The new norm for parents is definitely being covered in various bodily fluids, from baby vomit to wee, but why do babies pee when you change their nappy, and how can you stop them from doing it? Read on to learn more and learn some tips and tricks to make nappy changing a smooth process.

Why do babies pee when you change their nappy?

Just like adults, babies can experience cold diuresis. This means that when their genitals are exposed to the cold, they may feel the urge to wee¹, and, as they have limited bladder control, they will often fulfil this urge! Anecdotally, this seems to be more of a problem with baby boys due to their anatomy², which allows them to send a jet of weeeverywhere! Of course, this can be a real frustration for new parents, as it can lead to a lot of extra laundry for both you and baby. So how can you stop a baby peeing on you when you change their nappy?

Tricks and tools to stop a baby peeing on you when changing their nappy

There’s a lot of advice out there on how to stop a baby peeing on you when changing their nappy, so it may feel a little overwhelming to know where to start. Here are our five favourite tricks and tools to manage this situation.

1. Encourage your little one to wee before the nappy comes off

If you can get your baby to urinate before you change their nappy, you’re likely to avoid getting covered in wee. You can do this with the wet wipe trick. Just take a cold wet wipe and run it over the bottom of their tummy. This should mimic the feeling of cold air on their genitals and get them to wee before you take the nappy off!³

You could also try letting cold air flow over your little one’s genitals before changing the nappy by opening the dirty nappy, letting the cold air hit, the quickly folding it over again.⁴ Once they’ve done a wee, you can do the nappy change.

2. Prepare, prepare, prepare!

Make sure you have everything you need on hand before you perform the nappy change. This will speed up the process and shorten the window for your little one weeing on. Some basics are:

• a clean nappy
• wipes or cotton wool and water
• nappy bag
• barrier cream
• a change of clothes in case of a leak
• a toy to distract them⁵

3. Shield yourself

In case the wet wipe trick didn’t work, have something on hand to shield yourself from the urine stream. If you have a little boy, you could buy a pee-pee teepee, which is designed to cover their penis and catch the wee before it hits you. However, simply placing a towel, clean nappy, cloth nappy insert or baby wipe over their genitals will have the same effect.⁶

4. Keep baby warm

As we said, cold air causes your little one to pee on you during a nappy change, so keeping them warm may help lower the chances of this happening. You can do this by making sure you change them in a warm room⁷ or warming up the wipes so that they don’t make your baby’s bottom cold⁸.

If you want to keep your baby comfortable and secure with the range of baby and junior solutions on iD Direct. We can even help you choose the right nappies for your baby with this handy guide.

5. Look out for signs your baby is about to pee

Your baby might give some indications that they are about to wee. These signs could include:

• being extra fussy
• making a specific noise
• making a specific facial expression
• crying⁹

Once you know the tell-tale signs that your little one is about to urinate, you can avoid changing their nappy until they are finished.

We hope these tips and tricks help you stop your baby from peeing on you while changing their nappy. However, it’s something of a write of passage for new parents, so don’t be surprised if it happens to you!

If you want to keep your baby comfortable and secure with the range of baby and junior solutions on iD Direct. We can even help you choose the right nappies for your baby with this handy guide. Also check out our Comfy Junior Slip page for more information!

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Sources

¹ “How to stop baby peeing during nappy change”, Mum’s Grapevine, 25 February 2021, Source: https://mumsgrapevine.com.au/2021/02/stop-baby-peeing-nappy-change/
² “7 Easy Tips to Prevent Your Baby Boy From Peeing on You”, Joshua Bartlett, 12 October 2019, Source: https://naturalbabylife.com/prevent-baby-boy-from-peeing-on-you-during-diaper-change/
³ “Try this one little trick to stop your baby peeing everywhere during nappy changes”, This glorious life, 16 March 2016, Source: https://thisgloriouslife.co.uk/try-this-one-little-trick-to-stop-your-baby-peeing-everywhere-during-nappy-changes/
⁴ “How to stop baby peeing during nappy change”, Mum’s Grapevine, 25 February 2021, Source: https://mumsgrapevine.com.au/2021/02/stop-baby-peeing-nappy-change/
⁵ “How to change a nappy – without further a-poo, let’s skid right in…”, The Wriggler, n.d., Source: https://thewriggler.com/blogs/news/how-to-change-a-nappy-your-complete-guide-from-birth-to-potty-training
⁶ “How to Avoid Getting Peed on By a Baby Boy”, Morgan, 10 November 2020, Source: https://www.morganmanagesmommyhood.com/how-to-avoid-getting-peed-on-by-a-baby-boy/
⁷ Ibid
⁸ “9 Easy Ways to Prevent your Baby from Peeing on You”, Bless Our Littles, n.d., Source: https://www.blessourlittles.com/prevent-your-baby-from-peeing-on-you/
⁹ Ibid