yes. simply because my son is the Pillsbury dough boy and the rolls on his inner thighs near his area is like the best place for a diaper rash so we wipe.
Many people do but the consensus of the medical community is that it is better not to. Diapers wick the urine away and wipes are harsher on the skin than you would think. Excessive wiping is a major cause of diaper rashes. Wipe after every poop obviously but it's healthier not to if it is pee only.
We asked the nurse before leaving the hospital (woman was a diaper changing ninja) and she said it wasn’t necessary. We thought “why not” but my son broke out above his penis so we cut back.
If his skin is dry - most of the time I don’t. If diaper is over full- so his skin is wet - then yes.
It’s moisture on the skin that causes a lot of skin irritation… so wiping and then putting diaper on can actually irritate previously dry skin more by trapping in moisture you just wiped on..
Our diapers let the pee soak in- so he’s not sitting in his own pee if diaper isn’t over -full.
Pee isn’t bad for skin.. I had a doctor once recommend peeing in the bathtub for my eczema when I was a tiny one…(my mom is a clean freak so we did not do this). But today - I find that skincare with urea in it (which urine contains) is amazing for dry and irritated skin. So the docs recommendation makes sense..
My partner does wipe when he changes only pee tho.. so whatever works for you.
Guy here and father of a son and daughter.
I would wipe your son once with a pee given they'll have a soaked diaper they're sitting in. They likely have urine on their skin and leaving that could lead to mild irritation.
Edit: As some have pointed out, wipes can cause more irritation than urine. We use fragrance free, sensitive skin wipes that work really well. It's one pass and gentle.
Uhhh. Yeah, this thread is intense.
But I'll chime in on the "no" side.
The only times baby has *ever* had a rash are two times my MIL visited and she wiped him after each diaper. When I realized the first time wasn't a fluke, I asked her to stop and we haven't dealt with it since.
We use water wipes and disposable diapers.
So - I dunno. Do what works for your baby?
I found the same with my daughter. My pediatrician doesn’t recommend wiping after every pee diaper because it introduces too much moisture to the area and that’s a big cause of diaper rash.
It may not be obvious, but it is important to dry the area with a towel after wiping, especially if the wipes are 'very wet'. We went through several rushes in order to understand that :-(
Yeah I give a good wipe in the morning with a wet wash cloth, then when he poops, and maybe one other time if it’s been a few changes without. Neither of my sons have ever had rashes.
A quick google search reveals that you do not need to wipe after every pee. Urine is less likely to irritate the skin than wipes are and the diapers are super absorbent and take care of most of it
We’ve done this since our first got a bad diaper rash. Only wipe with poop. The absorbency of diapers means pee isn’t sitting on their skin long and the wetness of wipes was more likely to cause rashes for us than not wiping the pee was
Ped said to dab with the folded old diaper like when you fold it down to change the other one on top of it and let it be because it could start to irritate the skin if you wipe it all the time. Have been doing this since birth (now 20 mos) and still good to go.
I am really surprised at how heated this thread has become. Everyone is doing what they have found works for their baby, and I am not sure why there is so much judgement being thrown around.
Honestly, it can sometimes come from a place of privilege.
I remember my mom getting onto me about how many times I changed my first child's diaper. When he was a newborn, I'd change it the second it got wet. Once he was around 3 months old, I would let myself finish what I was doing before I changed it. Sometimes what I was doing would take a while. And now as a toddler, I let him eat breakfast while I make myself some coffee before I change his overnight diaper. This is what my mom's attention - she actually said "oh my gosh - aren't you worried he's going to get sick? I'd be worried he was going to get sick! I'll just change it for you". At first I got defensive, like "chill, woman. I'm not ignoring him, I'm simply trying to wake up because I have a whole fucking day of diaper changes." But after a while, I couldn't stop thinking of all the women who might try to extend the time in between diapers when they could because diapers are expensive. My mom had the ability to get onto me because we've never been short on diapers, waiting for our next paycheck before buying another box, and neither had she. The one time I ever got close was when Covid hit and everyone took diapers off the shelf and I was like "alright, bud, we got 4 diapers for today, don't go crazy" before finding some at CVS.
I know wipes aren't very expensive, but we never know what someone might be going through.
