Lessons from the NICU

Let me tell you a little trick that will save you a lot of time, effort and frustration in the future. I don't remember who taught me this trick (I'm sure it was my mother) but I'm honestly astounded everytime I meet someone that doesn't know how to do it. Or chooses not to do it. It's a neat trick, that's all I'm saying.

Well, maybe it's not so much a trick as it is something you should just DO, but regardless... here it is.

When you are changing a diaper, it is imperative that you first open up the clean diaper and slide it under the baby's bottom (under the dirty diaper) before removing the dirty diaper. This way, as soon as you remove the dirty diaper you can close up the clean diaper.

Closing up the clean diaper quickly is very important. This is not a process you want to take your time with. I'm sure you've all heard of little boys that think that as soon as they are free and naked they should pee all over the place. I have found this to be the case but you can halt the pee spray by closing the clean diaper quickly, thereby preventing everything in the near vacinity of the baby from getting covered in pee.

Today... well... today I had a new experience. I was changing a little girl and as soon as I pulled the dirty diaper free she... and I am not exagerrating in any way, shape or form... shot poop out onto the second diaper. I've never ever seen that happen before. It literally shot out of her like water from a fire hose. Thankfully I had the second diaper ready and was able to contain the mess. When I thought she was finished I got a third diaper ready and carefully removed the now dirty second diaper.

Guess what happened?

If you guessed that she shot more poop out, you would be correct. If you guessed that it was an even greater amount of poop than the first time, you would also be correct.

So I waited for her to finish up, got my fourth diaper ready and carefully slid the third diaper away.

Thankfully she was finished this time and didn't shoot any poop out.

So, the moral of the story is... have your diaper ready unless you want to be the victim of an enthusiastic pee sprayer or poop shooter.