Sometimes, the easiest questions can’t be answered whole-heartedly, especially for first-time moms. Most questions are often asked about when to change the cloth diaper and more. Although it may seem easy to answer that because you can easily change when they get wet or dirty, however – there’s more to it than that alone.
Since babies of different ages have different outputs, moms like you need to be wise enough about how often you should change cloth diapers. You need to have a general idea of when is the time to check their baby’s cloth diaper and how much diapers they need throughout each age. In this article, I have gathered tips about how often you should change the cloth diapers of your baby.
Appropriate Time to Change Cloth Diapers
The general rule among parents is, checking the diaper every hour or two, but this depends if the baby has gotten its milk or they just went through a full nap. It deeply varies through the age of the baby; some old enough babies tend to have long intervals when changing them. Young babies may need to check from time to time. You should always know as a parent about how often you should change cloth diapers.
Also, one factor that is to be considered when changing cloth diapers is how they can absorb. Some babies get erratic when they don’t want wet and stinky diapers, while some don’t care. Keep in mind that cloth diapers work differently from disposable diapers. Disposable diapers, in theory, do have more absorbent features in them. So, if you are using cloth diapers, the changing of diapers may be frequent.
Expecting parents may not realize ahead of time, but babies have different outputs at any given time. Younger babies have a higher fluid output overall when compared to older ones and are released more frequently. Older babies may only need fewer changes as they are introduced to solid foods. You may also notice that their fluid output remains the same after their toddler years. This is likely because toddlers and babies tend to drink a lot more compared to older kids.
How to Change Cloth Diaper
As a parent, it is advantageous to know when to change the cloth diaper of your baby. While there’s no right way to change a baby’s cloth diaper, here are some basic guidelines for changing cloth diapers.
Preparation
Before touching your baby’s super sensitive and delicate skin, it is important to wash your hands thoroughly with soap, hand sanitizer, or a baby wipe. Set a warm and clutter-free area for your baby to lean or lie down; if you are not using a baby table, a blanket or thick cloth should suffice the area. Be sure that it has plenty of cushioning too.
Supplies Needed
- Cloth Diaper
- Clips or Fastener
- Dry wipes or washcloths.
- Baby washcloths or cloth wipes.
- Diaper Rash cream(optional)
When you are changing your baby on an elevated surface such as additional padding to the bed, changing table, or bed, be sure always to have one hand on your baby. As you may know, babies are quite wiggly, and they may unexpectedly wiggle off out of the surface. Whether they are strapped or not, it would be wise as a parent to place their one hand on the baby’s tummy to secure them.
Diaper Procedures
To fully know when to change cloth diapers, you must know how to change cloth diapers. Here are the quick steps that will help you.
Step 1
Layout everything that is needed besides the changing table or bed be sure to have them placed separately to avoid confusion and makes it a whole lot easier identifying each essential.
Step 2
Gently unfasten the clips at the front. This is usually the diaper cover. Once done, check to see if there is something around the diaper.
Step 3
Pull down the front half and gently slide it out of the baby’s diaper region. Be sure to do it slowly, and you don’t want excessive scrubbing on your baby’s delicate and sensitive skin.
Step 4
If, by chance, you’ve found the lucky poop, wipe it using baby wipes or the front cover of the used cloth diaper.
Step 5
Fold the dirty diaper up and place it in a designated area. Place it on a surface that can be easily seen. You don’t want to mess with a dried poop in your home.
Step 6
Now, gently grasp both of your baby’s ankles and lift it. By using a wet cloth or baby wipes, clean the diaper region of your baby slowly. Don’t scrub it too harshly, the baby’s skin gets irritated quite easily. After that, let your baby’s skin dry for a while.
Step 7
Now, place the new diaper underneath your baby so that the diaper’s back edge fits perfectly lined with your baby’s waist.
Step 8
Pull the front half of the diaper cover onto the baby’s waist and secure it with a clip or strap. Fasten both sides of the clips. And you are done.
Cloth Diaper Tips
It’s always your responsibility as a parent to know when to change the cloth diaper of your baby. This is very important, and you should always make it a habit to monitor your baby. Here are some useful and quick tips that could help you.
- To avoid diaper rash, change the cloth diaper as frequently as possible. The longer it stays on your baby, the more likely it can infect with diaper rash.
- Learn the difference between a diaper rash and yeast diaper rash because they are treated differently.
- Pile as many cloth diapers as you would want to have an easy-going when changing time arrives. Newborns can wet as much as 14 diapers in one day. Be sure to have them cleaned all the time.
Conclusion
Changing diapers may not be as easy as you may think. New parents go through this part without knowing one bit. That’s why I’ve listed some of the guidelines and tips to help you through this wonderful journey. The information above will help you get the appropriate idea about when to change the cloth diaper.
Babies are a blessing, and they should be cleaned and taken care of with all your might. This is just the beginning, and there are still a lot of processes to learn. There are no guides to having a smooth parenthood journey. No matter what the situation is, parenthood is a fulfilling job. Get more tips on cloth diapers.