Back leakage Nappy tends to go out of alignment due to your baby's active leg movements. (Fairly common for Small size users). Nappy is taped more to the front, leaving less coverage for the back.
Blowouts tend to happen at the back of the diaper where it is hard to create a seal. In many cases blowouts happen because of the wrong size diaper or diapers that aren't fully snug on the baby. It can be hard to ensure a good diaper fit when changing a wriggly baby!
Make sure that the nappy fits well
The leg cuffs wrap neatly around your baby's legs and bottom. After putting on the nappy, run your fingers around these edges to make sure that the cuffs are pulled out. Cuffs being tucked inside is a frequent cause of leakage.
Examine a diaper in the current diaper size to see how it fits your baby. If you notice red marks around your baby's upper legs and tummy from the elastic in the diaper, the diaper is likely too small. Additionally, if you notice that the diaper looks or feels too snug on your baby, it is likely too small.
Nappies need changing after every poo. You don't need to change your baby's nappy after every wee – rather, change the nappy just before or after a feed (but keep an eye out for nappy rash or skin irritation). There's no need to wake your baby at night for a nappy change.
“There are very few circumstances where I'd recommend waking a sleeping baby to change their diaper,” says Mochoruk. Unless your baby has an open sore or serious diaper rash that requires monitoring, let them sleep, she says. You really needn't worry about a bit of pee in the diaper.
If you can't comfortably fit two fingers under the waistband of the fastened diaper, it's time for a bigger size. You may need to go up a size if you notice red marks on your baby's tummy or thighs when you remove the diaper. If the diaper isn't fully covering your baby's bottom, choose a bigger size.
It should not require too much pulling or adjusting to secure the tabs. On the contrary, if the tabs overlap toward the center of the waist, you need to go down a size.
Consider Blowouts
All babies will have the occasional blowout (there's no way around it!), but frequent blowouts could mean the diaper is too big or too small. How so? A diaper that's too small doesn't offer enough room for the poop, and a diaper that's too big may leave gaps.
There's no real need to wipe your boy down after a wee. Modern nappies are highly absorbent to quickly soak up most of it, while urine rarely irritates their skin even if it does come into contact. Always wipe after a number two though.
Double up with a pull-up nappy
Put your baby to bed wearing two nappies (one pull-up nappy over the regular nappy). You may want to use one size bigger for the additional nappy so that it's not too uncomfortable for your baby. Pull-up nappy pants work best as the second layer.
A natural fabric nappy will offer most absorbency; consider cotton or bamboo, or even hemp for heavier night wetters. All-in-one and pocket nappies are generally not suitable for night time for most babies, as even with boosters they don't hold enough for all night wear.
While a nappy should fit snugly around waist and legs, you want a loose fit at the front and back. Also make sure the nappy is big enough to cover the lower part of baby's tummy, to just below the belly button. Finally, double check baby's buttocks are completely covered.
Fasten the diaper at both sides with the tabs. The diaper should be snug but not so tight that it pinches. Make sure the tabs aren't sticking to your baby's skin.
Change Before You Feed
This usually wakes babies up enough to get them to take a full feeding. If that wakes your baby too much, change their diaper first, and then feed them. If you change the diaper after you feed your baby, you risk completely waking them again.
Diaper companies know this, so larger sizes are designed to hold more urine. By sizing up your diaper, you're basically increasing your absorbency. For example, a Huggies Size 6 diaper holds 7 to 13 more ounces than their Size 5 diaper.
If the tapes meet in the centre of 'the zone', or are still on the coloured part of the nappy, then you're spot on. Once they're moving towards, or are in the white area, it's time to move up a size and avoid - or at least reduce the chances of - those leaks.
This is easily accomplished by gently holding the baby by the ankles with one hand, and sliding the back of the diaper (for those of you using disposable diapers, the back of the diaper is the side with the tabs and no decoration). Next, fasten the tabs to the decorated strip on the front of the disposable diaper.
Average-size baby boys usually move into Size 1 diapers around four weeks old and Size 2 diapers at about three to four months. Average-size baby girls reach the same milestones later, transitioning into Size 1 diapers around six weeks and Size 2 diapers between four or five months.
Your baby will wear size 3 diapers for the longest, and this should be the size diaper that you buy the most of. To help you plan, here is a good estimate of how many diapers babies need per size: Newborn – newborn diapers can be used for up to 1.5 months, you should purchase around 2 to 3 packs of 140 diapers.
Apply ointment liberally as often as necessary, with each diaper change, especially at bedtime or any time when exposure to wet diapers may be prolonged. Don't be concerned about using too much. You can apply as much DESITIN® Maximum Strength Original Paste or DESITIN® Rapid Relief Cream as often as needed.
Should you put rash cream on every diaper change? Yes! There's no need to wait for the diaper rash to show up first. Using rash cream with every diaper change can help prevent diaper rash from happening in the first place.
How often does my newborn need a bath? There's no need to give your newborn baby a bath every day. Three times a week might be enough until your baby becomes more mobile. Bathing your baby too much can dry out your baby's skin.