How To Change A Poopy Diaper At Night Without Waking Baby

My son is sleeping peacefully in his crib in his own room. Just like every day, I was about to quietly walk in and check on him before I go to bed myself. The smell hit me before I had fully entered the room. Oh, no – poopy diaper.

How to change a poopy diaper at night, without waking baby? If baby has a soiled diaper in the middle of the night, it is essential to change it. This prevents diaper rash and ensures quality sleep for the rest of the night. Check that baby is definitely still fully asleep, prepare the changing area, quietly and swiftly change the diaper and put baby back into the bed. This article explains the steps and gives great tips that lead to success.

How to change that diaper without waking the baby – step by step.

The important part here is that your little one is still asleep, and the great challenge is to not disturb that precious sleep. Therefore, let’s take a very short excursion into that topic before we dive into the individual steps.

Sleep and sleep are two different things

Every person, no matter how small, goes through sleep cycles during the night.

There are the sleep phases where someone can vacuum clean under the bed, switch on the light and draw on our arms without us even realizing it. Then there are phases where if someone so much as sneaks in through the door, we’re awake. The latter is a very light sleeping phase in which we are close to being awake or even are awake for a few moments.

You need to know which phase your beloved little one is in right now. You can test easily,  for example by trying to pick up an arm at the wrist. When it feels heavy, floppy and lifeless, your little one is in a very deep phase of sleep.

Another way to test which sleep cycle the baby is in is to softly blow into their face or start talking to them. In the case of a complete lack of reaction, the baby is sleeping soundly. You can then go ahead and prepare everything you need in order to change the diaper.

But if you are getting a reaction like a moving arm, a sigh, or your little one wanting to roll over, then they are in a light phase of sleep and you should wait until they are truly “knocked out” again. This usually takes a few minutes.

Prepare the area where you want to change the diaper

Where you are going to change the diaper doesn’t really matter, as long as you follow some guidelines. I personally recommend never changing diapers or keeping the used ones (diaper pail) in the rooms where they sleep or play – after all, you don’t have the toilet right next to your bed or desk either.

At night, you could change a poopy diaper right there in the crib, or gently pick the little one up and bring them to the prepared area. The disadvantage of changing the diaper in their bed is simply the risk of also soiling the pajamas or bed linen.

Especially with little babies (who are not completely weaned yet) the feces is often – how shall I put this without painting too vivid of a picture? – not so solid, and you may need to change the clothes and wash half the baby as well anyway.

Another disadvantage is that you’ll have to prepare everything with as little light as possible and you often have to bend over in an awkward position to get the job done.

The advantage of changing the little one in their bed is that you move them around less and leave them fairly undisturbed.

If you choose to take the little one out of their bed, make sure the area where you are going to change the diaper is warm. This is especially important for very small babies or when you need to change the diaper during the cold season.

Make sure there is no draft, if you have a heat lamp or radiator, turn it on so that baby doesn’t feel the cold air when undressed.

A hot water bottle is quick to prepare and perfect for getting the surface that your baby will lie on cozily warm very fast. You can place the new diaper, and if needed a new sleepsuit, on top too, so that these are pre-heated as well.

A beanbag that can be heated in the microwave also does the trick. Pre-warm the wet wipes, or even better: save money on a wipe warmer and use warm water in a bowl and some kitchen paper instead.

If the room is smelly you can take the time while you change the diaper to let some fresh air in (if baby sleeps with the windows closed).

It is quite helpful to have a baby bottle of warm water at hand. In the case that the little one surfaces to a more conscious sleep phase while you are changing their diaper, you can give them the bottle.

The sucking and the warmth of the water is usually enough to keep every baby asleep, or at least help them to fall asleep again quite quickly. Only give water or herbal teas – avoid juices and milk so as not to unnecessarily expose the little teeth to the risk of cavities.

If you have need to give any medication, or apply some cream to the bottom, prepare that as well. You can also put the cream on the hot water bottle or the bean bag to make it a little warmer.

Everything is prepared – let’s do it!

Now that we have everything prepared and within easy reach, let’s get the room where you are changing the diaper dark again and turn on a very tiny night light or a tiny torch.

Before you carefully pick up your little one, make sure you test again which sleep phase your baby is in right now. If it’s a light sleep phase, wait a couple of minutes and try again. When you pick your baby up, make sure your hands are not too cold either.

Carry your little one in a position that is similar to the last position they were in when they were lying in the crib. Babies are so sensitive that often a change from a vertical into a more horizontal position can wake them. Carry your sound-asleep but smelly bundle to where you want to change the diaper and lie them on their back.

Gently undress your baby as much as necessary. Beware that babies are often very sensitive to unfamiliar sounds while they are sleeping. Zips and Velcro should therefore be opened as quietly as possible. If the little one is used to white noise or other soft music that you like to play when they are asleep, play it – that’s fine.

Usually speaking tends to wake babies up, therefore try to avoid it. Take off the soiled diaper and gently clean the bottom with the warm, wet wipe. Use kitchen paper or a cloth to dab baby’s bottom dry (find out why you should use kitchen paper and dab the bottom dry right here). If needed, apply some cream.

Then put on the new diaper the way you always do. Gently dress your baby again. Pick the little one up and try to not change the position too much while you carry your still sleeping baby back to bed.

Take a moment or two and make sure

your beloved little one is comfortable and sound asleep.

Smile! You did it!

Should you wake a sleeping baby to change their diaper?

It is not necessary to wake a baby to change their diaper. Waking them often results in confusion and crying and should therefore be avoided. But it may be necessary to change the diaper while baby is asleep if it is soiled or if baby’s clothes are soaked through. This prevents rashes and ensures higher quality sleep for the rest of the night.

Should baby’s diaper be changed before or after feeds?

Usually babies tend to pee while they are being fed or directly afterwards. Therefore, it is recommended that you change the diaper after you’ve fed baby. At nighttime, most babies fall asleep while being fed or soon after. Since they have not been asleep for long and are therefore woken easily, it is better to change the diaper in the middle of feeding (for example, after half a bottle or before you change breasts).

How long is it ok to leave a baby in a wet diaper?

How long a wet diaper can stay on depends on the type of diaper that’s being used (cloth/organic disposable/non-disposable). If the diaper does not completely absorb all the liquid, or if it’s soiled, it should be changed as soon as possible to prevent rashes. Another factor is the age of the baby. Change at least every 3-4 hours, except during the night.