When diapering is not a chore, you'll find that both you and your baby can enjoy the time you spend together in this daily routine. Here are some of the best suggestions for diapering babies, collected from years of experience.
Gather Changing Essentials
Most parents agree that a well-planned changing area makes diapering quicker and easier. Keep essential supplies close at hand (yet out of your baby's reach) on nearby shelves. Essential supplies include diapers, baby wipes, baby lotion (cream or oil), cotton, petroleum jelly, diaper rash cream and diaper rash liquid powder.
Since a preoccupied baby is one who won't wiggle and squirm, give your baby something to look at while being changed, such as an unbreakable mirror or a colorful picture. Later, when your baby is able to grasp objects, keep favorite toys close at hand.
Easy As 1-2-3
- Gently lay your baby down on a flat, firm surface. Unfasten the soiled diaper and hold both your baby's legs up by grasping both ankles with one hand. Remove the soiled diaper and thoroughly cleanse your baby's bottom in and around all the creases with a baby wipe. Be sure to wipe the bottom from front to back.
- Now apply any jelly, cream or powder you're going to use. If you use talc or cornstarch, shake it carefully into your hand first, and then pat it on your baby — that way she won't breathe in a cloud of powder.
- Next, slide a clean diaper under your baby so that the fasteners are in the back. Pull the diaper up between the legs, making sure it's on straight so it will wrap evenly around the hips. Then open the tabs, place them over the front of the diaper, and press them down firmly in place. For a snug fit, fasten the side closest to you first. Then roll your baby towards you to tighten and fasten the other side. Try to keep the overlap of front and back as neat as possible so the diaper will hug your baby's waist comfortably.
If you want to tighten or adjust the diaper, simply lift the fasteners and reposition them anyplace on the special tab "landing zone," which is often marked by colorful characters near the top of the waistband. The fasteners on many disposable diapers can be opened and fastened again.
Special safety note: Be aware that even a newborn can roll off a changing table. So either use a changing table with a strap or keep one hand on your baby at all times.
The Scoop on Poop
Most new babies have between one and 10 bowel movements daily and their stools are usually quite loose. It may be weeks, or even months, before your baby has well-formed, pasty stools. If you're breast-feeding, your newborn may have a bowel movement at every nursing, and the stools will probably be much looser than those of a bottle-fed baby. Some babies may not have a bowel movement for up to three days at a time -this is not abnormal. But if your baby has trouble pushing the stool out or goes longer than three days without a bowel movement, call your doctor right away.
You should also be aware that breast-fed babies usually have stools of a yellowish-greenish color and those of bottle-fed babies tend to look darker.
If you notice an increase in the number of your baby's bowel movements, or if you notice a change in color or odor, your baby may have a case of diarrhea and you should consult your doctor at once.
Finally, because newborns have loose and frequent stools, you'll want to make sure your new baby wears diapers with elastic at the legs and waist. They'll give a secure fit to help stop leaking.
The Heartbreak of Diaper Rash
Even with the most expert and careful diaper changes, diaper rash happens. It's one irritation most babies go through, particularly if their skin is sensitive. Despite its name, diaper rash isn't really caused by diapers. It's caused by bacteria that react with urine in a baby's wet diaper to form ammonia. It's the ammonia that irritates the skin, causing small, red pimples or patches of rough, red skin.
Doctors say that keeping a baby dry is the best way to prevent diaper rash. Therefore, check diapers often and change them as soon as they show the slightest trace of wetness. Highly breathable diapers also can help keep baby's skin dry. Of course, if your baby has a mild case of diaper rash, be extra careful to change diapers frequently. Your doctor will probably also recommend that you apply a thin layer of protective ointment or petroleum jelly to the affected area.
Many mothers report that leaving diapers off a baby for at least 15 minutes per day helps to clear up a case of diaper rash. Of course, if a rash doesn't heal in a couple of days, consult your doctor.
