The task is going to be a bit overwhelming if you are someone who has never changed a baby’s diaper yet. The surprising fact is, once you have repeated this ‘Diaper Changing Game’ for a couple of times, you are going to enjoy it with the baby. Your baby will be giving you plenty of practice if you are a new parent. An infant usually goes through eight to ten diapers a day which means a lot of changing is coming through for the next few years, until the infant is toilet trained. That sums up to 3,500 diapers you are about to change.
What You Need
Before you begin, you have to make sure you have everything you need. Well, let’s point them out below for you:
- A clean and safe place to change the diaper
Most of the parents use a changing table or simply a pad on the floor/bed while changing baby’s diaper. If you have picked the table for changing the diaper, make sure you are using safety straps by following the pad’s instructions in order to anchor it to the table. A newborn doesn’t move much. But your baby soon will know how to roll as soon as he/she is 4 months old. Practicing the process from the start will definitely help you when the baby learns moving around.
- Diapers
The choice is yours, whether it’s cloth or disposable diaper, make sure you have got them in the correct size and shape.
- Something to Wipe the baby with:
You might consider using baby wipes to clean the diaper area, but you should also keep this in your mind that a newborn’s skin is pretty sensitive. Rather using baby wipes, you may use warm water and a nice piece of cloth during the first 10 days of life. Until your baby is 2 months old, you should skip using traditional baby wipes as they might cause rashes and irritation. After 2 months, baby wipes are okay to use!
- Diaper Cream or ointment
This option is not that mandatory! You may use them if needed.
- Emergency Supplies
Do make sure you have enough diapers, wipes or cloths stored for use. You never know when it’s an emergency.
Steps to change a diaper
- Always wash your hand before touching your baby. A newborn’s skin is sensitive and soft, you don’t wanna cause any skin issue. Gather everything you think might be in use in arm’s reach before changing the diaper.
- Now you are about to do the most important thing, lay your baby on their back on the table/bed, where you are going to do it.
- The next task will be unfastening the diaper tabs. You are going to raise your child’s bottom off the diaper. While doing that, make sure you are gently grasping their ankles and lifting it carefully. The real game begins if there’s poop inside the diaper. Well, no worry! We got you. You are going to use the upper half of the diaper and gently sweep it towards the lower half! That’s poop solution for you!
- Now, make sure you have sided the diaper away from the baby.
- Guess what? It's time to wipe the baby clean. There’s is something very very important to know when it comes to whipping the baby. If it’s your baby girl, always go from front to back. Because if you go from back to front to wipe your baby girl, there’s a possibility that rashes would appear.
- Most of the diapers are nowadays have markings or characters indicating the front of the diaper. You are going to slide a clean diaper under your baby’s bottom accordingly.
- If your doctor has recommended any kinds of cream or ointment for using to prevent rashes, make sure you have applied them before closing the diaper.
- Don’t forget about that used diaper yet, you are supposed to roll that, wrap the tabs all the way around it so you can throw that in the garbage can.
- Lastly, you are going to repeat the first step again. Wash you and your baby’s hands, clean the changing surface as well.
Extra Tips
Soon you are going to create this bond with your baby to bring perfection and we think these tips below might be helpful for you both:
- When the baby is ill, it’s really tough to calm down until the illness is gone. Our advice here would be to follow your doctor’s instructions because that’s the only way to heal.
- Never make the diaper too tight for your baby. Yes, it’s important to avoid leaks, but it’s also important to take care of the comfort your baby is going to experience wearing a diaper. Tight diapers can cause pressure on the stomach, after you have fed the baby, and that would be so uncomfortable.
- After all the special care you have strictly followed through, and rashes show up, if the skin is turning read, you are advised to make contact with your pediatrician immediately.
- If urate crystals are found in the diaper, which might happen, be noted, it’s a sign of dehydration. That is why you should maintain the breastfeeding process carefully.
- We know you will be there for the baby. This is just a reminder. Always keep one hand on your baby when reaching for something or looking away.
- Never ever leave the dirty diaper you have just removed to somewhere where food is nearby. Right after changing it, make sure it’s trashed properly.
If you have finished this whole guide, congratulations! You are now ready to create the bond with your baby and change around 3500 diapers successfully.
