How often should you change nappies?

You’ve just finished changing a wet nappy when suddenly you hear a suspicious noise… Sometimes it might feel like you spend your whole life rushing to the changing table. The older your baby gets, the easier it tends to be to find patterns for how often you should change their nappy.

How often should I change my newborn’s nappy?

Newborns tend to pee and poo frequently, in fact you can almost count on something happening every time they eat. Peeing is very important because it means your baby is getting enough fluids. A good way to know when your baby is peeing is to have a nappy with a wetness indicator. All of our smallest nappies have one in the form of a small line – when your baby pees, you will see the line change colour. The wetness indicator is therefore a good way of ensuring that they are peeing, which is especially important when they are ill or in hot weather when you need to keep an eye on their fluid intake.

That doesn’t mean that you have to change a nappy as soon as there’s a little pee – our nappies are breathable and keep your baby’s bottom dry, so as long as you don’t feel that your baby’s skin is wet or see that the nappy looks very full, it can stay on a while longer.

However, once your baby has pooed, you should change the nappy at once to avoid a red bottom or nappy rash. Moisture and heat (especially in combination) can cause irritation. A newborn baby’s nappy needs to be changed between six and ten times a day. It’s hard to say for sure, sometimes it can be more, and the number of nappies used per day often depends on whether or not the baby poos at every meal. Also, all children are different and their pooing habits and poo are also different – some do it all at once, others want to pee and wait for a new nappy before pooing.

Should you change nappies at night?

The general rule is that you only need to change a nappy at night when there is poo or if you feel a leak. If a nappy leaks at night, it is probably because the size is wrong – babies grow faster than you might think and this affects how the nappy fits but also the amount of pee produced, as older babies pee more. A larger nappy contains more superabsorbents – the material that absorbs and encapsulates the pee. If your baby wets through the nappy, it may also be because the nappy moved during the night. Take some time to read up on how to find the right nappy and how to put the nappy on correctly.

How to change a nappy

It doesn’t take long to get the hang of changing nappies and you’ll soon be able to do it in your sleep, but the first few times can feel a bit scary – especially if you have no prior experience with small babies. There are also some handy tricks to know, such as how to unfold the leakage barriers and the best way to remove a nappy. We have a short course where we have gathered films and tips to show you how to put on and take off pull-up nappies or elasticated open nappies correctly.

Cleaning and airing

Small baby bottoms benefit from air – so be sure to clean and air your baby’s bottom, as this reduces the risk of red bottoms and irritation. If you have a little girl, it’s important to make sure you wipe from front to back so that no dirt or poo gets into her vagina. You can wash your baby’s bottom with water if you have access to it, but skip the soap as it dries out delicate skin. If you need to get rid of dried-on poo, or that first sticky meconium, try using unscented oil, as this will make it come off a little easier. If you don’t have water close by, mild and unscented baby wipes that are kind to your baby’s bottom will come in handy. Make sure that the baby’s bottom is completely dry when you put the new nappy on.

Please note that all information above is based on Swedish recommendations.