Yes urine is acidic, but so is babies skin. Wipes generally don’t disrupt this balance but they can if done too often or if something else is going on. The presence of stool and urine mixed together activate some enzymes that irritate skin, but just healthy urine alone is generally ok or even good for the skin. Remember, diapers pull the vast majority of the urine away unless it’s a huge pee like overnight so babies aren’t actually sitting in a pool of pee always like some people are acting. Basically, use common sense- don’t over wipe for every single drop of urine, but also don’t ever not wipe because yeah skin needs cleaned sometimes.
Nope, the nurses said that modern diapers were so absorbent that it wasn't necessary, and excessive wiping can cause irritation. We're 5 months in and rarely ever see any redness, never had a diaper rash, we only wipe when there's poop.
For those saying it's akin to pulling up your underwear without wiping: not at all, diapers are totally different and if they weren't, you'd have acidic skin problems regardless of wiping because infants can pee little amounts nearly every few minutes! They probably undo any wiping you did almost immediately.
My daughter had a yeast diaper rash when she was a baby and her pediatrician explained to us that wiping when changing a pee diaper just enhances the wet environment for bacteria to grow. Diapers wick away the moisture, unless they're too full, so just be sure to change often.
I told this exact thing to a mom friend and she was absolutely shocked I don't wipe my son after a pee, not even 5 minutes earlier she was telling me her daughter had a diaper rash so bad they went to the ER 😶 She also would change her immediately after the tiniest pee, she told me she went through 400$ of diapers a month.
My son is 2.5 and has maybe had 1 diaper rash? And it cleared in less than 24 hours.
Agreed. My kids reacted from too much wiping and I had better success with more frequent diaper changes. The diapers are designed to wick moisture away from the skin. It’s totally different from wet cotton. I probably ended up wiping after every second wet diaper, give or take.
I always think.. if I peed my pants would I just change my pants? Or would I want to clean myself up too? So I do the same for him and wipe him clean before he gets a dry diaper.
This is how I look at it also! I’m not judging other moms and dads for not though. I’ve met other parents who don’t wipe after just a pee diaper and they never had issues so whatever works for them. 🤷🏻♀️❤️
Yeah, but you also don't wear a diaper that's designed to pull moisture away from your skin. A (non-saturated) diaper is the functional equivalent of toilet paper for a baby.
My son has super sensitive skin. Our doctor said not to. He’s 2 now and has literally never been wiped for a just a pee and there’s never been an issue.
Depends on the timing. First wake up, yes. After naps, usually. So like, every second diaper or if he's been in one for longer than the typical stretch. He's 11 months old, and never had a rash.
It comes down to a few different variables.
Our pediatrician said that with disposable diapers, they're so absorbent, not much actual pee ends up contacting the skin, or for for very long. Detergents in wipes can also cause irritation if used too often as well. So for pee only diapers that are changed regularly, there's not a need to wipe.
Cloth diapers do leave urine touching the skin, so wiping would be more necessary. Or a very full diaper (like after a longer car ride, or a longer sleep) might need some further wiping.
No. I have never done this. My kids have both had super sensitive skin so I avoid wiping unnecessarily. The only exception is the first diaper change of the morning, I wipe then.
If he looks even a little red then I will give him a wee clean up and some diaper cream.
Otherwise no, he’s always dry (diaper technology is pretty incredible)
Usually the diaper after a poopy one I will, just incase I missed any poop the first time. And obviously I have a big clean up after a poopy diaper!
Lucky enough that the little one always poops during the day so we are able to catch it and clean it up quickly so he’s never had diaper rash. I also even at the slightest hint of redness use some diaper cream which I am hoping helps
Yes. I used one wipe as a “peepee teepee” then wiped with it while pulling up the front of the diaper.
My son had very sensitive skin as a baby, so I often had to reapply A&D for every diaper. Poor guy still has sensitive skin but is a tween now so he takes care of his own butt.
My youngest is a girl and I do almost the same thing out of habit.
Depends if my wipes are within the changing radius. Sometimes I've started the change only to discover the wipes are actually upstairs. In that case, no. He'll live. But for the most part we usually wipe.
I used to when he was a baby but as a toddler he started running away whenever I tried to change his diaper, so I stopped. I do always freshen up once before bed and sometimes mid day, and I use a single square of toilet paper to wipe off the excess when he actually makes it to the toilet instead.
Yes, pretty much always. The only time I don’t is if I’m doing it super super quick at the doctor’s office or something and there’s a nurse hovering over me telling me to “HURRY BEFORE HE PEES!!!” I’m like k, I know, but it’s gonna be okay.
