The good news is I bought a big boy potty yesterday.  The bad news is… my child is definitely not ready to start using it.  (I’m going to start “trying” to use it as part of his daily routine with no real expectations until he’s a bit older and more communicative… I’ll let you know it goes).  Anyways, buying that little potty got me thinking about how many diapers we’ve changed over the last 17 months and all the little tricks we’ve learned the hard way.  If you’re a new mom or expecting, here are 12 diaper changing hacks that will simplify your life.

12 Diaper Changing Hacks for Brand New Moms

Use Coconut Oil for Meconium

Baby’s first poops (also called meconium) have a tar-like consistency and are hard to clean up.  Luckily, my husband handled all of these poos, but I will never forget the shock and awe of those first dirty diapers.  Using a small amount of coconut oil can help remove the meconium from your baby’s sweet little bottom.

Download the Glow Baby App

In the early days of motherhood, you’ll spend a lot of your time talking about wet and dirty diapers (like… a lot).  The nurses will actually have you track diapers while you’re in the hospital to make sure your baby is staying hydrated and everything’s working the way it should.  The best way we found to track those wet and dirty diapers was the Glow Baby app.  It’s easy to use and spits out a great little chart so you can see exactly when your baby last peed or pooed. Because I was breastfeeding, we continued to use the app at home so that I could be sure Weston was getting enough milk.  If you don’t want to download another app, you can grab my newborn care log here.

Lay a Wipe on Baby’s Belly to Avoid Getting Peed On

Getting peed on only seemed to be an issue for the first few weeks… and if you have a girl, it isn’t an issue at all.  For the boy moms out there, try laying a wipe right under your baby’s belly button before you open their diaper.  The cold touch of the wipe should encourage your baby to pee if he has to before your open the diaper.  You could also try the pee-pee teepee. In my opinion, it’s not necessary, but they do make a funny baby shower gift.

Lose the Changing Pad Covers

Especially in the early days of motherhood, when things are extra messy, I highly recommend ditching your changing pad covers.  It’s a lot easier to clean up the plastic changing pad than it is to keep washing and drying your covers every other day.  If you want to stick with your changing pad covers, try these washable changing pad liners to lay directly under your baby’s bum.  They can also be used in car seats and strollers to protect from blow outs.  There’s nothing worse than a car seat blowout (trust me).

Get a Nursery Night Light

When your baby is a newborn, you’ll have to change lots of diapers in the middle of the night.  I highly suggest getting a motion censored nightlight for your baby’s nursery for those late night changings.  We kept ours plugged in right next to Weston’s changing table so it only went on when I was changing a diaper.  You’ll want to avoid turning on the lights so that your baby isn’t completely awoken from their sleep.  There were times that I would nurse Weston into a deep sleep and be able to change his diaper without him waking up.

Use your Onesie Wisely

You’ve probably seen this before, but in the rare case that you haven’t, I have to share this diaper changing hack!  Use the flaps on your baby’s onesie to pull it down in the case of a blowout (rather than pull a poo filled onesie over your baby’s head).  I never knew that those were what those little flaps were for until a few weeks before I was due!

Use the BabyBum Diaper Cream Brush or a Makeup Brush to Apply Diaper Cream

I don’t know what it is about diaper cream and a wiggly baby, but if you try to use your fingers to apply it, you will undoubtedly get it everywhere.  The BabyBum Diaper Cream Brush is like a spatula for your baby’s butt.  The best part about it is it has a little suction cup on the bottom so it can stand straight up when you’re done.  You can also use a new (clean) makeup brush to apply diaper cream and avoid the mess.

Make Sure you Have a Portable Changing Pad

These days, I think most diaper bags come with a portable changing pad, but if not, make sure you invest in one of these things!  You’ll want one for public bathroom changing stations, parking lot diaper changes, and pretty much anywhere that isn’t your house.  You’ll also want to make sure to keep a stash of grocery bags in your diaper bag for dirty diapers or clothes that have endured a blowout.

Have Diaper Changing ONLY Toys

If your baby is anything like mine, diaper changing time will become a struggle once they get older.  Getting a fresh diaper used to be Weston’s favorite thing to do, now it’s just a chore that takes him away from play time.  To calm him down and keep him still, I have a small stash of smaller toys that I keep next to the changing table.  They keep him occupied and they’re easy to wipe down if need be.

Build a Stock Pile

We went an entire year without buying diapers for Weston because we had a killer stockpile (you can read more about how we built it here).  I’m not going to tell you how much of every size you need because that’s totally unrealistic and every baby is different.  What I will share is this:

• Do not go overboard on newborn sized diapers.  Many babies don’t wear newborn diapers for very long (Weston wore them for two days).
• We flew through 1’s and 2’s.  We stayed in 3’s for a while, flew through 4’s, and have been in 5’s for a while.
• You will use a lot more diapers in the early days of parenthood than you will once your baby gets a bit older.
• If you’re breastfeeding, know that it’s normal for some breastfed babies to go days without a poopy diaper (or your kid could be like my kid and poop every time he nurses… it really just depends on the child).

Save Money on Diapers

If you’re an Amazon Prime Member, make sure you sign up for Amazon Family.  Amazon Family provides members with family oriented coupons and up to 20% off diaper subscriptions!  You can also save on diapers by looking for manufacturer coupons (I always find them in my current diaper box or directly from the manufacturer website) and money saving apps.  I use Ibotta, Grocery Store Savings Apps, and manufacturer coupons to make sure I’m getting the best deal. (I just got a pack of Pampers Easy Ups for free yesterday!!)

Return Unopened Boxes of Diapers

If you have a package of diapers that your baby has outgrown, but you’ve not yet opened, you can return it and get the next size up.  This really comes in handy if you get a lot of diapers at your baby shower or you built a stock pile and need to make a few exchanges.

I hope these diaper changing hacks will help you cut down on the mess and save you a few bucks.  Our babies change so quickly in the first few years, but one thing that that remains a constant is those dirty diapers.

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DISCLOSURE: Coffee and Coos is not intended to replace the advice of a medical professional. Always consult your doctor for medical advice.

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