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Simple steps to cleaning and diapering your
newborn gently and safely.
While nothing could be
more relaxing and endearing
than cuddling
and cooing with your
new baby, there are certain tasks that
bring fear into the hearts of new parents.
Both diapering and bathing are
among them. "Being a first-time parent,
you are afraid you might injure or harm
your baby due to your lack of experience.
We have all walked in your shoes,
and our children have all survived,
despite us," says Ari Brown, M.D., coauthor
of Baby 411: Clear Answers &
Smart Advice for Your Baby's First Year
(Windsor Peak Press, 2004) and a pediatrician
in private practice in Austin,
Texas. Relax. With a bit of education
and forethought, both bathing and diapering
will be easy and fun bonding
times with your baby.
Diapering 101
The rule of thumb is to change a baby's
diaper every few hours, or when it's
wet. So that's about eight diapers or
more a day, 56 a week... you get the picture. By the time your baby is a week
old, you'll be a pro. Here's how to start:
Be organized. Have everything - a
diaper, wipes or washcloths, warm
water, ointment, and a change of
clothes - within reach. "Hypoallergenic,
fragrance-free wipes are
extremely gentle and okay for newborns,"
says Anthony J. Mancini, M.D.,
associate professor of pediatric dermatology,
Northwestern University Feinberg
School of Medicine, Chicago.
"But if your baby is prone to recurrent
diaper rash, then water and a gentle
cloth are better."
Hold on. Place the baby on the changing
table or the floor, put your hand on
her firmly, and don't let go until you're
done. Talk to her in a calming voice.
Out with the old. Lift the baby's legs,
take away the soiled diaper, and wipe
front to back if she has had a bowel
movement. "There is no need to wipe
after a urine-only diaper," says Mancini.
(It's a good idea to keep a boy's penis
covered with a washcloth as you
remove the diaper and put on a fresh
one.) Slide in a new diaper. Watch out
for the umbilical cord - either use a
newborn diaper with a cut-out notch
for the cord area, or fold the diaper
down - until the cord falls off at about
two to four weeks.
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Umbilical Cord and Circumcision Care