Changing a baby with limited arm movement/strength/pain

Changing.

You will need:

• 1 changing matt or towel 
• 1 bed or cot with good access to mattress area.
• A folded open nappy
• One packet of baby wipes with a zillion removed if it is a poo nappy or one removed if not.
• 1 open carrier bag positioned with large open surface area.
• 1 toy for keeping child still if baby wipe packet not good enough entertainment. 

Placing matt on bed/cot place child on top of matt (lifting your baby will be discussed in my next blog). We only use matt if it is a smelly nappy otherwise we don't  as the matt is more slippery but remember to be quick and a pro if not using a matt, if its a first timer nappy change then put a towel down. Have every thing in the list above, near by before you begin so it is grabbable with hand or your mouth.

Place toy in baby's hand almost immediately before any thing else happens to keep him still and not grabbing all of your needed items!


What to do:

Forearm used to lift child's bottom.

                                                         

• Open nappy on your baby and clean what you can at the front,stick wipe in open bag.

• A smelly nappy will need you to repeat the below technique a few times to ensure he is clean.

• If it's a smelly one, use your free hand to remove the dirty nappy and stick it in the carrier bag. Don't worry about your changing matt getting dirty they are wiped down by anti bac wipes. You will need to use your free hand to  grab a baby wipe to clean matt enough to put your child's clean nappy and clean bottom down.

• Take your childs feet and bring them together whilst bringing your other arm underneath his legs so his ankles are sat almost in the bend of your elbow.

• Lift the child's bottom with  forearm and with your free hand grab nappy and place it under his bottom making sure the fold that lies across the middle of the new nappy goes up to the middle of his botty, it will seem too far up there is a point to this.

• When you land your child on top of the nappy, tug with both hands/mouth to get the nappy exactly where it needs to be to fold around him.If you don't position the nappy up high to start with the task is more difficult because you will have to lift baby up and down to pull the nappy up around his waist. Pulling down is easier than pulling up. 

• Do tags up.Put all away and pop trousers etc back on. Yeay done for another hour! 

What to do if you can't use arm to lift:

Rolling your child to change nappy.His nappy isn't smelly thankfully! 

                                            

• You will need to use a towel instead of a matt even with a smelly nappy. The matt has edges and you are going to need to roll your child instead so edges are irritating!

• Place child on towel, on bed his feet facing you. Have toys to the side of your child that you will be lying them on.An older baby will happily support his weight on his side and play.

• If using your upper arms to roll you need to position both arms at one side of baby,one just under armpit and other arm at his hip level.If using your head you will need to position your head at the waist level on your child's side. 

• Make sure the clean nappy and items needed are on the opposite side to the one your child will be lying on. 

• We support our child on his side with our head or one elbow lodged into the bed right by his side to keep him there! With our other hand we grab our near by items. We clean him up etc.

• Move the clean nappy right up to the side he is lying on even though the tag will bend up that's ok because when he is rolled back the tag is easily popped out or exposed. Position the nappy up too high rather than too low, the crease of the new nappy really needs to be as high up as your childs mid bottom area. 

• He is rolled back, nappy is tugged down and tags retrieved and done up. 

Phew take a rest, you both deserve to!