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Baby lying on its back whilst mother changes it nappy.
newborns

how often should i change my baby’s nappy? a nappy faq for newborns

1 minutes 51 seconds

23/10/2019

There’s certainly a ‘knack’ to nappy changing and it doesn’t always come instantly. Figuring out the logistics of how to keep a baby still, clean them AND get a fresh nappy on is hard enough (here’s 8 nappy-changing tips to help on that front). But when to do all this can be a bit of a minefield too.

When should you change your baby’s nappy?

‘The first time I changed my baby’s nappy was when a midwife reminded me, quite a few hours after he’d been born,’ says Luisa, mum to Luca, 4. ‘I was mortified because it hadn’t even occurred to me to change him - I was just lying there staring at him! But he was all fine and from then on it was in my head to do it regularly.’

There are so many things to keep on top of when you have new baby, and nappy changing is just one of them. It’s important to do this regularly though, as the NHS advise that if babies sit in nappies too long, they can develop nappy rash. While you're here why not check out our nappy rash tips?

These times are generally when you should consider changing your baby's nappy:

  • After every feed

  • As soon as possible after they’ve done a poop

You’ll know your baby best but as a guide, changing them after every feed, and as soon as possible after they’ve done a poo is best. Once your little one can sleep through the night, well-padded nappies should last 12 hours.

Dealing with sensitive bottoms

‘I was surprised by how much I hated changing nappies,’ says James, dad to one-year-old Bella. ‘But their little bums are so soft and sensitive, so wiping them all the time then wrapping them up again in these plasticky pants always felt a bit wrong. I think that’s one reason I was keen to potty-train so quickly!’

Babies really do poo frequently, plus there’s a lot of cleaning up involved, so it’s not unusual for their skin to occasionally get irritated. WaterWipes biodegradable, vegan, cruelty-free baby wipes for sensitive skin can help on this front – the world’s purest baby wipes, they contain 99.9% water and a drop of grapefruit seed extract, making them the only choice for newborn skin.

And finally, just remember – practice makes perfect and before long, you’ll be changing nappies in your sleep! (No, really… yawn).

The reality of nappy changing is very different to the sanitised version normally shown in adverts or on TV, click here to see our Nappy Changing #Thisisparenthood film.

If you now feel more confident about when and how often to change your baby's nappy, then why not check out our other articles for your newborn on our Parenting Community:

References

  1. https://www.nhs.uk

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