Questions about disposable diaper changes...

[etwahl]

DD nurses approx. every 2 - 2.5 hours during the day. I change her diaper afterwards (after I've waited a few minutes as it usually takes that long for the poop to come). HOWEVER! I always hold her legs up to her belly before taking the diaper off, hoping that she will get any pee out before I take it off. Well, then I take the diaper off, air dry her off for several minutes, put the new one on with a bunch of diaper rash cream. Often as I'm putting her outfit back on, her diaper feels warm (which I assume means she's peeing)... Should I then start the entire process over again (which I usually do) or wait until the next diaper change? I know that these disposables hold a lot, so I'm curious what I should do. I also don't want her sitting in it, but I guess that could happen anyway, unless I'm checking her diaper every 15 minutes, right?

Also, how often do you check your baby's diaper? Would you check it if it didn't smell poopy? or just change it like I am after every feeding?

Also, in her vaginal area, in between the vagina and the fat folds on her legs, it's usually red - not diaper rash red, but just red. Is that normal? Should I be doing something differently there?

Finally, I never know if I'm making her diaper too tight, but worry if it's not tight enough then she will leak or have an explosion up her back (which has happened). She does get red marks around her legs, but I can't seem to make that stop no matter how loose or tight. Is that normal?

Tammy,
Mom to Lauren Genevieve
03/12/2003

[mamahill]

I recall changing Ainsleigh's diaper before feeding her (in the miraculous event she fell asleep WHILE eating, I didn't want to disrupt that!) and then again if/when she pooped. With disposables it is SO hard to tell how much they are releasing. It is only since going to cloth that I've realized how LITTLE and how MUCH she will pee sometimes. And now, sometimes it will have been a couple hours and I'll go to change her and the dipe is STILL dry. But I digress...

Even if the diaper is warm, I wouldn't worry about it. I used Pampers and could definitely see from the outside (and feel - when it got full) when it had a decent amout of pee in it. If the dipe is just warm, I wouldn't feel bad about waiting another hour or two (unless it seems a substantial amount) before changing her (JMO!). And because they ARE so absorbant, she is hardly sitting in it. Last summer we took Ainsleigh swimming and after the first time, DH tried to wring out her diaper before putting it in the diaper genie. That thing was SOOOOOO full, and hardly ANYTHING was squeezed out. DH's jaw dropped and he said, "Whoaaaaaa! That's AMAZING!" And it was! And she never made the diaper that full on her own (except for the time DH "forgot" to change her diaper before putting her down for the night... after the tongue-lashing I gave him, he never forgot again).

I just changed at the feedings unless I suspected poop. We were feeding pretty often, so that was fine.

Ainsleigh had similar redness. I didn't know if it was red from irritation, or just the warmth, or what. If I noticed it getting redder, I would definitely get out the rash cream. Otherwise, I just kept it lubed with vaseline and she never seemed bothered by it.

I think it's hard to make those diapers TOO tight. There are going to be some red marks, simply because the legs of the diaper ARE supposed to hug the legs. And, they are mostly fat down there (I notice a huge difference in how a swimsuit digs in when I'm in shape, vs. not). So the marks are totally normal. If they begin to look really dark, then I might worry, but just a little red mark, (like a bra strap or something) isn't cause for worry.

Hope this helps...

[MartiesMom2B]

Tammy:

I usually change Martie's diaper right before a feeding. The only other time is when we here her poop. She's really loud, and then we usually wait to hear her poop a couple times (we've been squirted several times when we changed her too soon).

Martie also has that redness in between the fat folds and her vagina. I'll have to use Sarah's vaseline tip.

We also get those red marks on her legs from the diaper too. I think it's natural. DH puts rash cream on it. I think it may look worse than it actually is. I try to make the diaper as tight as possible without trying to cut off the circulation in her tummy area.

Sonia
Proud Mommy to Martie 4/6/03
http://www.mcdyer.com/MartieSurasky.htm