A Diaper Changing Method To Relieve & Prevent Colic

If you’ve ever wrestled your squirmy, red-faced newborn during a diaper change while also dealing with seemingly endless crying spells, you’re not alone. Colic is incredibly common—and incredibly frustrating. But what if the way we change our babies’ diapers could actually help prevent colic? Sounds like a stretch, right? That’s what I thought, too—until I learned about the rolling diaper change technique.

This method has been a quiet game-changer in some parenting circles, and I want to walk you through exactly why and how it works.

What Is Colic, Really?

Let’s get on the same page. Colic isn’t a disease, and it doesn’t mean anything is “wrong” with your baby. It’s a pattern of intense, often unexplained crying in otherwise healthy infants, usually peaking around 6 weeks old. Pediatricians often go by the “rule of threes”: crying for more than three hours a day, at least three days a week, for three weeks or more.

No one knows exactly what causes colic, but there are some solid clues. One of them? Tummy trouble. Another? An immature nervous system. And that’s where diaper-changing comes in.

Why Traditional Diaper Changes Might Be Making Things Worse

Most of us use the standard double-leg lift to change our babies’ diapers. You know the one—lift both ankles, wipe, slide a clean diaper underneath, done. The problem is that this move bends your baby at the lower back, right where important nerves connect the spine to the intestines.

Babies are born with a C-shaped spine. As they grow and start lifting their heads, crawling, and standing, their spine gradually forms the curves we have as adults. But until that development happens, the lower spine is still super vulnerable. Lifting both legs during a diaper change puts pressure on that area—and if that pressure disrupts the messages between your baby’s gut and brain, it could lead to more tummy discomfort.

That discomfort? It can look a lot like colic.

How The Rolling Diaper Change Prevents Colic

Here’s where things get interesting. Instead of lifting your baby’s legs straight up, the rolling technique gently turns your baby to one side to clean and change, then rolls them to the other side to finish. It keeps the spine aligned and avoids unnecessary strain on the lower back.

No, this isn’t a magic trick that cures colic overnight. But it’s a smart, gentle adjustment you can make that might just reduce one source of hidden stress in your baby’s body.

Step-by-Step Guide to the Rolling Method

• Lay your baby on a flat, safe surface
• Support your baby’s upper body by gently holding under their shoulders or chest
• Slowly roll your baby onto one side
• Clean and wipe from this position
• Slide a clean diaper under while they’re still on their side
• Roll gently to the other side to adjust and finish the change

That’s it. No leg lifting, no pressure on the lower back.

When To Use This Method—And When To Switch

Use the rolling method from birth until your baby starts crawling. Once they’re more mobile, their spine has developed stronger curves and can better handle the traditional diaper change position.

Keep in mind: if your baby resists the roll or seems uncomfortable, it’s okay to adapt. Like everything in parenting, this isn’t about perfection—it’s about paying attention and making small changes that help your baby feel more at ease.

Does It Really Help Prevent Colic?

There’s no single cause of colic, which means there’s no single cure. But what we do know is that supporting a baby’s physical development and reducing sources of discomfort can make a big difference.

Some parents report noticeable improvements when switching to the rolling technique—less fussing, calmer diaper changes, and even fewer gas pains. While large-scale studies on this method are limited, it’s backed by what we know about infant spinal development and nerve connections to the gut.

And honestly? It just makes sense to minimize stress on a newborn’s back when we can.

Other Tips To Help Prevent Colic

Changing how you diaper is just one piece of the puzzle. If your baby is colicky, or you just want to reduce the chances, try combining the rolling technique with these supportive steps:

• Tummy time a few times a day to build neck and core strength
• Burp breaks during and after feedings
• Feeding position tweaks, keeping baby more upright
• A calm environment during feeding and sleep
• Baby massage to ease gas and relax tense muscles

If you’ve tried these and your baby is still crying excessively, don’t wait—talk to your pediatrician. Sometimes what looks like colic can be reflux, allergies, or other issues worth checking out.

One Small Shift That Might Make a Big Difference

Parenting a newborn can feel like trying to solve a mystery with no clues. But sometimes, the answer isn’t about adding more—it’s about changing how we do the basics.

Diaper changes happen 8 to 12 times a day in those early months. That’s 8 to 12 chances to make things just a little easier on your baby’s body. A little gentler. A little more aligned.

Try the roll. See how your baby responds. And remember—you’re doing an amazing job.

If this helped you, share it with a fellow mom who could use one less thing to worry about.

Reference

• Best Nappy Changing Technique for Newborns to Reduce Colic — The Courtyard Osteopaths (2014). Explains the rolling diaper change method and its link to reduced spinal strain and colic prevention, referencing osteopathic principles of infant spinal alignment.
• The Effect of Chiropractic Care on Infantile Colic: Results from a Single-Blind RCT — Holm et al., Chiropractic & Manual Therapies (2021)
  Peer‑reviewed study examining whether spinal/manual care can influence colic symptoms, supporting the neurological and musculoskeletal connection between the spine and infant digestion.
• Infantile Colic in Infants Aged One–Six Months and the Practices of Mothers for Colic — Didişen et al., Journal of Pediatric Research (2020)
  Provides data on colic prevalence and documents common maternal interventions, showing that behavioral and positional methods (like rolling) are widely used for relief.