Wednesday, December 07, 2005

To wipe or to wash? that is the question....

When Peanut was born they taught us at the hospital how to wash her little behind when we needed to change a dirty diaper. We carried on the same way when we came home.

Sniff, sniff - yes, its confirmed, a diaper change is needed. Diaper comes off. Towel (or really a cloth diaper from the KELA box is what we used) is tossed over the shoulder of the changer and the bare-bottomed bundle is carried off to the bathroom sink. Rinse, rinse, rinse with plain water. Back to changing table. Dry her off. Use little cotton wipes to dry out between the rolls of baby fat on the legs. Apply a little lotion as needed. Fresh diaper on.

It was a bit tougher if we were out somewhere and needed to change her. Once she was about 6 weeks old, I decided to try out some baby wipes on her. Easy, quick, efficient. But, also a bit to strong for her skin as she developed a rash when I used the diaper wipes all day.

So, I modified the program. A 'fresh wipe' would do if it was only a wet diaper, but everything else got the wash.

Here in the US, diaper wipes are the leading choice early on. At first I was a bit torn about the large solid plastic casings you could buy the wipes in. It seemed wasteful (as did many other forms of packaging when compared to Finland). However, very practical. They keep the wipes moist longer. I bought a smaller one for on the go and a LARGE one for home. Besides, they aren't that wasteful if you buy the refill packs which are just like the Euro versions.

We're currently using Pampers Sensitive which boasts a tagline of 'gentler than water'. Frankly, they are. Peanut hasn't had any rashes and a decreased number of washes saves the skin on her legs and feet from getting dry. Plus, with her now weighing 7.7 kgs, it saves mama's back from carrying & holding over the sink.

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