The most significant cause of diaper leakage is wrong diaper size.
Besides, the baby’s urine output will increase as he grows up. The daily urine output of babies around 12 months is about twice that of newborns.
Choosing an appropriate fit is the best thing to do to prevent a diaper blowout scenario..
In this article, we will guide you through:
- The proper way to put the baby diaper on
- Reasons for a baby diaper blowout
- Suggestions to prevent diaper blowouts
- ..and a lot More!
In conclusion: If there is enough room for the poop to escape, the chances for a poopy diaper to blow out will be higher!
What is a Baby Diaper Blowout?
A diaper blowout happens if the diaper fails to contain whatever is inside!
It happens when your baby’s poop leaks out extensively from his diaper from the back, front, or through the baby’s legs area.
It is just like having a poop explosion!
In most cases, blowouts happen from the back of the diaper, which is due to the wrong size, inappropriate fit, or wearing the same diaper for long hours.
The question that most parents ask is: Are diaper blowouts normal?
Well, as a mother, I can assure you that the answer is YES!
It is not fun at all when a blowout happens, but it is absolutely normal and extremely common during the baby’s life.
If you encounter a situation where you feel that you put your baby’s diaper correctly, but it still leaks or shifts, reconfirm the most basic way of wearing the disposable diaper:
- Has the frill of the leg fold turned inward?
- Is the waist sticker in the correct position?
- Is there any gap in the leg area?
- Is the diaper snugly fit?
Let’s start talking about the diaper blowout situations with some suggestions to prevent them from happening…
Baby Diaper Blowout Scenarios
Leaking From The Back
Reasons:
- There is a gap on the backside.
- More foot movements cause the diapers to shift – especially with smaller babies.
- The diaper did not stretch enough to the back.
Suggestions:
- When you place the diaper under your baby’s bottom, you should put it as close to the back as possible.
- The backside should be slightly longer than the belly side, and the waist sticker should be diagonally attached to the upper position.
Leaking From The Side
Reasons:
- The leg ruffles are not erected.
- The waist sticker is pasted on the outside of the diaper.
- Waist stickers are not symmetrical.
Suggestions:
- Stretch the diaper while keeping both ends of the diaper flat, and stick the baby’s waist stickers symmetrically.
- If the position of the waist sticker doesn’t close properly, you need to replace the diaper one size larger to fit snugly.
Leaking From The Legs Area
Reasons:
- Fold the ruffles around the legs inward
- There is a gap around the base of the thigh (when using a seat belt to secure a child seat or stroller, it is easy to create a gap due to the spread of the legs)
Suggestions:
- When changing the diaper, place it as close to the back as possible, and then stretch the other end of the diaper to above the baby’s belly button. Also, we recommend you roll the top of the diaper down.
- Make the leg cuffs fit the base of the baby’s leg entirely and turn it out.
Leaking From The Abdomen Area
Reasons:
- Wear loose around the belly
- Urine tends to flow to the stomach when lying on the stomach.
- (If it’s a male baby) The baby’s penis should be facing down
Suggestions:
- When wearing, make the belly side slightly longer than the backside to cover the belly button, and attach the waist sticker diagonally to the lower part of the diaper.
- The boy’s part should be placed down.
Baby Diaper Blowout: Cloth diapers VS Disposable Diapers
Diaper blowouts and leaks happen with both types of diapering, clothes and disposable ones!
However, parents who use disposable diapers tend to experience more blowouts than those who use cloth ones.
Why? Because the cloth diapers have a tighter back elastic that helps keep the mess inside and prevents it from leaking.
…still, accidents happen!
In this regard, using a cloth diaper cover (above the cloth or disposable diaper) helps in preventing diaper blowout, and at the same time, reduces the messes in case of leaking.
These covers are designed to go all over the cloth diaper and from all sides for an extra protective layer to avoid diaper blowouts. In addition, they come adjustable to fit over all diaper sizes.
They are beneficial, especially with active babies!
Helpful Tips To Prevent Baby Diaper Blowouts
Diaper Covers:
Using a cloth diaper cover will prevent the messes from coming out of the diaper and save the baby’s clothes, bed, sheets, and blanket from getting dirty.
There are a lot of brands, styles, and materials of these covers that are useful in containing the baby diaper blowout.
Besides, I highly recommend you use a mattress waterproof cover to keep the mattress clean.
Knowing that some parents who use disposable diapers also use diaper covers. Having enough absorbent material prevents the baby poops from escaping out in case of a diaper leakage- especially during the night.
Diaper Inserts:
Using diaper inserts is a helpful way to prevent the poop from getting into the baby’s clothes, bed, or anything around him.
These inserts come as disposable or reusable with more absorbent material. It is all a personal preference when it comes to choosing one over the other.
If your baby didn’t have any blowout, you could reuse the cloth inserts after washing them if a minor accident happened.
The best part about using these inserts is placing them on the back or front of the diaper, depending on your baby’s frequent leakage area or the sleeping position.
Try Different Diaper Brands:
With different diaper brands available on the market, diaper styles, shapes, and features are different.
If you feel a frequent leakage on your baby’s diaper, try a different brand. Some diaper models might not suit your baby – for whatever reason.
Diaper brands fit differently from skinny babies to chubby ones.
So we highly recommend you try different brands to find a comfortable and more secure one that suits your baby better, such as overnight diapers.
Apply The One Finger Rule:
When putting your baby’s diaper, make sure to keep a one-finger room between the baby’s waist and the diaper, and the same things between his legs and the diaper’s cuff.
Too tight diaper doesn’t avoid blowouts…
In summary: a blowout will definitely happen when there is no more room for the poop to go inside the diaper!
Best Diapers To Prevent Blowouts
Among the different brands of baby diapers, the Huggies Little Snugglers or Huggies Little Movers are the ones that proved to prevent blowouts more than other ones.
Most parents who switched to these diapers noticed fewer blowout accidents.
Why?
These diapers have a waistband that is elastic and has a pocket style to keep the messes inside. Plus, their pad is highly absorbent and soaks up lots of urine – compared to different brands.
Extra tip: Choose the right diaper size based on your baby’s weight.
Related: 5 Best Baby Disposable Diapers
FAQ
Q1: When should a baby start crawling?
Usually, babies start to show some signs of crawling at the age of 6 months. Some babies begin to rock back and forth on knees and hands, which strengthens their muscles to crawl. While swinging, babies start to crawl backward, and then they move to the forward crawling. Once they turn nine months old, babies crawl and creep efficiently.
Q2: How to teach a baby to crawl?
– Do tummy time
– Encourage Crawling By Using Toys
– Using a Tunnel Is a Good Idea
– Turn and Twist Your Kid
– Create a Safe Crawling Area
– Use Bouncers and Swings
– Try Belly Bait Activities
– Let Your Baby Crawl Outside The House
Q3: When can a baby roll onto the side?
Babies slightly roll from their back to their sides at the age of 3-4 months. But they start to roll over from their tummy to their back at the age of 4-5 months.
Q4: When do babies become interested in toys?
You may notice that some newborn babies get attracted by age-appropriate toys; however, babies usually start to independently play with toys at around the age of 4-5 months.
The Takeaway
Always be prepared for diaper-leak scenarios...
When going out, make sure you change your baby’s diaper frequently (every two hours) to prevent any blowouts.
Plus, I highly encourage you to try using the diaper covers. They work perfectly during the night or playing time, where kids are moving quickly and randomly.
Having extra clothes, extra diapers, baby wet wipes, and disposal bags in your diaper bag while on the go is always a good idea.
If you have tried all the possible suggestions and you are still experiencing blowouts and leaks, you can go ahead and try a different brand.