How to change a diaper correctly and how often should you do it?

Modern parents simply cannot imagine caring for a small child without the use of disposable diapers. Thanks to them, the baby and mother can sleep peacefully at night. Manufacturers of baby products are trying to improve diapers in order to increase the comfort of the baby. Much depends on the parents, the baby will smile if you change the hygiene product on time and correctly.

Replacement frequency

Newborns pee quite often, about 25 times a day. It makes no sense to change the diaper after every urination, it is worth waiting for it to fill. On average, it is worth changing your hygiene product every 2–3 hours. Remember that the first weeks of life, the child's body is cleared of the original feces. After a bowel movement, you need to change the diaper immediately, even if you literally just put it on.

If you change a disposable diaper too rarely, your baby's skin will start to redden and become inflamed. Long-term use of one hygiene product leads to dermatitis, diaper rash, rash. Bacteria from feces can enter the genitals and cause the development of infectious diseases. It is for these reasons that the diaper should be checked as often as possible. Pampers for newborn babies need to be changed very often, on average, about 20 products will be needed per day. A baby between 2 and 6 months old should also change the diaper as it fills, about every 4-6 hours.

After six months, you can focus on the child's condition and personal views, because at this age you can even wean a child from disposable diapers or use them only for a walk, while sleeping.

How to change a baby and what to consider?

Even in the maternity hospital, young mothers learn to change diapers for babies. Oftentimes, doctors or nurses can provide valuable advice. The most important thing is that the elastic of the hygiene product does not rub the umbilical wound for up to 1 month. You can use special newborn diapers that have a cutout in this area. There is another way to protect the wound on the tummy - just peel back the edge of any diaper.

Please note that children under 28 days old pee very often. It is worth running your hand over the inner surface of the diaper about once an hour, if the product is wet, replace it. The older the baby gets, the less often the product can be replaced.

Remember that babies have frequent bowel movements after feeding and this is normal. After this, you should immediately change the diaper.

Should I wake my child up at night?

Many young parents do not know what to do with a diaper at night when the baby is sleeping. There are factors that should influence your decision, such as:

feeding the baby with breast milk or infant formula;
air temperature in the children's room;
the health status of the baby;
age.

If your baby sleeps all night, he or she will need to be woken up to change the diaper in the event of a bowel movement or filling. It is worth adhering to such recommendations for the night period as:

if the baby wakes up in the middle of the night for feeding, then at this time it is imperative to change the diaper;
if the hygiene product is not overfilled, and the baby does not poop, then you do not need to wake him up.

Is it better to change before or after feeding?

This question torments many parents and no one gives an unambiguous answer to it. You should study both sides of the issue in order to make your own decision. Before breastfeeding, it is often recommended to replace diapers by baby product manufacturers and healthcare professionals. For the first, it is simply beneficial: the more often you change your hygiene product, the more you will buy it. Doctors cite two reasons for changing the diaper before feeding. As you know, children often spit up after eating, which is due to the fact that their digestive system is just beginning to form, they still do not feel when they are full. In the second case, when regurgitating, surplus milk comes out, after feeding it is necessary to hold the baby in a column for about 10-15 minutes.

The second argument of doctors is that babies often fall asleep while feeding. If in the first case it was about the fact that you should not immediately put the child in a horizontal position and tighten the legs, which is inevitable when changing a diaper, then the reason is that you simply will not have time to change the product. If the baby falls asleep while feeding and you don’t change the diaper before eating, you will have to wake the baby up. That's all there is to it to change the product before feeding.

There is another opinion - it is worth changing the diaper after feeding.

It is important to remember that babies often poop immediately after or during feeding. In this case, there is simply no point in changing it twice. This option is more economical. It is worth noting that babies who eat formula may not have to empty their bowels immediately after feeding.

You can feed the baby, wait for spitting up, and only then change the diaper. This option is perhaps the most comfortable for both children and mothers. If the baby falls asleep while eating, then try to change the diaper as carefully as possible, while the chances are good that he will not wake up. It is important to note that there is no point in disturbing the baby if the product is not stained. Now that both sides of the issue are known, a decision can be made.

