Become a Master of "Diaper Changes" with these Tips

One of the funniest things for me, as a first time mom was changing a diaper. The night diaper change that is. You're half asleep but it absolutely has to be done and those first few days bring plenty of (watery) surprises that are sure to wake the hell out of you. My friends told me about that one accessory I SHOULD have if it's a baby boy - it's called a "teepee" and as the name suggests its like a little tent that acts as a cover and prevents those watery surprises I was referring to above. I never bought it and no surprise, I forgot all about it until I experienced the little pee pee accidents at 1 am! Whew! I was so diaper- challenged. If I had to do it now, I'd be a "master". The tips and tricks you will learn are phenomenal. The tricks will also need to change every few months (I'm in the middle of a transition where my baby, actually toddler now will NOT sit still!)

Before you get started, you need to ensure you have all supplies at hand and most importantly ensure safety (a Diaper Changing Table with a worm of a toddler can be dangerous). I gave this one a miss and I don't regret not buying one because moving him as a baby from his cosy bed to diaper table would have been disastrous (considering how little he slept). After a lot of trial and error (and a screaming baby at 1 am) I came up with a few ideas to get it done as easy as possible. This does not guarantee that your baby won't cry but at least the screaming will be minimal (and if like me you live in an apartment building, you will fear less of your neighbours breaking down your door or worse).

1. For night changes that need to be as quick as lightening, check Mark Zuckerberg's 20 second diaper change tip. It's awesome and it works wonderfully. Just slide a new diaper under baby (remove old) and bam! it's pretty much done.

2. Keep things ready before you go to bed (preferably on a table nearby). Diapers, Rash Cream and an extra change of clothes (you'll be dealing with reflux and all sorts of things those first few weeks). 

3. It's best to change the diaper first before the night time feed (sometimes in your hurry to make your baby stop crying from hunger, you tend to forget). This is because after a feed they are prone to fall asleep and you do not want 'anything' to wake them. 

4. If possible, set an alarm (not a noisy one) a few minutes earlier than your baby wakes so you have an extra few minutes to change the diaper first  (before all hell breaks loose).

I hope these tips help you in as much possible way as they helped me. If you can manage to change a diaper while your baby sleeps through it you're definitely a master!