27 Diaper Changing Hacks – Things Everyone Should Know

These diaper changing hacks for new moms are things I’ve learned along the way as a mom of two. I want to pass along these hacks because I came into motherhood not knowing a lot about how to care for a newborn, but I was able to learn from other moms. I also figured out what worked best for me and my baby.

Diapering is one of those ‘necessary’ types of parenting tasks that is no one’s favorite. These diaper changing hacks and diaper blowout hacks will definitely simplify your life.

Genius Baby Diaper Changing Hacks – Things Everyone Should Know

Set-up a changing station

Being prepared with a great baby changing station is important – both in the bathroom, the nursery, or a convenient spot central to your living space.

You might want to ditch the idea of having a changing table or station and instead have a portable basket you can take with you from room to room.

My portable station included:

• diapers
• wipes
• a fold-out change mat, towel or blanket to change on
• plastic diaper bags for disposal
• diaper rash cream and butt spatula
• non-talc baby powder 
• hand sanitizer
• an appropriate portable basket (you could also use a picnic basket)

Use coconut oil or olive oil for meconium

Baby’s first poops (also called meconium) is black, sticky and have a tar-like consistency. It’s really hard to clean up. It’s the poop your baby has been storing up during your pregnancy. It’ll pass within the first few days after birth as baby gets more milk. Using a small amount of olive oil or coconut oil makes it so much easier to remove the meconium from your baby’s bottom.

Pull the onesie over the shoulders

You are familiar with a blowout if you’re a mom. There’s poop all down in the nether regions, and the onesie has poop all over it and you probably have wondered how to change a diaper in a onesie. This is one of the best diaper changing hacks with onesie I wish I knew sooner. On every single onesie, there are cute little shoulder flaps.

These are not just cute decorations. Did you know that those shoulder flaps actually have an awesome feature that lets you pull the onesie over the shoulders and down the body in case of a blowout?

Wipe the poop off with the diaper first

As a new parent, you might use wipes to remove all the poop. One of the best diaper blowout hacks to save on your wipes bill is to wipe the poop off with the diaper first.

Simply swipe down from the top to the bottom with the clean top part of the diaper. Wrap the diaper and keep it under the baby’s bottom to prevent any spill while finishing the process.

Put a clean diaper under the dirty one 

You never know when a newborn baby is going to let loose. For a super quick diaper change, place a clean one directly under your baby’s bottom. Open the dirty diaper, wipe them and put them down on the clean diaper.

Disposable diapers have a strip on the front that changes color when wet

This is such a great feature to know if the diaper is wet. If the line on the front changes color, the diaper is wet. This doesn’t necessarily mean you have to change the diaper immediately. Those diapers react to the tiniest little bit of wee.

Urine does not need to be wiped 

Too much wiping can lead to diaper rash. Today’s diapers are really absorbent and the skin hardly comes in contact with the urine and urine rarely irritates the skin. This means you don’t have to worry about wiping after every pee and you’ll save on your baby wipes bill. I did wipe if the diaper was really full, but mostly the absorbency of the diaper is good enough. 

Pull out the inner diaper leg ruffles to stop leakage

As a brand new mom those little ruffles can be confusing. Of all diaper tips I’ve gotten this is one that really makes a big difference. The inner ruffles work best when pulled out to stop leakage. Simply just swipe your finger down under the diaper to pull out the frilly part to prevent leaks.

This is way more clear on the toddler diapers, but on the newborn ones, it’s not so obvious.

Lay a cold wipe on the baby’s belly

If you have a girl, this might not be an issue at all. But getting peed was a bit of an issue for the first few weeks as a boy mom.

So for the boy moms out there, laying a cold wipe under your baby’s bellybutton before you open their diaper can help encourage your baby to pee if he has to before you open the diaper. Make sure to point the penis down in the diaper, or else the wee will go upwards.

A pee-pee teepee is another alternative to try if the cold wipe doesn’t do the trick or simply just putting a towel as protection while cleaning the bottom.

Fold newborn diapers down in front for the healing umbilical stump

While your baby’s umbilical stump heals (takes around 7-10 days) you don’t want to get it wet or poopy inside a diaper. So, fold down the front of the diaper and leave it uncovered to make it heal better.

Disposable changing pads 

I highly recommend ditching your changing pad covers in the early days with your newborn, when things are extra messy. When your baby has a blowout, and there is poop everywhere, it is super handy to have a disposable changing pad available.

Simply put the disposable pad over your normal changing pad cover when you know you’ll need it. You don’t need to use one often, but when there’s a big mess you’ll be glad you did this.

Use a diaper genie 

You could try a Diaper Genie if you prefer an odor lock system to prevent the strong diaper odor you’ll have with an ordinary pail and plastic bag. 

Diaper Genie has a front tilt for an easy empty bin experience and built-in activated carbon filters that help to keep your nursery fresh and absorb and lock in the diaper odors. This thing makes diaper disposal so quick and easy. 

Some people choose to put their diapers in a scented disposable diaper bagas another alternative to prevent the stink. 

