One of the main things I disliked so much in the first six months of being a new parent was all of the baby blowouts! My daughter (no joke) had at least one poop explosion every single day for a month. Through a lot of trial and error, we finally put the baby diaper blowout phase to an end!
I want to share with you all of the tips and hacks I learned along the way so that you can prevent the baby blowouts phase! I will also be sharing all of my tips about how to handle blowouts when they do happen.
This post will teach you everything you need to know about how to prevent diaper blowouts.
How to Prevent Diaper Blowouts
There are a couple of different ways diaper blowouts can actually happen. Your baby may have blowouts up their back or up the front, leakage out of the leg cuff of the diaper, or an overflowing from the diaper. This is all dependent upon the factors listed below that we’ll go over. Each tip will explain what steps you can take to correct the type of blowout your baby has.
1. Proper Fit
The proper fit for disposable diapers is a little bit different than the proper fit for cloth diapers. Both types of diapers need to be a snug fit, but not too tight. The top of the diaper should go just under or at the belly button. There should be no visible gaps in the leg cuffs. You should be able to fit two fingers between the baby’s waist and the diaper. And when you take the diaper off, there should be no red marks.
2. Right Size
All diapers have a guideline to follow according to your baby’s weight. This can be a helpful guide to help you pick the right size diaper, but is not always perfect. So check for the proper fit like listed above to see if you have a perfect fit.
Most diapers also have a guide (for example: two lines on the front panel of the diaper) where the tabs should be fastened. If the tabs don’t stretch to those lines, the diaper is too small. If the tabs fasten much past the lines, the diaper is too big for your baby.
Left: diaper too big, tabs overlap each other & diaper bunching – Right: perfect fit, tabs fastened correctly (Honest Company diapers pictured)
3. Leg Ruffles Out
This is a BIG one! A lot of new parents (and even experienced parents!) don’t know that the leg ruffles on the leg cuff of the diaper should be OUT. Sometimes when you put the diaper on, they will accidentally get stuck inside the leg of the diaper. This is a common reason for diaper leaks because the ruffle helps keep the cuff snug to your baby’s legs.
Improper placement of diaper ruffles (tucked in) vs. proper placement (ruffles out)
4. Go Up a Size
Sometimes going the next size up in your baby’s diaper can help stop the diaper leaks. Depending on your baby’s body shape, a little extra space in the absorbent part of the diaper might help.
If you notice your baby holds their urine for longer periods of time and tends to be overflowing when they finally do go, going up a size may help this issue. This is so there will be enough absorbent material to catch the urine. Same goes for if your baby just takes one larger poop a day and needs more space for their bowel movement.
5. More Elastic Diaper for Active Babies
Active babies tend to have more diaper explosion from the back of the diaper. This is because with all of the movement, the poop will be pushed upward as they move and leak up the baby’s back.
In this case, a more elastic diaper might help because it stretches with the baby as they move. Rather than being restrictive and squeezed up like a tube of poop. Yuck!
Pampers Cruisers 360 Fit and Huggies Little Movers are the most recommended for their elastic waistbands. The Huggies Little Movers diapers also contain a pocketed waistband in the back to catch any poop that may try to go up the baby’s back.
6. Point the Penis Down
With little boys it’s very important you point their penis down in the diaper. If you miss this important step, the next time they pee the urine will flow up the diaper instead of down into the absorbent part. This will almost always end up with a soaking wet onesie.
7. Cloth Diaper Over Disposable
This hack has saved me when we were traveling and I really needed my baby to not have a poop explosion! You put your baby in their regular diaper of choice and then put a cloth diaper on top. The baby’s poop and urine is contained by the cloth diaper cover if there’s any diaper leaks.
These cloth diapers from Amazon are really inexpensive and a good option for being your diaper cover.
8. Use a Diaper Insert
If you have a baby that is a really heavy wetter, you can trying placing a diaper insert (cloth or disposable!) in their diaper. These help with further absorption of any liquids and prevent the diaper from overflowing.
These reusable bamboo inserts are really soft and have great reviews on Amazon. Another really popular option is the Sposie Booster Pads. These are disposable and have different insert size options for different diaper sizes.
9. Leg Cuff Fit
The leg cuff fit is really important to avoid leakage out of the leg holes. You want the leg cuff to fit snugly, but not too tight where your baby may have red marks left over when you change it. An easy way to check if the leg cuffs fit, is by pushing your baby’s leg up towards their chest and also pulling out to the side. If you see any gaps, the diaper is too big and will cause leaks.
10. Change Diaper More Often
If your baby takes a poop, of course change the diaper right away. But if your baby continues to have blowouts, it may be a good idea to change the diaper more frequently. This can help because if the diaper is trying to hold too much at once, the next time your baby goes then they will experience a blowout.
11. Change Diaper Brand
If the brand you’re currently using is causing a lot of diaper leaks, try different brands to see if there’s a better fit for your baby.