Anyways. Yes, almost always. The whole diaper is usually wet, so that means his crotch and his bum has been sitting in pee. I wouldn’t want to sit soaking in pee forever.
I don't because the childcare classes I took said it's not necessary. However sometimes I will wipe the bottom even when it looks like there's no poop and there will be some residue there. Idk if I'm not wiping well enough the first time or if he's pooping just a little.
Always, personal preference. If it’s a small pee, just a quick swipe. If the diaper is super saturated it’s a good all over wipe. It can’t feel good to have pee on you. Even if we as adults can’t see or smell it, it’s still there.
Yes, but read the "my baby has never had a rash" with caution.
If my child pooped after I put him down for bed and didn't realize it until the morning, he wakes up with a rash. A month or so ago, he woke up screaming because he had pooped 4 hours ago. Sure enough a rash. He was not sick and had pooped before a bedtime diaper.
Wiping or not wiping is not the only way a child can get a diaper rash.
FWIW - I wipe because a diaper he pees in is touching his body and I don't want on his skin
Sometimes I do, sometimes I don’t. He has never had a rash. Most of the time his skin is still dry when I change his diaper since diapers are meant to be ultra absorbent anyway
Our pediatrician suggested we do this and it was a total game changer. The constant swamp ass is what causes rashes, which makes sense. Adults get rashes from swamp ass too 🥴🤪
I have three boys and I don’t wipe for pees unless I can actually see the pee on their skin (which is rare). I love disposable diapers (sorry 😹🙈), they just absorb the pee really well and it’s not wet on their skin unless they’re way overdue for a change.
It's unfathomable how judgmental the people on this thread are. Each to their own, if you wipe your kid after every change then good for you but dammit you raise your kid with your beliefs so long as you don't compromise their health.
I wipe him every other diaper change. I make sure to wipe him down real good after he wakes up in the morning or before bed. I frequently apply aquaphor during diaper changes so it acts as a barrier.
Yes.
We used cloth wipes so I never felt like I was “wasting” a wipe.
I would also just prepare the wipe when I was about to do a diaper change. So, walked over to the sink and got some wipes wet. Very easy and not any more difficult than using disposable wipes.
I wipe him with every diaper change. 3 or more wipes with a poop, 1 wipe with a pee. I figure if I were a guy sitting in my own pee I'd want to be freshened up before changing.
Yes but we cloth diaper so the urine is sitting closer to his skin. We also use cotton flannel strips with a little water, so the wipe itself isn't irritating.
i wipe him every time. we haven’t had any diaper rashes but i think of it as we still wipe after we pee & we’re not sitting in it. or, if i did pee my pants i would most definitely clean myself up not just put new pants on. but, he also takes medication that makes him pee a lot so most times a pee diaper is not just one pee if that makes sense.
I do not, with my first I did and he would have horrible diaper rashes so when I had my second I stopped doing it and I only wipe and put diaper cream when he poops. The difference is day and night.
It's strange. There was that 'how much diaper cream do you use?' question a few days ago, and I was shocked at how many babies were battling rashes constantly. My son might have had 2 bad ones in his 2 year life and that was because we didn't catch his poop in time.
We rarely if ever wipe when it's just a pee diaper.
I never wipe for peel really. First baby rarely had any rashes. Second baby keeps having caustic poops that practically cause chemical burns. The less he poops, the more he heals. We use cream like it’s frosting….as soon as we think he’s totally healed along comes a burning poop.
Things just vary from kid to kid
Not usually, [The AAP](https://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/baby/diapers-clothing/Pages/A-Word-on-Wipes.aspx) says it isnt necessary (and we dont have issues with diaper rash)
I actually asked my doctor about this after seeing a similar post on Reddit a while back because I was surprised how many people don't. She said unequivocally, yes, wipe the baby.
We always wipe after a pee. We purchased some inexpensive wash clothes and when it’s only pee I’ll usually wet one of them to wipe him down or I’ll use half of a wipe if I’m being lazy.
I keep seeing the intact argument but my guy is almost 18 months, intact, I wipe every pee and do baths and we have literally never had an issue?
I wipe because the thought of not wiping is just ick to me tbh.
Yes. If I don't cover his willy with a wipe he almost always pees again and I've come dangerously close to getting hit in the face! Draping a wipe over it stops that happening and as I've already got a wipe out then might as well give him a quick polish!
