New parents are blessed with a series of pleasant surprises. Diaper blowouts sure don’t fall into that category.
They tend to be messy and happen when you’re least prepared for it.
Now you might be wondering why your little one has diaper blowouts and what you can do about them.
If you’re new at this, you might even get a little worried and find yourself searching for articles to know if those blowouts are normal for babies.
Who can blame you?
Nobody prepared you for the smelly leaks from the legs or back of the diaper, let alone the amount of work that goes into cleaning the mess afterward.
Well, you can stop fretting now. Read on, and I will clear out any confusion you have regarding these troubling yet totally normal episodes.
Why does my baby have diaper blowouts?
Diaper blowouts can happen for several reasons. Let’s see what’s responsible for the frequent explosions you’ve been experiencing.
Your Baby’s Mostly on a Liquid Diet
If your baby has frequent baby poop explosions, chances are they’re breastfed, and their poops are still watery.
For the first year of your baby’s life, they mostly live on liquid food and don’t eat solid food that much.
So it takes time for their stool to firm up. Formula-fed babies tend to have a comparatively hard stool.
Diaper blowout is less common in formula-fed babies because of the consistency solid stool has. However, they can have loose stools if they start teething or have an infection caused by a virus, bacteria, or parasite.
If they have diarrhea, watery stool might leak and cause a diaper blowout. It can also happen when you start adding new food to your baby’s diet.
Your Baby’s Wearing the Wrong Size Diaper
This is one of the most common reasons why a diaper explosion happens. Diapers are supposed to absorb and hold your baby’s mess. But that can’t happen when your little one is wearing one too big or too small.
Not every baby shares the same size and shape.
So, even when you’re following the recommended size and weight chart, it might not be the right size for your baby to fit snugly, resulting in a diaper blowout.
Also, some diapers don’t come with an elastic in the back and don’t fit properly, which leads to leaks at the back.
Your Baby’s Pooped After Days of Constipation
This happens to formula-fed babies more frequently than breastfed ones.
When your baby didn’t poop for more than 3-5 days, they might be constipated, and when they finally open the gate, you can expect a diaper blowout.
On top of that, if you haven’t gotten around to change the diaper in a few hours and it has become oversoaked, it might get really messy.
How do you prevent diaper blowouts? Here are 5 tips
Let’s talk about preventing these diaper blowouts…
Buy the Right Sized Diaper
To prevent a big diaper blowout, make sure you buy the right-sized diaper that fits your baby.
Wondering what size to buy for your little one?
It depends on their weight. It doesn’t matter if your baby is a newborn or toddler; good brands have different sizes available to cater to your needs.
Diapers come with a weight and size guide so that you can pick the right one for your baby. Sticking to the recommended size is the right call for the perfect fit.
They’ve got diapers for preemies weighing 1-5 ponds to toddlers weighing around 35 pounds.
Put on the Diaper correctly.
Want to know another most common reason for diaper leaks? Tucking the diaper leg cuffs inside.
If you’ve seen a lot of blowouts at the leg, it might be because their leg cuffs don’t fit properly. The cuffs should be pulled outwards and fit properly around the thighs.
Make sure to pull up the diaper to the belly button, and don’t forget to check if the elastic on the back and thighs of the diaper fits snugly.
Keep an eye on the flaps and tabs. You should fasten tabs correctly, and flaps should be around the center rather than being on the side of your baby’s waist.
Go Up a Size
When you thought you figured out the right diaper size, another blowout might make you rethink your choices.
As your baby grows and reaches the upper end of the weight range, the current diaper might not have enough room to absorb the poop.
Maybe it’s time to upgrade to the next size. Keep up with the weight Changes. Make sure you don’t go up a size too soon, though.
Some parents say it’s like a double-edged sword! Because if the diaper size is too big for your baby, you’ll see leaks and explosions more often. Keep that in mind when you go up in size.
Keep Looking Until You Find the One
How do you know you’ve found the right diaper for your baby? You’ve spent money like water on a trendy brand. But that doesn’t seem to prevent diaper blowouts.
That’s because no two babies come in the same size and shape. What fits your friend’s baby might not fit yours even if they weigh the same.
Your baby’s legs and waist need a snugly fit, and that’s why you need to keep trying diapers from different brands and sizes until you find the one that’s tight-fitting but doesn’t leave marks on your baby’s skin.
It sounds like a lot of work but will result in less frequent diaper explosions.
Be Alert and Try Other Alternatives
Keeping a tab on your baby’s poop schedule might not be on your wishlist. But, doing that is a good idea when your baby has been constipated for a while.
Because if the diaper has already been oversoaked and your baby finally poops after a few days of constipation, you might see an explosion.
Frequently change the diapers and wait a little while before you step in to clean your baby up. If you rush when your baby’s not done yet, sure, it’s not going to be a pretty sight.
Also, you can try out cloth diapering if you’ve tried following the tips above, and they didn’t seem to work.
How do you know when a diaper is too small?
Here are 5 signs that your baby’s diaper is too small, and it’s time to move up a size.
- There’re frequent diaper leaks and blowouts since your baby’s current diaper’s absorbency isn’t enough to hold the mess anymore.
- The elastic around the thighs and waist feels too tight, and you notice red marks around the baby’s tummy and leg area.
- The diaper doesn’t cover your baby’s tiny bottom completely.
- You can’t fasten the side tabs without pulling them closer.
- Your baby seems uncomfortable, and the diaper seems to restrict their movement.
If you feel like the diaper is too small even when your baby didn’t exceed the weight range yet, it’s still a good idea to go up a size anyway.
Conclusion
Now that you’ve covered all the bases, you’re stepping outside with an ear-to-ear grin? I’m sorry to burst your bubble, but diaper blowouts can still happen.
Be prepared and carry a diaper bag filled with spare clothes for both you and your baby, wipes, and baby powder.
You’ll slowly get the hang of it, and once you start applying the tips to prevent blowouts, you’ll experience less of them.
