7 Kenyan Mums Share Diaper Changing Tips

Iddah Membo – Mum of Two Boys

When changing a boy, always place a small cotton sheet over his penis to prevent you from being given a surprise pee sprinkle from him.

Have a ‘diaper’ thermos with hot water always on standby so that you don’t have to keep warming water each time you need to change baby. The thermos diaper should be exclusively for that and should not be mixed with other flasks in the kitchen.

If the room is warm, let baby be diaper free for a few minutes. They love the freedom! However, for small babies, the less they are exposed to the cold the better.

Carol Rurigi – Mum of Two Girls

Never leave baby alone on the changing station –even for a second. You might just turn and next thing you know, baby is one the floor –crying her lungs out. Don’t assume that your baby is too small to roll over, or too little to get herself off the bed –because she will surprise you. Don’t leave baby alone to go rush for something, even if you think the baby is well secured. If you have to, go with her. Don’t take any chances that could result in your baby being hurt.

For this reason, always have everything you need before you start changing baby. This will help you avoid making a quick dash to the drawer or sink in the middle of a diaper change. Lay everything out beforehand and make sure everything you need is within reach.

Ruth Nasimiyu – Mum of One Girl

When changing a girl, be sure to wipe from front to back to avoid infection. Girls are more prone to infections than boys, so as soon as you notice she has soiled her diaper, change it immediately. Do it right away as leaving it on for too long might cause the poop to travel from the back to the front which could cause her to have an infection. Also, be sure to remove all urinary and poop residue as you change the diaper. Ensure she is completely cleaned up.

Christine Chege – Mum of Two; a Boy and a Girl

Sometimes, despite every mother’s keen attempts to keep her baby away from diaper rash, it does happen unfortunately. Incase it happens, let the baby stay without a diaper for a while (I would lay my babies down on a water proof mat and let them play or rest there). I would also used a healing cream during such times.

Don’t be too quick to change the baby’s diaper. Give them a few minutes to finish their business before you change them. Many are the times I would quickly rush to change baby’s diaper as soon as I knew he had soiled it, only for me to put on a fresh diaper then be hit by a smell a few seconds later –turns out baby had not finished pooping!

Lastly, take time to teach the nanny or house girl how to change a diaper. Don’t assume that everybody automatically knows how to change a diaper. Assumptions don’t work when it comes to motherhood.

Emily Kinuthia – Mum of One Girl

I prefer to use cotton wool and warm water to clean my daughter as opposed to wipes. This is because the cotton wool is much more gentle. Aside from that, wipes can be very cold on the baby, so warm water is always preferable.

The container you use for diaper changes should be cleaned daily with disinfectant. This you can do when cleaning the rest of baby’s bathing equipment. The container should be kept exclusively for diaper changes and should never be used for any other purpose –such as cleaning baby’s face. This is to avoid infection. To make things easy, I differentiate baby’s containers by color so it’s harder to confuse them.

Joan Kiambati – Mum of One Boy

When done changing the diaper, check that it is not too tight by ensuring that two fingers can comfortably fit between the belly button and the diaper. If your finger feels constricted, it could mean the diaper is too small for baby. The diaper should be snug on baby, not tight. You should not see deep red marks on baby’s skin. If this happens, adjust the fit of the diaper or get a size bigger.

Maureen Nganyi – Mum of One Girl

When changing the diaper, using powder on my baby’s bottom didn’t work for me at all. I once used powder on her and it gave her some serious cuts on her thighs. So based on my experiences, I wouldn’t recommend powder use for diaper changes.

So there you have it. Some helpful tips especially for new moms. Experience is always the best teacher indeed.

What are some additional diaper-changing tips  you would like to offer fellow moms –especially first time moms? Feel free to share in the comments section below.

*Post Brought to you by Pampers Baby-Dry Diapers

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• – Super gel – that locks in moisture
• – 4 dryness layers – that keep baby dry all night long
• – Soft outer cover –to protect baby’s smooth and soft skin
• – Baby lotion –to keep baby smelling fresh.

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