I have seen many people post on this issue. For instance, just today someone said that her daughter cries so much when she attempts to change her diapers at night. Although there’s no scientific evidence to support any of the below reasons, most parents believe those are some of the reasons why a baby would cry when changing diapers during the night.
Another parent claimed that she tried to change diapers, her baby would cry. If she stops to change the diaper and leave her alone, she’ll just pee and get back to sleep. Some babies tend to cry their lungs out as if being tortured. If you have ever wondered why the baby was crying, then here are some basics as to why she cries that loud.
If your baby cries or screams when you change a diaper at night, these could also be signs of a poopy or wet diaper. So, you might be wondering why your babies cry every time during the diaper change. There can be a few main reasons for that.
Reasons why your baby cries during each diaper change
If your baby cries during diaper change you are not alone. It happens with almost every mother or father. There could be lots of reasons.
Baby can be hungry
This is specifically the reason why many babies will cry upon changing diapers. Most children are typically hungry at night which can make them uncomfortable. For this reason, it’s always advisable to feed her before you try changing the diapers. If you have two children, then it’s also advisable to feed both of them before you start changing them. In most cases, if one baby starts to cry, the other will as well.
If you are trying to change the diaper before feeding your kid, a baby might be too hungry. Baby will definitely cry if he is not fed before a diaper change. So it is better to change the diaper after feeding.
Gas
The problem here might also be gas. I have heard many parents admit that their children will cry because of gas when you try to change their diapers at night. The fact is that gas bubbles may be trapped somewhere and babies try to get it out during diaper change times. What you are supposed to do in this case is to carry the baby and try to give her some bouncy throws so that the gas will, first of all, get out. After that, you can now attempt changing her.
Diaper size
The other reason why a baby can cry during a diaper change is t she doesn’t have the correct diaper size. For this reason, she is strained by the diaper and attempts to untie her diapers making it painful. The pain is more prevalent during the night after she has been active all day. In this case, make sure your baby uses the best and the correct diaper size. If you think she has the correct diaper size, let’s say size 2, then you can get a larger size to make it more comfortable during the night. Also, you have to fit it well to avoid leakages.
Babies cry because they don’t know what’s happening with them
Newborn babies especially hate diaper change because they don’t know what’s going on around them. With the passage of time, they will become familiar with the diaper change and probably they will not cry. Older children will not cry because of this but any of the other reasons stated here.
Weather condition
If the weather is cold and the diaper is wet babies will cry and will not allow changing a diaper and exposing them to cold weather.
Babies will not learn new skills
Almost every baby doesn’t like to be restricted. When you will lay your baby for a diaper change this will stop them to explore new skills. When you will stop them from crawling, sitting up and rolling they will definitely cry.
Laying them on their back for a diaper change is the easiest way of making it difficult for them to experiment with their newly found skills. So the baby will cry because there’s no freedom. However, after changing, you will notice that they will stop and go on with their activities.
Babies want to be their own boss
If your baby is a bit older, he wants to spend his time according to his will. They will not allow you to change a diaper during the night and disturb their sleep. So as a result, they will start crying.
Diaper Rashes
If you haven’t been checking lately, please make sure you check whether there are any painful diaper rashes. If you notice them, there is a huge possibility the rashes are the main reason why she will cry the entire time as you change diapers at night. As I had already started, the pain from rushes can be more at night when the baby is calm and inactive. In such a case, ensure you factor out some helpful solutions on how to treat the condition and ease your baby’s pain.
It’s cold
Most babies especially newborn hate the cold feeling that comes with the diaper changes. This means that she may start crying after detecting temperature changes. If you realize that this is the reason why the baby is crying, then it’s very advisable to change the baby in a warmer room. Maybe you can try to light heaters to make it warmer.
Dirty Diaper
If your baby cries during a diaper change, these are signs of a wet and poopy diaper. You can stop him from crying by changing diapers at regular intervals. You can do this probably after every feeding or at least after 3 to 4 hours. You should not wait for smell or diaper to become heavy because of urine.
She may as well be crying because she’s uncomfortable with the diapers. The fact remains that crying during diaper changes can signal wet or poopy diapers. The best thing to do in this case is to change as she cries and later fit in a dry and comfortable diaper. Maybe she will stop crying thereafter.
Feel disturbance in sleep
One of the major reasons that babies cry during a diaper change is they are in sleeping mode. When you try to change the diaper their sleep is disturbed. So they start screaming and crying until the process is done. So it is better to change the diaper when they wake up for feeding. And change a diaper once they have got their feed.
There could be a medical issue
If you feel that your baby cries without any reason during a diaper change, you should take an appointment from the doctor. Let the doctor know about the case. A doctor will properly guide you and will let you know the reason.
Protesting Diapers
Children have different personalities which means it’s very easy to come across a child that will protest diaper wears very early in their growth and development. Maybe she is not protesting the diaper wear but she’s protesting diaper changes for a simple reason like she feels disturbed.
What to do to get rid of this diaper change battle?
A diaper change is always a challenge, especially during the night. You will never want any disturbance or anxiety for your baby and yourself. There are some tips that can help you avoid diaper change fights.
- Keep some toys nearby
If you want to keep this diaper change process peaceful, keep some distraction material with you. You can give some toys to your kid to play with during diaper change. You can also give them a remote, your hairbrush, or any rashes cream to play with.
- Try to make some fun with your kids
You can make your kids laugh by making funny faces or tickling. This will help you to change the diaper easily.
- Give them a warning
Create some trust between you and your kids. Don’t straightaway start changing the diaper. Let them know what you are going to do with them.
- Try to change in the warm area
Don’t just start changing the diaper in the cold place. This will make your baby cry. So it is better to take them to a warm place in your home. If you have an inverter in your house you can turn it on to provide some heat in your room. This will help both of you and baby hopefully will not cry.
- Let your baby know what you are going to do?
Before changing a diaper let them know what you are going to do with them. Ensure eye contact with your baby while changing the diaper. By doing this your babies will feel that you are respecting them.
- Sing a song for your babies
Save a few songs that are liked by your baby. Run the songs either on mobiles or you should sing a song. This will divert their attention. They will feel happy. You can easily change the diaper.
- Try to change in a joyful environment
You should create a lovely space before changing the diaper. You can put a table near the window. Hang your mobile on top to divert the attention of your baby. You can have a beautiful painting on the wall.
- Change diaper while your baby is standing up
If the diaper is wet first make sure your baby is standing up and then try to change the wet diaper. All these practices can help you to change your baby’s diaper without making them cry.
- Set up a routine
It is the nature of humans. They love the work done according to routine. As soon as you set up your routine it will be good for both mama and baby. This routine will help your baby to feel comfortable. This will not disturb the sleep of your kids and you can easily change diapers when needed. You can do this on a daily basis.
- Give your baby some control
Prior to changing the diapers always ask “Are you ready for a diaper change?” If your baby is not interested in diaper change let him know that your diaper is wet. It will cause rashes. So tell me if you want to change it right now or after some time? This will help you to easily change the diaper without making your baby cry.