Diapering Your Growing Baby

At around 24 months, your child may be gaining the language and physical skills needed to start toilet training. But diapers are still a fact of life for most young children at 2 and beyond. Here’s what you need to know to master this new stage of diaper duty.

You’ll need fewer diapers. Newborns soil diapers constantly. Babies and toddlers don’t go as often, especially when they poop.

Another reason you’ll probably use fewer diapers is that you’ll know your child’s habits better, says Wanda Filer, MD, a family physician in York, Pa. When your toddler squats behind a chair, you’ll suspect what she’s up to. Predicting her patterns will help you know best when to change her.

Diaper size can change quickly. Before you stock up at the wholesale club, make sure you’ve got the right size. Children grow at such different rates that weight is better than age for judging the right size diaper, says Filer.

During baby's first year -- when you're visiting her doctor all the time -- add her latest weight to your memory or smartphone.

If you’re not sure about your toddler, lead him to your home scale. If he won’t stand still on the scales, weigh yourself and then weigh again while you’re holding him. A little subtraction will give you a rough idea.

Don’t ignore dirty diapers. Let’s face it, you’re probably more relaxed than when you brought your baby home from the hospital. If a wet diaper’s not bothering your child, it’s awfully tempting to leave it just a little longer. “Who of us hasn’t seen a droopy diaper on a toddler and said, ‘That can wait another half hour’?” says Lisa Asta, MD, a pediatrician and spokesperson for the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Of course, even though the absorbent gel keeps liquids away from your toddler’s bottom, a wet diaper can still cause diaper rash.

Toddlers get less diaper rash. Fortunately, toddlers don’t get diaper rash as often as babies. Diaper rash peaks when babies are between 9 and 12 months old, partly due to the transition to formula and solid foods.

Attack a rash quickly. If your toddler does get diaper rash, treat it like you did when she was younger. Slather on plenty of zinc oxide or petroleum jelly.  Watch for signs of infection like fever, ulcers, or a rash spreading outside the diaper. If you spot any of these, ask your doctor about medicine.

If you recently started using pull-ups, consider going back to diapers or switching to another brand, suggests Asta.

Choose the right changing location. A toddler may squirm too much for that cute little changing table in the nursery.  Try using a pad closer to the action, says Lucinda Brown, RN, spokesperson for the Society of Pediatric Nurses.

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