Welcome to Nappies

Welcome to Nappies

Continued post from handling your baby in previous post.

9. Cleaning Essentials
Changing a nappy is not as daunting as it may seem, but you really need to have everything ready and all within reach before you start. You must have either a changing mat or folded towel placed on the floor of warm room (if using a changing table or bed, make sure she cannot fall off). Dispose of soiled nappies, nappy liners, cotton wool, and wipes in nappy sacks; use these also to carry soiled terry nappies. Make sure you have baby wipes, or cotton wool broken off in pieces with a bowl of warm water, plus zinc and castor oil barrier cream or petroleum jelly, and a new, clean nappy.

10. what are disposable nappies??
Disposable nappies are nappy, liner, and plastic pants all in one: they allow moisture to soak through a top layer sheet into an absorbent filling, which is protected on the outside by a waterproof backing. Key features include elasticated legs for a snug fit, and refastenable tapes so that you can check if the nappy needs changing. Buy the correct size for your baby’s weight; these are more expensive than toweling nappies but are quick and easy to put on and remove and you save on washing and drying costs. You will be changing around ten nappies a day at first, so buy at least 70 per week.

11. Different disposables
Nappies come in different sizes to fit a growing baby. They range from newborn 4-5 kg (up to 10 lb), right up to “junior” size at 25 kg (55 lb).There are nappies for boys with more padding at the front, and for girls, with more padding at the centre, and unisex varieties, with different absorbencies for day and night use. Choose ones with plastic waist barriers which help prevent moisture passing from the waist onto baby’s clothing. “Ultra” nappies are slim, have more absorbency, but are more expensive than the bulkier standard nappies.

12. What are toweling nappies?
Toweling nappies come in muslin or toweling (terry) material. You will need at least 24 of them, and you should buy the most expensive you can afford as these will be more absorbent than cheaper varieties. You must buy one-way liners to help keep baby dry, and plastic pants to prevent leaks. These are a one-off cost, but remember to account for washing and sterilizing costs after every use.

13. Check the nappy contents
Babies on milk-only diets procedure very loose faeces.
-    for breast-fed babies, mustardy-yellow, dreamy stools are normal.
-    With bottle-fed babies, look for pale brown, more formed and smelly stools.
-    Greenish, curd-like stools are also normal for a pre-solid-fed baby
-    Consult a doctor if the stools are very watery, or contain blood.

14. preventing nappy rash
Any sign of redness (with or without spots) around the bottom area is called nappy rash. The main cause is a baby being left in a wet or soiled nappy too long. So regular checking and changing is the best prevention. Make sure you clean all the skin creases and dry completely. Allow the area to “air” without a nappy for a few minutes. Wash and rinse fabric nappies thoroughly.

15. dealing with nappy rash
Don’t feel guilty or alarmed if your baby gets nappy rash – its very common. At the first sign of redness change of nappy use a medicated baby wipe or damp cotton wool, or wool with lotion, and apply a protective cream such as zinc and castor oil ointment. If using fabric nappies, try more absorbent liners and avoid plastic pants.

Tips :
Nappy rash symptoms
-    redness, sore-looking skin; broken skin in leg folds; smell of ammonia
-    rash starting around the genitals rather than anus.
-    Spotty rash all over genitals, bottom and groin
-    Small blisters all over the nappy area

Likely causes
-    not allowing the skin to dry well enough
-    urine breaking down into ammonia
-    more severe form of ammonia rash
-    heat rash from sweat in skin creases

what to do
-    for all forms of nappy rash, start with careful drying, don’t use plastic pants. Allow time for a baby to air its genital area and bottom. Don’t use powder, but use barrier cream. If his doesn’t work see a doctor.

16. changing a disposable nappy
Have everything ready before you start: the changing mat, a clean nappy, cotton wool and warm water or lotion or baby wipes, disposable or carrier bag for dirty nappy, barrier cream, and fresh clothes if needed. Try to make nappy changing a fun routine. It’s the perfect time for some one-to-one contact, tickles, nursery games and songs. Allow time for the cleaned nappy area to dry off naturally.

17. cleaning a girl
First wash your hand and put your baby on the changing mat. Undo her clothing and open out the nappy. Wipe off the worst of the faeces with a baby wipe or damp cotton wool; with a fabric nappy use a clean corner to wipe away from the vaginal area towards her bottom, not the other way round. Do not try to clean inside the vaginal inner lips.

18. cleaning a boy
The same principle of wiping from the front down towards the anus (to prevent germs reaching the genitals) also applies for boys. One big difference is not to forger the small skin areas underneath the penis and below the testicles, which often harbour traces of urine or faeces. Also, it is quite common for baby boys to urinate just as you remove the front of the nappy, so pause with the nappy held over the penis for a few seconds. Then open out the nappy and wipe any surface faeces with wipes or cotton wool, and drop the into the nappy then fold the soiled nappy down under him.

19. folding fabric nappies
Have your fabric nappies ready-folded before you start changing your baby. There are several ways of folding, but all are designed to produce the maximum thickness at the spot where the most urine collects. Don’t worry about precision as long as the nappy stays up and appears comfortable. “triple absorbent folds” are the most useful for newborn and very small babies. “kite” folds suit larger babies.

20. put on a triple absorbent nappy
Fold a day’s supply of clean fabric nappies ready for use, together with nappy liners. Liners help contain the main bulk of soling but they don’t prevent staining. Keep the ready-folded nappies where you normally change your baby. At night use double nappy with liner which may save your a nappy change before morning. Also keep  bucket of bin bag to hand to throw in the soiled nappy to dispose of the next day.

21. put on a kite fold nappy
First lay your baby on the nappy. Bring up the centre point between her legs. Take up the two sides, overlap, keep taut, and pin. When your baby’s size prevent the two overlaps from meeting in the front, fasten the nappy with two pins, one for each corner. Re-pin if it looks baggy.

22. hygienic nappy washing
Wash nappies thoroughly as any traces of ammonia will irritate your baby’s skin, and faecal bacteria could cause infection. Wash with pure soap flakes of powder only. First soak soiled nappies in sterilizing solution, then wring out and hand or machine wash. Wet ones require only a thorough rinsing in hot water after sterilizing. Use plastic tongs or wear gloves to lift out nappies from a sterilizing bucket. Wash plastic pants in warm water, with a little washing-up liquid and let them air to dry.