How to Change a Disposable Bedwetting Diaper
Identify the status of whether or not your child's bedwetting diaper needs changing., Prepare the diaper-changing area., Protect the changing area of the wetness., Prepare the new diaper., Be careful when preparing the new bedwetting diaper...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Identify the status of whether or not your child's bedwetting diaper needs changing.
Sometimes it's just a matter of a tiny bit of urine or sweat that may have ran into the diaper since the last diaper change.
Although nothing can be more frightening to a child wearing the diaper if the parents feel down into the pant itself, if you peak over and see the sag of the diaper from the outside of the pant or if you smell the stinky smell of urine, it's definitely time to change that diaper. , Although most diaper-changing areas for those who have bedwetting diapers will just be so easy they can be changed near the bed with little to no inconvenience, you will need to determine a suitable place to change it.
Have nearby any diaper-rash creams and a diaper-changing pad, along with the new diaper so you won't need to take your eyes off the child (if the child hasn't gotten off their bed and come to you yet or isn't mobile yet and tend to roll around when being changed)., Place a waterproof changing pad or towel on the wet surface area temporarily until the child's diaper has been changed, so as not to rewet the new diaper from below them.
You can still change a bedwetter's diaper on the bed, even with this pad on it., Get the diaper out of the package.
Hold onto the diaper's front panel with both of your hands with a five-fingered pinching grasp as you grasp the center portion of the panel with both of your hands (one next to the other) and pull gently on the front section (from the back section) of the new diaper to help release the static from the inside of the diaper that has built up from production of that particular diaper at the factory.
The diaper will need to be open and near you, with it's Leakguard liners inside the diaper fully flared so that there is no static in the diaper.
Be careful not to rip the diaper at all, as bedwetting diapers don't have resealable tabs that help re-place upon the change when needed.
Stick your hand down into the diaper far enough so that the side elastic-like straps unfurl open.
Stop pushing down into the diaper when your hand touches the bottom section of the new diaper (which your child's genitals will be placed in).
Take your fingers and run them over the Leakguard areas and then pull your hand back out. , Be firm but not too rough when pulling the static away from the sides of the diaper.
If you pull these sides apart too rough, you are more likely to end up breaking the diaper's side closing areas that hold the diaper closed when the child wears them at night, thereby making the diaper not catch all the urine from the accident during the night and will be sprayed onto all the other surrounding areas the child rolls around on.
Watch out for diapers that "itch" your children who wear these diapers.
If you don't pull the diaper open far enough, it will choke the child's genitals (especially those of boys) when you try to remove the diaper upon replacement time the next time it gets changed.
The child may then scream that "their diaper itches them" and you don't want that to happen. , Tell them that they'll need to have their diaper changed and that they must lay down to get them changed.
Ask the child to lay back down on the bed on top of the changing pad.
If the child is incapable of doing so themselves, you may need to help move them to the right place.
If they are sleepy, you may need to do this yourself whether they are mobile or not.
Pick them up from underneath their arms and lay them gently down on the bed yourself so the affected diaper area is directly on the pad and not overlapping any part of the remainder of the unprotected bedding., This may including removing their sleepwear, onesies (those that have button-snaps in their genital area), pants or some may even have night shorts.
Remove any sleepwear the child might have been worn when the bedwetting accident occurred.
Try and get full access to the diaper without exposing the child to too much late during the night., Give the diaper a forcible pull outward when you pull rather forcefully near the center panel of the top of the diaper which should be near the child's waist , but let go of the diaper when the diaper is laying flat in front of the child on the surface of the changing area.
You will hear the diaper sides rip, and that's a very good thing to hear at this time. (At this point, this sound is normal.
Later on, this ripping sound will become a sound you don't want to hear, as it will signal a need for a brand new diaper.) Remove the old diaper from the changing surface.
Use the Ankle Hold Technique to lift the child's legs.
Even if the child can help you take off their own pant, you may need to pacify them and have only you take care of this portion of the removal so as not to wake them any further.
