Most infants need as many as 10 to 15 diapers in a matter of a day! That’s certainly a lot of your time that goes into changing diapers for newborns. Apart from being a crucial task, it is also a special time to bond with your baby by talking and playing with them. However, if you are a new parent and only just getting to know these responsibilities, diapering can be tricky, not to mention overwhelming. So, let us help you out with some very useful tips.
Choosing the Right Infant Diapers
When choosing a diaper for your newborn make use of popular and the best diaper brands as they are more likely to be well-researched and qualitative.
Pick a diaper that is not just capable of holding large quantities of liquid but can also quickly absorb moisture.
It should be free of harmful chemicals, fragrances and dyes, especially if your baby has excessively sensitive skin, to avoid rashes.
Remember to buy a small pack of diapers and test them out before investing in a larger pack.
Diapering Your Newborn
Always remember to wash your hands thoroughly before and after each diaper change.
Lay your baby down on a flat surface such as the floor or anywhere that’s safe.
If you are changing the diaper on a changing table or on any surface that's above the ground, you need to keep one hand on them the whole time. Do not leave them unattended even in the blink of an eye.
Since babies like to move around a lot, keep things like rash cream, safety pins, wipes, etc. handy but out of their reach. You can give them a toy to play with, while you go about your business of changing their diaper.
Newborn baby diapers come with a tape-style design. When changing a diaper, open the tabs of a new one and lay it in position below your baby, before removing the older one. This will ensure that any leakage while changing is caught by the new diaper.
Open the tabs of the soiled diaper, and gently pull it off from under them and out of the way. Now while holding their legs up a little with one hand, take a wipe with another hand and clean the groin region of your baby.
You can clean your baby with any non-perfumed baby wipe or a soft washcloth and plain warm water.
Lay your baby down on the new infant diaper which has already been opened and set in position. Then put on the diaper by securing the tapes securely at the sides of your baby’s waist.
Refrain from using any baby powder or even cornstarch to keep the groin region dry as the puff of the stuff near their nose can give rise to breathing difficulties.
Remember to not wake up your baby by changing their diaper. You can do it even while they're asleep.
Diapering Baby Girl Vs. Baby Boy
Girls
Always clean her going from the front towards the back. This will prevent urinary tract infection by prohibiting the entry of germs from her bowel movement into her urinary tract.
Using gentle hands, only clean her between the outer labial folds, and never the inside of her vagina.
Boys
While cleaning his penis, do not pull back its foreskin and wash his groin region, going from the front to the back.
When you are putting on a fresh diaper for newborns, gently tuck your baby's penis down. This will prevent his pee from streaming up and in the front of his diaper.
Avoiding and Treating Rashes
Although many newborn baby diapers are safe to be put on a baby just one day old, it is still better to wait until they are at least 4-6 days old.
Only choose the best diaper brand for your newborn which can quickly wick away moisture and keep them comfortably dry.
Avoid using a diaper that contains skin irritants like fragrances, dyes, SLS and parabens.
Regardless of what kind of diaper you are using, you must never keep it for more than 4 hours.
Change the diaper immediately after your baby passes stool in it.
Allow your baby to stay uncovered for some time between diaper changes to help their groin region air dry and the skin breathe.
If your baby develops rashes, refrain from using disposable diapers until the rashes subside and instead, use cloth diapers.
Let your baby's skin breathe and put on zinc-based rash creams or coconut oil to treat the affected area.
Diapering your baby takes skill and patience. Patience you will have to grow by yourself. As for the skills, you will develop them over time with some practice and our guidance. We hope these tips may have helped you and guided you better on this journey.