How do you deal with the "alligator roll" during diaper changes?

Hi Everyone!

I am just curious as to how you keep your babies from moving all over the place/flipping over 100 times during diaper changes?? My son is crazy when it comes to this. I have gotten to the point of hating to give him a bath because I know I will have to wrestle his wet little body to the ground in order to attempt to get a diaper somewhat on his bottom before he has flipped over and crawled off again. I know that just learning to crawl and being much too interested in other things has a lot to do with it... But we have tried distraction with toys he doesn't normally have access to (designated diaper changing toys), singing to him, making goofy faces and noises, EVERYTHING, but he has NO interest is laying still for those few seconds it would normally take to remove a diaper and apply a new one.

Any tips or advice??

 

It only gets worse until they get old enough to follow commands, which for me was around age 2. He'll probably go through phases where he's turning a lot and then he'll stop and then go back to it again. :wacko:

My tip: give him stuff to play with during diaper changes that isn't really toys and that he doesn't normally get to play with. It will keep his attention. I'd give mine random things from their change table. A tube of butt paste, their comb, the box of baby wipes, etc.

 

I second Aimee's advice! :good: Our guys still do this at 19 months; it's especially bad with Nate because we have to apply lotion to his entire body 4-6 times a day for his eczema so keeping him still is a nightmare. :wacko: Our best bet for keeping them distracted are books and the box of baby ibuprofen with the bottle and syringe. That last one can keep them happy for like 5 minutes. ardon: I've also considered leaving a set of keys near the changing table because they love keys but I don't let them run around playing with them.

 

Yes, it gets worse! I agree with PPs. Give them something so play with that's not really a toy. Mine like their nasal spray bottle, vitamin bottle, brush, and butt paste.

 

Ugh I know what you mean. DS is nearly impossible! Something that should take 12 seconds takes three minutes, and his screams...oh man that kid has a set of lungs. I count myself lucky to get the fresh diaper on him; half the time he's running around w/o his pants and an unsnapped onesie these days because I get so frustrated with it.

 

I give my boys a diaper to play with. It seems to work for now!

Jenn

 

Yep, it will get worse. I found that if I held them at the thigh I could keep them from rolling on me.

 

I always used distraction to keep them still. I sang silly songs, made faces, played silly games, anything that got their attention for a minute. Plus, I got really good at changing diapers fast! It's a phase & they will eventually outgrow it, you just have to find something that works for you while it lasts.

 

Yes it gets worse. Has anyone else noticed that if you have b/g twins that your girl will just lay there while the boy is playing the escape artist?

 

I saw the question and it just made me giggle. We're there too with Noah. Luke so far is not to bad with this. He's too lazy for rolling. I've never heard it called the alligator roll, but that pretty much sums it up. :laughing:

 

Thank you, ladies, for your help! I have been giving him the baby brush the last few diaper changes and that keeps his attention long enough to change him (apparently much more interesting than the toys we had set aside for him)... We'll see how long it lasts before I need to find some other distraction!!

serialmommy- I totally agree with the boys being worse! My little girl will just lay there forever, as long as she can look at me... I am afraid my son is going to be a little wild man, though... He's already attempting to climb the superyard and he just started pulling himself to stand.

lesliew- haha, yeah, I don't think alligator roll will ever be an official term by any means... But it definitely reminds me of something you would see on the Animal Planet channel!!

 

hehe, so sounds like jonathan! Brushes are definitely the most distracting too we have used, sometimes diapers will distract him, but its not as effective. I'll admit there are times i give up and stand him up to change his diaper if its just wet. Good luck!

 

Yeah, what's up with that, lol. Isa will just lay there, but her brother turns into a monster and fights me every second. Sheesh.

 

It's still miserable for us, but the distraction with toys that are not toys technique works for the length of the quick diaper change usually. For us, getting pajamas on after the bath was a nightmare and dh started counting one arm, two arm, one leg, two leg, now zip it up (we use footed sleepers) and amazingly now they lay down and try to say what we are saying! Just a suggestion for making it a "game" that might help you down the road!