Hey there!  You are listening to The Mighty Mommy with some Quick and Dirty Tips for Practical Parenting. Today’s topic:  Dirty Diapers. 

I have changed a great many diapers throughout my life.  I started babysitting fairly early on, so I’ve seen it all! There’s nothing quite like changing the first diaper of your own newborn child though. Maybe I’m crazy but, it was actually fun and exciting for me.  The thrill of the change, however was short-lived. 

I’d like to share with you some quick and dirty tips to help make the diaper changing process, if not more enjoyable, at least less dirty and more quick!

The first tip I’d like to share with you is to use the right diaper for your child!  Saving money is important, but more so is the comfort and cleanliness of your child.  You may need to try a few different brands before you hit the jackpot but, you can definitely find value in diapers if you shop around. Start with small packs of diapers until you know that a specific brand is going to work for you, then buy in bulk to save money. Here are some things you’ll want to look for in a diaper: It should fit your baby snug around both the waist and around the legs to prevent leakage, but not be so tight that it leaves marks on the skin and the materials should not rub or irritate the baby’s skin. If your child has sensitive skin, you’ll probably want to look for a brand free of plastic linings and perfumes. I like to avoid the really perfumed brands of diapers but, you’ll want to choose what is most pleasant for you and your baby, of course.

We are all aware that we should wash our hands thoroughly after changing a diaper but, keep in mind that you might want to wash up beforehand too. You should try to keep your hands clean anytime you’ll be handling a baby, especially a newborn. One recommendation would be to keep an antibacterial gel near the changing area. Just give your hands a quick cleaning before the change. Always remember to wipe baby from front to back and of course, wash-up when you are done!

Now, lets talk about newborns. Newborn poop is called meconium and it's more like tar than actual poop. It's black and sticky and hard to remove. After each diaper change, just slather some petroleum jelly right on baby’s bottom. This keeps baby’s tushy nice and clean from meconium. See, the next time baby poops, the poop will slide right off! 

The next tip is what I call the diaper shield. Whether you have a girl or a boy, they will pee while their diaper is being changed. Oftentimes, this pee will land on you. Now, I have both a girl and a boy and I use the diaper shield. This means I place a new, clean diaper under the baby in ready position to be fastened onto the baby. Then as I am removing the soiled or wet diaper, I use the new clean diaper as a shield to protect me and my surroundings from possible new soil and or wetness. The faster the old diaper comes off and the new one goes on the better. You will gain experience over time and this process will get easier. Babies get better too and will eventually stop peeing during the short period between diapers. 

If your baby has diarrhea, you are in for a challenge. Keeping it in the diaper is a difficult task. No matter what diaper you’re using or how good the brand is, for the most part, you will just need to keep an eye on your baby to try and get the changes done immediately.  The longer you wait, the more of a mess you're gonna be facing.  You can double wrap by using two diapers, one over the other and sometimes this will help alleviate leakage.  Make sure you have receiving blankets or some type of protection for your changing area. Receiving blankets are good if you have them in large quantities because as they get soiled you can just toss them in the wash. 

If baby’s bottom is irritated, try rinsing it off with a slightly warm spray of water from the sink or shower instead of using baby wipes which can actually irritate their little tushies even further. Always have a good supply of a diaper ointment like Desitin on hand as it will work wonders and makes baby feel better every time! If your baby doesn’t like to have the ointment applied to their skin, or fusses when you put it on, try putting some right onto the diaper in a strategic location so it will connect with the irritated area once you close the diaper. 

Last but not least, never leave your baby unattended on a changing table or any elevated surface where you are changing them, even if you are using the safety straps. Keep them safe and secure and let them know that their diaper changes are normal. Never tell a baby they are stinky or yucky. Having a negative attitude toward diaper changing can actually cause a baby to feel shame about their bodies and can hinder potty training, and I’m sure you like all parents, want your child potty trained as soon as possible!

Thank you for listening, and good luck with those diapers!

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This is your friend, the Mighty Mommy wishing you happy and fun parenting!

Music – “Golly Gee” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons "Attribution 2.0" http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/