Nighttime Diaper Woes

My little one is up usually twice a night lately. In the last couple of weeks, when I go to change her diaper before feeding her, she cries so hard when I set her on the change table. A couple of times she has cried so hard she is gagging. I always try to gently shush her, reassure her quietly and change her as fast as I can but it is really stressful! Then, as soon as I am feeding her, she is fine. I’m assuming she’s still half asleep and thinks I am setting her down and leaving her. Any advice or anyone experiencing something similar? Thanks in advance!