Honest Company and Babyganics are known for running a bit smaller than other diapers, so this may be a good option if you have a smaller baby.
Huggies Little Snugglers are a good option for chunky babies due to their really elastic waistband and elastic bands around the legs.
12. Blowouts at Night
Diaper blowouts can be really common at night especially if your baby is sleeping longer stretches of time. A great way to prevent these is with overnight diapers or diaper booster pads. My favorite overnight diapers are from Honest Company. Those always were enough for my heavy wetter baby but for extra protection, or if you prefer to just use one type of diaper, you can also insert a Sposie Booster Pad.
I’ve included some other overnight diaper options as well that other mom’s rave about.
Another pro tip to make those middle of the night blowouts a bit easier is to have an extra mattress protector and sheet underneath. That way when you take off the soiled sheets on top, you already have a fresh set ready underneath. Then all you have to do is get a fresh diaper on your baby and throw those dirty sheets in the washing machine!
13. Switch to Cloth Diapers
If you’re really struggling with huge diaper blowouts, it may be worth trying cloth diapers to see if they stop. Since every baby is so different, sometimes cloth diapers may be a better fit overall and put an end to a daily poop explosion.
These Kanga Care Rumparooz Cloth Diapers from Amazon are highly rated for their absorbency and reducing diaper blowouts. They are more of an investment, but are reusable and high quality.
14. Adjustments to Diaper
Some simple adjustments to the diapers you already use may help contain leaks. One trick is to fold the front panel of the diaper down and inward towards baby about 1/2-1 inch. Then securely fasten the tabs. This little trick may help make the sizing fit better for your baby and also creates a little pocket to avoid leaks from the front.
15. Correct Clothing Size
Make sure the clothing your baby is wearing is not too restrictive. If your baby is wearing a onesie or pants/shorts that are too tight, this can cause pressure on the diaper and push the liquids out causing leaks.
16. Watch for a Pooping Schedule
This may be helpful for some babies who tend to poop around the same time each day. If you learn your baby’s schedule (if they have one), you will be able to plan better for any accidents. Maybe wait for them to poop before you go run your errands. Or double up on the diaper protection if you anticipate a poop is coming.
17. Back of the Diaper
Make sure when putting the diaper on, that the back of the diaper isn’t folded or twisted in any way. Ensure the diaper is high up and laying flat along the baby’s back.
Be Prepared
18. Envelope Onesie
You may be wondering, what is an envelope onesie? They are the baby onesies you see everywhere. But what makes these special for diaper blowouts is rather than having to pull the onesie up over your baby’s head when its covered in poop, you can pull it down their body to take it off.
The shoulders will flex and stretch over baby’s shoulders so you can pull it down. This prevents you from trying to figure out how to get this poop-covered onesie off your baby without covering them in even more. These Simple Joy’s by Carters onesies are my favorite!
19. Packing Diaper Bag
The first thing you should do before you leave the house is make sure you have a well-packed diaper bag! It’s a good idea to have an extra outfit, baby wipes, extra diapers, and a wet bag or plastic bag to put any dirty clothes in. I never ever leave the house without an extra change of clothes for the kids.
20. Baby Poops
Babies tend to have more diaper explosions due to the fact that they have loose stool from only drinking liquids (breast milk or formula). Once they start eating solid food, your baby’s poop will start to become more formed and the poop explosions will drastically decrease. So hang in there!
21. Protecting Baby’s Skin
Frequent blowouts can cause redness and a rash on your baby’s skin. If you start noticing any redness, try to avoid using wipes and instead use warm water to rinse your baby’s bottom.
I would recommend applying Aquaphor after cleaning, on to any red areas. Aquaphor is a protective layer for the skin to prevent any further damage from the poop/urine and is also healing. You can also apply to healed skin to prevent any future diaper rash.
If your baby has sensitive skin, I would recommend Water Wipes. They’re made of 99.9% water and are the most gentle on baby’s bum. They can also be used for the face and hands as well.
22. Car Seat Travel
It’s a good idea if you’re traveling with your baby in the car seat to include one of these tips listed above to reinforce the diaper. Car seats are a common place for baby diaper blowouts, and usually you are on your way somewhere and don’t want to arrive with your baby covered in poop!
You can choose between the cloth diaper inserts, cloth diaper cover, disposable diaper inserts, or overnight diaper depending on which method works best for your baby.
I really hope one of these tips helps you learn how to prevent diaper blowouts you may be having with your baby! Once we determined the cause for my daughter’s blowouts, it was an easy fix!
It can definitely be a learning curve, but I’m confident through these tips you will discover how to prevent diaper blowouts in your little one!
Other Posts You May Like:
- 10 Amazing Baby Feeding Essentials for Starting Solids
- The Best Proven Ways to Increase Your Breastfeeding Milk Supply
Oh how I remember those days! My children are 19 and 16 now. You have some great advice here for parents!
Thank you so much! Definitely enjoying these times while I have them!