Lift his apprehensions of the Daddy
Does the smell of stool disgust him? As long as the child is fed exclusively with milk, this smell is quite mild and not disturbing.
Is he afraid of being clumsy, of hurting the baby? The size of a newborn can be impressive. But the body of a toddler is not so fragile and he does not fear being handled.
Baby is crying? It’s normal, he’s not in pain. He’s just cold or needs to feel supported. Some little ones can’t stand being exposed to the air and they’ll let you know.
Finally, if the dad simply doesn’t want to get up, things will have to be sorted out on the sharing of tasks. A baby is changed 6 to 7 times a day and the mother cannot do everything.
Getting to know baby
The interest in this “chore” represents another argument. Alone one-on-one with your little one, it is a real moment of intimacy. Baby is focused on your face, ideal for getting to know you better. This is done through speech, but also through touch, the contact of his skin.
A treatment in several stages
First of all, the necessary equipment must be gathered: a towel, a glove for water, soap or cotton if you prefer cleansing milk. Once the baby is placed on the changing table or a flat surface, it is out of the question to leave him alone. Even a newborn can fall to the floor. Be uncompromising about his safety!
Today, many newborn clothes have snaps at the crotch. Simply unbutton them and pull the clothes up over the belly. Unless there is an overflowing stool, the child does not need to be completely undressed. Once the bottom is exposed, lift the legs with one hand and clean with the other. The basic rule: always go from front to back, from cleanest to dirtiest to avoid infection.
Step 1
Wash your hands thoroughly. Undress the child and carefully clean the seat, first with the edge of the diaper and then with a damp cotton pad.
2nd step
Don’t forget the little folds that trap dirt. If it’s a girl, be sure to clean her from front to back to avoid transmitting germs from the anus to the vulva.
Step 3
Girl or boy, the differences
For a girl, you have to clean all the folds well, especially around the labia minora. It may be useful to show the father, who is less familiar with female anatomy, how to do this. For boys, wash the groin, testicles, and penis, but without pulling back the foreskin. Once clean, dry the skin meticulously without rubbing. For boys, make sure the penis is facing downwards, otherwise, it will leak.
Finally, place the diaper vertically and center under the child. The tights should be behind, underneath. Remove the protective tights then close the diaper so that it is neither too tight so as not to compress the baby nor too loose to ensure a seal.
Is it over? Congratulations. Very quickly, Dad will become a master in the art of changing babies and will be able to handle the 1,800 or more diapers that will be used during the first year!
