20 Things that first-time dads should know about changing nappies

This post was sponsored by Pampers and is about dads changing nappies.

How often does your partner change nappies at home?

To be honest, my husband rarely does it anymore and the poopy ones are always the scary ones for him – especially with my son who always surprises us during a diaper change. So today I decided to put together a guide for him and all the new dads who should learn how to do this when baby arrives.

As moms, we’ve experienced it all. We’ve been pooped on, peed on, and even vomited on. It’s time that our husband’s experience it too. 😉

Dear New Dad, today is the day…

I’m going to warn you about poopsplosion before we begin because things can get messy in the first year of parenting especially when your little one starts solids.

Definition of Poopsplosion:

A poopsplosion is a lot like a tsunami. It’s poop everywhere – on you, on the floor, on baby’s clothes, toes, hands, and back. It’s one of those disasters that happens when you least expect it. Research says the most common places it happens is when the baby is in the car seat, asleep in the cot or hiding in the corner before sitting down and smashing it to the ground.

20 Things first-time dads should know about changing nappies:

1. You need to get comfortable with the idea of being around poo because let’s be honest, babies only do four things: Eat, sleep, cry, and poop during the first 6 months.

Be prepared to talk about poop. In the first year, this will become one of the hot topics between you and your partner. You will end up discussing a nappy change in detail – the color and consistency of it.

Be prepared to touch poop because no matter how careful you are, sometimes it just ends up getting on your hands, clothes, and fingernails.

2. Baby wipes are the duct tape of parenting, you need them everywhere and lots of it especially for changing! So, buy bulk because you can never have too many.

3. Buy the newborn nappies with the yellow indicators – it makes it so much easier for you to know when baby peed.

Pampers Premium Care is the best Pampers diaper that offers luxurious cotton-like softness and proven dryness for you baby’s skin. The diaper surrounds your baby with softness, allowing them to be free to discover how soft and cushiony their world is.

Pampers Premium Care Diaper is:

• Breathable: with special micropores allowing fresh air in and humid air out.
• Soft like cotton: crafted with the specially designed gentle-to-the-touch material.
• Up to 12 hours of dryness as a result Pampers DryMax core quickly absorbs and locks away liquids.
• Stretchy Side: for your baby’s comfort and leakage prevention.
• Baby Lotion: to help protect your baby’s delicate skin.
• Wetness Indicator: that turns blue to show when your baby wets his diaper on size 1, 2 and 3.
• Navel Friendly Shape: designed for baby’s first days on size 1, 2 and 3.
• Absorbs runny mess: With a special Honeycomb layer on sizes 1, 2 and 3.

4. Diaper changing is a lot like a pit stop during a race – you should be efficient and fast. Trust me, don’t underestimate girls. They are also good at spraying you in the face.

5. You will become an expert at sniffing so… you will end up sniffing yourself, the dog and eventually baby’s bum to find the culprit.

6. There is such a thing as wet farts.

7. It is possible that you will change 3 nappies in a space of less than an hour.

8. Also, don’t wait for your wife to ask you to change the dirty diaper – selflessly offer with a big smile on your poker face. And, no she’s not going to decline your offer.

9. Always approach baby with caution because you never know what you could be dealing with. It could be a poopsplosion.

10. Your baby will most probably smile at you to warn you about the funk coming when you finally open that diaper.

11. You will undress baby and will probably notice the smear of poop on your baby’s thighs and back. You might want to gag.

12. Hold baby by the ankles, lift the bottom up and use the old nappy to wipe away the worst of any poo and wee by folding the top front of the poopy diaper down towards the baby. Start attacking the bottom with loads of wet wipes.

13. As a result, you can now see, smell, and, most probably taste the disaster in front of you.

14. You need to fasten the dirty diaper closed with the Velcro tabs and then you can finally chuck it in the nappy sack or nappy bin.

15. Remember that the Velcro sits in the front of the diaper meeting in the middle.

16. You might end up noticing that baby’s outfit is also messed.

17. You might end up wrestling with the new onesie while trying to find the front and press-studs.

18. Dress baby, give him/her a big kiss then hand baby over to mom for a feeding. 😉

19. You deserve a beer because you just avoided poopsplosion.

20. Until next time… then it starts all over again…

Important info:

For girls – always wipe from front to back to help prevent infection.

For boys – never ever pull back his foreskin. It takes months for it to separate from the rest of his penis.

For more information on the Pampers range, visit www.pampers.co.za.