By Ihor Cap
The more diaper changes you do the better you get at it. My mother-in-law observed the speed with which I perform a diaper change and said that I have “professorial skills“. I need not tell you but that was an Olympic moment for me.
1. Check inside the baby’s diaper. There is no better way to know if the baby soiled itself than to know. So, pull back the disposable diaper from behind with one finger and have a peek inside the diaper. The smell might be a stronger indicator for a diaper change. If the diaper is heavy, then the baby most probably wet herself. For those of you who are very sensitive to smell, I found that just breathing through my mouth instead of the nose would help you through the diaper change.
2. Prepare your materials for the diaper change. It is easier to complete the diaper change process if you prepare your materials ahead of time. Then you will not find yourself scrambling for something in the middle of the diaper change process. Make sure everything is within reach.
Remove the baby’s socks and sleepers, and tuck the bottom portion of the clothes behind the baby’s back so it does not get in the way of the diaper change. Undo the fasteners on the diapers, and then slowly wipe the remaining poop with the upper portion of the diaper. Toss the diaper in the diaper bin or trash can. Remember to clean the trashcan soon after the diaper change to avoid any unpleasant smells in your room.
Then lift the baby up by the baby’s ankles in one hand and wipe the baby’s bum using wet wipes with the other hand. Make sure you wipe the creases too.
If you are cleaning a baby boy, you may want to cover his penis with a flannel cloth to prevent him from spraying you. Clean under the boy’s external pouch (the scrotum) too. You may miss something if you do not look under there.
If you are cleaning a baby girl, always make sure to wipe in a downward motion to avoid potential urinary tract infections. Wipe from the top external vaginal folds downwards toward the anus. Do not forget the inner lip folds as there may be something that got in there too. If there is something there, wipe it gently. If there is no poop in there then there is no need to wipe. Use a fresh wet wipe to go over the same areas.
Check for any rashness. Smear some Penaten Cream wherever there is redness and do not forget the creases or folds on the legs too. Get a new diaper. Again, lift the ankles up with one hand and place the fresh diaper underneath the baby using your other hand. Now adjust the diaper with both hands sliding the diaper up or down as necessary and then fasten the side tab attachments to the diaper. For boys, make sure you place the penis in a downward position before you close the tabs to prevent any leaks later on. Do not fasten the tabs on to tight on the stomach or legs. Dress up the baby and congratulate yourself on a job well done. Now go wash your hands.
For large poop jobs, you will need to remove the baby’s clothes completely, and wipe the baby down with wet wipes. Then prepare the water tap to run on luke warm (I installed a spray aerator for this purpose) and have a flannel cloth ready with baby sensitive soap on it to wipe down the baby further.
Now carry the baby with one arm to the sink and wipe the baby down using the soap filled flannel wash cloth with the other hand. The reason for the flannel wash cloth is because the poop may be very greasy in big poop jobs and simply using a few wet wipes will not be enough to complete the job properly.
Do not leave any soap residue on the body as it may cause skin rashes to occur later when you close up the diaper. After you finished cleaning the baby, carry it over to the drying towel (which is different from your changing towel) and pat it down softly until the baby is dry. Check for redness. Apply cream where necessary and wrap her up! Occasionally let the baby dry out in the open to prevent diaper rash or help speed up the healing process. Wash your hands. Repeat diaper change process as needed.
Author Information:
Ihor Cap is a web author and father of two wonderful children, a boy and a girl.
For More Diapering Tips, Watch the Following Videos:
The more diaper changes you do the better you get at it. My mother-in-law observed the speed with which I perform a diaper change and said that I have “professorial skills“. I need not tell you but that was an Olympic moment for me.
1. Check inside the baby’s diaper. There is no better way to know if the baby soiled itself than to know. So, pull back the disposable diaper from behind with one finger and have a peek inside the diaper. The smell might be a stronger indicator for a diaper change. If the diaper is heavy, then the baby most probably wet herself. For those of you who are very sensitive to smell, I found that just breathing through my mouth instead of the nose would help you through the diaper change.
2. Prepare your materials for the diaper change. It is easier to complete the diaper change process if you prepare your materials ahead of time. Then you will not find yourself scrambling for something in the middle of the diaper change process. Make sure everything is within reach.
- You will need a garbage pail to toss out the soiled diaper.
- A baby change table or a towel that you will use to place underneath the baby for the diaper change, baby sensitive wet wipes or moist towelettes (non-alcoholic and moisturized preferred) and baby soap and a small flannel wiping cloth next to the sink in case you encountered the jack pot, and another separate drying towel to dry the baby.
- There is no need to wash the baby in the sink for small poops or wet diaper changes. In these cases, wet wipes will do.
- If you encountered the mother load (and it does happen), you will need a change of clothes for the baby.
- Lastly, you may need skin cream. Before you put a new diaper on the baby, check for diaper rash or skin redness around the area of the bum. If it is red, then it is a good time to spread a little skin cream on all the red areas and cracks using your fingertips. I found that Penaten Cream is a great product that takes care of this problem effectively and quickly.
Remove the baby’s socks and sleepers, and tuck the bottom portion of the clothes behind the baby’s back so it does not get in the way of the diaper change. Undo the fasteners on the diapers, and then slowly wipe the remaining poop with the upper portion of the diaper. Toss the diaper in the diaper bin or trash can. Remember to clean the trashcan soon after the diaper change to avoid any unpleasant smells in your room.
Then lift the baby up by the baby’s ankles in one hand and wipe the baby’s bum using wet wipes with the other hand. Make sure you wipe the creases too.
If you are cleaning a baby boy, you may want to cover his penis with a flannel cloth to prevent him from spraying you. Clean under the boy’s external pouch (the scrotum) too. You may miss something if you do not look under there.
If you are cleaning a baby girl, always make sure to wipe in a downward motion to avoid potential urinary tract infections. Wipe from the top external vaginal folds downwards toward the anus. Do not forget the inner lip folds as there may be something that got in there too. If there is something there, wipe it gently. If there is no poop in there then there is no need to wipe. Use a fresh wet wipe to go over the same areas.
Check for any rashness. Smear some Penaten Cream wherever there is redness and do not forget the creases or folds on the legs too. Get a new diaper. Again, lift the ankles up with one hand and place the fresh diaper underneath the baby using your other hand. Now adjust the diaper with both hands sliding the diaper up or down as necessary and then fasten the side tab attachments to the diaper. For boys, make sure you place the penis in a downward position before you close the tabs to prevent any leaks later on. Do not fasten the tabs on to tight on the stomach or legs. Dress up the baby and congratulate yourself on a job well done. Now go wash your hands.
For large poop jobs, you will need to remove the baby’s clothes completely, and wipe the baby down with wet wipes. Then prepare the water tap to run on luke warm (I installed a spray aerator for this purpose) and have a flannel cloth ready with baby sensitive soap on it to wipe down the baby further.
Now carry the baby with one arm to the sink and wipe the baby down using the soap filled flannel wash cloth with the other hand. The reason for the flannel wash cloth is because the poop may be very greasy in big poop jobs and simply using a few wet wipes will not be enough to complete the job properly.
Do not leave any soap residue on the body as it may cause skin rashes to occur later when you close up the diaper. After you finished cleaning the baby, carry it over to the drying towel (which is different from your changing towel) and pat it down softly until the baby is dry. Check for redness. Apply cream where necessary and wrap her up! Occasionally let the baby dry out in the open to prevent diaper rash or help speed up the healing process. Wash your hands. Repeat diaper change process as needed.
Author Information:
Ihor Cap is a web author and father of two wonderful children, a boy and a girl.
For More Diapering Tips, Watch the Following Videos: