Skip to main content
N I Direct government services

Main navigation

  • Home
  • News
  • Contacts
  • Help
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • YouTube
  • RSS

Breadcrumb

  1. Home
  2. Health and wellbeing
  3. Living well
  4. Birth to five
  5. After the birth of your child
  6. The first weeks after birth

Changing your baby

Babies need their nappies changed fairly often, or else they will become sore. Unless your baby is sleeping peacefully, always change a wet or dirty nappy and change your baby before or after each feed.

Where to change your baby's nappy

Organise a place where you change your baby so that everything you need is there. The best place to change a nappy is on a changing mat or a towel, or on the floor, especially if you have more than one baby.

That way, if you take your eye off your baby for a moment to look after another child, your baby cannot fall and get hurt.

Try to sit down so you don’t hurt your back. If you are using a changing table, keep an eye on your baby at all times.

How to change a nappy

You need to clean your baby carefully each time you change a nappy to help prevent soreness and nappy rash.

When changing your baby’s nappy, you should;

  • wash your hands before and after changing your baby
  • take off the nappy and wipe away any mess from your baby using cotton wool
  • wash your baby’s bottom and genitals with cotton wool and warm water and dry thoroughly – for girls, wipe away from the vagina, and for boys gently clean the foreskin of the penis
  • if their bottom is red, use a cream such as zinc and castor oil which can form a waterproof coating to protect the skin – use this sparingly as cream can prevent the nappy from absorbing urine
  • if you are using a cloth nappy, place it in a waterproof cover and put a nappy liner inside – lay your baby on the nappy, fasten it and check that it fits snuggly around the waist and legs
  • if you are using a disposable nappy, put the side with the sticky tape under your baby’s bottom and fasten the tapes at the front – be careful not to get cream on the tabs or they will not stick

Nappy hygiene

It is important to dispose of any used nappies hygienically to protect your baby’s health.

Disposable nappies

If the nappy is dirty, flush the contents down the toilet. Roll up the nappy and re-tape it securely and put it in a plastic bag. Don’t put anything but nappies in this bag. Fasten it and put it in your bin every day.

Cloth nappies

If the nappy is dirty, flush the contents down the toilet. Biodegradable, flushable nappy liners are available to make it easy.

Have a bucket with a lid ready to store the dirty nappies. You can soak them in nappy cleanser or just store them here until you have a load ready for washing.

Wash nappies as soon as possible. Follow the care instructions on your nappies, but a 60ºC wash is usually okay.

If you did not soak the nappies before, add an antibacterial nappy cleanser to your normal washing detergent, following the instructions on the packet. Don’t use enzyme washing powders or fabric conditioner, as these may irritate your baby’s skin and make the nappy less absorbent.

Make sure you use the right amount of detergent and rinse thoroughly. Always keep nappy sacks, other plastic bags and wrapping away from babies and buy in a roll if possible.

Nappy rash

Most babies get a sore bottom or have nappy rash at some time, but some have extra-sensitive skin. Nappy rashes are caused by contact between sensitive skin and soiled nappies.

If you notice redness or spots, clean your baby very carefully and change their nappies more often. Better still, give your baby time without a nappy and let the air get to their skin. Keep a spare nappy handy to mop up any accidents. You will soon see the rash start to get better.

If your baby does have a rash, ask your midwife or health visitor about it. They may advise you to use a protective cream. If the rash seems to be painful and will not go away, see your health visitor or GP.

Babies’ stools

Immediately after birth and for the first few days, your baby is likely to pass a sticky, greenish-black substance. This is called meconium and is the waste that has collected in your baby’s bowels while they were in your womb.

As your baby begins to digest milk, their stools will change. They will become more yellow or orange and can be quite a bright colour. Breastfed babies have quite runny stools. Formula fed babies are firmer and smell more.

Babies vary a lot in how often they pass stools. Some have a bowel movement at or around each feed, some can go several days without a movement. Either can be normal, but most breastfed babies produce at least one stool a day for the first six weeks.

When to get help

Most small babies strain and go red in the face, or even cry, when passing a stool. This is normal and doesn’t mean they are constipated as long as the stools are soft. If you are worried that your baby may be constipated, mention this to your midwife or health visitor.

