The nappy changing hack that saved my sanity as a new mum of 2

I outsmarted both of my wriggly toddlers with this clever trick. 10/10 try it!

Have you got two kids under two? You’ll know what I mean when I say nappy change time is quite possibly one of the most impossible parenting tasks in these years.

The moment you give them the "pooooo" reaction followed by the bum sniff test, the little gremlins know instantly that you're about to pin them down. And naturally, they run away. 

Well, that's what happened to me when I had two toddlers in nappies, and let me tell you ... wasn't that a time to be alive!?

My children are a little older now at ages 10 and 12, so I obviously toilet-trained little humans successfully. And now that I consider myself a parenting veteran, there's one piece of advice I always give new mums and dads when their little ones are starting to reach that crawling age. 

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The simple nappy change hack that saved my sanity

My son was almost two when I had my daughter. He was at the age where I could've tried to get him out of nappies before his newborn sister arrived, but I failed a few of those early attempts and when you're almost 9 months pregnant with your second AND with a squirmy toddler, you choose your battles. 

When his little sister arrived earthside, my son was already in nappy pants. I was halfway there in my toilet-training journey. Having him in them made things a whole lot easier with a newborn. Changes were faster and easier - with hardly a fight. 

In fact, the ease of it all made me re-think the way I did nappy changes with my daughter. 

RELATED: 5 mistakes parents make with their newborn’s skin

Two under 2 - and in nappies - is fun. Said no mum ever. Image: Supplied

The instant she became a wriggly infant, I'd like to say at around 6 -8 months, I decided I couldn't handle the backaches and bribes anymore. I grabbed one of her brother's nappy pants one day and put it on her.

"That'll do for now," I said to myself. "If it's too big and leaks, I'll deal with it then."

But it didn't leak. In fact, I had just discovered the ultimate hack that none of those many parenting books I was binge-reading talked about. 

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All parents need to know about this trick

I finished up with the existing Huggies nappies I already had and from the day I ran out, I had confidently swapped the traditional design for a pull-up nappy pant. 

If you’re in the trenches of difficult diaper changes, this is a hack every parent should know about.

Before the switch, every nappy change felt like a mini workout. My toddler, like many, was in a phase where lying still for even a few seconds felt impossible. She was curious, active, and always wanted to be on the move, so diaper changes were low on her priority list.

Add to that the discomfort that can sometimes come from nappies, and it was no surprise she resisted with all her might.

The worst part? The struggle often meant I avoided changing her nappy as often as I probably should have, leading to minor skin irritations like the nappy rash. 

This bub has no plans of getting their nappy changed. Image: iStock

Give nappy pants a go

While they're originally meant to be a transition tool as we started thinking about potty training, nappy pants became a lifesaver much earlier than I expected.

Here’s three very good reasons why pull-ups or nappy pants are a good idea: 

1. A whole lot easier: Nappy changes were not only easier, it meant I could even do them while my baby girl was standing up having her favourite snack or while entranced in Peppa Pig (Bluey wasn't around then, ok?) No fights, no bribes to "just come here please"... the job was done in under a minute. What's not to love about that? 

2. More frequent changes: With pull-ups, changing her more often became a breeze. There were no more delays, and as a result, her skin stayed much drier and healthier. We avoided nappy rashes simply because it was easier to swap out the pull-up, which kept her comfortable throughout the day.

3. Quick changes on the go: Pull-ups are so much more convenient for changes outside of the house. Whether at a playground or during a grocery run, I could quickly change her without finding a flat surface. A quick bathroom stop and a fresh pull-up made life much easier when we were out and about.

RELATED: My toddler hates getting his nappy changed

While my accidental discovery did save my sanity as a sleep-deprived mum of two under two, it also made the transition to toilet training that little bit easier because of the design of the nappy already being a pant. 

It was easier to pull on and off and I taught her how to use the toilet as a two-year-old and while I can't say for sure that the nappy pant is to be credited for how quickly she picked things up, it certainly helped. 

So, if you've got a little worm who won't sit still, try it. You might just breathe the same sigh of relief I did in those early days. 

Originally published as The nappy changing hack that saved my sanity as a new mum of 2