[Jodie8]

<p>Ok, so this is embarrassing, but how exactly do you change a girls diaper? Do you just wipe over the labia or do they need to be parted? I keep reading conflicting things and my first child was a boy and things were much more straightforward with him!</p>
<p><span><img alt="confused.gif" src="http://files.mothering.com/images/smilies/confused.gif"></span></p>

 

[Nicole730]

<p>DDC crashing from new posts.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>For pee, I don't usually do more than a brush over.  If there is poo in there, I open it up and then pat it a wet flannel cloth until it's all clean.  I don't usually wipe that area, but pat it. </p>

 

[tibeca]

<p>Unless there's poop, I just wipe (very gently) the outside. No parting or other "invasive" cleaning. Considering that the vagina is so swollen I imagine it is probably over sensitive/painful, and so I like to keep wiping to a minimum.</p>

 

[fancyoats]

<p>i would rinse my dd in the sink with warm water, face down, with her belly supported by my forearm, and one hand holding her thigh, splashing water on her bum until it was clean.  then i would flip her onto her back, and run her vulva directly under the faucet, and clean her with my hand, using the same kind of motion i would use on myself in the shower, if that makes sense.  it sounds tricky, but it only took a few seconds and i always felt better about how clean she was compared to just using wipes.  for pee, i would just pat her to make sure she was dry.  her bum was getting washed so often from poo that i didn't worry too much about wiping pee off of her.  she was never rashy.</p>

 

[~adorkable~]

DDCC because I was wondering this too and having a girl in Jan.<br><br>
there concern doing that rinse face down that you are doing the same thing as wiping back to front and actually pulling more poop related stuffs into the folds on her vagina? How much in general is this a concern?

 

[kawa kamuri]

<p>I had three sons before I had a daughter. I had no idea what changing a girl was like and had to ask friends. For pee just wipe her outer labia. For poop, depending on the consistency and def with newborn poo, open her labia with a couple fingers and clean. When practical, sink washing is great for all sexes. Babies have really tiny vulvas so it's pretty difficult to avoid getting poop all over the area. I've never really thought about it with an infant. It's kind of unavoidable. </p>

 

[LionessMom]

<p>i just wipe them. they dont really get poop in there. it mostly stays on the outside of the labia. wiping in there can get poop in the vagina so i avoid that. i always bathe my girls at least every other day unless they get a rash then it is every day. i make sure that i go from front to back just like i do myself. if it is just pee i dont wipe them unless they have a rash then i wipe and dry before i diaper. DD2 has gotten a lot of rashes from before we figured out she was sensitive to the dairy in my diet. and a lot of diarrhea. and it still doesnt really get in between the labia. maybe once or twice and i just bathed her.</p>

 

[mommy2maya]

<p>I have had three girls.  For pee, just a quick wipe down.  For poop, wipe front to back, and gently pull apart the vulva and wipe if there is any in there.  Easy peasy.  None of my girls have ever had any problems</p>

 

[HeatherB]

<p>I've also had three boys and now have a little girl and have not been 100% sure what the proper course was, either. <img alt="redface.gif" src="http://files.mothering.com/images/smilies/redface.gif">  Really, her labia are so swollen (I assume - or is that normal?) that it doesn't seem like anything would typically get in there.  But then I hate not to be wiping thoroughly enough if you're supposed to be doing more.  <img alt="eyesroll.gif" src="http://files.mothering.com/images/smilies/eyesroll.gif">  I'm glad to have another mama post and also to hear that there really are various ways of approaching it!  </p>
<p> </p>
<p>I confess that with my boys we would skip wiping if they were just wet (not always, but sometimes, especially as they got older) but then I'm not sure if that's acceptable with a girl or not.  I know *I* am not comfortable without thorough drying, but I guess we're not drying her at all, are we, just wiping urine with water. Sigh.  That doesn't make a whole lot of sense, then, unless the urine irritates more.  Are they likely to get rashy if wet-only dipes are not wiped? </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Indeed, it would've been much simpler to have another boy!  <img alt="redface.gif" src="http://files.mothering.com/images/smilies/redface.gif">  But I am loving the new adventure of having a girl!  <img alt="love.gif" src="http://files.mothering.com/images/smilies/love.gif"></p>

 

[kawa kamuri]

<p>It is normal for them to be swollen just like a boy. I think it's fine not to wipe after pee only. <br>
 </p>
<div class="quote-container"><span>Quote:</span>
<div class="quote-block">Originally Posted by <strong>HeatherB</strong> <a href="/community/forum/thread/1281935/probably-the-dumbest-question-ever-about-diaper-changes#post_16077085"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/community/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style="border:0px solid;"></a><br><br><p>I've also had three boys and now have a little girl and have not been 100% sure what the proper course was, either. <img alt="redface.gif" src="http://files.mothering.com/images/smilies/redface.gif">  Really, her labia are so swollen (I assume - or is that normal?) that it doesn't seem like anything would typically get in there.  But then I hate not to be wiping thoroughly enough if you're supposed to be doing more.  <img alt="eyesroll.gif" src="http://files.mothering.com/images/smilies/eyesroll.gif">  I'm glad to have another mama post and also to hear that there really are various ways of approaching it!  </p>
<p> </p>
<p>I confess that with my boys we would skip wiping if they were just wet (not always, but sometimes, especially as they got older) but then I'm not sure if that's acceptable with a girl or not.  I know *I* am not comfortable without thorough drying, but I guess we're not drying her at all, are we, just wiping urine with water. Sigh.  That doesn't make a whole lot of sense, then, unless the urine irritates more.  Are they likely to get rashy if wet-only dipes are not wiped? </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Indeed, it would've been much simpler to have another boy!  <img alt="redface.gif" src="http://files.mothering.com/images/smilies/redface.gif">  But I am loving the new adventure of having a girl!  <img alt="love.gif" src="http://files.mothering.com/images/smilies/love.gif"></p>
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[~Demeter~]

<p>Heather, that reminds me lol when I had Sage she came after 3 boys... I was absolutely clueless lmao. I took her to the doctor for the first time when she was like 3 days old and was like... ummmmmm how do I clean it??? My doctor actually laughed at me. (not in a mean way lol)</p>
<p> </p>
<p>I just wipe the surface mostly... if I notice a little gets in there I might spread a little but I definitely don't go digging around in there. The vagina is a self cleaning organ so I have no worries really about poop getting in there and causing problems. I sometimes don't wipe after a pee... I guess it just depends on how quickly I need to change her and how much pee exactly she has on her. If she's in a cloth diaper then I do tend to wipe because it doesn't absorb the pee like a sposie does.</p>

 

[HeatherB]

<p>I searched the Life with a Babe forum and found quite a few other people having posted the same question.  :lol  Clearly, it's not as dumb a question as it feels!</p>