Regardless of changing a boy or girl's diaper, there are basic steps that apply to both. Use a firm surface that is easy to clean and a soft towel so the baby's skin does not stick. A towel on the floor is great or be sure to use the straps and a hand on the baby if diapering on a taller surface. Have your supplies within reach, such as fresh diapers, wipes, diaper rash cream, powder and a disposal system. Be careful around the umbilical cord and wash it carefully each time with alcohol to prevent infection.
In changing a boy's diaper, place a small towel over his penis to keep him from peeing all over the area. When cleaning off poop, make sure the whole area is cleaned, including wrinkles and crevices. Keep poop from entering the penis to prevent urinary tract infections. If he is newly circumcised, extra steps of an antibiotic cream and light bandage for the penis is needed. Be sure to follow your pediatrician's directions. If he is uncircumcised, do not pull the foreskin back for any reason. The foreskin will retract naturally on its own, usually by around the age of three. While placing a clean diaper on, always point
There are disposable diapers on the market today that are gender specific. Blue diapers with various cartoon or action figures for boys. Actually many of these diapers are designed with extra padding and wetness control in the front. This helps to keep boys drier, especially at night. If you are using cloth diapers, some experimenting with folds may be needed. For a boy, an extra cloth pad in the front will help in preventing leaks. A diapering method called the 'twist' is useful for boys. Lay the boy down on a flat diaper with the top of the diaper about waist level. Cross your arms, grab the corners and uncross your arms as you bring the diaper through the legs. Be sure that the top of the cloth diaper is at least one inch below the belly button to keep wetness where it is handled.
When changing a girl's diaper, be sure to wipe from the top towards the bottom. It is much easier for a girl than a boy to get a bladder problem from bacteria in fecal matter. For newborns and younger babies, you may want to use just warm water and a soft cloth for cleaning. There are more sensitive areas exposed in a girl.
Disposable diapers for girls tend to run towards pink, flowers and such. They are designed with extra protection at the bottom for best results. If using cloth diapers, experiment with different styles of folds. A common method for girls uses a second smaller diaper folder inside a larger one for maximum thickness where girls need it.
Cloth diapers for boys or girls will take some practice in figuring out how big to make the folds. A larger baby may need shallow folds, where a smaller baby will do best with larger folds on the sides. Always keep your hand between the baby and diaper pin.
