Does your baby suddenly hate diaper change? There are several reasons your baby hates diaper change. These include changes in temperature, hunger, noisy environment, playtime disruption, the quest to be in control, and wanting to know what is going on. So relax, other mothers also go through the same issue at some point with their babies.
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Below are the reasons a baby suddenly hates diaper change.
Change in temperature
Diaper change entails having to expose the baby’s body and washing them. This can make the baby feel cold and uncomfortable, hence the sudden hate for a diaper change.
Hunger
Hunger can also make a baby fight diaper change. Sure if the baby is uncomfortable it will be hard for him to concentrate on feeding, however, it will still be difficult to change a baby’s diaper when he’s hungry.
What is going on?
Not knowing what’s going on or why it’s happening will make the baby hate the diaper time, but with time and as they grow older, this changes.
It’s too noisy
Some parents try to distract their babies by making a lot of sounds at diaper time, and this tends to backfire. Some babies find noise terrifying and unsettling, so instead of calming the baby, you end up scaring them.
Hates not being in control
This mostly happens in older babies who are more able to coordinate parts of their bodies during playtime. They are able to reach for things and are not entirely helpless anymore. These babies really hate it when it seems like they are not in control during a diaper change.
It cuts off playtime
Taking the baby away from playing to remove his diaper cuts off fun and games. It reduces the time he would have spent crawling, sitting, or just trying out a new-found skill.
Things to do if your baby suddenly hates diaper change
Fortunately, there are things you can do to make your baby love diaper change. Although some of these things have helped a lot of mothers and families. All of them may not work for your baby, so choose a method that you know will go well with all that you know about your baby and be open to learning and accepting new things.
1) Make it a game
Babies love games! It stimulates their senses, engages their faculties, and allows them to explore new things. So when something is not acceptable to your baby, the best way to ease the process is to make it fun. Be goofy and playful, sing songs, and make funny faces. This will make your baby laugh and forget the whole diaper change thing and even look forward to it because of the game.
2) Change your routine
This change could be in any aspect of diaper time. You can introduce foreplay; this means you don’t just pick up the baby and go straight to change their diaper. You can include the baby when bringing together everything you need for a diaper change. This makes the baby feel in control as well. Hand him a little toy to play with, a diaper, or the diaper cream. Also, speak to the baby, talk to him even if he doesn’t understand that it’s diaper time.
3) Don’t rush
Although some parents may think it’s better to get it over with quickly, the best thing to do is to take things slowly. Take a deep breath, slow down, and connect with your baby. Getting worked up and anxious will get to your baby because they can sense it. Rushing only makes an already a difficult experience just that much more difficult. You need to make every new thing, especially the ones your baby dislikes a transition rather than an abrupt change.
4) Remove the causes of the discomfort
While lying down to be changed, the contents of the diaper may sometimes flow up the baby’s back. This is disgusting for you and the baby on whose back the mess is. Therefore, if your baby has a full diaper, stand him up while changing and if he can’t stand yet, then get someone to help you when you change him.
5) Use something warm
You must keep the baby warm if he hates being cold. If you change your baby in the bathroom, then make it warm before taking your baby in there. You can do this by running the warm water for a few minutes to warm the place up. You could also take your room heater into the bathroom instead if you’re worried about wasting water. You can also buy warm wipes. If you also wash your baby, then use warm water.
6) Use your baby’s favorite environment
As your baby grows, you may notice that he really likes a particular part of the house. It could be his room, your room, or the playroom. If that’s the case, then change the baby’s diaper in that room. When this becomes your routine, your baby will associate diaper time with that great environment. You could also pick a place for him, it could be somewhere that overlooks your garden, so, so it’s beautiful and gives a calming effect.
7) Let the rest of the family join in
Having people who love us around always brings out the best in us. We feel at ease and we feel sheltered and protected. Having your partner and the baby’s older siblings around to give the baby moral support will greatly help. Especially if everyone is also trying to be goofy or singing along with you. Also, some babies feel better around other babies or young people because it gives them someone else to relate to, so having your other kid around could help such a child.
Above are the things you can do when your baby suddenly hates diaper change. Fighting diaper change is a phase and babies tend to become more comfortable with time. It is important to always remain calm, even when it seems to take your baby a long time to get used to it. All babies adjust at their own pace and will do much better if you are not projecting any anxiety that they pick up.