Keep things quiet and calm.
If they can and if they are able to move, they can help raise their own rear-end off the changing surface or raise their legs together so you can pull the old diaper out from under them.
Hold the child's legs until their old diaper has been taken out from underneath them and can be safely placed to the side without loosing sight of the child.
Slide with your other hand, the "dirty" diaper away from under your child.
Lower the child's feet back down onto the changing surface again, when the old diaper has been fully placed to the side. , Liberally apply diaper rash ointment/cream onto and around the entire affected area.
However, if at any point during the changing process, you see poop in the diaper or on the child's rear-end, use diaper-rash ointment after wiping the poop away with a baby wipe., Look at the diaper itself to ensure that the child's diapers will be going onto the child the correct way.
Make sure the front of the diaper is facing you.
To determine the proper side of the diaper, look for icons that are pre-sewn into the diaper's top back portion of the rear panel denoting a size.
Other companies features may differ on what these say but will describe the back of the pant.
Some may have icons placed on their pant, while others don't.
Look for the size of the diaper being a little deeper in the Leakguard area from the "top" down of the diaper comparing the front and back of the diaper., Put your hands on both of the insides of the diaper so that you can help the child slip the diaper on them without too much fuss and you can control the action instead of just the reverse.
Insert both of the child's legs
- one at a time
- through the leg holes.
Use the same leg-insertion method as that of the process of inserting a child's legs inside a potty training pant or a pair of underwear.
At this point, you don't want to force the diaper to rip as ripping could cost you the need to change the diaper once more.
Once both legs have been inserted, you can continue onto the next step.
Prepare the child's legs, so you can put the new diaper onto the child.
Lift the child's legs using the Ankle-Hold Technique again. 'The child's legs will need to be positioned in a completely straight line from their ankles to their knees and must be still at the same straight line past the knees up until their waistline.
Keep the child's legs in this "slightly inclined position until after the diaper has been fully pulled up. , Stop once the diaper stops moving or the child says they feel the diaper on their rear end, but before they tell you that the diaper is too tight on them in their genital area.
It must be snug but comfortable.You may need to use your both of your hands to help hold the top edge in front of the diaper and top edge of the back of the diaper as you pull it up onto the child.
The diaper should be positioned at about the same height as that of a disposable diaper (at or very near to the child's waistline).
If you can reach onto the tag and pull it up from that area, kudos to you.
It's beneficial to pull the sides of the diaper up at first by the tag area, but if you can't reach it or if their is an obstruction in the diaper area, raise the diaper by holding each side of the pant until the pant stops, readjust the other side then continue switching sides until the diaper stops moving completely or the child says the diaper has met or is even a little tight in their groin. (You'll have to fix their diaper a little if it pinches them in their groin, though.) Raise the diaper up the child's legs at a consistent speed comparing the rate of speed of the front and the rate of speed on the back.
Use one of your hands on each side of the diaper to pull the diaper upwards onto your child.
Stop just before it reaches the child's genital area.
Try to raise both sides consecutively at the same time and to the exact same height.
If at any point you hear a ripping sound in this new diaper, you've gone too far.
Even if you've just started when you hear this ripping sound, remove this diaper, and start with another fresh new bedwetting diaper, until this specification can be met. , Change any shirts, pants, socks, additional nightwear, or (if the child wears one) their pair of underwear., Dependent on the time of day or night and if the child can help carry out the parents directions without help or not, send the child to bed and settle them in, in the normal appropriate adjusted bedtime manner. -
Step 2: Prepare the diaper-changing area.
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Step 3: Protect the changing area of the wetness.
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Step 4: Prepare the new diaper.
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Step 5: Be careful when preparing the new bedwetting diaper.
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Step 6: Communicate to the child of your intentions.
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Step 7: Remove the obstructed clothing the child might be wearing when the accident occurred.
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Step 8: Take the used disposable bedwetting diaper off the child.
