Parenting is a rewarding experience, but at the same time, it can be daunting. As a first time parent, it is only natural to have a lot of doubts, misgivings, and questions. One such question is how often should you change a newborn diaper at night.
While changing your baby’s diaper during the day is pretty straightforward, it becomes a thing to ponder upon at night. Sleep comes as something to be treasured, both for the parents as well as the babies. Babies urinate about 20 times a day, so it’s very likely that they will wet themselves at least once every night. You may consider changing their diaper every time this happens because of diaper rash, but on the other hand, you don’t want to wake your baby.
Luckily, unless your baby is extremely wet (soaked their pajamas through and through) or has pooped, you don’t need to change their diaper and you can let them have uninterrupted sleep. Believe it or not, it’s absolutely unnecessary to change your baby’s diaper every time they have wetted it a little. Nowadays, super absorbent type of diapers is available which lets your baby sleep undisturbed throughout the night. You’ll have a chance to freshen them up and put on a new diaper when they wake up on their own or when it’s time to feed them. In this way, both you and the baby won’t have to wake up constantly during the course of the night and sufficient rest is of paramount importance because a well-rested parent can be at their best all the time.
Now that we have answered your question, you must be thinking about what you should do when it’s absolutely necessary to change the diaper at night. Well, in such a case, you may have to compromise with a good night’s sleep but there are a few ways by which you can ensure that your baby goes back to sleep as soon as you are done, like establishing a different diaper change routine for the night. Generally, a diaper change involves a lot of eye contact and playfulness during the day, as it rightly serves as a time for the baby to bond with the parent, but at night, make sure to do it as gently as possible so as not to excite the baby. Also, use warm wipes to clean your baby’s diaper area. Do not turn on the bright lights or make a lot of noise, as this may wake your baby up and send him in a full bawling mode!
Here are some other tips to ensure you don’t have to wake up the baby unnecessarily:
1. Make sure to change your baby’s diaper right before bedtime.
2. Use a high-absorbent diaper at night. These diapers being expensive can be skipped during the day.
3. Use powder, lotions or diaper creams containing petroleum jelly or zinc oxide before putting on a fresh diaper to protect your baby from itchy diaper rashes.
Previously, you might have felt like an irresponsible parent for being reluctant to change your baby’s diaper even when it was barely wet. Now that you know how often should you change a newborn diaper at night, you can get rid of such baseless doubts and be the amazing parent that you truly are!