How to Change a Baby’s Diaper When They Squirm Roll Grab or Twist

If you are dealing with squirmy diaper changes, here are my best tips on how to change a squirmy baby diaper. These will help you tackle that baby rolling over during diaper changes. Squirmy babies are little bundles of energy but that doesn’t have to derail your diaper change process!

This post is sponsored by Pampers at Sam’s Club.

As a mother of five children, I have dealt with a lot of other people’s bodily fluids.

And all began on one of my first nights home from the hospital with my twin daughter.

I heard that hilarious loud blast that is a newborn pooping in their diaper, so I immediately went to change her diaper, like the dutiful new parent that I was.

Well, this was a huge diapering mistake! You should never change a diaper immediately after hearing the baby push stuff out!

In the dimness of night and new mom fog, I changed her diaper, in the middle of her bowel movement. There was poop shooting at me, poop on the clean diaper I had just laid down under the dirty one, and as I would get another clean diaper positioned and start putting it on her, she would again projectile poop, again ruining a new diaper and getting poop everywhere.

Despite my best efforts of cleaning up her, myself, the crib she was lying on, her clothes, and so on, there was still evidence of our nighttime struggles in the morning. One of which was the 3-5 diapers I went through during that one diaper change.

And that was just my introduction to all things diapers, pee, and poop!

My twins, as my first, put me through quite the ringer too.

My one twin took off her diaper every single day for like a year and eventually taught her twin sister how to take off hers. This forced me to do some experimenting on how to prevent a baby from taking their diaper off.

During the potty training days, I figured out how to remove pee stains from a mattress.

My third child, my son, had me trying to figure out way to solve potty training regression and my fourth child, another daughter, taught me how to clean and deodorize poop on carpets when she had diarrhea and slid down the carpeted stairs on her belly, oozing her diaper contents all over them.

What I’ve Learning About Changing Diapers

I’ve also learned a handy laundry hack for easily getting rid of baby poop stains on clothes and some tips for preventing diaper blowouts.

I have even recently learned how to get rid of diaper pail odor, which is a total win too, because that stuff stinks. Really bad.

But, there’s always been a diapering dilemma that still too often gets the best of me – how to change a squirmy baby diaper.

My kids are always so mobile from such young ages, always on the go, go, go! Their high energy levels lead to squirmy diaper changes and a baby rolling over during diaper changes. It’s all one big struggle of mom versus baby versus poop getting everywhere!

Because, when a baby fights diaper changes, they will grab the dirty diaper just barely within their reach (or roll to get it in their reach), they will kick and flail their legs, splattering poop all up and down their feet and legs, and will roll their poopy, unwiped bum all over the floor or bed they are being changed on.

It’s a nightmare!

Because while poop stains aren’t the end of the world, I’d really rather NOT have to wash my duvet cover, again (cause I’ll forget it’s in the wash until it’s time to go to bed…), or scrub my carpet. Or change my baby’s clothes (which she also hates) or give her a bath right then because chances are we’re supposed to be heading out the door and I’m running just a tad late… again…

So, I asked some friends, tried some things myself, and figured out a few new diapering hacks, this time for how to change a squirmy baby diaper without getting poop everywhere.

How to Change a Squirmy Baby Diaper

If you have a wiggly baby during diaper changes and you feel like you are in a wrestling match, there are some things you can do to, well, prevent poop from going everywhere.

I don’t know where you usually change your baby’s diaper, as some of the following suggestions won’t work if you are always changing a baby on a high diaper table or something.

Obviously, these squirmy diaper changes are especially stressful when they are happening on a higher surface as you want to prevent falls from diaper changing tables, which is why my first suggestion is to change your baby on the floor. 

Changing diapers on the floor

While a floor means a flat crawling surface, it also means they will not fall off anything or seriously injure themselves rolling into the wall, or you accidentally bonk their head into the wall as you wrestle them during the diaper changes.

A baby on the floor doesn’t have something to fall off or walls to bonk into. Safety first here!

Also, with a baby on the floor, you can pin them down with your feet or legs.

Yup. Literally, pin them down. 

It works surprisingly well, even if your baby doesn’t much care for it, but they don’t much care for the diaper change either and it’s still gotta happen.

Lie your baby on the floor, sit yourself on the floor in front of their bottom, gently put your feet or legs on top of their arms, and then quickly change their diaper with your free hands.

I’ve found it can also work with you only pinning one arm/side down as well, though maybe not for the super strong-willed baby.

You can alternatively place your leg at an angle across their chest, but the hands are left freer, so make sure to keep the dirty diaper as far away as possible.

If you have a spouse, parent, another caregiver, or older child available to help, you can also have them sit above the baby’s head on the floor and gently hold the baby’s hands and look and play with them, while you change the diaper.

Occupy a Baby During Diaper Changes

The other common suggestion for changing a squirmy baby diaper is to occupy a baby during diaper changes…. with pretty much anything that will work.

