Diapers are one of the main attributes of a newborn baby. They help the baby to take a comfortable position, give a feeling of calmness, facilitating the process of adaptation to the world around him. However, in recent years, many have given up using these convenient accessories.
Why are you needed
In the days of our mothers, when there were no diapers and waterproof sheets, each young mother had at least two dozen diapers. In previous years, after each baby's peep, the diaper had to be changed; now this is no longer so relevant, because, in most cases, babies are wearing waterproof panties that protect the material from the unpleasant feeling of dampness
Nowadays, more and more young mothers are talking about the dangers of swaddling. There are theories that it does not allow the baby to develop harmoniously, inhibits the development of tactile functions, limits the perception of the surrounding world and does not allow individuality to form. That is why many fundamentally refuse to buy diapers, however, as practice shows, after a short time they come to him, being exhausted by long nights without sleep.
Swaddling has its roots in ancient times. Even in Ancient Russia, newborns were wrapped using diapers and a special midwife - a strip of homespun material decorated with crosses about 20 cm wide; such items were passed from mother to daughter and were considered the baby's amulet. The crumb was wrapped in a diaper and wrapped on top with a wrap from the neck towards the legs. During the first 10-15 days of the child's life, tight swaddling was used, it was believed that in this way it was possible to slightly alleviate the stress that the baby experiences during childbirth.
Many representatives of "progressive" theories nowadays claim that swaddling is an archaic relic of the past, a real mockery of a newborn, who is not given freedom of movement from the very first hours of life. We will not go into this aspect, but try to understand the pros and cons of swaddling from a physiological perspective.
In the old days, babies were wrapped in a diaper in such a way that the baby's legs were straightened and pressed as tightly as possible to each other, while his arms were tied to the body. This method is called tight swaddling, and it certainly does not bring any benefit to the baby. It has been proven that such wrapping significantly slows down the normal development of the basic motor characteristics of the child, while infants begin to get used to their own limbs only by 6-7 months, and in addition, such children, up to a year old, can wake themselves up with shudders during a night's sleep.
Tight wrapping often causes dysplasia (that is, dislocation) of the hip joint, as well as disrupts the baby's blood circulation and significantly squeezes the lungs. As a result, the organs do not receive oxygen in the proper volume, which has the most destructive effect on the development of organs and systems of the baby.
Swaddling tightly contributes to overheating, and this, in turn, weakens the immune system. Thus, tight wrapping of the baby violates his physiology, worsens the state of health, sleep and nutrition of the baby. Well, if we talk about psychology, then it is worth listening to the experts who argue that, with such an influence, a submissive personality is formed from a child, ready for complete submission; often such measures lead to the fact that the child grows up passive, inclined to be a victim.
But all this concerns only tight swaddling. Most modern mothers use a free wrap, in which their legs are clasped freely and do not hinder movements, their hands are pressed very little to the body, and, after a couple of weeks, they are completely located above the diaper. Such wrapping creates conditions that resemble prenatal conditions. As you know, before birth, the child is located in the uterus, the walls of which tightly embrace his body, give support to the limbs, such "hugs" become close for the child and any imitation of them contributes to the creation of a feeling of comfort and warmth in the child.
It is no secret that at the moment of birth, the baby feels an acute shock and fright. After a familiar, warm and dark environment, he experiences stress during labor, when moving in the birth canal; discomfort in the lungs from the very first breath. And then he finds himself in a large space filled with light and various unfamiliar noises. Deprived of support, arms and legs begin to move - all this scares the baby. This fear is extremely adversely reflected in the mental characteristics of the child, slowing down the development of the cognitive function.
In this way, free swaddling allows you to limit the space surrounding the baby, provides a fulcrum, creates warmth and allows you to assume a familiar physiological position, in which he can pull his legs to his tummy and suck a little fist - thus the child quickly learns to calm himself down on his own.
In addition, swaddling significantly improves the strength of the baby's sleep, which means that his mom can get enough sleep. It is known that a person's sleep consists of deep and slow phases, while, at the moment of transition from the first to the second, the excitability of the nerve endings changes and the person can shudder. In newborns, the inhibitory mechanisms of the nervous system are absent, therefore, the jerking is quite pronounced, the arms and legs rise high and the child wakes up. As it develops, by about a month, the startle becomes weaker and the fear goes away.
When swaddling, the baby's limbs are kept from throwing up, and he can sleep peacefully.
Thus, there is no doubt that a baby needs diapers during the first month of his life:
- the newborn does not interfere with his arms and legs, cannot be afraid of his own body parts and get scratched in a dream;
- being in a "cocoon", the baby feels as protected as possible and easily adapts to his new living conditions;
- it is noted that immediately after birth, the child sleeps much more calmly if he is swaddled;
- diapers are indicated for some orthopedic pathologies.
That is why you should not doubt the advisability of swaddling - it will bring a lot of benefits to your baby. However, you need to consider a few simple guidelines:
- The optimal time for using the diapers is the first 1.5-2 months of a newborn's life.
