As you welcome your newborn, you might get nervous about diapering your baby. Well, changing diapers is the part most parents dread about caring for a baby. But you don’t have to worry about this new parenting job; you’ll definitely get used to it with time. However, in this article, we will show you how to change a diaper easily.
Does your baby need changes in a diaper?
You don’t have to rely on smell as a cue to change your baby’s diapers. Yea, babies can soil their diapers up to 10 times daily if not more.
So to check, you can pull out the waistband or the leg to know if the diaper is wet or dirty. You can do this before and after each nap.
More so, it is a good sign if you notice the diaper is heavy.
After confirming that the diaper is soiled, you need to change it immediately. That way, your baby will stay dry and warm and this will help prevent diaper rash and chaffing.
Best Place to change Diapers Easily
You need to set up a safe diaper changing station that will hold your baby in place. It can be a clean floor where you can use a changing pad or towel to protect your baby.
However, you need to be watchful when changing your baby’s diaper. Always remember that the slightest movement can cause them to fall.
So always ensure you keep the changing are well supplied with wipes, clean diapers, and any rash ointment like zinc oxide cream. Keep these essentials in a diaper bag so you can easily and comfortably change the diaper when you’re on the go.
How to Change a Diaper Easily
You can follow these steps below on how to change a diaper easily:
- Place your baby on a clean, soft, safe surface, keeping them on their back. Take off any clothing that restricts access to the diaper. You can try baby rompers as they contain snaps for an easy diaper change.
- Remove the soiled diaper. If it is a reusable cloth diaper, you can remove the diaper cover or Velcro from around your baby’s waist. But for disposable diapers, you need to pull up the sticky tabs.
- Raise your baby gently to remove the diaper out from under their bottom.
- Clean your baby’s diaper region with wipes, and always remember to wipe from front to back, especially if your baby is a girl. This helps to prevent infection.
- You can soothe the region with a diaper ointment it is red or inflamed.
- Wait for some minutes to allow your baby’s skin before using the new diaper
- Place your baby on the new diaper. Raise the front part to their stomach and lock the tabs to keep the diaper firm on your baby’s waist.
- Take off any clothing on the diaper.
How to Prevent Diaper Rash
You can prevent diaper rash by keeping the following precautions. However, if you suspect any form of infection from the rash, always seek medical attention.
- Check your baby’s diapers often (like every two hours) and change it when you notice it is soiled.
- Before using a new diaper, ensure you clean your baby’s diaper region thoroughly.
- Avoid using scented soaps and wipes on your infant’s diaper region
- Don’t scrub but pat your baby’s bottom when drying them after a bath
- Check for skin marks which indicates that the diaper is too tight.
- Avoid using plastic pants
Extra Tips on How to Change a Diaper Easily
You can try some disposable diapers with a wetness indicator line that turns blue when the diaper is full, squishy, or heavy. This indicates a need for a change. However, you can also stick to visual inspection or the sniff test to tell if your baby has made a poop.
In the beginning, you may need to change diapers around the clock because your baby may have a poop with every feeding. But as your baby grows and stops pooping immediately after feeding or start having long stretches of sleep, you may not need to wake them to change a wet diaper.
If you have a boy, don’t be afraid to gently wipe underneath the scrotum and around the penis. You can cover the penis with a clean diaper or washcloth during changes to prevent pee fountains. Tuck the tips of the penis downward when fastening the clean diaper.
In the case of baby girls, make sure you wipe from front to back to help prevent infection.
If your baby has a large, runny poop that overflows the diaper and gets all over baby’s clothes, ensure you don’t pull the baby’s clothes downward. Instead, you can pull it up over their head to avoid spreading the mess.
Final Remark
You will need to change your baby’s diapers many times, especially in the first few years of their life. This can be intimidating, but with the steps on how to change a diaper easily, which is highlighted above, it won’t take long before you start feeling like a total pro.
