How often should you change a baby!?

Question

I change my lil girl every 3 hours or so! But at night Im unable to change her because we just sleep! She usually sleeps from 9pm-9am then up for a feeding and change. Now she has a really bad diaper rash. I have a perscription the doc gave me, and Im using that. But what Im asking is, should I set my alarm for the middle of the night to change her? Or get different diapers? What about baby powder? Thanks in advance!

-Lorah

p.s. please no rude comments! thank you

Answer 1

We change our twins before every feeding (they eat every 3 hours) if they cry or are fussy, the first thing we check is their diaper. Soiled diapers are not comfortable and most babies will let you know.
I think you're ok during the night. If your baby is uncomfortable she will wake up and let you know.
Diaper rash is very common and totally treatable. It is not always caused by a soiled diaper.
A good diaper rash cream to try is Penaten Cream (the medicated one) its about $10 for a tin and it works wonders.

Answer 2

I would check her every 2 hours or so. If she is prone to rashes get thios stuff called buttpaste-I know funny name, but it works better than the others and put that on at nightime. No need to get up during the night if she is sleeping sound. Now if she wakes up crying then maybe you could check her then. Also if the rashes continue you may want to change the brand of diapers you are using. Also letting her go without her diaper for a bit during the day is great too. A warm bath with a little oatmeal is also great. My daughter had so many allergies and could not wear diapers without rashes and I found these things to help. Good luck. I say try checking a little more often than 3 hours or so if she is getting rashes.

Answer 3

Every 3 hours during the day is a good rule to follow -- that's what I do, too.

And no, I don't think you should wake up in the middle of the night to change her. You are SO lucky your baby sleeps 12 hours a night, so don't get her conditioned to anything otherwise! I think the prescription you have plus different diapers will help. You can either buy the special night time diapers, or what I started doing was just putting a size larger on my baby at night. For example, my daughter wears a size 4 but at night I put a size 5 on her, and it works great.

Answer 4

I changed my babies just whenever their diapers felt really wet or full. I think it's quite alright to let your child sleep through the night and change her when she wakes in the morning. If you're not using baby powder, you oughtta try it. A lot of people don't like to use it b/c it can cause asthma if the baby breathes it in a lot. But when I change my little boy's diapers, I open the diaper all the way til it's flat. I sprinkle powder pretty thick from the top of the back to the top of the front (but I always hold it away from my little boy). This way he has complete dry coverage. This especially helps on those nights when he does sleep all night or on long road trips, anytime I can't keep him changed more often. As far as the diapers go, Huggies all the way. They are the most expensive, but I think my husband and I tried every diaper under the sun when we FINALLY realized Huggies were the best. Those cheap diapers are so thin and undependable that by the time you change diapers so much, after you've bought 3 or 4 packs of them, you could've bought one pk of Huggies and still spent the same with way less hassle.

Answer 5

Lorah,
Most babies make it through the night without a diaper change. It sounds like your little girl has more sensitive skin than most. I use a diaper rash cream with dimethicone in it to prevent diaper rash from happening to my baby. I make sure my baby has a clean diaper and a nice even coating of the diaper rash cream every night just before bed. I use the WalMart generic brand of diapers and no baby powder at all. Hope that helps!

Answer 6

If you are using Pampers or Luvs, you need to stop using them until the rash is cleared up. Try using a hyperallergitic diaper until the rash clears up. Do not use wipes, because these might burn the skin really bad. I bought some diaper area wash at the health food store that was neat. It contains witch hazel, calendula and tee tree oil. If you can't afford that you can use just water and some unsented tissues, but make sure the tissues have nothing else in them. Try buying the next size up diaper, or you can do like the other posts said and use the overnight diapers. Make sure to let your baby's bottom air out.

Answer 7

Don't wake a sleeping baby! If she is sleeping through the night don't change that routine. Make sure you put cream on with every diaper change and try to have her diaper free during the day if possible. Also I used epsom salts in my son's bath and that really helped his diaper rash. Good luck.

Answer 8

I use generic diapers during the day but use Huggies Overnight diapers for bedtime. They tend to draw the moisture away from the skin. Put her to bed with some AloeVesta lotion on her bottom or whatever you prefer to use, for now use up the prescription, and you don't need to change her until morning. The overnight diapers are expensive but just remember you will only use about 1 package per month. I also use these because they don't leak!! Good Luck!

Answer 9

Lorah, it is best to not disturb your babies sleep. Prevention is always the best medicine. So always put a protective barrier on your baby. Especially before her bedtime. They have excellent products on the market. Or just plain Vaseline will do the job. Put it on thick.

Since she already has a rash be sure to let her lay naked a bit each day to expose her bottom to air. Maybe after her bath when she is clean and dry. Then apply the medication the doctor prescribed.

She will probably be a little fussy and need more frequent changes during the day with the rash but it will go away in no time.

enjoy your little one.

Answer 10

Try different diapers. They make some for overnight. You might check her earlier in the morning and if she's wet go ahead and wake her up, but I wouldn't wake her in the middle of the night. Baby powder might help too. And during the day, check her often. You may need to change her more frequently. Good luck.