How to change a diaper (2024)

Diapering a baby – whether a tiny newborn or a squirmy toddler – can seem like a daunting task to the uninitiated. But there's no getting around it: Babies need to be kept clean, dry, and comfy.

"The diapering process can feel a bit unnatural and cumbersome at first, but it quickly becomes second nature," says Liz Donner, M.D.Opens a new window, a pediatric hospitalist in Orlando, Florida and member of the BabyCenter Medical Advisory Board.

And you'll get plenty of practice! According to the American Academy of PediatricsOpens a new window (AAP), "Most U.S. parents will go through nearly 3,000 diapers during their baby's first year alone and average six diaper changes a day for an estimated total of 8,000 over the course of a baby's diaper-wearing career."

Here are some step-by-step directions. If you're feeling nervous about how to change a diaper, a nurse in the hospital can show you how to diaper your baby before you head home. And the staff at your pediatrician's office can give you tips, too.

What do you need to change a diaper?

You'll want to gather your supplies in one (or more) diaper-changing locations at home. You'll need:

• diapers
• diaper cream
• baby wipes or a container of warm water and soft cloths or cotton balls. The AAP recommends using wipes that are free of alcohol and fragrance.
• a changing pad or clean towel to place under your baby
• a diaper pail for dirty diapers
• a change of clothes for your baby (just in case!)

Here's a handy checklist of diapering essential and extras.

You may want to invest in a changing table (it's easiest on your back), but you can also change your baby on a changing pad or towel on the floor.

If you use a changing table, buckle the safety strap, "but don't depend on it alone to keep your child secure," warns the AAP. "Always keep a hand on your baby. Never leave a child unattended on a dressing table, even for a moment, even if he is strapped."

Get in the habit of closely supervising your baby on the changing table right from the start. Even before your baby can roll over, they may squirm enough to topple off the table.

How to change a diaper, step by step

1. Wash your hands and place all of your supplies within arm's reach of where you'll be changing the diaper.
2. Lay your baby down on their back on a changing pad or towel and remove their clothes from the waist down. (Of course, if anything on top is soiled or wet, remove that too.)
3. Open the used diaper (simply unfasten the tabs) and take a look. If the diaper is just wet, lift your baby gently by the ankles with one hand and use the other hand to slip the wet diaper out. Urine is sterile, so it's perfectly fine to skip the wiping step if your baby is only wet, says Dr. Donner. Just pat your baby's skin dry with a clean cloth or a dry part of the diaper.
4. If the diaper is poopy, you can use the clean part of the diaper (up top) to wipe everything downward and into the diaper. Gently hold your baby's ankles with one hand and lift their bottom while you begin cleaning them up, to keep them from spreading the mess around. Then make sure you clean well in front and in back and between the folds of the skin. (You may need several wipes.) Pat your baby's bottom dry with a clean cloth.
5. Move the soiled diaper and wipes away from your baby or throw them in the diaper pail if it's within easy reach.
6. Apply any diaper cream or ointment that you're using.
7. Slide the back of the clean diaper under your baby's bottom and pull the front between your baby's legs and up over their tummy. The back should completely cover their bottom – you should have about the same amount of diaper in front and in back, about level with the belly button.
8. Open the tabs on the back of the diaper and pull them across the front. If you're using cloth diapers, fasten the diaper closed with fasteners. Make the diaper snug enough to avoid leaks but not tight. You don't want to trap moisture or put pressure on your baby's tummy. You should be able to run your fingers between the diaper and your baby's skin. Make sure the fringe around the legs of disposables is free of the elastic around the legs, to prevent leaking.
9. Dress your baby in clean, dry clothes (the same ones they had on, if they're not wet or soiled), and put them in a safe place like their crib or playpen while you clean up.
10. If you haven't already, dispose of the diaper and wipes in the diaper bin. If you're using a cloth diaper, dump the poop in the toilet – and rinse with a diaper sprayer, if you like – before putting the diaper in the diaper pail or wet bag.
11. Clean the diapering surface, especially if there were any spills or leaks, says the Centers for Disease Control and PreventionOpens a new window (CDC): "If the diapering surface is waterproof, wipe up any visible soil with damp paper towels or a baby wipe. Then scrub with a disinfectant spray or wipe and allow surface to air dry. If the diapering surface has a fabric cover, remove the soiled cover and replace it with a fresh one."
12. Wash your hands well.