- A baby's stay in light diapers should not exceed 6-8 hours a day.
- Tight swaddling is strictly not allowed, as it was popular with our mothers and grandmothers.
Kinds
Diapers can be presented in a wide variety of options.
The most common is a model in the form of a simple cloth made of fabric with serrated edges, but in recent years, more modern Europans - cocoons - have become very popular:
This model was created in the USA many years ago; in Russia, mothers were able to appreciate its convenience only recently. The advantages are obvious - the baby in the cocoon sleeps much better, feels warm and protected; at the same time, the cocoon does not squeeze the baby's legs, but fixes the handles securely. Such diapers are equipped with strong Velcro and zippers, which allow you to swaddle your baby in a matter of minutes and not wake him up.
Cocoons are made of light natural fabrics through which the body breathes. By the way, this model is optimal for women who have given birth to their first child - as a rule, they are not familiar with the correct swaddling technique and the use of the Euro model greatly facilitates the task and saves precious minutes, which are so important for every young mother.
One of the most popular options for a cocoon is a zip-up diaper, which is very easy to swaddle - for this you should put the baby on the back inside the cocoon and carefully fasten the snake. Some models have two zippers on the sides - this is very convenient when you need to quickly and change the diaper.
As a rule, these cocoons come in a set with a hat, they are made of light and soft fabric and provide the most comfortable position for the baby.
Another model of cocoons is made with Velcro. They are sewn from flannel, jersey or fleece. It is very simple to change such a diaper - the baby is laid out on the back, the legs are placed in a special "pocket", after which the left end is taken to the right and fixed with strong Velcro. Even dad can cope with such a task, and all the swaddling will take no more than a minute.
Cocoons are very convenient for mothers, especially when feeding in public places, however, and their cost is high. The price of one product is 500-700 rubles. That is why many mothers purchase 1-2 cocoons for walks, and use simpler options for staying at home.
Waterproof diapers are very popular, which, on the one hand, include threads of cotton cloth, and on the other, a moisture-resistant oilcloth that blocks the access of liquid. These products are not suitable for swaddling, but they are often wrapped in a child when going for a walk with him, or to an appointment with a doctor at a polyclinic.
Diapers can be disposable or reusable.
Disposable ones are very common nowadays, they are indispensable for putting a baby on a changing table or examination table in a clinic, as well as putting it in a knitted fabric when changing a baby. The disposable product can be spread out on the sofa during hygiene procedures or used during medical procedures (massage, electrophoresis, etc.).
A disposable diaper is often used as a liner if the baby is born in late spring or summer - in this case, he can sleep without diapers on hot nights, maintaining dryness and a feeling of comfort. Despite the exceptional practicality of such products, they cannot completely replace cotton. Firstly, it is economically unprofitable, and secondly, they significantly lag behind the calico, as well as knitted, flannel and flannel in terms of hygiene standards.
It is more profitable to use reusable canvases. On the one hand, they have a rather pleasant, soft-touch surface made of special natural fibers, and on the other, a rather thin oilcloth. Such products are very convenient to use on the road and on walks. As a rule, they have anti-allergic and anti-inflammatory impregnation, therefore, they guarantee reliable protection against bacteria and microorganisms.
However, these diapers, as well as disposable ones, are not constantly swaddled with children - these are rather “diapers” products than traditional diapers.
Materials
The diapers that are optimal for the baby's skin include sterile products made of flannel, chintz, satin, 100% cotton jersey, as well as bamboo. Nowadays, the market is overflowing with offers from unscrupulous manufacturers who make products for babies from mixed canvases: they contain artificial synthetics in their composition, which is absolutely unacceptable for inclusion in the wardrobe of children in the first weeks of life. Thin diapers for babies are made only from natural materials that do not cause allergies, and at the same time completely absorb all moisture.
To the greatest extent, these requirements are met by chintz products, which are quite pleasant to the baby's body, and at the same time they are easy to wash, dry well and quickly.
Chintz is completely natural cotton, it is very light and soft, quite pleasant to the touch for both mothers and babies. These products can be used in hot summer, as well as at any other time of the year, if the room where the child is staying is well heated. Chintz diapers are ideal to use. The diapers do not come apart and do not lose their appearance even after repeated washings. Moreover, they can be boiled and boiled in cases where it is required to get rid of pollution and destroy pathogenic microorganisms without the use of chemicals - such a need arises when the baby has a strong allergic reaction to powders.
Chintz is a cheap and affordable material; any mother can afford diapers from such fabric.
Muslin diapers are as comfortable as possible for the baby, they are soft, light and exceptionally airy, however, muslin belongs to the category of elite fabrics, so products made from it have a rather high price - a set of three items costs about 2-2.5 thousand.
