Changing nappies

A Change station
You will need a secure surface to change your baby on - something they can't roll off. It should have enough space around it for you to be able to store the following within arm's reach:

nappies & wraps
liners and boosters
wipes/ cotton wool and water dish
barrier cream
nappy rash cream
nappy nippa or pins (if you use pins, make sure your baby can't get to them and poke themselves)
a change of clean clothes, if necessary
a few toys to use as a distraction tool with older babies

How often to change nappies
With newborns, you will probably be changing the nappy after every feed - so roughly once every 2 hours with breast-fed babies. (You don't have to change the nappy unless it's wet or soiled though.) After about 4 weeks you can start to change less frequently, but don't let a baby sit in a wet nappy for long because baby skin is very sensitive.

As soon as you drop the last night-time feed you can start using one nappy for the entire sleep, which will mean you will only be changing nappies about 5 times a day (as long as there are no unexpected surprises).

Remember that as soon as your baby has had a poo you need to change the nappy, even if you've just put a new one on.

When changing a cloth nappy you must always clean every bit of skin that has been in contact with the nappy as this will have been exposed to urine. Initially use warm water and cotton wool. As your baby ages you can start to use commercial wipes or why not try a home-made version (see home-made recipes on the 'Make Your Own' page)?

Out and about
When you are on the go, you can still use cloth nappies with relative ease. You will need a change mat, your wipes, a waterproof bag for wet or soiled nappies and spare nappies and clothes.

The longer you will be out of the house, the more spare nappies you will need to carry with you. Some people find that using a two-part system is much easier to carry around, because it is less bulky than an AIO system. Others find using an AIO system when out and about easier because there is only one thing to put on and take off, making changes easier in an unfamiliar environment.

In an emergency, you can use anything absorbent. Be wary of new fabrics as the dyes may run. If you are using a two-part system and you need another wrap in an emergency, you could just use a plastic bag with holes torn in the bottom for the legs (remember to tuck the legs up inside the nappy to stop leaks) or you could tie your change mat around your baby.

If you're out and about in a place that doesn't have baby changing facilities, you may want to take an extra plastic bag along with you for putting the dirty liner and contents into, so that you can either flush it down the loo when you find one, or so that you can throw it in the bin later. In this situation make sure you have lots of wipes with you. I always carry a small bottle of water, a small facecloth and a small bottle of hand sanitiser in my bag for these sort of emergencies. This way, even if I run out of wipes, I still have something to clean my baby with, and to clean my hands with afterwards!

A quick tip
Some babies have very sticky poo that doesn't come off their skin short of scraping it with your fingernails (remember to scrub under your nails afterwards!). A good tip to prevent this is to wipe your baby's bottom with apricot oil or extra virgin olive oil (rather than a thick barrier cream) once it's clean, before you put the next nappy on. Because these oils are light they don't stop the skin from breathing but still provide a barrier layer to stop the poo from sticking. An added bonus is that it helps to moisturise your baby's skin.