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The Basics of Diaper Changing

July 8th, 2010 by

Baby diapers are produced in a variety of types, styles, and sizes, but the basic choice is still between disposable and toweling diapers. Ideally, you should decide which type of diaper you are going to use before your baby arrives. You will need to take into account a number of factors: your lifestyle, the amount of time and money you have available, and the type of washing and drying facilities you will be using. Whichever diaper you choose, the techniques required for changing and cleaning a baby’s bottom are the same.

Diaper Changing

You should change your baby whenever he is wet or dirty. The number of changes may vary from day to day, but generally you will have to change your baby first thing in the morning, after each feed, after a bath, and before bed at night. Get everything you need together before you start so that there is no reason to leave your baby unattended while you are changing the diaper. Make sure that the room where you are changing your new baby is warm and free from draughts. Lie your baby on a folded towel or changing mat, placed on the floor, a table, or on the bed, making sure that a wriggling infant cannot roll off it you are changing the diaper on a raised surface.

Remove the soiled diaper. Then clean your baby’s bottom thoroughly, wiping away any solid matter with a clean corner of the used diaper, or with a damp tissue or cotton wool soaked” in warm water. A baby wipe, or some baby lotion, can be used to finish cleaning the area. Once you have dried your baby’s bottom, apply a small amount of a specially formulated barrier cream to protect the skin. Then put on a clean diaper.

What’s in a Diaper?

You may find the diaper of your new baby is stained dark pink or even red. This is because the urine of newborns contains substances called urates. Your newborn’s immature bladder cannot hold urine for very long so he may urinate as frequently as 20 times in every 24 hours. This will gradually lessen.

Your baby’s first stools will be a blackish-green color because the meconium from your amniotic fluid is working its way out of his system. Once feeding begins, the stools will change to greenish-brown and then to a yellowish-brown color. The number of stools passed varies from baby to baby, but generally breast­fed babies pass fewer stools than bottle-fed babies.

Tags: diapers