A newborn baby will typically wake and feed every two to three hours for first two months after birth. This schedule is not the same for every child and varies based on a range of factors like illness, forms of feeding, or even room temperature. Therefore, it is recommended that parents should sleep when the baby sleeps.
However, if your baby is finally sleeping soundly through the night, should you wake your baby to change a poopy diaper or let them keep sleeping?
Newborns urinate frequently during the night and it can cause them to wake up naturally or if left until morning it can lead to diaper rash. If you are unsure whether it is okay to wake your baby to clean a poopy diaper, this guide is for you.
Have a question, should I wake a sleeping baby to change a poopy diaper? Let’s find out the answer.
Table of Contents
Should I wake a sleeping baby to change a poopy diaper?
It is not necessary to wake a baby to change their diaper. Even if your baby has a dirty or wet diaper and he is sound asleep, there is no need to wake him up to change the diaper. It will disturb his sleep cycle, lead to sleep inertia, and flow through the rest of the day as his sleep window will be lengthened. Babies never go that long between feedings until around 6 months, so you can change the diaper as soon as your baby wakes up. Waking them up for changing a diaper can lead to crying and confusion, so it should be avoided. However, it is necessary to change your baby’s diaper if the diaper leaks or your baby’s clothes are soaked. It will prevent rashes and ensure higher quality sleep for the rest of the night.
When you should wake a baby to change a diaper?
There are certain situations when you should wake your baby up to change their diaper. You should change your baby’s diaper if it has leaked. For this, you can wake your baby up, or they will likely wake up themselves due to the discomfort of wet clothes and diapers.
Another situation is when your baby is ill and has some health condition like diarrhea which can lead to pain and a rash.
You should also go ahead and change your little one’s dirty or wet diaper if your baby is facing trouble settling to sleep or connecting a sleep cycle. In such cases, your baby will probably wake up crying and you will find out the issue.
How to change a diaper without waking the baby
Sometimes there is a need to change your little one’s diaper even though he is asleep. Or what will happen if your baby poops right before she falls asleep? The difference between a few minutes with a dirty diaper and a couple of hours is a big deal.
With that being said, it is sometimes possible to change your baby’s diaper without waking them up. It can be challenging but it can be done.
Here are some tips that you can use to successfully change your baby’s diaper without waking them up:
- Ensure that your little one is in a deeper stage of sleep if possible. Some signs are softer breathing and heavy limbs.
- Keep the lights dimmed or off in the room. Light can easily disturb your little one’s sleep.
- Have a sound machine or other noise going in the background, if possible. It will help them drown out the sound you produce.
- Avoid talking to your baby when changing their diaper at night.
- Warm the washcloth or wipe that you are going to use to clean your baby.
- Keep your baby in the same position he was sleeping in if you need to move your little one to change the diaper. Try not to move your baby after changing if you can.
Conclusion
Should I wake a sleeping baby to change a poopy diaper? For parents, their little one’s sleep comes first, so waking a baby to change their diaper is not usually necessary.
Of course, if your little one has had a blowout, has a severe diaper rash, or if their diaper has leaked and their clothes are soaked, then there is a need for changing the diaper.
Try having a consistent feeding, changing, and nap routine to offer stability and comfort. Also, ensure that you have chosen the best diaper size and type for your baby.
Finally, unless your baby is noticeably distressed or uncomfortable, no change is required, and everyone can have a good night’s sleep.