In our previous blog post (here), we spoke about infant digestion problems and constipation. Hopefully, you followed our advice and found relief! There are many ways that the food your child eats can affect their bowels. Feeding your infant healthy organic formula from brands like Hipp, Holle, and Kabrita can help ease digestion, reduce acid reflux, and help your infant sleep better at night.

Of course, poorly formulated infant formula can lead to gastric distress, constipation, diarrhea, and other infant feeding problems. At the end of the day, no matter what you feed your child it will end up coming out of the other end, and you need to be properly prepared. There is nothing worse than dealing with a diaper blowout after a bath or having to hose down your car seat due to an improperly placed diaper.

Proper Diapering Advice From The Experts

One of the most commonly performed tasks parents perform for infants is changing their diaper. Babies, especially newborns can go through as many as 10-20 diapers in a day! Many first time parents dread changing diapers because frankly, it’s a stinky job, but someone’s got to do it. Most hospitals offer new parenting classes for first-time parents and veterans alike where they will teach you how to feed, hold, and even change your newborn. Practicing with doctors and nurses around can seem quite simple, especially when you are practicing on a doll.  However, oftentimes when you get home everything you learned, seems to fly out of the window! Here are a few pointers from Mommy Formula on how you can make the best of your diaper changing experience.

Step One: Get Everything You Need

The first thing you want to do is be prepared for diaper changes. Nothing could be worse than preparing to change your little one, only to find out that the wipes are in the next room! You don’t want to leave them unattended so get everything you need within arm’s reach. Of course, your list of supplies will look something like this: diapers, wipes, changing pad, ointment or powered (if you choose to use them), and sometimes even a change of clothes or undershirt if your little one suffered a leak. If you are on the road make sure to carry a portable changing pad in your diaper bag. They can fold down small enough to fit right next to your baby formula backups.

Step Two: Getting Your Baby Ready

Many first time parents have a place where the baby will be changed on a regular basis. This can be a changing table in a baby room or a changing pad placed on top of the bed. Make sure to never leave your little one unattended either on the bed or on a changing table. Babies can be quite unpredictable and roll over without warning. It is important to prevent accidents by always keep a hand on your little one while they are getting a diaper change. Gently lay your baby down on the table, and make sure to strap them in for safety. Unstrap the old diaper to prepare for changing. A trick for little boys when unfastening the diaper, leave it on them until you have the new diaper ready to go as sometimes cold air can cause them to let go unexpectedly. Make sure to have your wipes in your hand or to the side of your little one.

Step Three: Hold On

Once you have opened the old diaper grab the baby gently by the ankles, lift them up slightly as you wipe. For little girls, it is important to remember wipe from front to back so as not to create an infection. If you have a bowel movement to clean in the diaper, use the old diaper to wipe away some of it so you can cut down on the number of wipes you use. Once the baby’s bottom is clean you can remove the old diaper and move it to the side. There are a lot of different wipes on the market, for newborns and infants it is always best to choose an unscented wipe. For parents who prefer organic products, you can find organic baby wipes in many of the same places you buy organic European baby formula and eco-friendly diapers.

Step Four: All Cleaned Up

Take the new diaper and place it under the baby and then fasten the closures. Skip on the baby powder, it doesn’t actually keep bottoms dry and the fine powder is bad for your infant's lungs. Be sure not to pull sides too tight or baby will be uncomfortable, it is also equally as important to fasten the diaper securely so that you don’t end up with a leak later on. If you’re changing a newborn diaper and the umbilical cord has not yet fallen off, fold down the front of the diaper enough for the cord to hang out. There are some specialty diapers for newborns that feature a cutout specifically for the umbilical cord, or you can simply roll down the top around the belly button.

Step Five: Clean Workspace

After you have put your baby’s clothes on, close the old diaper and place it in the trash. Use hand sanitizer to clean your hands quickly. If you’ve had a messy diaper change you can use a wipe to clean the table or changing pad. It is very important that while cleaning your hands or the space that you do not leave your baby alone. Put the child in the swing, or give them to someone else while you finish up the dirty work. You can also use sanitizing wipes such as Lysol wipes to disinfect the changing area for your next usage.

Final Thoughts From Mommy Formula

Last but not least remember to enjoy it. It may be easier said than done, but even the mishaps of changing a diaper can be recorded as a memory. As long as you remember to not leave your child unattended and place them in a secure place to change their diaper you will do just fine. Just like most things, it gets better with practice.