So if you are one of those guys who said, “no way am I gonna change diapers!” Think again. There is no way out of this stinky situation. So best thing to do is gather your courage, learn as much as you can and practice. Trust me, it’s going to get messy, but after doing it a few times it will get easier. So read on, because I’m going to give you some tips and advice on how to change your baby’s diaper.
I remember when my son was born and we were about to leave the hospital. I quickly panicked and told the nurse, “I have no idea how to change a diaper!” She smirked, as I’m pretty sure many dads get that panic, and she showed me her technique.
By the way, there are plenty of techniques on how to change babies diapers. You will eventually do what you feel more comfortable with. For example, my wife changes our son’s diaper a little differently than I do. She’s more expert than I am, so the below steps are for dad’s like me, who need extra help!
BABY CHANGING STATION OPTIONS
Baby changing stations are must! They come in handy when you start to panic while changing the dirty diaper. Having everything close by is very convenient and can make the process of changing a diaper an easy thing to do.
I remember before our baby was born, we were not going to get one. We thought we would save money and space by just changing our baby on the floor. If you are thinking about doing this… DON’T. I am so glad we decided on getting a changing table.
Think about it, you are going to be changing your baby several times a day. Imagine doing it on the floor. Your back will break! It will get very uncomfortable very quick.
Changing Tables with Drawers and Organizers
There is nothing more convenient than having one place to organize your baby’s clothes, diapers, and wipes.
Each drawer can hold something different. Keeping your baby’s room organized is a good idea and can help prevent accidents. You don’t want to be tripping all over the place. The drawers are even great places to keep your baby’s socks and bibs. You can even organize your baby’s drawers where they have outfits and diapers ready to go so all you have to do is grab them and go!
Below is what these dedicated changing tables look like. If you have very little space, then this is a great option:
Changing Table Dresser
This combination can be used and will free up more space in your baby’s room. This is what I have. These two-in-ones also can save you money, and this is the reason I bought this. This option will be great for storing your baby’s clothes so that they are in reach. In fact, you can store a lot of things. We fill it up with socks, extra diapers, wipes and a lot more.
Babies are learning how to move and eat, so they will get messy. So these dressers are great because you can change your baby’s clothes without walking away. You can even store baby toys in the dresser to help keep your baby occupied while changing a diaper.
The top of the dresser can be the base of the changing table.You can purchases a changing pad to lay your baby on and many even come with straps so your baby cannot roll off. The under part will be the area where your baby’s clothes will be held.
I ended buying a regular dresser from Ikea in white. It was pretty cheap and has worked incredibly well. Best thing to do is just go to Ikea and look around for something similar. Here is the one I bought, it’s called the Malm and has 6 drawers:
CONTOURED CHANGING PAD
So if you do get some kind of dresser drawer, you will be need a changing pad. These are awesome. A contoured changing pad is a great way to keep your baby secure when changing their diapers. There are some that are four sided and some with only two big sides. A four sided contour changing pad would have four high curved sides and most come with a safety belt that keeps you baby safely secures.
There are other contoured mats that have the two longest sides high to keep the baby from rolling in either direction. Although you want to always keep a hand on your baby at all times. This mat is very useful and provides extra security for the baby while he or she is on the changing table because of the safety belt.
The mats can be wiped for an easy clean. There are even mats that you can buy cool mat covers for.
Here’s the one I have:
DIAPER GENIE, LIFE SAVER AND SMELL SAVER
You will need a place to get rid of the dirty diapers. There are things specifically made for this such as the Diaper Genie. Now, you can also get a simple trash can. A small trash can is cheap too. Make sure it has a foot pedal for easy access to it, plus you never want to take your hands off a baby on a changing table.
However, I still recommend 100% getting a Diaper Genie. It has a foot pedal that opens up the top and traps a lot of the smell. When your baby is a newborn, this won’t be that big of a deal, but you just wait until your baby starts eating solids and their poops start to look and smell like real human poops!
The diaper genie will help, but it won’t trap in the smell 100%. There are some other hacks to help for this that I’ll write in a later post.
Baby Diaper Brands
There are many available brands of diapers to choose from. A couple of the top name brands are Huggies, Pampers, and cloth diapers. Pampers offers many different fits such as swaddlers, baby dry, little movers, pull ups, and sensitive skin diapers.
Huggies, which is made by Kimberly Clark, competes with Pampers. Depending on the person you ask, you will get different opinions about them. Some say Huggies is a better fit for newborns and as they get older Pampers fits better. It is all about opinion and what fits best for your baby.
Personally, I bought the Costco brand diapers. They are cheap and great. However, for overnight, I use Huggies overnight. The overnight diapers will let your baby sleep longer and may by a good idea to look into.
Newborn Baby Diapers are Different
Like stated earlier, new born diapers are different depending on the baby, the fit and brand. With Huggies, there are little snugglers, snug and dry, preemies, and pure and natural diapers. For babies that have sensitive skin the natural dry diapers might be the best selection.
Keeping the baby’s butt dry is always the best way to care for them. With that, there is the option of snug and dry diapers. These hold moisture better and are more snug so they do not rub your newborn. Huggies only provides sizes up to size 6. Also, pull ups to age seven. Huggies are more artificial and are fastened with sticky strips.
Pampers are more soft than Huggies and have a more fabric feel to them. They are fastened with strips that are similar to Velcro.
So, now to the good stuff…
How to Change a Diaper
STEP 1: Gather all the babies things needed for the change such as wipes, a new diaper, and powder. Also, sanitize your hands before changing your baby.
STEP 2: Place your baby on the changing table and mat. You can buckle the baby for extra security.
STEP 3: Place the new diaper UNDER your baby with the existing diaper. So this where my wife and I do it differently. In the video below, you will see what I mean. But I prefer to put the clean diaper under my baby so it’s ready to go. My wife doesn’t. She has some kind of ninja skill in order to do this.
STEP 4: Remove the old diaper. If you have a boy, get ready to protect yourself in case he pees. This has happened to me several times! Once you have determined there is no pee attack coming, then clean the baby with the wipes. Use the powder and diaper rash cream if needed.
STEP 5: Place the new diaper on the baby and make sure it is tightened, but not too tight.
STEP 6: While keeping a hand on the baby wrap the dirty diaper up and then throw it in the trashcan.
STEP 7: Wipe your babies hand and face to clean them up. Redress them and give your baby a high five!
And that’s it. Below is a video that shows you also how to do it.
FINAL TIPS
It is even a good idea to have a mobile or something that will distract the baby while he or she is getting changed. Babies like to wiggle so it can make changing a diaper, even for a pro, difficult. If they have something to focus their attention on they may not wiggle as much. Having music can also distract your baby to keep them calm. Of course it is important to have your wipes and diapers readily available. There are little holders that you can even attach to your changing table to keep them in arms reach.
