You dream about the day your baby can get around without you physically picking them up and placing them in different locations like a human crane. But you probably didn’t dream about how their newfound freedom of movement would complicate your airtight diaper changing routine. From screeching like a pterodactyl to performing black-belt karate moves mid-change, there’s almost nothing a baby won’t try to get out of a diaper change once they realize that their little legs can take them quite literally anywhere else in the world. If all this screaming, wiggling, crying, and flipping over mid-change sounds like your new normal, keep reading for our best tips on how to make this phase as painless as it can possibly be.

1. Set up your station strategically. Before you even think about wrangling them away from their favorite stacking cups, have a plan in mind. It might not make sense for that plan to include your changing table at this point. We’ve found that once they’re able to crawl away from you at a moment’s notice, your best bet is probably the floor (if you’re home), the trunk of your car (if you’re roadtripping in an SUV), or a low-to-the-ground sofa where you can kneel next to them and block them from rolling off the side. Prepare the necessary materials (a diaper, wipes, diaper cream, and a wee-wee pad if you think a blowout is possible) and pick out your distraction objects (see the next tip for more on that). Place everything on the diaper changing surface of choice, take a big, calming breath, and head to the next tip.
2. Distract them with anything and everything. Once you have them on their back and in your makeshift diaper changing station, you’re on the clock so move quickly. Luckily, babies have about the same attention span as a ferret or a house cat, which means usually all it takes to turn a scream into a giggle is a random household object that they’ve never seen before–preferably one that is safe, shiny (or crunchy), and moderately clean. Some examples include: an iPhone, a pack of our travel wipes, car keys (we said moderately clean), or an empty plastic water bottle. Have a few of these objects ready when you set up your station, and resist the urge to try to hand them an age-appropriate toy. They can smell a toy from a mile away and will only become more enraged by its presence.
3. Make up a new song. We can’t tell you how many Billboard Hot 100 songs we have written at Coterie about diaper changes that sadly have never seen the light of day. There’s “Diaper Time” – a soulful remix to Semisonic’s 1998 hit “Closing Time” (key lyric: Diaper Time, open all the windows and let the air into the room). There’s also “Diaper Queen” (a riff on Dancing Queen, of course) and a version of 50 Cent’s “Candy Shop” that took a huge rework to make it even somewhat appropriate for an infant. Whatever song it is, get into it. The sillier your dance moves are, the more distracted they’ll be from what’s happening below their waist. Bonus points if you’re doing this whole thing in public and end up performing for a crowd of confused strangers. Double bonus points if you don’t die of embarrassment on the spot.
4. Try a pull-up diaper. If your baby is at the point where they’re standing or walking, you might try switching to a pull-up diaper. They can be a huge game-changer when the first three tips just aren’t cutting it anymore. Our version of a pull-up, The Pant is super easy to wiggle your baby into while they’re on their feet, and unlike most other pull-ups, it has a detachable waistband for horizontal changes in case you need to triage after an especially long car trip or big meal. It’s also built for babies who are on-the-go, with stretchy yet soft elastic that can handle your constant tugging to check for messes, as well as bending, squatting, and even the most complex yoga positions if your baby is particularly advanced for their age.
5. Update your subscription accordingly. If you find that The Pant does the trick to solve your mobile baby’s newfound fear of diaper changes, you will probably want to head over to our site and make some edits to your diaper subscription. You’ll save 10% on every order, can skip or defer shipments if you find you’re not using as many as you originally thought you would, and can update sizing and products as needed. Plus there’s the added benefit of being able to customize the amount and type of diaper, as well as add in wipes on a regular or as-needed basis. You’ll get a reminder email a few days before your order ships out just in case you need to size up or add products last minute. When you have 100 things on your mind at once, this service is a great way to remove at least one big item from your ever growing to-do list.

Hopefully at least a few of these tips come in handy when you’re making the transition to diaper changes on an increasingly mobile baby. We’ve found that once you hit around the one-and-a-half year mark, changes tend to get easier again. The squirming might never stop, but they usually find other, more interesting things to throw tantrums about around that age. So hang in there, keep your sanity in check, and above all, make sure you have a diaper that you trust along for the ride.