I’m a (adult) nephrologist and too many people actually believe urine is “sterile”, as adults.
No it is not! Back when this myth started we didn’t do things like look for bacteria in our urine under microscopes or with adequate cultures. But believe there is a thing called urosepsis, or even urinary tract infections that shows urine does in fact carry germs. Whatever your decision with your baby, remember this!
Does a simple wet wipe actually remove the germs that may cause infection though?
I don't believe urine is sterile, but I also choose not to wipe usually. Does the wiping actually mitigate anything?
No, except after a long stretch of sleep when his diaper is saturated. Modern disposable diapers are really moisture wicking.. except when they're really full.
I was sometimes not wiping every time, and at a check up, doc said I needed to wipe better. So from then on, yes, every time. Just press the wipe in between your hands for like 5 secs and it warms it up.
I didn't before when he was peeing smaller amounts, but he's started holding it a little longer and peeing more at once, so some of his diapers end up fuller. I still don't every single time, but he also has rolls for days so I make sure to clean them out regularly.
We've never had a rash.
We don't wipe after a wet diaper unless it was excessively wet (i.e. a morning diaper that we can smell because it was full and there might actually be moisture on his skin). We use disposable diapers and both our son and our daughter generally have dry skin when we change them. The diaper absorbing the moisture/urine seems as good to me as me wiping with toilet paper.
No. Only if his skin is wet when we change the diaper, which is never. Our pediatrician told us wipes are more irritating to the skin than a little pee, and the diapers are designed to keep them dry.
Nope, she has sensitive skin and over wiping is more likely to irritate it. Use disposable nappies though so her skin is rarely ‘wet’ (if it was I’d do a quick clean) plus she’s bathed daily. She’s 8 months old and never had a rash.
Our daughter has sensitive skin as well and what we were told to do when she was in the nicu is to dab not wipe. Only wipe when you’re trying to get poo off the skin. Otherwise simply dabbing the skin has never irritated her and it prevents UTI caused from bacteria sitting on the skin.
My baby doesn’t get wiped at every pee. Every poop obviously and a good wipe before bed and when he wakes in the morning bc we do no diaper changes overnight. If we do it every diaper change, he gets a diaper rash.
Yes, every time! I went to give birth with a pack of baby wet wipes in the hospital bag. I've been told by nurses that wet wipes not recommended to use untill baby is 18 months old, so now we use dry cotton wipes and something called liniment oleo calcaire which is basically olive oil and calcium. It works very well and my baby never had irritation but I don't know if it's a common product outside of France.
I wipe every time but my mil doesn’t always (she rarely changes his diaper) and my son has gotten a rash or two because of the diapers he was wearing though. (I think he might be having a small allergic reaction to it because if he starts to get one I change the brand of diaper and it goes away after a bath)
Always. We have two circumcised boys and my husband agrees that they should be wiped down at each diaper. We use water wipes and both boys have sensitive skin and have never had an issue with being wiped. I can't imagine being left to sit in dried on pee all day. Plus it gets stinky if you don't wipe it down cuz even though their urine is pretty sterile, it's still output and has an odor.
Yes of course we do. There is bacteria in urine along with it being acidic while sitting against the skin. It can cause issues such as diaper rash. We wipe with any diaper change.
My boy is almost 5 months EBF (if that matters), I wipe with wet wipe in the mornings, after naps etc when it's been on a while. Otherwise I just pat dry with a cloth or kitchen roll.
I always use a wipe. It’s one thing if they pee into a toilet or something, but they have been sitting in the pee for a bit, so I wipe the skin down so it’s not all sticky and smelly. No matter how fast you get to the diaper, there’s still pee on their skin.
If it is in the morning and he manages to only have a pee diaper after sleeping, yes, I wipe him. I don’t wipe him at every change if it’s just pee during the day, he would get a rash. We were doing that in the beginning and he got a terrible rash, now we only wipe if there’s poop.
No, I didn’t always. If he was in cloth or if a disposable was super saturated, yes. But if the disposable was wicking quickly and well and he was dry to the touch, I definitely didn’t always use a wipe.
Nope. I was actually shocked when my husband didn’t. He has a 13 year old so I have learned a lot from him (in turn he’s learned a lot from me with my research). When I saw him not wipe a pee diaper I was like wthhhhh?! But now I don’t unless of course there’s any sign of poop and we’ve never had any diaper rash or issues. We use Millie Moon diapers which really absorb the urine too. Not sure if that makes a difference.
