Being a parent is a wonderful experience, everyone says that. You learn who you are, and you learn what love is.
But sometimes it can be challenging.
In other words, it doesn’t come with a guide of instructions, especially if you are a parent for the first time in your life. You have to follow your instinct and ask for advice from people you really trust.
Becoming a parent brings a completely new kind of experience in your life, that makes you do everything it takes to raise your children. Trying to protect them from any challenge, working hard to give them everything they need and, yes, changing their diapers several times a day.
And if you have never diapered a baby, and this is your first time, you might be a bit scared or worried. But, here you will find all the steps to easily diaper your baby, so you have no need to panic. As Melissa Etheridge once said, “I don’t think anyone masters parenthood.”
Image: Jamie Solorio
1. Prepare
Before you start make sure you have all the following items:
– Patience
– Ability to hold your breath (just kidding!)
– A clean diaper
– Sanitizer
– Wet wipes and cloths
– Towels
– Petroleum Jelly or diaper ointment (to prevent rashes)
– A garbage can where you will throw away the dirty diaper and wipes in a plastic bag.
Image: Diapering
2. Think that diapering is easy
Yes, think it. If you start with a positive attitude, by knowing that you can do it as every parent does, you will be able to do it with almost no effort.
3. Sanitize everything
Sanitize and wash your hands, and the surface where you will put your baby.
Image: Diapering
4. Diaper your baby
a. Open the new diaper and place the back side under the baby.
The top of the back side should touch your baby’s waist.
b. Put a clean cloth between the new diaper and the baby.
This is to prevent the clean diaper from getting dirty.
Image: Daddy Diaper
c. Open the dirty diaper.
Gently remove it and, using wet cotton balls or baby wipes, wipe your baby clean from the front to the back (never wipe from back to front, in order to avoid urinary tract infections).
Image: Diapering
d. If you find poop in the diaper, use another wipe and clean well the baby’s bottom.
You can either lift the legs or turn the baby gently to one side and then to the other. After cleaning the baby, you can remove the dirty diaper and throw it away.
Image: Diaper Change
e. Let your baby’s skin air dry for two or three minutes.
After doing this, you can gently apply diaper ointment or petroleum jelly on the skin, to avoid and prevent rashes.
f. Remove the clean cloth between your baby and the clean diaper.
Image: Diapering
g. Fold the new diaper and close it.
Pull the front side of the clean diaper up to the baby’s belly button, and close it.
As you can see, it’s not that difficult, and after a few times you will become an expert. Practice will make your diaper changing technique perfect.
h. Wash your hands again.
Image: Diapering
i. Sanitize
Remember to clean and sanitize the surface where you diapered your baby.
Image: Diapering
Eric Church said, “Life doesn’t get more real than having a newborn at home.” While that is true, remember to have fun with it. This video shows a mom changing a diaper in under a minute. (Note that this video is just a joke, so always remember to wipe and clean your baby!)
Featured photo credit: Baby Boy Smiling via pixabay.com
