Signs That Your Baby Needs A Nappy Change

Knowing the signs that your little one needs a diaper change is a crucial parenting skill. In doing so, you will be able to act quickly to stop your baby’s tears, provide better hygiene for your child and get on with your day.

According to HealthyBaby:

"Babies can urinate as often as every 1-3 hours, and it’s completely normal 4-6 times per day." 

Side note: Some common times that a Nappy change is required include after naps, after eating food, in the morning.

Today we are revealing common signs that will aid you in identifying when it’s time for a Nappy change.

You See Your Baby Crying:

One reliable and easy hint that your baby needs a Nappy change is their crying.  

The only way to communicate for 'newborns or infants' is to cry. They will tell you, "Mommy, I need a change now!".

As they grow older, you can easily differentiate between their cries - sometimes they need someone to hold them, sometimes for food, and sometimes for a nappy change.

It's one of the fundamental actions your baby will perform when in need of a diaper change.  

You Will Feel Extra Weight When You Carry Them:

When it’s time for a Nappy change you will feel more weight than you usually do when you hold your young one.

The Nappy bears extra weight due to its absorbency to reduce discomfort, keeping your baby calm and peaceful.

Nevertheless, this is a sign that you should pick up and change the nappy as soon as you can.  

Gestures & Facial Expressions:

Communication through gestures and expressions are very strong indicators to pay attention to, as it's their only way to express themselves. 

According to the researchers:

"Babies tend to make expressions using fingers and sounds when they need to go."  

 'Grunt and growl' sounds are typical in newborns or infants. 

 In addition to sounds, babies also use their index fingers and thumb to create gestures to communicate. Some examples include:

1. Making an 'L' shape using their index and thumb.
2. Tightly closing both of their hands, including index fingers and thumbs.
3. Placing their fingers or hand around the waist area where the diaper is.
4. Open and closing thumb and fingers 2-3 times within a few minutes. 

As they grow older, you can teach your little one to make sounds or actions before they need to ‘go’. 

Implementing this mutually understood form of communication between you and your baby will save you time and less clean-ups will be required. 

You Can Smell It:

"Be sure you don't get too close to it."

You can almost tell what's going on by just sniffing.

It's one of the easiest and fastest ways to know your baby needs a nappy change. 

It’s essential to change the Nappy immediately if you smell something, otherwise it can irritate your child and may cause an infection on their sensitive skin. 

Diapers With Wetness Indicator:

Nowadays, most diapers come with moisture indicators. The indicator assists you in knowing when to change diapers. 

In most cases, the wetness indicator consists of a line that reacts to the moisture present in the diapers. There's a lot of demand for them, and it's safe for every newborn.

If you found some indication through the meter, be sure to clean it before it irritates the baby's skin. 

An Extra Tip:

Initially it can be very confusing trying to understand the ‘why’ each time your child is crying. As mentioned earlier, it is commonly either hunger, tiredness, a need for affection or discomfort from the need to ‘go’. However, at times, it can be another issue that is harder to figure out such as other less obvious forms of discomfort.

An example that is not mentioned enough is skin discomfort. To prevent any issues around this, be sure to apply ointments and creams over the sensitive part of your baby’s skin to avoid rashness and roughness. 

According to research conducted by Familydoctor:

 "Babies tend to get more infections (viral and bacterial) than adults."

So, it's better to use wipes and lotions on their skin. 

Final Word

Managing your little one’s needs is attentive work and a huge responsibility. 

Particularly during the first year, your baby requires full attention and needs you to stand on one leg for them. 

It's not an easy task. You can't allot 'fixed' time for changing diapers or clean-ups like you do with laundry, cooking, and meditation. 

Sometimes as parents you must sacrifice your sleep because "baby just woke up and couldn't stop crying."   

But don’t be discouraged! As your child grows older, they will develop signs and gestures that will make it easier to understand what they need.