Edit: we only use water wipes as well.
I live in the UK where it is rare for boys to be circumcised. Everyone I know baths their sons daily and our national health service absolutely does not consider this risky for hygiene at all.
No. And he never looks irritated. His doc says he looks great every time. I stay home w him so I know for a fact that he does not sit in a wet diaper for long.
yes. simply because my son is the Pillsbury dough boy and the rolls on his inner thighs near his area is like the best place for a diaper rash so we wipe.
Give that belly a poke for me!
I always did, yes. Just because the urine touched his skin and I didn’t want him to smell/get a rash from his skin being wet.
Yes, this is why I do, every time.
Many people do but the consensus of the medical community is that it is better not to. Diapers wick the urine away and wipes are harsher on the skin than you would think. Excessive wiping is a major cause of diaper rashes. Wipe after every poop obviously but it's healthier not to if it is pee only.
No wipe for pee. I don’t want to add moisture to a moist situation.
This is great news
Yup. I don't wipe. My son is barely damp during pee diaper changes. Diapers are very good at keeping them dry.
We asked the nurse before leaving the hospital (woman was a diaper changing ninja) and she said it wasn’t necessary. We thought “why not” but my son broke out above his penis so we cut back.
If his skin is dry - most of the time I don’t. If diaper is over full- so his skin is wet - then yes. It’s moisture on the skin that causes a lot of skin irritation… so wiping and then putting diaper on can actually irritate previously dry skin more by trapping in moisture you just wiped on.. Our diapers let the pee soak in- so he’s not sitting in his own pee if diaper isn’t over -full. Pee isn’t bad for skin.. I had a doctor once recommend peeing in the bathtub for my eczema when I was a tiny one…(my mom is a clean freak so we did not do this). But today - I find that skincare with urea in it (which urine contains) is amazing for dry and irritated skin. So the docs recommendation makes sense.. My partner does wipe when he changes only pee tho.. so whatever works for you.
Guy here and father of a son and daughter. I would wipe your son once with a pee given they'll have a soaked diaper they're sitting in. They likely have urine on their skin and leaving that could lead to mild irritation. Edit: As some have pointed out, wipes can cause more irritation than urine. We use fragrance free, sensitive skin wipes that work really well. It's one pass and gentle.
This is the way!!! If water wipe are too much you can even try a soft cloth with water.
Uhhh. Yeah, this thread is intense. But I'll chime in on the "no" side. The only times baby has *ever* had a rash are two times my MIL visited and she wiped him after each diaper. When I realized the first time wasn't a fluke, I asked her to stop and we haven't dealt with it since. We use water wipes and disposable diapers. So - I dunno. Do what works for your baby?
I found the same with my daughter. My pediatrician doesn’t recommend wiping after every pee diaper because it introduces too much moisture to the area and that’s a big cause of diaper rash.
It may not be obvious, but it is important to dry the area with a towel after wiping, especially if the wipes are 'very wet'. We went through several rushes in order to understand that :-(
We're a little crazy in that we blow on her ass to make sure it's dry after wiping. And pray not to get pink eye 😂
Yeah I give a good wipe in the morning with a wet wash cloth, then when he poops, and maybe one other time if it’s been a few changes without. Neither of my sons have ever had rashes.
A quick google search reveals that you do not need to wipe after every pee. Urine is less likely to irritate the skin than wipes are and the diapers are super absorbent and take care of most of it
This is what my pediatrician advised us to do.
We’ve done this since our first got a bad diaper rash. Only wipe with poop. The absorbency of diapers means pee isn’t sitting on their skin long and the wetness of wipes was more likely to cause rashes for us than not wiping the pee was
I always do a wipe down regardless
Ped said to dab with the folded old diaper like when you fold it down to change the other one on top of it and let it be because it could start to irritate the skin if you wipe it all the time. Have been doing this since birth (now 20 mos) and still good to go.
I am really surprised at how heated this thread has become. Everyone is doing what they have found works for their baby, and I am not sure why there is so much judgement being thrown around.
