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9/19/2012

[Huggies] How Often Do You Change A Newborn


It has been 5 years since there has been a newborn in the house and I have forgotten a LOT of things, but one thing I have not forgotten is how often their little bottoms need to be changed during the first few weeks. I have already started collecting my stash of newborn and size 1 Huggies in preparation for the new little guy's arrival.


So just how often do you need to change a newborn? A lot is going to determine on the little one and his feeding schedule, but newborn babies can urinate as often as every 20 minutes and have up to 10 bowel movements a day! Basically you could be looking at a diaper change every couple of hours!

One thing I find important for my sanity and my budget is finding a good routine for diaper changes. I don't want the little guy to develop diaper rash just to save a few pennies, but I also hate when you put on a brand new diaper just to have it dirtied immediately. Mastering this routine takes getting to know your little one.

Babies often have a bowel movement during or after feedings. Once you know what is typical for your baby you can plan the diaper change accordingly. You will know if it is okay to change his diaper before a feeding so he can fall asleep or hold off changing a barely wet diaper until after he is done eating. Since newborns eat about eight to twelve times a day, you could be saving yourself a half dozen double diaper changes.

Another fun fact is that babies, especially little boys, often urinate the second you take their diapers off. This isn't just an early indication of their sense of humor, but has to do with them being exposed to the air. If you use a new diaper to cover them, you often save yourself from being sprayed, but waste a perfectly dry diaper. With my first son I learned to open his diaper, but leave it under him and cover him with a diaper wipe. That protected me and the changing table while saving the diaper for the actual diaper change!

My last personal diaper changing rule involves never waking a sleeping baby. With all of the great products out there to keep your baby protected from wetness, I don't find it necessary to wake them just because the wetness indicator has changed colors. I do always make sure they start their sleep in a dry diaper and, especially at night, I make sure to apply another layer of wetness protection like a diaper rash cream, baby powder, or, when they are older, a diaper created for overnight protection. That way both the little guy and my few hours of precious sleep are protected.

Do you have any tricks and tips to making diaper changes less messy? I would love to hear them!

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3 comments:

Omgirl said...

Kinda along the same lines as using a wipe to cover his wee-wee in case he makes a wee-wee, my worst pet peeve is when you take off a baby's dirty diaper, having already wiped their bum (supposedly), only to discover that some was up their back and it's now on their shirt, meaning you have to change their WHOLE outfit. And it's probably on the changing table cover as well, meaning you have to remove that--all while keeping the baby from getting more poop on the changing table! So My trick is to keep a stash of old rags, stained burp cloths, or ratty hand towels in the changing table baskets, and if the baby has a dirty diaper, as soon as I open it and pull it out from under them, I pull their bum way up and put the rag under them. That way if there's going to be a poop surprise around back, it's going to end up on the rag and not their clothes or their changing table cover. A rag is much easier to throw in the wash than the whole changing cover or a whole outfit (especially several times a day!) Good luck!!!

Anonymous said...

Very informative and helpful for mother of newborn. Thanks for writing it.

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