Did you know that September is Baby Safety Month?
There are so many things we have to think about in our ultimate goal of keeping our babies safe.
One of those things is diapering. Both safely changing our baby’s diaper and selecting the very best diapering products.
Diapering has been a part of my life for the better part of the past 10 years. I have one child in elementary school, one toddler, and we just announced that we are expecting #3 in January!
So I have a little experience in this area and would love to share some of my most successful diapering tips and tricks with you!
It’s funny when we bring our babies home from the hospital they cry a lot, but at least they stay in one place.
But within a few short months, they become these crazy wriggling, tumbling maniacs. And diaper time can feel like a wrestling match!
Not only is this frustrating for both parents and babies, but it can also be unsafe. A wriggly baby can easily fall from a changing table or bed. So too much rolling and twisting can really be unsafe.
We also need to consider what products we use for our babies. As an experienced mom, I have tried all the diapers.
Seriously – all of them. And we’ve come to love Luvs available at Walmart! What’s not to love? You’ve got Ultra Leakguard protection, affordable prices, AND a money back guarantee.
So for this frugal mama, it’s no wonder that Luvs are the official diaper of experienced parents! And you can find some awesome savings right now on Luvs at Walmart.
Watch for the brandSAVER coupon in this week’s Sunday paper (08/26/18) for $2 OFF 2 bags or 1 box of Luvs at Walmart!
PLAN
Timing is everything.
One of the worst times to change a diaper is right before a nap when Baby is overtired + grumpy. While one of the best times to do it is right as they are waking up.
Change your little one’s diaper right as they are waking up in the morning and following every nap to take advantage of their groggy, more compliant state.
I also advise you to avoid interrupting your sweetie pie when they are super engaged in an activity. It’s better to wait until a transition time like finishing a meal or coming home from an outing.
One helpful trick is to give your baby a bottle or sippy cup to distract them during the diaper change.
However, babies need to be changed frequently, so these tips will only get you through about half of your daily diaper changes. What about the rest?
PREPARE
The best thing you can do is to perfect your diapering technique. Practice makes perfect in those first few weeks and months while Baby is still somewhat compliant.
Try diapering with one hand if you can. Once you’ve got the hang of it then it will become second nature to you, like riding a bike. That way you’ll be able to change a diaper at lightning speed, which gets both of you through the ordeal quickly.
Next, you MUST set the stage. Lay out + unfold your new diaper, wipes, and any creams that you need. Have extras close at hand in anticipation of the unexpected.
Make sure that the changing table, bed, or floor are clear of any distractions that may potentially be in reach. And don’t change Baby in a room with tons of distractions like the TV or a family party.
DISTRACT
As with so many things with little ones, distraction and redirection are your best friends. Try some of these techniques to thoroughly distract your wiggle worm:
- Sing One of the things that worked well for us in the earlier days was to sing. Of course, you can sing any nursery rhyme or 80’s pop hit that you know. But it’s even more fun to make up a special song that is unique to your child. I won’t sing for you, I promise. But this worked REALLY well for us!
- Mobile Another great option for younger babies is a mobile. If you use a changing table, then adding a mobile can provide plenty of distraction to get you through each diaper change. It’s even better if you can change out and alternate parts of the mobile for a change of scenery.
- Book Little kids just love picture books. Have a special stash of books that you let your child look at only during diaper changes. The best options for this are the little cloth books or those indestructible baby books because you can easily toss them in the washing machine if needed. And board books are another fine option as they can be wiped down quickly as well.
- Pants This is super quick, easy, and absolutely perfect for changes on the go. When you take off their pants to change their diaper, just plop those pants gently onto their face. You’ll be surprised how long they can entertain themselves by just playing with their pants!
- Stickers This one has pros and cons. It’s a lot of fun to put a sticker or two on your little one’s hands or arms and allow them to unstick & restick them all over their arms and face. But then you do end up with stickers everywhere – sometimes in hair and on clothing. That can be a pain, but it’s great for distraction.
- Brush Teeth This one is crazy, I know, but it really works for our youngest. We bought him one of those teethers that’s also kind of like a toothbrush. We would hand it to him during diaper changes so he could be a “big boy” and brush his teeth. Now we give him his actual toothbrush to use. It has two benefits: it distracts him from wiggling AND gets him comfortable brushing his own teeth.
- Help If you have older children, nieces/nephews, or your partner around, then they can be super helpful. They can either help you hold baby down or can be the best distractions. My eldest likes to play games like peek-a-book with our little guy during diaper changes. They both love it!
- iPad This one really is a last resort, because we all know that screen time is not ideal for our kiddos. But sometimes we’re desperate! And a few minutes playing a game or watching an age-appropriate cartoon to occupy our little wrestlers can really be a lifesaver!
DIAPER TIME
Ok, so now you’ve laid the groundwork for a successful diaper change. Now let’s do this!
Lay your child in a safe place for changing. Buckle them in or keep one hand on them at all times.
Tuck the new unfolded diaper under their bum and remove the old one. If it’s a dirty diaper, I like to do a quick swipe down their bottom to contain as much of the mess to the diaper as possible. Luvs are great for this!
Then grab the wipes that you have out and do a really thorough job of cleaning their diaper area. Do not leave any residue behind, because that can result in new or worsening skin issues like diaper rash.
Place the used wipes into the open dirty diaper and roll it up like a burrito, then tightly cross and secure fastening tabs to create somewhat of a tightly secured ball.
Now fold up and smooth out the front of the diaper and securely fasten the closure tabs. I like to go over it once again to make sure it’s straightened out and comfortably snug.
So I run my finger along the leg hole between the diaper & baby’s leg to smooth that out. And I straighten out and refasten the tabs to ensure that everything is perfect.
But that’s just my ‘Type A’ personality coming through! You do what works for you!
And ‘tah-dah’ – you’ve done it! You’ve successful wrangled your wild child out of their old diaper and into a fresh and clean diaper! Awesome job!
Don’t forget that brandSAVER coupon in the Sunday paper for $2 OFF your next purchase of 2 bags or 1 box of Luvs at Walmart.
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Luvs at Walmart. The opinions and text are all mine.
Comments submitted may be displayed on other websites owned by the sponsoring brand.
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