13 nappy changing hacks that’ll make your life easier
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The average baby gets through a staggering 4,000 nappies from birth until they’re potty trained.
That means a significant amount of your life will be spent changing nappies in the first couple of years.
With so many nappy changes to get through, we’re always on the lookout for new ideas to make changing time quicker, simpler and less stressful.
So, to make life easier, we’ve rounded up the best nappy changing hacks, as recommended by other parents.
FREE NEWBORN NAPPIES
1 Go down, not up
When you’re dealing with a ‘poonami,’ getting your baby undressed can be a challenge; just how do you get his vest off without ending up with poo in his hair?
Simple: if he’s wearing an envelope neck vest, pull it down over his body, rather than up over his head.
Who knew?
2 Minimise nappy cream mess
Nappy creams are among the stickiest substances known to mankind. If you get it on your hands, chances are it’s going to end up all over your baby, too.
To keep mess to a minimum, apply nappy cream using the little finger of your left hand (or your right hand, if you’re a leftie).
This means less chance of your baby needing yet another change of clothes (and less washing for you!).
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3 Hit the floor
The more mobile your baby gets, the harder it is to change him on a changing table.
Not only is he heavy to lift, he’s increasingly likely to roll or crawl over the edge.
It’s much easier and safer to change his nappy on the floor – either by putting his changing mat on the floor or using a disposable one. (These come in handy when you’re using a public baby change facility, too).
4 Just stretch
Getting a super-wriggly baby to keep still for a nappy change can be mission: impossible.
To make life easier, why not switch to nappy pants?
Nappy pants have a stretchy waistband so you can simply pull them up, rather than struggling to keep your little one lying down while you battle with fiddly tapes.
And when it’s changing time, just tear the sides open: job done.
5 Master the art of distraction
The trick to keeping your baby still – and making changing time easier – is to capture his attention with something so fascinating that he forgets about trying to escape.
In our experience, nothing works better than forbidden fruit: your phone or your car keys should do the trick. Make sure there’s nothing hanging off objects that he could swallow, and never leave him alone with them.
6 Make the most of sibling saviours
Another great way to distract your baby during nappy changes is to enlist the help of his big brother or sister.
They can sit close by and entertain him while you’re dealing with the business end – and they’re super helpful as an errand runner, if you realise you’ve left the wipes upstairs.
7 Go back to front
If your baby's prone to taking off his own nappy – especially at night-time or naptime, when you’re blissfully unaware – try putting it on back to front.
With the sticky tabs at the back, it’ll be much harder for him to whip it off.
8 Spray it away
Dried-on poo can make your baby’s delicate skin sore, but scrubbing away with a wipe can aggravate nappy rash further still.
Keep a spray bottle of water handy so you can spritz your baby’s bottom, softening the sticky bits so you can wipe him clean without having to rub too hard.
9 Do a quick cover-up
Baby boys, in particular, tend to wee as soon as you take their nappy off – which means you can get an eyeful!
Lay a muslin or flannel on the changing mat, and whip it up between his legs when you slide the dirty nappy out: it’ll catch any leaks before you get hit square on.
10 Invest in a magic mirror
In the first year of life, babies don’t recognise their own reflection, so putting a baby-safe mirror next to your little one’s changing mat can make nappy time much easier.
He’ll be so busy babbling to the face in the mirror that you’ll be able to get the old nappy off and the new one on, fuss-free.
11 Double up on nappy kit
Save yourself from having to traipse upstairs with babe in arms at every nappy change by keeping a supply of changing essentials downstairs, too.
A basket of wipes, nappies and a fold-up changing mat can be hidden in a corner so they’re close at hand when you need them.
12 Take a tip from dog walkers
Ever find yourself fumbling about for a nappy sack, while preventing your baby from putting his feet in his dirty nappy?
Why not use a doggy-poop bag dispenser (the sort that dog walkers clip on to the lead)?
Just clip it to your changing bag, and you’ll have easy-to-dispense nappy bags on hand whenever you need them.
13 Download a changing app
Ever had to deal with a nappy explosion in the back of the car or on your lap because you couldn’t find the nearest baby changing room?
Download the NCT’s Babychange app for iPhone or Android and it’ll direct you to the nearest changing facilities, so you’ll never be caught out again.