Have older kids involved 

If you have a newborn and have older kids around the house, make sure they’re a part of the process. The more they’re getting involved and not ignored when taking care of the newborn, the better.

Use the babybum diaper cream brush 

The BabyBum Diaper Cream Brush is like a spatula for your baby’s butt. Applying diaper cream on a wiggly baby isn’t easy, if you use your fingers to apply it, you will get a mess everywhere.  This thing makes applying the cream much easier and helps keep things sanitary and less painful for baby. Simply just scoop the cream onto the brush then rub it on your baby’s butt. Once the cream thoroughly covers your baby’s bottom, wipe the brush clean with an antibacterial wipe. 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.  

Try distract your baby

When your baby is wiggly on the changing table, try to see this as an opportunity to interact with your child. Sing or talk to him/her. Telling what you are doing is a great way for your baby to learn language quicker. If your baby is like mine, diaper changing time will become a struggle once they get older.

Another great tip when babies start using their hands to grab things is to always have a toy available on the changing table. The toy will keep your baby occupied while getting the job done.

Diaper Changing Hacks On the Go

The key to baby diaper changing on the go is backups and handy portable options.

Portable changing pads

If your diaper bag didn’t come with a portable changing pad, make sure you invest in one of these things. You will definitely need this when you go pretty much anywhere outside your house.

Keep grocery bags or ziplock bags in your diaper bag

I also highly suggest you make sure to keep a stash of grocery bags or ziplock bags in your diaper bag for dirty diapers or clothes. And don’t forget that you might need to put your own clothes in there too so grab a larger size so they’re big enough 😉

Have a car diapering kit 

You might think it’s overkill, but when in a hurry it’s so easy to forget to bring the diaper bag with you. A car diaper stash is great for those moments. 

What to include in your car diaper kit:

• diapers
• wipes
• portable change mat, towel, or a blanket to change on
• change of clothes (for both you and your baby)
• plastic bags for disposing dirty diapers
• ziploc bags for soiled clothes

Use a diaper clutch bag

This little handy bag has a convenient wristlet with a hook that allows you to wrap the clutch around your car seat, stroller, or onto your diaper carrier bag. The back includes a zipper pouch which is great for diapers and baby poop bags. It also has a refillable wipe holder.

The clutch will fit nicely in your diaper bag or tote without taking up much space. It will act as a diaper bag organizer insert, keeping your cleaning wipes, diapers, and other belongings tight and compact. You can also store it in your car or stroller. 

Nighttime Diaper Changing Hacks

Get a motion sensored night light

When your baby is a newborn, you’ll have to change many diapers in the middle of the night.

I highly recommend having a motion sensored night light plugged in right next to the changing table for those late-night changings.

You’ll want to avoid turning on the lights so that your baby isn’t completely awoken from their sleep. This might help you to change diapers without waking your baby up.

Use nightgowns for a quick diaper change

If you want to change your baby’s diaper quickly at night without messing around with their clothing, nightgowns are great. These are open at the bottom and are pretty much the simplest version of a pajamas your baby can have. 

Button and snap clothes are cute, but they become a pain at night when it’s dark and you’re trying to re-snap them up properly.

Make life a bit easier for yourself and go with nightgowns or zippies.

Buy pull-up diapers for nighttime use

Pull up diapers (preferably one size up) hold more pee which means you don’t have to change as often and are less likely to leak.

Money-Saving Diaper Hacks

Use doggy poop bags instead of disposable diaper bags

You can get a ton of doggy poop bags for less than the price of a few hundred baby ones.

Products marked with the word “baby” can be really expensive, but when it comes to little plastic baggies to pack up poopy diapers, it doesn’t really matter if your bags are supposed to be used for babies or fur-babies.

Amazon & Coupons

Sign up for Amazon Family if you’re an Amazon Prime Member and you’ll receive family-oriented coupons, discounts on baby food, and up to 20% off diapers.

You can also save on diapers by looking for manufacturer coupons. These coupons can be found in diaper boxes, in money saving apps or directly from the manufacturer websites.

If you find a great deal on diapers, or a great coupon, stock up. You’ll need thousands of diapers for the coming years when your baby will use them.

The only size I don’t suggest stocking up on is newborn. Your baby won’t be in those for long at all.

Return unopened boxes of diapers

Did you know that you can return unopened boxes of diapers and trade them for the next size up? This means it’s no issue if you overstock or if you get a lot of diapers at your baby shower. 

Use baby face cloths instead of wipes

Even if you aren’t using cloth diapering, you can go reusable with your wipes. All you need is to get some burp- or face cloths and wet them with water (and olive oil) and use instead of wipes. Just rinse and wash and use over and over.

Don’t change a diaper immediately

Give your baby time to finish. Wait a few minutes to make sure the baby is completely done, or you risk to need to do another diaper change.

Related: How to Prepare for a Baby on a Budget

I hope these diaper changing hacks will help you handle the mess and save you both time and a few bucks.