I finally got some time to continue my "Baby needs"
series. I already mentioned Bathtime and clothing in my previous posts, so now is the time to talk about change
time. Why is change time so significant? Because you'll be changing your baby's
diapers for the next 2 to 3+ years. That's right, you better get used to
it.
First, let's talk about how
baby's toilet routines change from birth to potty training. At birth most
babies will wet their diapers very little. The way that a nurse explained it to
me is that on the first day they will have one wet diaper, on the second day
-two, third day -three, up to fourth day (or the day your milk comes in) when
they will start having significantly more wet diapers. At first, the baby will
not pee a large amount, but by three months you can expect a very wet diaper,
especially after nap time or night-time sleep. As to poop (yes, when you have a
baby you can use the word "poop" in casual manner ...)
new born baby
will pass his or her first poop within a day or two of birth. The first poop is
called meconium and it looks like sticky, tar-like substance. This stuff is
hard to wipe off your baby's skin so I suggest putting some organic olive oil
on your baby's bottom shortly after birth and at every diaper change until your
baby passed all the meconium. If you are breastfeeding your baby, then baby's
poop will be runny and resemble seeded mustard. The benefit of having your baby
breastfeed exclusively is that breastfed baby's poop doesn't smell very much.
If you bottle-feed, your baby's stools are much more solid and brown in colour.
They will also have more of an odour to them. Baby's poop will go through major
changes as baby starts eating solid food after 6 months. Baby's stool will them
become more solid (constipation is common with introduction of food) and you
can usually smell that your baby needs a diaper change all the way from the
other room. It is normal for baby's stool to change colour and texture with
diet change, sickness, or stress level. Welcome to the science of diaper
changes!
There are two different ways
to diaper your baby: cloth way and disposable. There are also people who
part-time cloth and part-time use disposable diapers. Each family has to pick
what is best for them, although I really believe in cloth as a more responsible
environmentally, and cheaper on the budget. For that reason I classify cloth
diapers are a better choice FOR MY FAMILY! Please don't take it personally if
you choose to use disposables and you don't agree with me.
The good
- Cloth diapers - There are few
different kinds of diapering systems to choose from. Here is a breakdown in the
most basic form:
*two
step system - where an absorbent layer is used with a diaper cover on top. The
absorbent layer can be in many forms: FLAT DIAPER (big rectangle that you fold
yourself and close with Snappy or fold and lay into diaper cover ), PREFOLD
(like flat except sewn out of few layers which minimizes need to fold multiple
layers), CONTOUR (many layer like prefold diaper except contoured to fin the
shape of a baby), FITTED (like contoured diaper except with elastic around the
leg and back and with Velcro or snap closure). Diapers can be made out of
cotton, hemp, bamboo or microfiber fibbers. Many choices that work are out
there. The diaper cover can be made out of wool (my favourite since you only
have to wash them once a week or when they get soiled), PUL fabric (laminated
cotton or polyester that created waterproof barrier), Minky (a polyester fiber
that is very soft), or fleece (another polyester fiber that is a lot like a
fleece sweater). *All-in-two system - A system
where an absorbent layer is either stuffed into a pocket of a specially made
diaper cover or the absorbent layer is attached with snaps. * All-in-one System - a
diaper where the absorbent layer is sewn-into the water-proof layer, making the
diaper a lot like disposable diaper. All you have to do is remove it from a
baby and put on a new one.
Cloth diapers can be reused multiple times
and even passed on from one sibling to another making them a better choice.
- Diaper pail - you don't need a fancy
diaper pail that packs each individual diaper in a bag. A plastic step-on
garbage can designated for diapers only is sufficient.
- Mats to lay the baby on - you might want to have few of these on hand., Diaper changes happen in "not-so-clean" places (like public bathrooms) and you really don't want to lay your baby on a dirty surface. Placing a changing mat protects your baby from surface dirt and protects your surfaces from accidents.
- Wipes - Cloth wipes are the best.
I usually just wet them with water or make my own wipe solution. No chemicals
on these plus they are reusable.
- A container to carry wipes in - I
found that wide-mouth thermos container is perfect for my cloth wipes. I can
pack them in there, wet them with warm water, and my wipes will stay warm even
in winter.
- A large backpack that will perform
as a diaper bag - this is to carry your diapers when out and about with the
baby.
The bad
- Natural disposable diapers - OK,
not quite "bad" since they don't use chlorine to bleach the fibers,
but they still contain the absorbent polymers that can cause sensitivity. My
kids had diaper rashes even after using the "natural" disposable
diapers. And, although they are compostable, most people will not compost them and
throw them in the garbage, creating more waste. We do chose to use them in the
first couple of months of our babies' lives since they allow for us to focus on
the baby and getting to know him or her and not on doing more laundry.
- Fancy changing tables with foam
mats - you really don't need these bulky pieces of furniture. It becomes a pain
to always bring the baby to his/her room to change them. Trust me that by 6
months you'll be changing baby anywhere (front seat of the car, living room
floor, couch, bed ... hence you need those waterproof mats to protect the baby
and furniture)
The ugly
- Disposable diapers - These are
made with bleached fibers, petroleum based chemicals and absorbent polymers.
They plus is that they are very convenient, but the downside is that they don't
let the baby's skin breathe and are expensive. Based on the cheapest diaper
package (Wal-Mart’s cheap brand) they are 25 cents a diaper for baby sizes and
as much as 50 cents for training pants. If you average the baby as using 10
diapers a day (more when they are infants and less when they are toddlers),
that's $3.50 a day on average. That's $1277.5 dollars in a year and $3832.5
until age 3 (the assumed age of potty training. If you have 2 kids that means
that you will spend $7665 dollars on diapers only for your 2 kids (not
including disposable wipes). If you make 18 dollars an hour at your job, it
means that you will have to work 426 hours just to buy disposable diapers so
you can throw them into the thrash! Wow, how is that for perspective.
- Disposable wipes - The obvious
thing about them is the cost and chemicals used on them.
This is a basic overview of diapering. If
you are confused and overwhelmed, no worries. Just pop by to my Facebook page
and ask me a question. I would be more than happy to answer them (I had one kid
in disposables and three in cloth. I know both sides and can help you with both)
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