Changing a baby’s diaper is never a fun part of being a mom or babysitter, but it’s necessary because it helps keep your baby healthy and happy. Just because changing a baby’s diaper is a necessary part of caring for a baby doesn’t mean that everybody automatically knows how to do it.
Babys don’t come with instruction manuals, which is why we’ve put together this simple handy guide on changing a baby’s diaper. If you’ve never changed a diaper before or if your diaper’s changing skills could use a little bit of practice, here’s a step-by-step guide to changing a baby’s diaper’s the easy way.
6 Easy Steps To Changing A Baby’s Diaper
1. Gather Your Supplies
If you’ve decided that your baby needs a change of diaper, collect the supplies you’re going to need and position them within easy reach before you start. Some of the things you’re going to want on-hand include;
- A clean diaper (see best baby diapers in the market)
- Baby wipes,
- Antiseptic cream (e.g Sudocrem)
- A change of clothes.
Recommended: Cuddling Your Baby: Top 7 Health Benefits You Should Know
Place all nearby. As soon as your child is on a changing table, you’re not going to be able to leave him/her to grab anything you forgot about.
2. Place Baby on a Safe Surface
You should always change your child’s diaper on a soft, clean surface. A changing table (or anything like that), a bed or couch, or even a floor (with a towel or a waterproof pad underneath) works best. Remember to keep one hand on the baby while changing a baby’s diaper. Even if your little one hasn’t begun to roll over, they might still fall if left unattended.
3. Open the Diaper and Clean Baby
After placing your child on a safe surface, open the diaper and assess the situation. If the diaper is just wet, fold it under the baby’s bottom so that the clean, outer side of the diaper meets the skin. Then, use a clean cloth to wipe the little one thoroughly.
Recommended: 9 Proven Steps To Successfully Settle Conflicts Among Siblings
If your baby’s diaper is a messy one, use the diaper to extract as much of the mess as possible from the bottom of your baby. Fold the diaper under your child as mentioned above and continue to wipe it clean with as many wipes as you need to do the job. Make sure to wash it out in all the creases.
When the bottom of your child is clean, remove the soiled diaper and put a clean diaper underneath. If you use disposable diapers, the tabs will go to the bottom and wrap to the end.
4. Dress Baby
When you have successfully changed your baby’s diaper, patch it and check the sheets and/or linens to see if they need to be changed also. If so, remove any soiled artefacts and replace them with clean ones.
Recommended: Pregnancy And Addiction: Facts, Symptoms, Treatment
5. Diaper Disposal
Wrap the dirty diaper into a ball using the tabs to fasten it. While you’re at home, put the dirty diaper in your diaper mulch or garbage. If you’re out, put the diaper in a plastic bag for disposal when you come back home. If you do dispose of a poopy diaper in public, please be respectful of others and put the diaper in a plastic bag before disposing of it in the trash.
6. Wash Your Hands
Much like you wash your hands after using the toilet, after changing a baby’s diaper, you must wash your hands thoroughly. If water and soap are not available where you are, use a hand sanitizer instead. It’s a smart idea to have a hand sanitizer in your baby’s diaper bag on just those occasions.
Recommended: Giving Fresh Fruit Juice To Babies: Is it Healthy?
Conclusion
Babies don’t come with an integrated parenting guide, and not every new parent instinctively knows how to change a baby’s diaper. However, if you adhere to the steps above, in no time will you be an expert in changing diapers.