How to use diapers and how often to change a baby?

When a small child comes home, diaper change it becomes - apart from feeding - the most common activity performed with it. For new parents, changing a toddler can be quite stressful at first. It is then important not only to choose the right diapers, but also how to use them, especially the frequency of changing them. From this how often we change diapers, because not only the comfort but also the health of the baby depends.

A lot of questions from parents are about changing a newborn's diaper - how often should it be done in the first weeks and when to change an older baby? Want to know if it's better to change your diaper before or after feeding? Or maybe you are wondering how to wash reusable diapers? Thanks to many years of experience in giving opinions on diapers and other hygiene products for children, we suggest how to use them in order to properly care for the health and comfort of the baby.

Learn the basic rules:

• Choose the size of the diaper according to the weight (or actually weight) of the child,
• Change the diaper no more than every 3 hours,
• Protect the skin against irritation,
• If the diapers cause an allergic reaction in the baby - try different ones.

Why is frequent scrolling important?

The younger the child is, the more sensitive and delicate his skin is, which makes it prone to irritation. This is especially true of infants in the early stages of development. Irritating to their skin can even be ammonia contained in urine, especially if the contact with the wet contents of the diaper, in conditions of limited air access, will last longer.

Regardless of whether we use diapers disposable or reusable, the frequency of changing depends primarily on the toddler's age, although it is also influenced by the type of food and the feeding mode.

Changing a newborn's diaper - how often?

The youngest children take care of themselves very often. Newborns need to change their nappies at least every hour, and babies weighing up to 6 kg, Coming in newborn and mini sizes - at least every 3 hours. If your baby wakes up frequently to feed, let's check if he does not need to be changed - every time he finishes eating. During the period when the baby is fed only with milk, it may pee even every several minutes, because the liquid food causes the urine to be very diluted.

When breastfeeding, especially in the beginning, skin irritation can also be caused by the baby's stool. On the other hand, a baby fed at night will defecate its physiological needs more often, which also requires more frequent changing.

Changing your baby frequently will help prevent skin irritation, nappy rash, allergic reactions or cystitis.

Changing the diaper: before or after feeding?

Babies usually do not settle down by sleep, but as soon as they wake up, but the youngest babies who are breastfed may have a bowel movement even after each feed. Therefore, if a newborn or younger infant wakes up frequently to breastfeed, It's best to change the nappy soon after eating, but not immediately after a meal. It is worth waiting some time after the end of feeding and changing your baby very carefully, without putting pressure on the tummy, so as not to risk returning the food. Regardless of the fixed changing times, a newborn's and infant's diaper change is necessary whenever we notice that the nappy is already full. The shortest answer to the question of how often to change diapers might actually be: immediately after each pile, and as soon as possible after getting wet.

Diaper change day and night

The frequency of daytime and nighttime baby diaper changes vary for several reasons. The first one is night feeding of infants, which causes them to meet their physiological needs more often, and thus - to change them more often. In the case of breastfeeding, it is very important to regularly check the cleanliness of the diaper, as it may contain stools that irritate the baby's skin, even in each diaper at first.

When a child grows up and does not need to change as often as at the beginning, we often face a dilemma: whether to change his nappy at night to wake him up, or to let him sleep. It is worth observing the habits of the toddler and reacting on a regular basis. If a dirty diaper in the morning is the rule, don't let your baby sleep all night in it - it is unsanitary and can cause skin burns, often leading to various types of fungal and bacterial infections. It is worth remembering that moisture and high temperature are ideal conditions for the development of microorganisms that cause them.

How to use disposable diapers?

The choice of disposable diapers on the market is huge, and their producers are constantly striving to improve their dryness and absorbency. Rather, one should not be influenced by the assurances that any diaper will provide the baby with comfort for up to 12 hours. Remember that although modern disposable diapers effectively separate the wet surface from the baby's skin, due to the heat and high humidity, they are also a very favorable environment for the development of pathogenic microorganisms.

Reusable diapers - how to use?

Over time, the child becomes more and more aware of his needs, talks about them, and also tries to take off the diaper on his own. Then it is worth replacing disposable diapers with, if it has not happened before reusable diapers, which can be easily removed before using the potty and pulled up when needed. Learning to use the potty requires not only patience on your part, but also the correct approach to the subject. If the baby is not stressed by this activity, then with time it will become less and less diaper, until eventually it will no longer need it at all.

How to wash reusable diapers?

Reusable diapers are becoming more and more popular, not only for ecological reasons, but also because in addition to traditional nappies, we have more modern, convenient solutions at our disposal. It is worth knowing how to use them to maintain hygiene and at the same time extend the life of such a product. So how do you wash reusable diapers? Here are the top tips:

• Washing reusable nappies before the first use prepares them for further use. If they are made of synthetic fabrics, such as microfiber or PUL, a single wash is enough. Diapers made of natural fabrics, such as linen or cotton, should be washed several timesbecause only then will they gain adequate absorbency.
• We wash diapers and inserts after each use - with the exception of swaddling nappieswhich, provided they are not wet or dirty, can be used several times, replacing only the cartridge.
• After removing the diaper, flick the dirt off the toilet it is worth washing the stains straight away with soap or with a stain remover for baby textiles. Put the dirty nappies in a closed container to wash them at the end of the day - longer storage will cause bacteria to multiply in them.
• We do not have to soak reusable diapers or inserts, if whereas we want to wash them together with the clothes, first we should start the rinsing programto remove any debris and urine.
• We choose at least 20 minutes washing cycle at 40-60 degrees Celsiusdepending on the raw materials from which the diapers are made. Higher temperature is not recommended for PUL diapers (with polyurethane laminate), besides, it causes faster wear of cuffs and elastics. Only cotton tetras can be washed even at 95 degrees Celsius.
• We are using detergents for washing baby and children's textiles, paying attention to the age marking (for washing diapers and baby clothes, use detergents marked "from the first day of life").
• By washing nappies and refills, we do not use bleach, softeners or fabric softeners fabrics.
• It is not recommended to dry diapers or inserts at very high temperatures. They dry best in the sun or on a dryer (without a heater) - hang them so as not to stretch the rubber bands. If we have a tumble dryer, it can be successfully used for drying reusable nappies if we set a lower speed. Drying directly on the radiator should be avoided with PUL diapers.

Care at changing the diaper 

After each baby diaper change exactly wash and then dry the baby's bottom by gently applying a cotton towel to its skin. Before you put your baby's diaper back on, however, it is extremely important carefully protecting his skin with a highly moisturizing preparation. Thanks to this, his pupa will be properly moisturized all the time. If you see redness, it's best to use a zinc oxide cream to help soothe it and minimize the risk of it happening in the future.

Make sure that two fingers can easily be inserted between the diaper and the baby's body when fastening it. If so, you can be sure it has been inserted correctly.

When is the end with a diaper change?

The first years of a child's life are the stage of continuous learning, during which he gets to know the surrounding world and himself. Changing diapers is needed until our child learns to use the potty. Usually, this skill is mastered in the second year of life, although each toddler develops at a different pace and it is impossible to clearly define the moment when he will be ready for it. However, as the child grows, the strength of his bladder changes and the skin becomes less prone to chafing. This is a good time to introduce cleanliness training, which will help him learn to deal with his physiological needs on his own. This process can be started when the toddler is about 24 months old, avoiding forcing, so as not to alienate him.