Changing the baby’s diaper is an essential everyday task that the mother performs undisturbed. But what about the father? Would he do it? How can he do it when it’s not in a man’s instinct?
Let us face the truth, no father prefers performing this task and it would never be a pleasant thing for him, but sometimes it can be impossible for the father to avoid changing the baby’s diaper. It is important, therefore, that he learns how to do it in case it is needed. Here are the perfect steps to make changing diaper an easier task for the father.
Step 1: Distract the baby
Tell your husband to give the baby a toy before changing the diaper to distract the little one while changing and to stand still and make the father more comfortable.
Step 2: Where to put the baby
Make your husband place the baby on the changing table, and either fasten the safety strap or put his other hand on the baby to prevent falling. If a changing table is not available, the baby is put on a towel or a dry cloth on a flat surface.
Step 3: How to undo the diaper
The father will need to unfasten the tabs on the dirty diaper and stick them back to their original place (where they were before the diaper was used) to prevent them from sticking to your baby’s skin.
Step 4: Remove the dirty diaper
Ask your husband to gradually pull the front half of the dirty diaper to swipe off the bulk of the poop into the diaper and make cleaning easier. This step would not be necessary if there is only urine in the diaper. If it is a baby boy, tell your husband to consider placing a clean rag on the baby so he doesn’t urinate on him.
After that, tell him to fold the front part of the diaper below the baby (closing it on the back part) holding the baby’s feet up away from the diaper to clean the area and prevent the baby from moving.
He will have to fold up the diaper, close it tightly, and put it in a plastic bag to keep the surrounding area clean.
Step 5: Cleaning
Reassure your husband that he is almost finished. Now, he needs to use washcloths to thoroughly clean the area (more than one washcloth should be ready before any step is taken). He then needs to apply diaper cream to prevent any rashes in the area, scented baby wipes can be of use for that.
Note: your husband should make sure the area is thoroughly cleaned and look closely for any unapparent remains.
Step 6: Putting on the new diaper
Tell your husband to unfasten the new diaper’s tabs, then put the back part of the diaper under the baby so both sides are similar. Pull the tab on the right side to stick it over the right side of the baby’s belly, and likewise for the left side.
For a baby boy, tell your husband to make sure the penis is pointing down to make it less likely for urine to leak out.
After that, he will need to dress the baby and make sure your baby is not exposed to air.
Encourage your husband to do this while you are there the first few times until he gets used to it and it becomes easier.