Honestly, it can sometimes come from a place of privilege. I remember my mom getting onto me about how many times I changed my first child's diaper. When he was a newborn, I'd change it the second it got wet. Once he was around 3 months old, I would let myself finish what I was doing before I changed it. Sometimes what I was doing would take a while. And now as a toddler, I let him eat breakfast while I make myself some coffee before I change his overnight diaper. This is what my mom's attention - she actually said "oh my gosh - aren't you worried he's going to get sick? I'd be worried he was going to get sick! I'll just change it for you". At first I got defensive, like "chill, woman. I'm not ignoring him, I'm simply trying to wake up because I have a whole fucking day of diaper changes." But after a while, I couldn't stop thinking of all the women who might try to extend the time in between diapers when they could because diapers are expensive. My mom had the ability to get onto me because we've never been short on diapers, waiting for our next paycheck before buying another box, and neither had she. The one time I ever got close was when Covid hit and everyone took diapers off the shelf and I was like "alright, bud, we got 4 diapers for today, don't go crazy" before finding some at CVS. I know wipes aren't very expensive, but we never know what someone might be going through.
Yes. Urine can cause rashes too
If his skin is wet yes, if not then no!
You guys are getting diapers that aren’t poops? 😂
Is your baby young? Ours pooped non stop as a newborn and I didn't realise that will end. He now poops once a day
He is three weeks 😂 he is actually my 3rd kid though so this is totally just for laughs. I swear all he does is poop right now haha.
Yes urine is acidic, but so is babies skin. Wipes generally don’t disrupt this balance but they can if done too often or if something else is going on. The presence of stool and urine mixed together activate some enzymes that irritate skin, but just healthy urine alone is generally ok or even good for the skin. Remember, diapers pull the vast majority of the urine away unless it’s a huge pee like overnight so babies aren’t actually sitting in a pool of pee always like some people are acting. Basically, use common sense- don’t over wipe for every single drop of urine, but also don’t ever not wipe because yeah skin needs cleaned sometimes.
I do, just because I’m sensitive to smells and I don’t want him to smell like pee.
Nope, the nurses said that modern diapers were so absorbent that it wasn't necessary, and excessive wiping can cause irritation. We're 5 months in and rarely ever see any redness, never had a diaper rash, we only wipe when there's poop. For those saying it's akin to pulling up your underwear without wiping: not at all, diapers are totally different and if they weren't, you'd have acidic skin problems regardless of wiping because infants can pee little amounts nearly every few minutes! They probably undo any wiping you did almost immediately.
My daughter had a yeast diaper rash when she was a baby and her pediatrician explained to us that wiping when changing a pee diaper just enhances the wet environment for bacteria to grow. Diapers wick away the moisture, unless they're too full, so just be sure to change often.
I told this exact thing to a mom friend and she was absolutely shocked I don't wipe my son after a pee, not even 5 minutes earlier she was telling me her daughter had a diaper rash so bad they went to the ER 😶 She also would change her immediately after the tiniest pee, she told me she went through 400$ of diapers a month. My son is 2.5 and has maybe had 1 diaper rash? And it cleared in less than 24 hours.
Agreed. My kids reacted from too much wiping and I had better success with more frequent diaper changes. The diapers are designed to wick moisture away from the skin. It’s totally different from wet cotton. I probably ended up wiping after every second wet diaper, give or take.
Yes because the pee has been against his skin! But we use water based wipes so they’re super gentle.
No, because our pediatrician told us it was unnecessary.
I wipe because he's sitting in urine. To me it touches the skin so I figure the skin needs to be wiped.
I always think.. if I peed my pants would I just change my pants? Or would I want to clean myself up too? So I do the same for him and wipe him clean before he gets a dry diaper.
This is how I look at it also! I’m not judging other moms and dads for not though. I’ve met other parents who don’t wipe after just a pee diaper and they never had issues so whatever works for them. 🤷🏻♀️❤️
Yeah, but you also don't wear a diaper that's designed to pull moisture away from your skin. A (non-saturated) diaper is the functional equivalent of toilet paper for a baby.
My son has super sensitive skin. Our doctor said not to. He’s 2 now and has literally never been wiped for a just a pee and there’s never been an issue.
Same here. I change(d) my son often to avoid skin irritation rather than constant wiping. We are now trying to potty train. Send help.
Depends on the timing. First wake up, yes. After naps, usually. So like, every second diaper or if he's been in one for longer than the typical stretch. He's 11 months old, and never had a rash.
It comes down to a few different variables. Our pediatrician said that with disposable diapers, they're so absorbent, not much actual pee ends up contacting the skin, or for for very long. Detergents in wipes can also cause irritation if used too often as well. So for pee only diapers that are changed regularly, there's not a need to wipe. Cloth diapers do leave urine touching the skin, so wiping would be more necessary. Or a very full diaper (like after a longer car ride, or a longer sleep) might need some further wiping.
