In a perfect world, bottles would magically refill themselves, dirty onesies would clean themselves, and a full diaper would change itself. But until either technology or a fairy godmother makes any of these fantasies a reality, parents are left to deal with various types of parenting situations, from the mundane to the messy. Perhaps the least favorite moment in any parent's life is when their child's diaper fails to contain its contents. That's why I firmly believe all parents should have a few diaper blow out hacks in their parenting skill set so they don't have to go into the situation blindly.
The only silver lining to this otherwise disgusting cloud is that it seems to have a universal bonding effect. You could be standing in line at the grocery when your baby suddenly suffers a diaper disaster only to find a shared sense of camaraderie and solidarity from a fellow parent. That exact situation actually did happen to me in a Target, and I have never been so thankful for the kindness of strangers who have been in my shoes before. So if you want to make sure you're prepared for a possible poop-ageddon, check out these diaper blow out hacks.
1Invest In Durable Materials
This one involves a bit of pre-planning, but can definitely pay off. To avoid dealing with a soaked and soiled outfit, you could try a lined onesie, like the ones from Poopsies. The fabric is waterproof but breathable so clean up is a breeze.
2Consider Sizing
Just like adults, kids come in all different shapes and sizes, too. As parenting expert Julia Clark told Babble, you have to "make sure the diaper fits, especially around the legs" to deal with blowouts. This is especially important if your baby tends to be smaller or larger than average and you may need to adjust their diaper size accordingly.
3Go Big
Blowout Blocker Diaper Extension, $13, Amazon
Since diapers can only stretch so far, sometimes you need a little extra help. There are plenty of options when it comes to diaper extenders, like the Baby Blowout Blocker. This way you can quickly take care of the up-the-back mess.
4Mend It
One of the worst diaper blow outs my son ever had happened in the waiting room of his pediatrician's office. For whatever reason, I failed to pack any diapers in his bag. So what's a parent to do when you only have spare clothes or a burp cloth on hand? You improvise, of course, by turning whatever you have into a makeshift diaper. Apparently great minds think alike, since Kristen Bell shared her diaper hack which showed a hair tie used to momentarily mend the accident. Basically, you just need to MacGyver the scenario as best as you can.
5Get The Faucet Going
If your baby has a blow out at home, try and resist the urge to panic. As dermatology expert and author Melissa Schweiger told Babble, you can "get a bath ready before you change the diaper and then whisk the baby right into it."
6Zip It Up
In the unfortunate event that your baby has a blow out in public, it helps to keep things as sanitary as possible during the clean up process. According to the official site of mom and author Gemma Hartley, you should keep Ziploc bags in your diaper bag to neatly contain any soiled items until you're able to get home and deal with them.
7Use Jelly
Again, this falls into the category of pre-planning, but it is certainly a life saver. According to What To Expect, a thin layer of petroleum jelly makes clean up easier and helps prevent diaper rash. The idea is that it acts as a barrier so fecal matter won't stick to a baby's bum.
8Do A Little DIY
Perhaps the most inconvenient place for a blow out to happen is in the car. Before we knew my son was allergic to dairy, he seemed to be having diaper troubles on a fairly regular basis. Since I was growing weary of constantly cleaning his car seat, I decided to do a little DIY action. Using wax paper, I traced out the shape of his seat and where the buckles were. Then, using my template, I cut a generic disposable changing pad to fit perfectly in his seat. It's cheap, easy, and a whole lot easier than pulling the entire seat out of the car to clean it.