How to change a newborn diaper

When changing your newborn baby's diaper, you may want to clean them with very gentle wipes, or use a soft cloth or cotton balls and plain warm water. Some wipes can be a little harsh for a newborn's skin.

Take care to fold the front of the diaper down below the umbilical cord stump until it falls off. Or use specially made newborn diapers, which have a cutout for the stump. Diaper changes are a good time to check on your newborn's cord stump and how it's healing. Call your baby's doctor right away if you see signs of an infected umbilical cord, including yellowish discharge or pus, a foul smell, redness, swelling, or tenderness.

How to change an older baby or toddler's diaper

It can be challenging to get a diaper on an active baby or toddler. Try to distract your baby by singing to them, whistling, playing a simple game, or kissing their belly. Keep a favorite toy (reserved for diaper changes) or teething ring nearby. Some parents find a nearby mirror keeps their baby engaged.

An older toddler might respond well to some encouragement (bribery!), such as the promise of playtime in the yard after the diaper change. And some kids won't fight you if you master diapering them while they're standing – holding onto the couch or a chair or a windowsill (even better if there's something outside to distract them). Of course, you'll only want to change wet diapers (not poopy ones) in that standing position!

Read how some parents handle difficult diaper changes.

Keep in mind that once your baby is active enough to roll over, they can very easily roll off a changing table or roll into trouble if they're on the floor. Again, always keep a hand on your baby when they're on the changing table, and keep dirty wipes and diapers well out of their reach.

How to change a boy's diaper

A few tips for changing your little guy:

• Place a clean diaper or burp cloth over your baby's penis during changes to keep from getting peed on.
• Be sure to clean well around your baby's penis and scrotum.
• If using cloth diapers, you can place an extra fold in the front of the diaper, which is the area that will get the wettest with a boy.
• When you put on his new diaper, point his penis down so he doesn't pee out of the top of the diaper.

How to change a girl's diaper

A few tips for changing your little girl:

• Wipe your baby front to back to avoid urinary tract infections.
• Gently remove any poop from the folds of her vulva, if necessary.
• If using cloth diapers, you can place an extra fold in the back of the diaper, which is the area that will get the wettest with a girl.

How to tell when your baby needs a diaper change

If your baby has a poopy diaper, change them as soon as possible. "Even a tiny amount of poop, so small you can't see it, can contain millions of germs," says the CDC. Poop is hard on your baby's skin and can cause a diaper rash or urinary tract infection if left very long. (Diaper rashes are easy to come by even if you keep your baby clean!)

Even a wet diaper can be irritating and cause the skin to chafe if left on too long.

In addition, stool and urine left in a diaper can combine over time to make ammonia, which can cause a mild burn on your baby's skin. (You may have noticed an ammonia smell in a dirty diaper that's been on too long.)

You'll know when some disposable diapers are wet when the stripe down the front changes color. If your disposable doesn't have a telltale stripe or you're using cloth diapers, you can stick a finger in now and then to see if the diaper is damp. And if you notice a diaper is sagging, it's likely time for a change.

How often you change your baby depends on their age, too. Newborns need a lot of diaper changes because they often pee and poop after every feeding, which is often – every two to three hours. An older baby in disposable diapers can go for longer stretches of time before you change their wet diaper.

In fact, you don't need to wake up your baby to change their diaper unless it's poopy or very wet. And you don't need to change their diaper when your baby is up for a nighttime feeding, either, unless it's soiled or very wet. Skipping middle-of-the-night diaper changes when possible can help you and your baby get back to sleep faster.

Learn more:

• Best diapers for sensitive skin
• Baby poop pictures
• How to bathe your newborn or older baby
• Babyproofing your home