108. Caring For Baby

Changing your baby’s diaper often will keep your baby comfortable and help prevent diaper rash. Newborn babies can use 10 to 15 diapers daily. Small amounts of dark colored urine (orange or rust colored) are normal in the first few days. This is called uric acid crystals. After day 3 the urine should be in larger amounts and a light yellow color.

There are many choices of diapers to use for your baby.

Cloth diapers:

• come in a variety of styles
• may be fastened with pins or Velcro®
• may be bought or made
• need to be covered with waterproof pants
• may be rented from a diaper service. The diaper service will pick up the soiled diapers and return clean ones to your home.

Disposable diapers:

• come in a variety of styles
• are convenient
• are more expensive than cloth diapers
• may not be biodegradable
• do not require waterproof pants

• Wash your hands.
• Place your baby on a safe, flat surface.
• Remove the soiled or wet diaper.
• Clean your baby’s diaper area with warm water and a soft washcloth, or with a baby wipe.
• Dry your baby’s diaper area carefully.
• Put on a clean diaper.
• Dispose of the used diaper and wash your hands.

For a baby girl, wipe gently from front to back. This will help prevent spreading germs from her rectum to her urinary opening. Some baby girls will have a white mucousy discharge which you do not need to scrub to remove. A baby girl can also have faint blood (pink) streaks on her diaper. This is normal and is due to mother’s hormones.

A baby boy’s penis is covered by skin (foreskin).
Please note: Do not pull the foreskin back. This may cause infection and/or tightening of the foreskin. By the time your son is 3 to 5 years old, his foreskin will usually loosen and can be pulled back during bathing. Talk to your doctor if you have any concerns.

If your son is circumcised, your doctor or nurse will explain how to care for the area.

In the first 48 hours, your baby will pass black, sticky stools (called meconium) and then greenish-brown stools. After 48 hours, the color and consistency of your baby’s stools will depend on how you are feeding your baby.

• should easily pass stools that are seedy, yellow and loose.
• may pass stools at every feeding.

• should easily pass stools that are soft, pasty and brown, green brown or dark yellow in color.
• usually has at least 1 to 2 stools in 24 hours. Some formula-fed babies pass stools at every feeding.

Between one to two months of age, both breastfed and formula-fed babies may have bowel movements less often. Stools should be soft and easy to pass.