As the analysis has shown, it is much more expedient to feed the baby first, and then change the diaper. This option is more economical and practical. In order not to be mistaken, it is worth acting according to such an algorithm as:

before feeding, you need to check the diaper, if it is clean - feed, if the diaper is stained with feces or the baby's skin is wet - replace it;
you should feed the baby with breast milk or artificial infant formula;
hold the baby upright with a column and wait for spitting up;
check the condition of the diaper and replace if necessary.

How do you know when it's time to replace?

All children develop in different ways. The frequency and volume of urination and stool depends on many factors and has many interactions. The way the baby pees is influenced by the drinking regimen. Stool often, but not always, occurs after feeding, bathing, sleeping. Only parents can understand exactly when it is time to replace the diaper or at least check its condition.

However, it takes some time to notice patterns. There are a few tips to follow in the beginning of your child's life.

Be sure to replace your disposable diaper if it is soiled with feces. Skin contact with waste products leads to a host of negative phenomena that have already been described. The sooner you change the hygiene product, the less risk your baby will feel uncomfortable with stool.
It makes sense to change the diaper in situations where you cannot control its condition for a long time. Whether you are going for a walk or see a doctor, are going somewhere on public transport, or are just going to bed. In this case, you will protect the baby from discomfort due to filling or contamination of the product.
It makes sense to change the diaper after the child wakes up or after a walk. Even if there is no fecal contamination at this time, it is likely that the product has absorbed a lot of urine.

Periodically check the condition of the inner surface of the diaper and baby's skin. If you find even a slight amount of moisture, you should immediately change the product.

Diaper replacement rules and hygiene treatment

Correct diaper change is just as important as timely. The frequency of the change can be determined by special signs, and sometimes mothers even determine this moment intuitively, but with the correct replacement this will not work. It is worth paying attention to several important points that should be taken into account, regardless of the weight and age of the baby.

The changing table should be covered with oilcloth, and a cloth diaper should be placed on top. Lay the child down and unfasten the Velcro. Fix them so that the fasteners do not stick to the baby's skin.
Often the diaper is changed due to the fact that the child pooped. As a rule, the product is only partially stained, so you can partially clean the baby's skin with it. The dry and clean part of the diaper should be passed along the bottom from the abdomen to the back. Pull the product out from under the child, stack and secure with Velcro.

For hygiene procedures, you can take the child to the bathroom and just wash the ass with warm water. It is not necessary to use soap. When washing girls, be sure to move from the perineum to the priest, and not vice versa. You can also bring water to the nursery and wash the baby with damp cotton wool, gauze or a soft cloth. In this case, special sanitary napkins are well suited. There are a few more recommendations worth paying attention to.

If it is found that the diaper is significantly heavier, but the baby's skin is dry and clean, then you just need to replace the product. In this case, there is no need to wash the baby.
If the baby's skin is wet as a result of contact with urine and the inner surface of the diaper itself, then the product is clearly overfilled and can no longer perform its functions. Take it off, fold it and discard it. You don't need to use water to cleanse your baby.

It is important that the skin becomes dry - blot it with the same cotton, gauze or cloth. The ideal option is to use sanitary napkins.

If it is noticed that redness or irritation begins to appear on the baby's skin, then you should start using a special cream or powder under the diaper. Baby creams are designed to protect baby's skin from the negative effects of microbes that cause discomfort during prolonged contact with waste products. The powder is capable of absorbing excess moisture. Often, your baby's skin begins to redden and sag from excess.

Features of replacing girls

When changing a hygienic product, a girl should pay special attention to hygiene. Doctors give such recommendations to young parents as:

wash the genitals and butt of the child only with warm water;
wipe the child from the abdomen to the back, otherwise there is a high risk that bacteria will get on the inside of the labia, which can lead to the development of infectious diseases;
at an early age, try to avoid using soap; if necessary, make sure that the soap composition does not come into contact with the mucous membrane of the genitals;