What to Do When Your Baby Cries During a Diaper Change

Frustrated when your baby cries during a diaper change and rolls over? Learn simple ways to make diaper changes easy and fun once again.

Changing your baby’s diaper as a newborn was hard enough, what with the shrill and piercing cries. But now that he’s an “older” infant heading into toddlerhood, diaper changes have become all but impossible.

For one thing, he cries nearly all the time, wailing the minute he suspects his diaper needs to get changed. Dressing before and after doesn’t help, especially when he squirms and rolls over. Forget about public restrooms—he freaks out if you so much as carry him into one.

Dealing with a baby screaming during a diaper change wouldn’t be so bad if we only had to do this once or twice a day. But we change our babies more often than that. According to the National Diaper Bank Network:

“Children require at least 50 diaper changes per week or 200 diaper changes per month.”

I’ve certainly had my challenges with diaper changes, caught off guard when my babies would fight them. Sometimes they’d squirm and roll over so much that my husband and I needed to tag team just to hold them down. And diaper changes were especially hard when they’ve pooped and made a huge mess.

Rest assured, you can find ways to cope when your baby cries during a diaper change. With a few simple tweaks, I was able to get my babies to stop crying enough to get the job done. Eventually, diaper changes became normal and even a fun activity to do with them. Take a look at what finally worked:

Table of Contents

1. Put your baby on his back throughout the day

One reason your baby cries during a diaper change may be because he’s not used to being on his back. Maybe he’s often sitting on your lap or being carried around. So much so that lying down for a diaper change feels strange and elicits a power struggle.

That’s why, several times a day, place him on his back for a couple of minutes. And don’t just leave him to his own devices. Make funny faces, play peek-a-boo, sing songs—anything positive to associate with being on his back.

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2. Change your baby’s diaper on the floor

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With your baby so mobile—and crying at that—using a changing table can be difficult. The last thing you need is for him to fuss so much that you’re now worried for his safety.

A quick fix? Change his diaper on the floor. Should he squirm and move around, you can avoid the risk of him falling and getting injured.

That said, with his newfound freedom, it can often take two hands to keep him still, leaving you with none left to change the diaper. An anti-roll changing mat can keep his upper body contained so you can focus on changing his diaper.

3. Talk to your baby through the changing process

Can you imagine getting swept away from something you were doing to do something else? That’s what happens when we scoop our babies and suddenly begin changing their diapers. Not exactly a fun welcome into a new activity.

Instead, turn diaper changes into a positive experience.

First, create anticipation. Make eye contact and let him know it’s time to get cleaned in a positive tone. Tell him you’re going to pick him up to get changed. And make it fun by counting down and “blasting” off to the changing pad like a rocket.

Then, in a calm voice, describe what you’re doing as you go through the motions. For instance, talk about grabbing the wet wipes, getting the clean diaper ready, and opening his current one. And stay calm as you describe the diaper change process, even if he’s still crying.

4. Give your baby something he usually doesn’t get to hold

Baby toys can only work so much during diaper changes, especially toys your baby usually gets to play with. The alternative? Give him something that’s usually off-limits.

For instance, hand him your old phone, a hair brush, a mirror, or even a clean diaper. Or perhaps limit toys to those he only gets to play with while he’s getting his diaper changed. These items can keep his interest and tie diaper changes to something positive (rather than a drag to deal with).

5. Praise your baby for “helping”

Turn diaper changes into a fun, engaging experience through praise. Particularly, by making a big deal when your baby “helps.”

For instance, have him pull wipes out of the container or hold onto the diaper cream while you clean him up. Acknowledge how helpful he is when you pull his arms through the shirt or push his feet through the pants.

Not only does he feel like he’s interacting with you, but he also sees himself as a helper, a “big kid” capable of contributing to his daily routines.

Conclusion

As if diaper changes weren’t bad enough, dealing with a baby crying and wriggling the whole time can make them worse. Thankfully, you now have several tips and actionable steps to turn things around.

Start by putting your baby on his back more often throughout the day to get him used to this position. Change his diaper on the floor more often.

Talk to him through the whole process, from letting him know it’s time to change to describing what you’re doing. Use distraction by giving him something special to hold. Praise him for “helping”—this can make him feel more engaged and part of the process.

Hang in there, friend! Diaper changes can be easier, not a source of stress—especially for something that happens 50 times a week.

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