Changing newborn diapers is a skill that all newborn parents need to learn. We might not be good at it at first, but eventually with practice, we’ll get the hang of it.
Whether you are a first time parent or have a huge age gap between children, I hope that you’re able to learn some tips from here today.
In this blog post, I will share 7 newborn diaper changing tips that I’ve learned from changing my children’s diapers as newborns.
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Contents
Here are 7 Newborn Diapers Changing Tips for New Parents:
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1. Knowing which is the front and back of the diaper
As simple as this might sound, if you have no experience, you might not know which goes where.
Usually for disposable diapers (I’m not sure about cloth diapers as I have no experience using them), have cartoon or a nice design in the front, a yellow strip connecting from the front part of the design to the back of the diaper.
Also, the two Velcro straps are located at the back of the diaper. The back of the diaper is also the bigger part of the two as it needs to cover the bum.
Photo via Canva
2. The yellow line turns blue when wet
When your baby pees or poops in the diaper, the yellow line that I mentioned earlier will turn blue (or a different color depending on the design).
If you see the color change, it’s time to change the diaper.
It’s a good practice to change your newborn baby’s diaper when they pee and/or poop so that they’ll have a clean diaper which is better for their skin as well (so I’ve heard).
When babies are born, they have a part of the umbilical cord still connected to their belly button.
Don’t worry, it’ll come off on its own.
In the meanwhile, you’ll want to fold the front of the diaper before you secure the side straps to avoid irritating their belly button.
You can choose to fold outward or inward as long as it’s folded enough to be away from the belly button even when they move.
Once the part of the umbilical cord falls off, you can use the diaper as usual without folding it.
4. Have a diaper station ready
This point is important to note before you have the baby if possible. If your baby is already here, it’s a great time to start as well.
Have a diaper station ready where you plan to change the baby’s diaper.
It does not have to be a change table with all that jazz. A simple basket is enough as well.
I made a reel on what you need. You can check out the video here.
Here is what you will need for your diaper station:
- Diapers
- Wipes
- Cream (Depending on your baby’s skin)
- Changing pad/mat
- Something to hold everything together (could be a basket or a changing table)
- Optional: Extra clothes
When we are tired while changing the newborn’s diaper, it’s so helpful to have this diaper ‘station’ ready. Do remember to refill the supplies when you are about to run out.
5. Put a new diaper under the old diaper to avoid leakage of poop
The lovely poop-filled diaper. They are so tiny and yet the poop can be so mighty.
You can do this for pee as well, but I find that it’s more helpful for diapers with poop.
Place a new diaper under the old diaper before you open up the old diaper to wipe poop off them.
Once you’re finished with getting the poop off them, you can remove the old diaper and ta-da the new diaper is right under for you to put on the baby.
This is also preventative if they decide to poop right after you remove the old diaper.
It happens.
However, if the poop got everywhere, up their back, down their legs, maybe you would choose to spray them down first before putting on a new diaper.
6. Make sure that the sides of the diaper around the thighs are snug
After you put the diaper on, check their thighs to make sure that it is snug.
This is to prevent leakage of pee/poop from coming out of the diaper.
Photo via Canva
Yes, sometimes you might find that the poop are only on the left side of the diaper. Why? I cannot answer that as I ask myself this question too.
Do a quick check and be assured that you’ve done your due diligence. Poop explosions do happen, but if the diaper is snug around their thighs, it should be less for you to clean up.
7. For a boy, make sure that the private part is pointing down before you close the diaper
This is something I learned recently with my baby boy. My midwife taught me that I need to remember to point his private part downwards before closing the diaper.
It is to prevent pee from shooting upwards and out of the diaper.
So, please remember to do it every time you see if it’s pointing upwards.
I hope that these newborn diaper tips are beneficial for you as you prepare or have your little bundle of joy. From one parent to another, you’ve got this!
We are all learning and can adapt to what being a parent requires of us.
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