There's a Better Way to Change Baby's Diaper — and You've Likely Never Tried It

When Dr. Emily Puente of Bridge Family Chiropractic told parents everywhere that there was a better, easier way to hold those clunky infant car seats, she struck a nerve. Some moms were kicking themselves over the months and years they'd spent doing it wrong, others complained that her method was just as uncomfortable, but nearly every parent who saw her viral video passed it along.

Now, the chiropractor is addressing a better way to tackle another common baby technique: diaper changes.

The typical way, a double-leg lift, puts a lot of stress on the baby's lower back, and it can actually contribute to digestive issues associated with colic, like gas and constipation. Also, it's in this area of the spine that a cervical curve forms after babies are born, around the time they start to crawl. The pressure of the double-leg motion "can have a negative effect" on how that curve develops.

Instead, she suggests trying the roll technique.

"This is a way to change a diaper that will protect the baby's spine and remove pressure off of their delicate nervous system," Puente said. "It is an easy adaptation that can have great benefits for your little one's spinal development."

Unlike the mixed reviews of her car seat trick, this one seems to be a hit among parents who've tried it.

And good news for those parents worried about doing the roll technique on squirmy toddlers with much-messier diapers: it's safe to resume the double-leg lift after babies start crawling.