When and how to change your baby's dirty diaper while he is sleeping

Believe it or not, it is not always necessary to wake your baby up every time he wets his diaper. Today, we can find many types of diapers on the market that are so absorbent that your baby can sleep through the night without needing to be changed. However, when the diaper is very wet or your little one has pooped, you will clearly need to put on a clean diaper to provide comfort and avoid irritation or infection.

Tips for changing your baby at night

Use special diapers for the night

Choose diapers that are as absorbent as possible to keep your baby dry and comfortable while sleeping at night. You can also choose a diaper that is one size larger than the one your baby wears during the day. This will give you extra absorbency, which can make a big difference in preventing the diaper from leaking and wetting your baby's pajamas.

Establish a routine

Routines are great when it comes to babies, as they provide security and support. Parents also find routines helpful because they help them lay the groundwork for certain rules to follow. Establishing a special routine for changing diapers at night will help your baby get back to sleep.

Change the diaper at bedtime

Including diaper changes in your bedtime routine may seem like a no-brainer, but it's important to emphasize. Diaper changes are one of the most important steps in getting your baby to sleep well , whether it's before naps or nighttime sleep. If your little one has sensitive skin and you're worried they might develop diaper rash from a wet diaper, you can try applying a thick layer of diaper rash cream before bedtime.

Light is very important!

When your baby wakes up during the night, whether it's because of milk feedings or occasional awakenings, it's ideal to get him back to sleep as soon as possible so as not to interfere with his sleep cycles. If you need to change your baby's diaper, do so in a very dim light , ideally red, as it's the least stimulating light .

Changing diapers with poop

Remember, if you smell or see that your baby has pooped in the diaper, you must change it without fail. However, whatever you do, do not turn on the overhead light . Change the diaper as naturally and gently as possible. Once you have changed the diaper, put your baby back to bed.

Change before feeding

If your baby is a newborn or still wakes up during the night to be fed, there are two good times to change his diaper so he can go back to sleep:

• Before switching sides of the breast or halfway through a bottle, it's a good time to put a clean diaper on your baby. This usually wakes the baby up enough to get a good feed and go back to sleep.

• You can also change the diaper before feeding if you notice that doing so in the middle of feeding your baby wakes up too much and has a hard time going back to sleep.

Changing your baby's diaper after feeding is not recommended, as it may wake him up so much that it will be difficult for him to go back to sleep.

To avoid discomfort or excessive wetting at night, it is important to choose diapers that are truly absorbent .