What you find in your baby’s nappies will probably vary from day to day and there is usually no need to worry. Ask your doctor, midwife or health visitor if you notice any big changes, such as stools;

  • becoming very frequent and watery
  • having a very strong smell
  • changing colour to become green, white or creamy or if you notice any blood

More useful links

  • Caring for your baby in their first weeks
  • Getting to know your baby
Share this page Share on Facebook (external link opens in a new window / tab) Share on Twitter (external link opens in a new window / tab) Share by email (external link opens in a new window / tab)

The first weeks after birth

  • Caring for your baby in their first weeks
  • Changing your baby
  • Getting to know your baby
  • Recovering after giving birth
  • Registering and naming your baby
  • Washing and bathing your baby
  • Your postnatal check
  • Your wellbeing after pregnancy

Translation help

How to translate this page

Help improve this page - send your feedback

What do you want to do?
Report a problem
Which problem did you find on this page? (Tick all that apply)

Messages

You will not receive a reply. We will consider your feedback to help improve the site.

Don't include any personal or financial information, for example National Insurance, credit card numbers, or phone numbers.

What is your question about?

What to do next

Comments or queries about angling can be emailed to anglingcorrespondence@daera-ni.gov.uk 

If you have a comment or query about benefits, you will need to contact the government department or agency which handles that benefit.  Contacts for common benefits are listed below.

Carer's Allowance

Call 0800 587 0912
Email 
dcs.incomingpostteamdhc2@nissa.gsi.gov.uk

Discretionary support / Short-term benefit advance

Call 0800 587 2750 
Email 
customerservice.unit@communities-ni.gov.uk

Disability Living Allowance

Call 0800 587 0912 
Email dcs.incomingpostteamdhc2@nissa.gsi.gov.uk

Employment and Support Allowance

Call 0800 587 1377

Jobseeker’s Allowance

Contact your local Jobs & Benefits office

Personal Independence Payment

Call 0800 587 0932

If your query is about another benefit, select ‘Other’ from the drop-down menu above.

Comments or queries about the Blue Badge scheme can be emailed to bluebadges@infrastructure-ni.gov.uk or you can also call 0300 200 7818.

For queries or advice about careers, contact the Careers Service.

For queries or advice about Child Maintenance, contact the Child Maintenance Service.

For queries or advice about claiming compensation due to a road problem, contact DFI Roads claim unit.

If you can’t find the information you’re looking for in the Coronavirus (COVID-19) section, then for queries about:

  • Restrictions or regulations — contact the Department of Health
  • Travel advice (including self-isolation) — contact the Department of Health
  • Coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccinations — contact the Department of Health or Public Health Agency

If your query is about another topic, select ‘Other’ from the drop-down menu above.

For queries about your identity check, email nida@nidirect.gov.uk and for queries about your certificate, email covidcertni@hscni.net.

For queries or advice about criminal record checks, email ani@accessni.gov.uk

Application and payment queries can be emailed to ema_ni@slc.co.uk

For queries or advice about employment rights, contact the Labour Relations Agency.

For queries or advice about birth, death, marriage and civil partnership certificates and research, contact the General Register Office Northern Ireland (GRONI) by email gro_nisra@finance-ni.gov.uk

For queries about the High Street Spend Local Scheme,  email HSSS.mail@economy-ni.gov.uk.

For queries about:

  • Car tax, vehicle registration and SORN
    contact the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA), Swansea
     
  • Driver licensing and tests, MOT and vehicle testing
    contact the Driver & Vehicle Agency (DVA), Northern Ireland

If your query is about another topic, select ‘Other’ from the drop-down menu above.

For queries about your identity check, email nida@nidirect.gov.uk.

 

For queries or advice about passports, contact HM Passport Office.

For queries or advice about Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs), including parking tickets and bus lane PCNs, email dcu@infrastructure-ni.gov.uk

For queries or advice about pensions, contact the Northern Ireland Pension Centre.

If you wish to report a problem with a road or street you can do so online in this section.

If you wish to check on a problem or fault you have already reported, contact DfI Roads.

For queries or advice about historical, social or cultural records relating to Northern Ireland, use the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI) enquiry service.

For queries or advice about rates, email LPSCustomerTeam@lpsni.gov.uk

For queries or advice about  60+ and Senior Citizen SmartPasses (which can be used to get concessionary travel on public transport), contact Smartpass - Translink.

If you have a question about a government service or policy, you should contact the relevant government organisation directly.  We don't have access to information about you.

Related sites

  • gov.uk
  • nibusinessinfo.co.uk

Links to supporting information

  • Accessibility statement
  • Crown copyright
  • Terms and conditions
  • Privacy
  • Cookies
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • YouTube
  • RSS