BTDT: diaper maintenance for a DS

WhitWed · May 2013

We have a DD. All babies/toddlers in both families are girls. All friends and co-workers with children also have girls! We have no experience with boys especially in the diaper changing world. I'm just looking for some answers to some diaper questions that I've been thinking about from moms who have DS's. For instance, I've heard about using a "decoy" diaper to cover the penis when changing to avoid splashing. I think I'll be okay with this. But then I wondered about some other things. If your LO's part happens to be erect do you put the diaper on as is, wait until it goes away, or just quickly hold it down while putting the diaper on? Is there a lot of maintenance with the testicle area after a bowel movement? Would Desitin go in the same vicinity or do you use more caution around the testicles? If it's just a pee diaper what areas do you clean with a wipe? When giving a bath, can you use a sponge and/or soap in that area or is it too sensitive? Are there any other unspoken things that I should be aware of and prepared for when it comes to diaper/boy part maintenance? I'm sure I'm over-thinking this, but would appreciate any thoughts and tips!

ConnieRob · May 2013

All of the above is great advice.

When we found out that DS1 was a boy I freaked a bit about the diaper changes. I had hoped for a girl because I have girl parts and knew what to do with them! When we found out it was a boy I was a little apprehensive. I talked with my sister who has a son and she gave me the best advice:

"Con, you lift the balls and wipe."

MrsKatieW · May 2013

1. I do keep a wash cloth to cover them with the first couple of months, but really once they're past the newborn phase getting peed on is rare.

2. I CD so having the penis point up really doesn't matter, but with disposable you do want it down. Honestly, it's not often they've had erections during changes, so I wouldn't worry about that one.

3. In the early days the poop does get up under the balls. But I just wipe it off NBD.

4. I only apply rash cream where needed. I've never heard that it could be harmful to the testicles.

5. Pee diaper, I wipe just above the penis, under it, and to their thighs. My kids tend to get a lot of redness along the pelvic/hip joint.

6. I do use a wash cloth with soap. I just don't scrub hard.

7. The only other maintance would depend on if you're going to circ or not. If you do circ the nurses will show you how to care for it while it heals.

ehnasto · May 2013

Thanks for asking this I was trying to figure it out too.

ilovemarfa · May 2013

I put a cloth over my son's penis when he was a newborn because they really do pee when cold air hits it. I never wipe with a wipe for pee diapers and my son has never had diaper rash. My mom said she never wiped my brothers either. For poopy diapers you just wipe all around. My son was breastfed and had blowouts often as breastmilk poppy diapers are looser so I would put him in the tub and rinse him off. Little boys do sometimes get erections, and I did freak out the first time I saw it. I would just put the diaper on regardless if it was still erect. My son was circumcised and I just put ad ointment on it for a few days per the doctor. I never pulled the foreskin down and he doesn't have an issue. I put Vaseline on just at night just to prevent irritation in case he wet a lot and I didn't change him right away. I only use Burt's bees diaper cream when I noticed he was a little red around his anus from straining or when his scrotum got a little red, which happened just a few times. It never seemed to bother him. Other than that, I'm sure it's the same as changing a girl, minus making sure you wipe in the right direction in order to avoid a uti in a girl.

melissabshelton · May 2013

Thank you so much! I have 2 DDs and even in all my years of baby-sitting I never changed a boy diaper. DH has a DS so he's going to have to teach me how to do this. Nice to have a heads up on what I'm getting into.

emolm · May 2013

I think you're over thinking it.

I've always just put the diaper on. I only wipe if there's poop or he ends up with a rash.

He's peed on things and us but eh takes two seconds to wipe up and you learn to move faster.

Willubmine · May 2013

emolm:
I think you're over thinking it.

I've always just put the diaper on. I only wipe if there's poop or he ends up with a rash.

He's peed on things and us but eh takes two seconds to wipe up and you learn to move faster.

This!

duffmaker · May 2013

I am so glad you asked this! I hadn't really thought to much about these things but I know I would have been completely lost when DS gets here lol

duffmaker · May 2013

IrishCoffee7:
If DS is circ'ed you do have to make sure you're gently pulling back the foreskin on occasion. Keeps it clean under it but also minimizes risk of a penile adhesion where the skin grows back together. I don't do it more than once every day or so unless there's poop there though bc the skin can also get sensitive.

