How to change a baby’s nappy

Your midwife will talk you and your partner through the very first nappy change, but after that it’s a case of learn-as-you-go. Luckily, with a bit of preparation, combined with the constant practice (up to 12 times a day), you’ll soon be an expert.

1. Wash your hands with warm, soapy water.
2. Place your baby on a soft, safe, waterproof surface and remove their clothing.
3. Open the dirty nappy. Holding their legs, clean the area with wet cotton wool or wipes. Dry thoroughly.
4. Slide the dirty nappy away from your baby, and quickly replace it with a clean nappy.
5. Pull up the front of the clean nappy and fasten the sticky tabs.
6. To avoid the umbilical cord, fasten tabs lower and fold nappy, front down.
7. Roll up the dirty nappy and use sticky tabs to refasten into a neat bundle.
8. Dress your baby.
9. Place the nappy in a disposable bag in the bin and wash your hands.

When it comes to changing nappies, preparation pays off. A well-stocked changing station makes a world of difference. Making sure you have everything to hand before you start will stop it getting too messy.

Once you’re home you can set up a changing station anywhere in your house. A changing table is handy in the early days as it means you don’t spend as much time hunched over, but it’s not essential. If you have a changing mat, you can change a baby’s nappy on the floor in any room, and this is actually safer once your baby becomes more mobile. Quick access to a sink is also useful. It’s all about what’s easiest for you.

• Changing mat.
• Soap to wash your hands.
• Clean nappies.
• Cotton wool balls.
• Pot of cooled boiled water.
• Clean change of clothes (and a spare set just in case!).

You can use baby wipes if you prefer, but cotton wool and water are fine at first and won’t irritate your newborn’s delicate skin. Nappy bags are also useful for disposing of nappies hygienically. As your baby gets older, you may need to use a barrier cream to prevent soreness and nappy rash, but it shouldn’t be necessary at first.

You’ll need another set of nappy changing essentials in a bag to carry with you whenever you leave the house. Consider investing in a lightweight, portable changing mat. They can be a lifesaver when you’re on the go. Remember that you can never pack too many spare clothes.

Your baby’s stools will change colour quite dramatically in their first week and won’t resemble adult stools until they start to wean from 6 months onwards.

Your baby’s first stool is known as meconium. It’s made up of the waste products like mucus, bile, cells, amniotic fluid and lanugo. It also keeps their intestine ‘inflated’ so that it’s ready for action after birth. It’s greenish-black, sticky, tar-like and hard to clean off skin, but while it looks unpleasant, it doesn’t smell as there are no bacteria present. The passing of meconium is an important milestone as it shows your baby’s bowels are working properly¹.

Babies’ stomachs are delicate, and their stool colour, consistency and smell can change quite frequently, making ‘normal’ hard to define. The warning signs to look out for are diarrhoea, constipation or blood-streaked stool. If it’s a one-off, then it could be due to a change in your baby’s diet. Switching to formula, for example, can cause thicker stools that are associated with constipation. Dehydration can also cause constipation, which in turn can cause your baby to strain, leading to bleeding. If you notice frequent or continuous diarrhoea, constipation or blood-streaked stool, ask your doctor, health visitor or midwife for advice.

In the first day or two, you will only get through a few nappies, but by the end of the week this number is likely to go up to 6 to 12 nappies. Most will be just wet², although breastfed babies poo more regularly than bottle-fed babies. Your baby may cry if they are feeling uncomfortable in a dirty nappy, and some disposable nappies have built-in moisture indicators to tell you when it’s time for a change.

Although this may seem like a tricky dilemma, it’s a matter of weighing up the pros and cons and going for the best option for you and your family. Disposable nappies are quick, easy, convenient, very absorbent and cheaper to buy initially. Reusable cloth nappies require an upfront investment but are often cheaper in the long run and contain fewer chemicals. They do, however, require regular washing and drying. While reusable nappies definitely reduce the amount of waste going into landfill, a recent report revealed that constant washing and drying may cause more carbon emissions than disposables³. More environmentally-friendly disposables offer another option but will still add to landfill if not composted correctly.
If you’re keen to be green, then do your research, avoid boil-washing or tumble-drying your cloth nappies and aim to use them for more than one child.

Leaving your baby in a dirty nappy for too long can cause nappy rash, so you should make sure to change them as soon as possible⁴. If you need to change them during the night and they are asleep, you can try to change their nappy without waking them. Try not to turn the lights on, or keep them dimmed, and be extra gentle while you change them so as not to wake them up.