You can try a favorite toy, your car keys, your phone, their pants you just took off, the wipes container, a baby food feeder or snack, or any object that is usually off limits. My friend said that she let her son play with a baster, spatula, and other random objects around her house (as long as they aren’t a choking hazard, of course).

Sometimes it worth keeping snacks or toys that are only used for diaper changes.

This can work pretty well, especially if your child likes it and they will keep the object near their face, and use both hands to play with the object. The problem with this method is if the baby doesn’t like the object for more than 5 seconds and continues to be a wiggly baby during the diaper change.

I also fear that these objects will end up in their crotch where all the action and poop wiping is going on. Not good.  Distractions don’t always work.

You can also try to keep their favorite stuffed animal or special toy nearby or think of a fun activity or song that you can sing to get their attention. Distraction sometimes is the only way to slow active babies down.

If there is an older sibling in the house, they can help, too! Have them make a silly voice or do a silly dance (away from the baby) to help!

Slow Down During Diaper Changes and Connect

Sometimes a baby fights diaper changes because they don’t see that time as important or valuable as their exploration, so try instead to be entertaining to your child during those diaper changes! Slow down and connect and be mindful of your baby’s needs during the diaper change!

This might mean after you lie them down, preferably near to where they already were playing, you play a little Peek-a-Boo with him, or sing him a song, or play Patty Cake, or tickle him for a few moments, or otherwise talk to him.

The idea behind this is making your baby think diaper changes are something to enjoy rather than fight. If you have a good attitude about it, rather than trying to rush through it and check it off your to-do list, and instead view it as a time for more bonding, your baby might start to think the same.

A great thing to do is just talk to them and tell them what you are doing as you do it. Plus, this helps your baby know what you’re doing and why and what their body parts are (“Mommy is going to take off your pants. I got your left leg out, now I’m going to take your right leg out of your pants” and so on).

This teaches them new skills like learning about their body while also engaging with them the whole time, too. A little bit of communication during toddler diaper changes can be a great way to make the process easier.

Change Wet Diapers Standing Up

If your baby has only wet their diaper, and can stand up confidently, consider not making them lie down!  It might take a little extra finagling with the Pampers to get them to attach properly with a child who’s standing, but with a little practice, you can do it fairly quickly, and without the power struggles most likely!

A standing diaper change can be a good idea but will take a bit of practice. Also, using diapers that have stretchy sides to them makes it so much easier, too! I would also suggest doing this with disposable diapers versus cloth diapers because they’re just easier for a quick change.

Use the Right Diapers

Sometimes a baby hates diaper changes because the diaper they are using is the wrong size, is too bulky, or just a bad fit. Some of these things can lead to diaper rashes on their bottoms or red marks of irritations on their sides or legs. Fixing these things can be a simple fix to combating those diaper change battles.

Pampers just introduced NEW 2x softer Pampers Swaddlers with Heart Quilts and NEW best-fitting Pampers Cruisers with 3-way fit!

The Heart Quilts™ liner provides breathability and comfort while pulling wetness and mess away from the skin plus the Air Channels™ allow air to reach baby’s skin to help keep them dry and comfortable for up to 12 hours of protection.

The NEW Pampers Cruisers feature an adaptable 3-way fit at waist, legs, and bottom so baby has the freedom to move their way (outside of diaper changes). The Cruisers don’t sag like ordinary diapers so baby can move freely yet the flexible leg cuffs gently seal around baby’s legs to prevent leaks (always important!).

Through Sunday, November 25, 2018, Sam’s Club members can get $3 off each box of Pampers diapers and wipes at Sam’s Club and on samsclub.com.

With free shipping, all you have to do is shop online or on the Sam’s Club app and have diapers delivered right to your door! Talk about convenience! The offer is valid on NEW 2x softer Pampers Swaddlers, NEW best-fitting Cruisers with 3-way fit and other Pampers products like their amazing Pampers Sensitive Wipes (my favorite wipes)!

If you are dealing with a wiggly baby, get the best diapers for him to wiggle in and not have any leaks! It just may help at diaper change time too.

Little movers can make for a difficult time changing a squirmy baby’s diaper but it’s something that a lot of new parents have to deal with a go through.

Consider Potty Training

If you are really fed up with the wrestling matches during diaper changes, and so is your child, then maybe it’s time to seriously consider potty training your child. Children can be ready to potty train as early as 20 months old (sometimes sooner).

Potty training presents its own set of challenges, to be sure, but potty training does mean less time wrestling babies to the floor so you can change their britches.

Lastly, remember that this phase does not last forever! They will eventually start potty training, or come to terms with diaper changes thanks to some of the suggestions above, or just outgrow some of their wiggles naturally.

Like all things in parenting, our kids just present us with lots of great learning opportunities. Some just involve bodily functions.

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Pampers at Sam’s Club. The opinions and text are all mine.