Changing diapers and keeping your baby's bum rash free!

Diapers!!

I had no idea this, of all things, would cause me the most confusion!

At the hospital, when my baby was a tiny mewling bundle of joy, that kept sleeping, 'Teddyy' diapers were used. They were the smallest size and were provided by the hospital. These were taped diapers. More on that below....

But once I got home and the stock I had brought with me from the hospital was over I had to get new ones.

So I called the local pharmacy for new born diapers. And by a stroke of luck they did not have 'Teddyy' diapers, but they did have 'Pampers New baby' diapers.

Here's something you should know, till my baby was about a month old, I preferred taped diapers.

Taped diapers are better in the early stages because we, as new parents are more comfortable handling these diapers as compared to diaper pants. You know, with all the delicate little hands and legs! 

Taped diapers are easier to put on, and take off and they provide a snug fit- which diaper pants may not considering the very variable size of new borns.

So here's how I used diapers for my baby in the first 2-3 months.

• 0-30 days: Pampers new baby diapers 
• 30-50 days: Huggies pants size small
• >50 days: Pampers diaper pants size small
• >4 months: Huggies pants size medium

Once the huggies small size diapers started leaking or leaving red marks (the same as ours if we wear a tight clothing for a long time- where the elastic causes red imprints due to it being tight), I thought of changing to huggies medium. But- that would have been a bit too large for my baby. So we tried changing brands. And because we had tried Pampers before, it was the obvious choice. It was a perfect fit! 

What i intend to say is, sometimes, instead of waiting for a baby to fit into the next level of the diaper, try switching brands. The sizes of different diapers differ from brand to brand. Though not much, but enough to be used in the transition from one size to the next.

Once my baby turned 3 months, she would only pee regularly, she poops once in 5-8 days- which is normal. I just wonder why there is only input and no output sometimes!
My friends have told me that once she starts taking liquids and semi solids and not just breast milk, she will poop like a normal human being ;)

Coming to changing a diaper!

This is how I change my little one's diapers.

Follow these steps and in no time you'll be changing diapers like a pro!

No, seriously, it should be a calm and peaceful process. I will tell you why-

Steps for a diaper change:

• Place a plastic mat on an even surface (Eg. The bed, the back seat of your car, the grassy ground in a garden, an even surface on the way to the mountain top or wherever it is that you are!)
• Place a folded cloth covering the bottom half of the mat (This is how I make a changing area, I am not sure the diaper changing table is a huge trend where I live) So in case your baby does pee or poo, while changing diapers, you just need to take care of the folded cloth piece!

• Lay your baby on the mat, with the lower back and bum on the cloth
• Remove soiled diaper (Taped diapers- just open the tapes and open it, pant diapers- tear the seams at both sides and open it)
• Do not immediately remove the diaper, use a wipe to clear any major poop you see, discard the wipe in the diaper and gently remove he diaper while lifting your baby's bum by holding his/her legs (Be careful if you're changing after a feed, lifting a baby's bum too high or folding it over the abdomen can cause baby to throw up a bit)
• Take a fresh wipe and gently clean the entire area, including the folds (Poo often gets stuck in the folds, even if you cant see it)
• Clean from the back as well, taking special care to wipe off the lower back, the natal cleft and the region around the anus
• Check for redness, rashes and any new poo the baby might have done after you're done cleaning
• Let the area dry, completely. It takes a minute or to- just cover your baby for a bit and play with them (in case i am running late, or i dab the area with a soft paper tissue, but only if I am in a hurry)
• Apply a good amount of vaseline petroleum jelly/ or whatever cream you are using for the baby to take care of rashes) in the entire bum region
• In case of taped diapers: Carefully place the diaper below the baby's bum, close it over the front and pull each end and tape it shut for a snug fit

[Images are from Pampers]

• In case of pant diapers: Slide the diaper over the babies legs, as if making him/her wear knickers or shorts, pull up from the slides, lift the baby's bum and pull up the diaper from behind, finally check from the front and back to see that diaper is worn well
• See to it that the frill at the sides is not poking your baby, and should be comfortably snug, not too close, not too loose, so gently pull the diaper outwards once you've finished putting it on the baby

Chances are, if your baby is sleeping, there is not going to be much pee or poo during the nap. This holds true particularly for babies well into the second month. in the first one to one and half months, the baby is going to pee and poo much more frequently, regardless of sleep. My baby who has recently started sleeping a little longer (5-6 hours or good days) does not soil her diaper too much while she sleeps- I don't need to wake her up to change her diaper every 4 hours in such a situation.

Diapers are preferable when traveling or when the baby has to sleep a longer time (3-4 hours)

For my baby, I let her wear cloth nappies for a couple of hours in the morning and then again for a few hours in the evening, and I change her diaper once every 1.5-2 hours, if she is active and, once she is done feeding and burping after a nap.

Don't worry though, you will find your own schedule when it comes to diaper changes. Cloth nappies are going to cause you grief if you try to get your baby to sleep while wearing a cloth nappy - it will get wet- and it will most certainly lead to disturbed sleep- and that is going to leave you with a very cranky baby!

Happy Diapering!

My next post will be about how I manage cloth nappies!