Looking for quick tips to make changing a baby’s diaper easier? Prevent scary diaper incidents with these mind-blowing diaper hacks for both new moms and seasoned parents.

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It’s true what they say about parenthood: when you have a baby or toddler in diapers, every day is a little scary.

So when it comes to changing diapers, nothing is scarier to me than one of those days you find a rogue diaper lying in the middle of the hallway…a lonely little diaper on the floor of your home that your baby or toddler ripped off. Because of course, this means he is now running around naked and has either left you a scary little surprise hiding on the floor or is ready to get down to business!

This is the predicament we find ourselves in daily. With a diaper-wearing two-year-old, slowly transitioning into a big boy searching for a little freedom every now and then.

I’m sure every mom of a little one has experienced something similar. Whether it’s the inevitable diaper blowout, hands in the underpants or that moment you reach into your diaper bag to change a big mess…only to realize you are all out of diapers.

SCARY INDEED.

The Best Diaper Hacks for Easy Changing

To help other parents alleviate some of this stressful mess that comes with those scary diaper moments, we’ve put together our favorite tips and tricks for making diaper changes a little easier. Because whether you’re a new mom or third-time mom, it’s never too late to learn a new thing or two about diapers. My mind was blown when I discovered a few of these diaper tips — they just never crossed my mind the first time around!

15 Mind-Blowing Diaper Tips & Tricks

#1. Diaper strips help identify wet diapers.

This diaper tip is one of my favorites. If you haven’t noticed yet, some special diapers (perfect for infants but sizes for all) come with a light yellow strip down the front. This yellow line turns blue when baby pees, making it much easier to actually know when baby is wet!

Absolutely amazing when going through the 10-12 diapers a day with a newborn and trying to prevent diaper rash!! I loved Pampers Swaddlers because of this wetness indicator to help new parents better judge when baby’s diaper was actually wet and time for a change.

Another plus? Pampers just introduced the NEW 2x softer Pampers Swaddlers with Heart Quilts offering double the softness to keep babies more comfortable with even more (12+ hours) protection. The line even includes a special umbilical cord notch to gently wrap baby.

#2. Diaper markers help measure where diaper tabs should attach.

Ever wonder where exactly the tapes on the diaper should go when changing a baby? As a new mom, I often wondered if baby’s diaper was too loose or too tight and time to move a size up before dealing with a leaky mess.

Luckily, Pampers diapers include a nifty little feature you might have not noticed. Marked in red or blue you’ll see two lines at the very top of the diaper helping you better judge where to attach those diaper tapes.

AH-MAZING!

The tapes should be attached symmetrically on the colored waistband on the front of the diaper.

#3. Take advantage of onesie shoulder flaps during big diaper messes.

Okay, this hack seems to be one more and MORE moms and dads are finally catching on to.

If you’re like the rest of us, you’ve probably overlooked the neat little design on various onesies — where the shoulder flaps easily unfold sort of like envelope sleeves. Did you know there is actually a really good purpose behind them?? Yep!

When the inevitable scary diaper blowout occurs and baby has poop up their back and front, you can open these shoulder folds and roll the onesie down the baby, instead of removing the entire soiled onesie over the heard to keep them clean from the neck up!

GENIUS!

#4. Diaper cuffs should be pulled out to help prevent leaks.

When you really want to prevent leaks, make sure you’re taking advantage of all those diaper features, including those little cuffs that look like ruffles on the sides of the diapers. They aren’t there just to look pretty. If you pull them out and make sure they aren’t folded over when in use, they help keep diaper contents in place so there’s less chance of a leakage.

#5. Roll onesie up and over baby’s arms to keep wondering hands away from poop.

Oh the number of times, I’ve gone into germaphobic mode the moment those little hands touched the dirty goods! Let’s face it, it’s hard to keep your cool when your cleaning up a diaper mess only to see your baby’s hand decide to cop a feel!

To prevent flailing little arms reaching in towards the goods, roll up that onesie over baby’s arms like a baby-friendly straight jacket and wipe away!

#6. Use diaper stats to make sure baby is wearing the right diaper size.

This diaper is a little tight on baby. This diaper is too loose on baby.

How do I know baby is ready to move on to the next size?

These are questions that many first-time moms ask themselves when deciding which diaper size is best for their baby.

And of course, many times diaper accidents happen simply because baby is wearing the WRONG size. Whether we just bought a jumbo box of diapers and are quickly trying to use them up before purchasing the next size up, or think it’s just a bad diaper, it’s important to use the stats on the diaper box and other cues to make sure your baby’s diaper is the right size.

