Is It Advisable To Wake Up The Baby To Change The Diaper?
Waking up the baby to change the diaper or not, this is the dilemma of many parents. Between taking care of hygiene or ensuring rest, you have to weigh which is the best decision.
Baby’s skin is very sensitive to irritating factors such as urine, feces, or cosmetic products. Therefore, frequent diaper changes are necessary to avoid chafing or dermatitis.
In this article we give you the keys to know if it is advisable to wake up the baby to change the diaper and when you should do it, but always keeping in mind their well-being.
Diaper change
Making the decision to wake your baby for a diaper change will depend on a number of circumstances. Therefore, it is convenient to take them all into account.
A mother who has a hard time getting her baby to sleep doesn’t think of waking him up to change his diaper. None of them want to deal with a crying baby upset over interrupting their sleep.
However, if the child is one of those who frequently suffers from diaper rash, it is very likely that his mother values more the discomfort caused by the friction and the injuries that can be produced by direct skin contact with the diaper, as evidenced by this article published in Comprehensive Pediatrics . In that case, it will wake you up to prevent dermatitis from developing.
Waking the baby to change the diaper: is it the most advisable thing to do?
As we have said in other posts, each baby is unique. The best thing for a little one will not always work for another. Even between siblings, one should not trust in using the same formula.
It is up to the parents to determine what the baby’s peculiarities are. Let’s analyze, then, the factors that influence the decision to wake the baby to change the diaper.
What is the priority: rest or hygiene?
First, leaving a wet or stool diaper for a long time is detrimental to the delicate skin of the newborn.
But, at the same time, not interrupting the baby’s sleep is essential for its development, as this information from the National Sleep Foundation points out .
As long as the baby is awake, there is no problem with changing the diaper. The question resonates within the parents when the little one has fallen asleep. Prioritizing what is the most advisable for your baby, whether rest or hygiene, is the key to making the best decision.
In general, as food reaches the baby’s stomach, it evacuates. This is called the duodenocholic reflex, so this is the perfect time to change the diaper.
- A formula-fed baby will wake up every 3 hours – the baby wakes up, you feed him and you switch him, so there is no need to wake him up.
- If the baby is breastfed, it is usual for him to urinate and defecate more frequently, since he also feeds more frequently. Therefore, there will be more awakenings and it will be the ideal time to change the diaper without interrupting the times when you sleep.
But my baby already sleeps 6 hours or more in a row! What I do?
Indecision worsens when the little one already sleeps 6 or 7 hours in a row. Waking the baby to change the diaper becomes a concern for parents. In fact, it motivates many consultations with pediatricians.
Disposable diapers are becoming more absorbent. There are even versions for the night, manufactured to guarantee the infant’s sleep.
A baby who sleeps 6 or 7 hours straight does not have to be woken up to change his diaper. The diaper should absorb the liquid and stay more or less dry until you wake up the next day.
Just make sure to change the diaper before going to sleep. That your skin is clean and dry, and that you smear a good ointment or protective cream to protect the skin from chafing, as they form a waterproof layer, as shown in this article published in Profession Midwives .
If the baby wakes up to feedings at night, he will usually fall asleep while being breastfed. Therefore, waking it up to change it is counterproductive. The diaper should be kept dry until the next morning to be changed as soon as you wake up.
When should I wake the baby to change his diaper?
If the only option for a baby is to use cloth diapers because the disposable diaper is causing allergies, it is best to change the baby if he defecates or if the humidity is excessive. Unfortunately, you will have to wake him up or he will wake up while you make the switch.
Using a cover between the mattress and the sheet will help insulate your baby from moisture. Placing an extra blanket or towel between the mattress and the sheet may also work. The fundamental thing is to separate the little one from the humidity, to see if it is possible not to interrupt his sleep.
In the case of a baby with diarrhea, the diaper should be changed immediately. In this case, the stool tends to acidify and be more abrasive on the delicate skin of children.
About diaper changing in babies
Even when using a disposable diaper with high absorption capacity, it is best to change the diaper frequently to avoid problems such as diaper rash. Therefore, with the change, the safest thing is that you wake up, with all the discomfort that comes with falling asleep again.
