Top Diapering Tips for Newborns
Everyone’s newborn journey is going to be different. Babies are unique and so are families, and we affirm this for our clients all the time. But there is something that is constant for every single family that welcomes home a new baby: You are going to change a lot of diapers! So today on the blog we’re giving you our top five diapering tips for newborns.
1.Choose Your Diaper
The very first thing you need to consider is how you are going to diaper your baby. Will you be using cloth or disposables? There are pros and cons for both, so let’s break those down.
For cloth diapering families, you should choose the type of cloth diaper you are interested in - they run the range from prefolded squares to all in ones that function almost exactly like disposables. The biggest difference will likely come down to cost; the ones that are easiest to put on with just a few snaps are more expensive. But take into consideration that once you purchase your stash of diapers, your investment is complete. In the long run, you will spend far less than you would have on disposables. But the cons for cloth diapering will come in the form of more laundry. It is a commitment and you have to plan ahead - you don’t want to find out in the middle of the night that all of your cloth diapers are dirty. But if cost and environmental decisions outweigh the labor and planning, cloth might be your best bet.
The other option for families when it comes to diapering are disposable diapers. The benefit of disposables is their ease of use - easy on and easy off and right into the trash. You won’t find yourself doing a lot of additional laundry or carrying around a wet bag on your outings. But of course, this convenience does come with a price tag. Some parenting experts estimate that new parents will spend $1000 on diapers in the first year (and most babies are in diapers longer than that).
So think about your family’s lifestyle and budget when considering whether cloth or disposable are right for you.
2. Prepare Diaper Changing Stations
Our next tip is going to save you a lot of unncessary trips up and down the stairs or walking all over the house. Like we mentioned before, new parents change a lot of diapers. All day and all night. So if you only have one diaper changing table, and it’s upstairs in the baby’s nursery, you are going to find yourself going up and down the stairs quite frequently. And trust us, that gets old fast.
So prepare multiple diaper changing stations around the house, especially if you have a two story home. Find a place downstairs, or in the room you will spend much of your time, and set up a diaper station there. This does not have to be fancy and no extra changing table is needed. All you need is a flat surface (you can even use the floor) and a waterproof changing pad. Add a basket that is stocked with all of the essentials - diapers, wipes, diaper cream, a change of clothes, etc. - and now you have a place that is convenient to change a diaper. You might even consider an extra diaper pail nearby because they do a much better job of masking odors than the kitchen trash can.
3. Always Be Prepared
A doula’s motto when it comes to changing diapers is simple: Be Prepared! You’ll never catch us taking a dirty diaper off without being prepared to immediately re-diaper the baby. Because once you remove the dirty diaper, the clock is ticking and you better move fast to avoid getting peed or pooped on.
My favorite tip is to make sure that you have all of your wipes ready to go (seriously, pulling wipes out can be a two-handed job, so go ahead and pull a few and have them ready), the clean diaper unfolded and slid underneath the baby’s current diaper, and then you can remove the dirty one. For good measure, use one of those wipes to immediately cover the area that is going to spray you with pee. Now you can wipe your baby down with the other wipes, fold those dirty wipes into the dirty diaper, lift your baby’s bottom to remove the dirty one, and then place the baby down on the clean diaper underneath, fasten, and you’re done. And if you did it this way, you greatly reduced your chances of an unwanted shower!
4. Changing Girl Diapers vs Boy Diapers
When it comes to changing diapers, there are a few things to keep in mind depending on whether you are changing a baby girl’s or baby boy’s diaper. For little girls, always be mindful to wipe from front to back. You never want to wipe back to front because this can introduce fecal matter into the genital area and that is no good. For little boys, always be mindful to point the penis down. Seriously. Check the direction before you fasten the diaper - if it’s pointed up, chances are someone is getting sprayed.
5. Have the Right Accessories
And finally, clever diapering accessories can make this task even easier for you. There are some products on the market that are really not needed (I’m talking to you PeePee TeePee), but some things out there are definitely genius. One of our favorite diapering accessories is the diaper cream spatula or applicator, the Bum Brush makes a great one. You might think this sounds silly, but trust us, it’s amazing! Diaper cream is notoriously hard to wash off and it gets under your nails easily. The last thing you’re going to want to do is struggle with diaper cream all over your hands as you finish getting your baby dressed again. Instead, just squirt a little on the spatula, smear it easily all over baby’s bum, and keep your hands clean. Incredible!
The other accessory that gets a lot of hate out there in the parenting streets is a wipe warmer. But hear us out. Newborns truly hate being cold and a freezing cold, wet wipe right to the bottom will really set them off like nothing else. Having a wipe warmer, especially in the nursery where it can be used for those middle of the night changes, might make the whole diapering experience a lot more pleasant, for both baby and parents. Just saying.