When trying to determine if a diaper fits well, check the size ranges on the box. You should also make sure the waist is snug and just under the belly but actually covering your baby’s bottom completely. Red marks on legs and a soaking diaper are signs of a too small diaper.

#7. Put baby in snug pants to keep him from ripping off a diaper.

Baby ripping off diaper like ours? We found it a little less tempting when we immediately dressed him in comfy, yet snug bottoms or underwear like these. If your child still wears one-piece pajamas, dressing them in a backwards jammies is a simple trick to keep those diapers right where they belong!!

#8. Place a clean diaper, under the dirty diaper you are about to change for easy cleaning.

I like to avoid scary messes whenever diaper changes are involved, so if I don’t have a reliable changing mat available I simply place the new diaper under the one I’m changing. Now as soon as I’ve wiped and lathered baby I can simply toss the dirty diaper aside and put the clean diaper on without making a mess all over the floor or bed.

#9. Invest in a portable changing station to make diaper changes on the go a breeze.

If you’ve ever felt like that hot-mess mom rummaging through her bags and stroller looking for all the essentials for changing a diaper, you’ll be glad to hear there’s an easier way.

I felt like this several times when out and about (even though I thought I was prepared). It made my life a lot easier when I had everything roll-out and ready to go in one movement. Changing stations like this one include a baby-safe changing mat, and space to keep some wipes and cream. Some even have a little belt buckle to keep baby in place. One of my now go-to ways to avoid the scary overwhelm.

#10. Apply diaper ointment at every change to prevent a rash.

One of the scariest moments of diapering may come when you notice a terrible rash developing on baby’s bottom. The easiest way to prevent a rash is to be proactive and apply diaper ointment like Aquaphor or Desitin cream during every change. It’s as simple as that.

#11. Let baby have a little naked time to help relieve diaper rash.

When it’s too late for prevention, it’s also important to treat it carefully. One of the best ways to naturally alleviate a diaper rash is to let baby enjoy a few minutes of naked time. As long as they are in a contained area, after being cleaned let them air it out for a few minutes to reduce a rash.

#12. Point a little boy’s parts downwards in a diaper to avoid a soaking.

As a mom to three boys, I’ve lost count on the number of times I’ve had a perplexed look on my face when noticing baby’s chest and stomach soaked but no blue wetness indicator on diaper. Well this was up until the first boy baby, when I caught on to what was happening. Baby’s little parts were pointing up when in the diaper initially, keeping his clothes wet and diaper dry. Avoid this simply by aiming down!

#13. Create a shield against pee with a clean diaper.

Usually when parents are changing a diaper, they have to stop for a few seconds to reach over and grab wipes or cream. Again, if you have a baby boy you know all too well that one second is just enough time to get sprayed in the face. Oh the life of a boy mom! I remember watching my sisters who only had girl babies at the time…they would take their time reaching over for stuff with the diaper flap open. Meanwhile there was me with three boys who knew how fast I had to work! Boy were they in for a surprise when they had boys! Haha.

Moms of little boys can create a shield against pee by keep baby’s parts covered while reaching for anything.

#14. Use the top part of a soiled diaper as the first wipe.

This diaper hack may sound a little strange, but oh how incredibly useful it is for the times you only have 1 or 2 wipes left and are dealing with a poop diaper.

#15. Have an emergency diaper stash ready for unexpected moments.

If you’ve experienced one of those really scary diaper moments of not actually having ANY diapers on hand when in need, you’ll know all too well about the importance of stocking up and planning for the inevitable.

An emergency diaper stash is just what it sounds like. Having two or three diapers nearby for when you least expect it is something you’ll pack yourself on the back forever. Stash a couple extra diapers in the car, in your closet and in that secret pocket of your bag so that when you are out an about you won’t have to worry that much.

Another really easy way to avoid this scary moment is to simply buy in bulk. Places like Sam’s Club are essential for times like these. Now through November 25th you can shop at Sam’s Club (or online at samsclub.com) to get an instant savings of $3 off each box of Pampers diapers and wipes with FREE shipping. They actually make it really easy to get these savings by automatically calculating savings at checkout (no coupon necessary) or if you want to skip the checkout, simply scan as you go with the Sam’s Club Scan and Go App (iPhone or Android).

Visit the Pampers Product Page to see which diapers are best for your baby.

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Pampers at Sam’s Club. The opinions and text are all mine.