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Step 9: Protect the child's genitals with diaper-rash cream from sweat or urine.
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Step 10: Understand the front and back sides of the bedwetting diaper
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Step 11: and what each bedwetting diaper style you use
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Step 12: looks like and what it's features contain.
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Step 13: Help your child slip into the new diaper.
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Step 14: Grab the back and front panels and pull the diaper up onto the child until the diaper stops and is comfortably seated on the child and so that their genitals are comfortably fitting inside the diaper.
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Step 15: Replace any dirty or wet clothes the child was wearing that had to be changed.
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Step 16: Deal with settling the child down and get them back into their normal sleeping pattern.
Detailed Guide
Sometimes it's just a matter of a tiny bit of urine or sweat that may have ran into the diaper since the last diaper change.
Although nothing can be more frightening to a child wearing the diaper if the parents feel down into the pant itself, if you peak over and see the sag of the diaper from the outside of the pant or if you smell the stinky smell of urine, it's definitely time to change that diaper. , Although most diaper-changing areas for those who have bedwetting diapers will just be so easy they can be changed near the bed with little to no inconvenience, you will need to determine a suitable place to change it.
Have nearby any diaper-rash creams and a diaper-changing pad, along with the new diaper so you won't need to take your eyes off the child (if the child hasn't gotten off their bed and come to you yet or isn't mobile yet and tend to roll around when being changed)., Place a waterproof changing pad or towel on the wet surface area temporarily until the child's diaper has been changed, so as not to rewet the new diaper from below them.
You can still change a bedwetter's diaper on the bed, even with this pad on it., Get the diaper out of the package.
Hold onto the diaper's front panel with both of your hands with a five-fingered pinching grasp as you grasp the center portion of the panel with both of your hands (one next to the other) and pull gently on the front section (from the back section) of the new diaper to help release the static from the inside of the diaper that has built up from production of that particular diaper at the factory.
The diaper will need to be open and near you, with it's Leakguard liners inside the diaper fully flared so that there is no static in the diaper.
Be careful not to rip the diaper at all, as bedwetting diapers don't have resealable tabs that help re-place upon the change when needed.
Stick your hand down into the diaper far enough so that the side elastic-like straps unfurl open.
Stop pushing down into the diaper when your hand touches the bottom section of the new diaper (which your child's genitals will be placed in).
Take your fingers and run them over the Leakguard areas and then pull your hand back out. , Be firm but not too rough when pulling the static away from the sides of the diaper.
If you pull these sides apart too rough, you are more likely to end up breaking the diaper's side closing areas that hold the diaper closed when the child wears them at night, thereby making the diaper not catch all the urine from the accident during the night and will be sprayed onto all the other surrounding areas the child rolls around on.
Watch out for diapers that "itch" your children who wear these diapers.
If you don't pull the diaper open far enough, it will choke the child's genitals (especially those of boys) when you try to remove the diaper upon replacement time the next time it gets changed.
The child may then scream that "their diaper itches them" and you don't want that to happen. , Tell them that they'll need to have their diaper changed and that they must lay down to get them changed.
Ask the child to lay back down on the bed on top of the changing pad.
If the child is incapable of doing so themselves, you may need to help move them to the right place.
If they are sleepy, you may need to do this yourself whether they are mobile or not.
Pick them up from underneath their arms and lay them gently down on the bed yourself so the affected diaper area is directly on the pad and not overlapping any part of the remainder of the unprotected bedding., This may including removing their sleepwear, onesies (those that have button-snaps in their genital area), pants or some may even have night shorts.
Remove any sleepwear the child might have been worn when the bedwetting accident occurred.
Try and get full access to the diaper without exposing the child to too much late during the night., Give the diaper a forcible pull outward when you pull rather forcefully near the center panel of the top of the diaper which should be near the child's waist , but let go of the diaper when the diaper is laying flat in front of the child on the surface of the changing area.
You will hear the diaper sides rip, and that's a very good thing to hear at this time. (At this point, this sound is normal.