Irish... how long do you have to do this for? We're circumcising DS and I've heard once or twice that you have to pull the skin back a bit but never how long you have to do it for or how often.

duffmaker · May 2013

ConnieRob:
All of the above is great advice.
When we found out that DS1 was a boy I freaked a bit about the diaper changes. I had hoped for a girl because I have girl parts and knew what to do with them! When we found out it was a boy I was a little apprehensive. I talked with my sister who has a son and she gave me the best advice:

"Con, you lift the balls and wipe."

Hahaha well that's pretty straightforward!

LaBellaVida · May 2013

clizh:
IrishCoffee7:
If DS is circ'ed you do have to make sure you're gently pulling back the foreskin on occasion. Keeps it clean under it but also minimizes risk of a penile adhesion where the skin grows back together. I don't do it more than once every day or so unless there's poop there though bc the skin can also get sensitive.

Irish... how long do you have to do this for? We're circumcising DS and I've heard once or twice that you have to pull the skin back a bit but never how long you have to do it for or how often.

sometimes poop get into and around the penis so you will want to pull back a little bit to clean it up. Another thing, is sometimes the cotton or whatever of the diaper gets in and around the head of the penis too and so you will want to clean that out as well. It only happened a few times that I recall with DS2, and it may have just been the diaper I was using at the time. I always just pulled back as needed, which you will know when it needs to be done when you change their diaper.

ladybugpjb · May 2013

clizh:
IrishCoffee7:
If DS is circ'ed you do have to make sure you're gently pulling back the foreskin on occasion. Keeps it clean under it but also minimizes risk of a penile adhesion where the skin grows back together. I don't do it more than once every day or so unless there's poop there though bc the skin can also get sensitive.

Irish... how long do you have to do this for? We're circumcising DS and I've heard once or twice that you have to pull the skin back a bit but never how long you have to do it for or how often.

I never had to do anything to the foreskin - no pulling back or anything, only occasionally a little bit of extra cleaning if the poo got around it. There are multiple methods of circumsicion. The kind they did on DS was called a plastibell, and there was an actual plastic ring around the tip that stayed on for about 2 weeks. I don't remember the other methods - I would ask what method your pedi (or whoever is doing it) uses and then specifically research that method.

And to WhitWed about her original questions:

Decoy diaper: DS peed straight into his mouth the day I brought him home from the hospital - it was aimed up, so that's where the pee went. Having a rag/cloth is a bit easier than trying to do the decoy diaper. You just have to figure out what works for you.

Washing - just gently wash the area with a soft wash rag at first, but soap is okay.

Diaper cream - I just put it where it's red.

Wet diapers - if he's really wet, I use a wipe. I don't want the pee to stay on his skin and risk a diaper rash. It just depends on how sensitive your DS is.

And to reiterate what others said, make sure his penis is pointed down when you put the new diaper on! If he is erect, just be gentle. It happens. It's normal.

You'll figure it out as you go, and the nurses at the hospital will show you how to take care of things.

JinglesChic · May 2013

clizh:
IrishCoffee7:
If DS is circ'ed you do have to make sure you're gently pulling back the foreskin on occasion. Keeps it clean under it but also minimizes risk of a penile adhesion where the skin grows back together. I don't do it more than once every day or so unless there's poop there though bc the skin can also get sensitive.

Irish... how long do you have to do this for? We're circumcising DS and I've heard once or twice that you have to pull the skin back a bit but never how long you have to do it for or how often.

Until about 2 years old. As soon as the circ heals, start. DS has had many a penile adhesion (honestly too many to count) so I highly, highly recommend you pull back every time. DS would develop them overnight it seemed (plus no matter how many times I told both sets of ILs, I don't think they pulled back). But my son never cried when getting his shots or needing stitches, but screamed bloody murder when pushing back the adhesions.

Wedding on the Beach 2008 · May 2013

Thanks for asking! When. Found out that ths one was a boy I definitely got a little scared of the diaper changing.

thnk you for the advice ladies!!

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