When your new baby has first arrived the only problems that you can really foresee in the diapering area are mishaps with the construction of the diaper or the way that you fastened it.  It is often very surprising when a baby suddenly goes from laying quietly on the diaper table to screaming and flaying every time that you try to change a diaper.

You shouldn’t be worried too much.  This is a fairly common stage in development for young toddlers.  The world is ripe for exploration and it can be pretty frustrating for any young child to be taken from a fun activity for a diaper change.  Suddenly, she can’t go where she wants or play with what she wants.

Add to that frustration any diaper rashes and you can have a lot of problems when it comes to diapering but there are ways to get over these diapering problems.

The Frustrating Diaper Change:

• Capture attentions:  Since diaper changing can be frustrating for a child on the go, it is a good suggestion to have a mobile hanging above the diaper area just out of reach of grasping hands.  The child will be busy looking at the wonderful decorations swirling around his head that he won’t have time to struggle during the diaper change.  I have found that blank cd’s hanging from fishing line are a huge hit since they cast rainbows and glitter in the light.
• Sing a song:  Sing a few songs while you are changing diapers.  Before you and your child know it the song will be over and so will the diaper change.
• Have a few toys:  Toys are great ways to capture attention.  Even having a few washable books available will also alleviate some of the frustration your child may feel with being taken from an activity.
• Play a game:  Playing a game will also help make diapering enjoyable and provide a great opportunity for some bonding.  “This little piggy,” or other games are great or you can play a tactile game by tickling toes or elbows with a cloth or a wipe.

The Sore Diapering:

If there are troubles involving diaper rashes there are a few things that you can do to alleviate the problem.

• Use cloth wipes:  Some children are sensitive to wipes and using wet clothes for diapering routines can help alleviate some diaper rashes.
• Change the brand:  When my oldest was a year, I switched from a tried and true diaper brand to a no name brand. A friend’s sister worked for the brand company and told me that they were both made by the same company so there was very little difference between the two.  I quickly noticed the difference when my son broke out into angry welts across his diaper area.  I switched back to my first brand, applied a lot of zincofax and after a few days, his skin went back to normal.  So the long story is, if you are dealing with reoccurring diaper rashes, it may be the brand of diapers, wet wipes or diaper cream.
• Let the skin air out:  Allow your child some diaper free time.  This is a bit nerve wracking since an accident can happen at any time but it will help the skin get some much needed air.

Another method that may help alleviate diapering troubles is to change the location of diapering.  Some children do not like being up high on a change table, even if they had no problem with it earlier.  Moving to a bed or even the floor can help with diapering problems and should be much easier on your back when your child gets heavier.

All the best and hopefully your diapering troubles will be over soon.

Sirena Van Schaik

Tags: diaper changes, diapering, diapering troubles, games, Infant Development, mobiles, Parenting, parenting tips, songs, Toddler Development

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