Later on, this ripping sound will become a sound you don't want to hear, as it will signal a need for a brand new diaper.) Remove the old diaper from the changing surface.
Use the Ankle Hold Technique to lift the child's legs.
Even if the child can help you take off their own pant, you may need to pacify them and have only you take care of this portion of the removal so as not to wake them any further.
Keep things quiet and calm.
If they can and if they are able to move, they can help raise their own rear-end off the changing surface or raise their legs together so you can pull the old diaper out from under them.
Hold the child's legs until their old diaper has been taken out from underneath them and can be safely placed to the side without loosing sight of the child.
Slide with your other hand, the "dirty" diaper away from under your child.
Lower the child's feet back down onto the changing surface again, when the old diaper has been fully placed to the side. , Liberally apply diaper rash ointment/cream onto and around the entire affected area.
However, if at any point during the changing process, you see poop in the diaper or on the child's rear-end, use diaper-rash ointment after wiping the poop away with a baby wipe., Look at the diaper itself to ensure that the child's diapers will be going onto the child the correct way.
Make sure the front of the diaper is facing you.
To determine the proper side of the diaper, look for icons that are pre-sewn into the diaper's top back portion of the rear panel denoting a size.
Other companies features may differ on what these say but will describe the back of the pant.
Some may have icons placed on their pant, while others don't.
Look for the size of the diaper being a little deeper in the Leakguard area from the "top" down of the diaper comparing the front and back of the diaper., Put your hands on both of the insides of the diaper so that you can help the child slip the diaper on them without too much fuss and you can control the action instead of just the reverse.
Insert both of the child's legs
- one at a time
- through the leg holes.
Use the same leg-insertion method as that of the process of inserting a child's legs inside a potty training pant or a pair of underwear.
At this point, you don't want to force the diaper to rip as ripping could cost you the need to change the diaper once more.
Once both legs have been inserted, you can continue onto the next step.
Prepare the child's legs, so you can put the new diaper onto the child.
Lift the child's legs using the Ankle-Hold Technique again. 'The child's legs will need to be positioned in a completely straight line from their ankles to their knees and must be still at the same straight line past the knees up until their waistline.
Keep the child's legs in this "slightly inclined position until after the diaper has been fully pulled up. , Stop once the diaper stops moving or the child says they feel the diaper on their rear end, but before they tell you that the diaper is too tight on them in their genital area.
It must be snug but comfortable.You may need to use your both of your hands to help hold the top edge in front of the diaper and top edge of the back of the diaper as you pull it up onto the child.
The diaper should be positioned at about the same height as that of a disposable diaper (at or very near to the child's waistline).
If you can reach onto the tag and pull it up from that area, kudos to you.
It's beneficial to pull the sides of the diaper up at first by the tag area, but if you can't reach it or if their is an obstruction in the diaper area, raise the diaper by holding each side of the pant until the pant stops, readjust the other side then continue switching sides until the diaper stops moving completely or the child says the diaper has met or is even a little tight in their groin. (You'll have to fix their diaper a little if it pinches them in their groin, though.) Raise the diaper up the child's legs at a consistent speed comparing the rate of speed of the front and the rate of speed on the back.
Use one of your hands on each side of the diaper to pull the diaper upwards onto your child.
Stop just before it reaches the child's genital area.
Try to raise both sides consecutively at the same time and to the exact same height.
If at any point you hear a ripping sound in this new diaper, you've gone too far.
Even if you've just started when you hear this ripping sound, remove this diaper, and start with another fresh new bedwetting diaper, until this specification can be met. , Change any shirts, pants, socks, additional nightwear, or (if the child wears one) their pair of underwear., Dependent on the time of day or night and if the child can help carry out the parents directions without help or not, send the child to bed and settle them in, in the normal appropriate adjusted bedtime manner.
About the Author
Justin Pierce
Specializes in breaking down complex lifestyle topics into simple steps.
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