it because Wurm is the German word for worm, so it's my way of saying little wiggle worm. (The girls and I speak German).

It can be a challenge to change diapers with wigglers. If you're using a changing table, there's the concern that they might roll themselves right off (both of my girls have, while I was right there with them, even with a hand on them). It's also hard for parents to know just how much force should be used - too little force and the baby seems really strong, too much force and you're afraid of hurting them. Plus, diaper changes take longer, and poopy messes are harder to clean up.

So what can you do? 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, and sometimes I stuck a mirror up there since they loved looking at themselves. I made sure it was one that could easily be wiped clean or machine washed, and I'd rotate it every few days so it didn't lose its novelty. Once it got to the point where I was genuinely afraid they'd roll off (or they had squirmed off once) I started changing them on the floor. This presented a new novelty for them, and sometimes I'd even change them "upside down" (I'd kneel at their heads for a diaper change if it wasn't messy). 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.

What are your tricks?

Huggies has a new diaper designed for squiggly babies - the Little Movers Slip-Ons in sizes 3-5. Essentially, they're designed like disposable training pants, so they just slide on and off, but still have sides that tear open in case you don't want to slide a messy diaper down the legs. You can find out more at Huggies' Facebook page or by following @Huggies.
“I wrote this blog post while participating in the SocialMoms and Huggies blogging program, for a gift card worth $35. For more information on how you can participate, click here.”