8 useful tricks to change a baby’s diaper
Changing a baby’s diaper seems like an easy and intuitive task, but you have to take into account some issues to do it correctly.
Changing a diaper is not an easy task, the child moves a lot or is uncomfortable and you have to juggle to end up putting the diaper on without any mishap. Putting on a diaper and cleaning a baby is learned with practice .
Although at the beginning it will always cost a little and an accident occurs such as a bad diaper placement or a splash of pee, it is normal and do not worry. Changing diapers is something that you will do for many months , so you have time to fix the errors.
Ideally, we have been taking practice with nephews or little brothers, but if it has not been like that, here are some little tricks so that you become expert parents when it comes to changing your baby’s diapers .
Index
1. WASH AND WARM YOUR HANDS
We must wash our hands since we are going to come into contact with sensitive areas , prone to infection, and if we have been working or we are on the street it is the most hygienic.
After washing your hands, rub them before touching the baby, as the change in temperature or touching it with very cold hands can make it uncomfortable and make it cry.
We must try to make our baby as comfortable as possible during all the times when we are going to change diapers.
2. BE CAREFUL WITH THE UMBILICAL CORD IN NEWBORNS
Although this occurs only in newborns , it is something to be very careful with. It is quite important that the cord does not get dirty with urine or feces since we could cause a navel infection or omphalitis .
Even if the cord has already fallen, we must continue to be careful until it heals since there is still a risk of infection, especially when changing diapers.
There are special diapers that protect the umbilical cord, but they are more expensive and they are not very necessary either. If we are careful, we hold the diaper well and place it below the cord, we can continue using normal diapers.
3. CLEAN FROM FRONT TO BACK
To clean the baby we must lift the legs of this and proceed to clean his skin with wet cotton or wet wipes.
It is important, especially in girls, to clean from the vagina to the anus. This will prevent bacteria from the anus from depositing in the vagina and causing infections .
Then the folds that form between the thighs and buttocks will be cleaned to avoid any remains of stool or urine. It is necessary to avoid, very important also in girls, that the feces lodge in the front part, since if it is liquid, there may be remains. That is why babies need a very delicate cleaning.
4. DON’T APPLY A LOT OF CREAM
That we apply a lot of cream will not mean that our baby will be better protected. On the contrary, if we apply a lot of protective cream this will make our child uncomfortable and will also make the cream take longer to dry so it will be less protected.
Remember that the protective cream serves to isolate the skin from the humidity produced by the wet diaper around the anus and the crotch, which is where chafing occurs.
5. AVOID DERMATITIS
The best way to avoid this is to change the child frequently , as newborns often need many diaper changes. It is also good to leave the baby without a diaper for a few moments so that the area is ventilated and remains dry. This will also help us get some practice in the art of diapering.
If it is too late and our baby already suffers from diaper rashes, it is best to wash him with water and cotton, the wipes will not help as they will cause more irritation .
6. COVER THE BABY WHILE YOU CHANGE THEM
It is recurrent that with the change in temperature, with the exposure of air or contact with wet wipes , babies urinate while the diaper is being changed.
Given this, prevention is better than cure. If we are dealing with a girl, it is best to protect the lower part, while if it is a boy it is ideal to cover their penis with another clean diaper while we change it since if not it can shoot out and stain everything around it.
7. BE CAREFUL WITH THE ELASTIC STRIPS OF THE DIAPER
All current diapers usually have an elastic strap that closes the diaper at the front. These elastic strips allow us to more or less fix the closure of the diaper, but we must be careful to tighten too much and cause discomfort and unnecessary friction on the baby.
The ideal is to leave enough slack so that we can change the baby’s position without the diaper bothering him or tightening him.
Other times, even if the baby fits in the diaper, if he is fussy or has chafing, he may need a size larger. If your baby’s weight is reaching the weight limit or is still underweight but feels fussy, it is best to buy the next size.
But on the other hand, if we buy larger size diapers, the baby’s stools may come out of the diaper.
8. MAKE IT A GAME TIME
If your baby is one of those who hate having a diaper changed , he cries, squirms, does not want you to knock him down, etc. Given this, the best thing is to try that that moment that is unpleasant for them becomes a moment of relaxation or play .
For this we can have some toys that we only use when we go to change diapers, the ideal is to have something that distracts them and gives them confidence . We can also include him in the dynamics of change, tell him what we are doing, trying to get him to take a diaper, see it and become familiar.
At first it will be difficult but the ideal is to create from this routine a special moment for the child and the parents, a moment to massage our baby and give him affection before putting on a clean diaper, especially to make the baby feel less insecure and irritated.
Dr. Tabriella Perivolaris, Sara's mother and fan of fashion, beauty, motherhood, among others, about the female universe. Since 2018 she has been working as a copywriter, always bringing to her articles a little of her experience and experience as a mother and woman.