DIAPERING
You should change your baby’s diaper frequently, as soon as it’s wet
or soiled. Initially, you may feel clumsy diapering—but as with any
new skill, you’ll get better with practice. Here are some tips:
■ Be ready. Before beginning to diaper, have the necessary items within easy reach.
■ Be safe. If you use a changing table, it should be sturdy and have a safety strap. Also be sure it has plenty of room to contain all the items you need to change your baby. Even with a safety strap, you should never turn your back while changing the baby.
■ Clean well. Gently and thoroughly clean the skin.
• For girls: Wipe the genitals from front to back. For the first 4 weeks after birth, it’s not unusual for girls to have a white, milky discharge that may or may not be tinged with blood.
• For boys: Clean under the scrotum. Do not push or pull the foreskin on an uncircumcised penis.
■ Watch those pins. If you use cloth diapers, watch out for open safety pins. Always point them outward, away from the baby.
■ Skip the powder. Baby powder may smell good, but it can irritate your baby’s lungs. If can also irritate the broken skin of a diaper rash. See page 17 for tips for preventing and treating diaper rash.
NORMAL BOWEL MOVEMENTS A baby’s first bowel movements consist of a sticky black or greenish brown material called meconium. By the fourth day of age, bowel movements should become the characteristic yellowish color produced by a milk diet. Color, consistency, and number of bowel movements will vary between babies. A breastfed baby tends to have loose, seedy yellow or mustardcolored movements that do not have a strong smell. Milk formula produces pasty and formed bowel movements, which are light yellow to brown, with a strong sour-milk odor. Some variations in color and texture can be normal if the infant seems healthy. You will soon be able to judge if a bowel movement seems unusual. Apparent straining during bowel movements is common.
CALL YOUR BABY’S DOCTOR if you notice any of the following:
■ No bowel movement by 36 hours of age
■ Fewer than 4 stools in a 24-hour period on the fourth day of age
■ Fewer than 4 wet diapers in a 24-hour period on the 4th day of age
■ Sudden changes in bowel movements in combination with irritability, poor eating, or other concerns
■ Be ready. Before beginning to diaper, have the necessary items within easy reach.
■ Be safe. If you use a changing table, it should be sturdy and have a safety strap. Also be sure it has plenty of room to contain all the items you need to change your baby. Even with a safety strap, you should never turn your back while changing the baby.
■ Clean well. Gently and thoroughly clean the skin.
• For girls: Wipe the genitals from front to back. For the first 4 weeks after birth, it’s not unusual for girls to have a white, milky discharge that may or may not be tinged with blood.
• For boys: Clean under the scrotum. Do not push or pull the foreskin on an uncircumcised penis.
■ Watch those pins. If you use cloth diapers, watch out for open safety pins. Always point them outward, away from the baby.
■ Skip the powder. Baby powder may smell good, but it can irritate your baby’s lungs. If can also irritate the broken skin of a diaper rash. See page 17 for tips for preventing and treating diaper rash.
NORMAL BOWEL MOVEMENTS A baby’s first bowel movements consist of a sticky black or greenish brown material called meconium. By the fourth day of age, bowel movements should become the characteristic yellowish color produced by a milk diet. Color, consistency, and number of bowel movements will vary between babies. A breastfed baby tends to have loose, seedy yellow or mustardcolored movements that do not have a strong smell. Milk formula produces pasty and formed bowel movements, which are light yellow to brown, with a strong sour-milk odor. Some variations in color and texture can be normal if the infant seems healthy. You will soon be able to judge if a bowel movement seems unusual. Apparent straining during bowel movements is common.
CALL YOUR BABY’S DOCTOR if you notice any of the following:
■ No bowel movement by 36 hours of age
■ Fewer than 4 stools in a 24-hour period on the fourth day of age
■ Fewer than 4 wet diapers in a 24-hour period on the 4th day of age
■ Sudden changes in bowel movements in combination with irritability, poor eating, or other concerns
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