For cool weather in autumn, winter and early spring, thicker diapers are made from flannel or a similar material - bikes. These canvases are characterized by particular softness, they absorb water well and, importantly, retain heat well due to the thick pile, even when raw. Such products are widely used not only for swaddling, but also for high-quality wiping of the baby immediately after bathing.
The most popular type of diaper is knitted. Like all other products for babies, they are made from 100% cotton fabric, however, they differ in their ability to stretch, due to which they take a shape that is comfortable for the baby, are more physiological and comfortable, and also allow the baby to move the arms and legs without interference without squeezing the body.
Knitwear is very easy to machine washable and dries quickly, it is very easy to iron. Please note that in recent years, a lot of knitted fabrics with artificial additives have been produced, so when buying, pay special attention to the label indicating the composition of the fabric.
Standard sizes
In the days of our mothers, there was a single standard for diapers for babies, recorded in existing tables, GOSTs and standards. Our manufacturers release these products with parameters suitable for themselves, and therefore many parents are lost, not understanding what the correct diaper size should be.
In fact, the indicators of the length and width of this attribute do not really matter, however, if the canvas is too small, for example, 60x90, then the baby will be able to calmly and easily get out of it, and more voluminous fabrics will not be very convenient for mothers to use ...
Diapers can be triangular or square, while the latter, judging by the reviews of young parents, are much more convenient and profitable than corner ones.
Diapers with parameters 90x120 cm are considered a classic option. In the first 5-7 weeks of a child's life, diapers 80x95 cm will be comfortable for him; after, when the crumbs noticeably grow out of them, you can use them to wipe them off after bathing. For children at 8-12 weeks old, it is better to buy a canvas with parameters 95x100 or 100x100cm - at this moment the babies begin to actively move their arms and legs, so they can get out of small diapers.
The most popular diaper is a 110x110 cm cloth, it is convenient for babies aged 12-16 weeks. By the way, it can be used as a sheet, or a bedding for a stroller or a children's corner.
Products 120x120 cm are considered the largest of all films produced, they are more expensive than others and are intended for children over 4 months old.
How to choose?
When purchasing diapers, first of all, you should pay attention to the composition of the material - only natural cotton materials are allowed.
You should not purchase goods of too bright colors, since any paint is made from chemical components and quite often becomes a dangerous allergen. In addition, bright colors irritate the eyes of the crumbs and harm the unformed organs of vision.
The main criteria for a good diaper are the following:
- The diaper should absorb the liquid as best as possible, but it should not create a "greenhouse effect" when rashes and diaper rash appear on the baby's skin.
- The diaper should be made of delicate fabric so as not to chafe the baby's body.
- The material should maintain its natural body temperature, avoiding excessive hypothermia or overheating.
- The fabric must be very durable and high quality, otherwise it will quickly tear and crumble under the influence of numerous washes.
- The edges of the sheet should be well processed, and the sheet itself should not have any internal seams, ruffles and other decorations - they simply rub the baby's skin and lead to painful sensations.
- The changing cloth should keep the baby's body temperature, without overheating and hypothermia.
- It is best to use cotton or linen diapers, but the use of wool will not benefit the baby - many babies are allergic to this component, which manifests itself in rashes or shortness of breath.
Modern children do not need a large number of diapers, the following number is considered the absolute maximum:
- Knitted - 5 pcs. If you have decided on the advisability of swaddling, then you should dwell on this material, since there is nothing more comfortable than knitwear. However, if you are not planning on changing, then this purchase does not make any sense.
- Flannel - 5 pcs. It will come in handy in the cool season, and it can be additionally used as a bedding for crumbs in case you forgot or did not have time to buy a disposable sheet.
- Calico - 5 pieces. It will come in handy in the summer, you can put it under your head, use it as a blanket, wipe the baby if he burps, etc.
In total, it turns out about 15 pieces, but this is a conditional figure - it largely depends on whether you plan to use diapers and, if so, how often. If long-term wearing is unacceptable for you, then it makes sense to buy a little more diapers; if not, don't overload your closet.
In addition, the need for diapers depends on the season. For example, in summer, products dry out very quickly after washing, so you will not need a large number of diapers, but in winter this process takes much longer - you will need an impressive supply of these products.
Care Tips
In conclusion, we will give some recommendations on the use of diapers.
Before the first use, it must be washed with baby soap or hypoallergenic powder and then rinsed thoroughly.
For babies under 3 months old, the diapers must be ironed after washing, because under the influence of high temperatures, the material acquires special softness, and, in addition, such heat treatment helps to destroy pathogenic bacteria and microorganisms.
Many mothers, after one peep, do not wash the diapers, but simply dry them and reuse them - this is a big mistake, since insufficiently clean products can cause serious irritation of the skin of the crumbs and even severe diaper rash.
If you buy diapers in advance, then you should not look for the smallest size, since babies are born with different heights and weights - first you should buy a couple of medium-sized products for discharge, and buy all the rest after the baby is born.
For information on how to swaddle a newborn correctly, see the next video.