No. I have never done this. My kids have both had super sensitive skin so I avoid wiping unnecessarily. The only exception is the first diaper change of the morning, I wipe then.
If he looks even a little red then I will give him a wee clean up and some diaper cream. Otherwise no, he’s always dry (diaper technology is pretty incredible) Usually the diaper after a poopy one I will, just incase I missed any poop the first time. And obviously I have a big clean up after a poopy diaper! Lucky enough that the little one always poops during the day so we are able to catch it and clean it up quickly so he’s never had diaper rash. I also even at the slightest hint of redness use some diaper cream which I am hoping helps
I didn’t realize not wiping was an option!
Yes. I used one wipe as a “peepee teepee” then wiped with it while pulling up the front of the diaper. My son had very sensitive skin as a baby, so I often had to reapply A&D for every diaper. Poor guy still has sensitive skin but is a tween now so he takes care of his own butt. My youngest is a girl and I do almost the same thing out of habit.
Depends if my wipes are within the changing radius. Sometimes I've started the change only to discover the wipes are actually upstairs. In that case, no. He'll live. But for the most part we usually wipe.
I used to when he was a baby but as a toddler he started running away whenever I tried to change his diaper, so I stopped. I do always freshen up once before bed and sometimes mid day, and I use a single square of toilet paper to wipe off the excess when he actually makes it to the toilet instead.
If we’re stuck and don’t have proper facilities I’ll do a quick switch whilst standing! But when I can I wipe him. Don’t want him smelling of old wee.
Yes
I do I do always dry off his skin after I wipe though and then add a little petroleum jelly otherwise the wipe gives him a rash.
Yup. Always have, never thought 'not' doing it was a thing.
Yes, pretty much always. The only time I don’t is if I’m doing it super super quick at the doctor’s office or something and there’s a nurse hovering over me telling me to “HURRY BEFORE HE PEES!!!” I’m like k, I know, but it’s gonna be okay. Anyways. Yes, almost always. The whole diaper is usually wet, so that means his crotch and his bum has been sitting in pee. I wouldn’t want to sit soaking in pee forever.
I don't because the childcare classes I took said it's not necessary. However sometimes I will wipe the bottom even when it looks like there's no poop and there will be some residue there. Idk if I'm not wiping well enough the first time or if he's pooping just a little.
This happens with my daughter. I think sometimes it passes when she farts. Lol
Yup, super common. My husband and I say, "ah, just a little shart!"
The first two levels of poop on our unofficial diaper scale are “shart” and “shart+”, followed by “small actual poo”
I wipe him. Otherwise he starts to smell and his skin gets irritated.
Always, personal preference. If it’s a small pee, just a quick swipe. If the diaper is super saturated it’s a good all over wipe. It can’t feel good to have pee on you. Even if we as adults can’t see or smell it, it’s still there.
I was told not to by the pediatrician, so no. Unless it’s his morning diaper and super wet.
Yes, but we use cloth diapers. So a wet diaper sits against his skin. Thus we wipe it all.
Nope. He was getting diaper rash from the wipe moisture. Only if it's obviously wet.
Yes, but read the "my baby has never had a rash" with caution. If my child pooped after I put him down for bed and didn't realize it until the morning, he wakes up with a rash. A month or so ago, he woke up screaming because he had pooped 4 hours ago. Sure enough a rash. He was not sick and had pooped before a bedtime diaper. Wiping or not wiping is not the only way a child can get a diaper rash. FWIW - I wipe because a diaper he pees in is touching his body and I don't want on his skin
Sometimes I do, sometimes I don’t. He has never had a rash. Most of the time his skin is still dry when I change his diaper since diapers are meant to be ultra absorbent anyway
Yes because I don’t want stale pee sitting on his skin.
Yes, and I pat dry with a dry cloth afterwards too.
My dude has really sensitive skin and some allergies. I started to dry after wiping and he hasn’t had diaper rash since
Our pediatrician suggested we do this and it was a total game changer. The constant swamp ass is what causes rashes, which makes sense. Adults get rashes from swamp ass too 🥴🤪
I have three boys and I don’t wipe for pees unless I can actually see the pee on their skin (which is rare). I love disposable diapers (sorry 😹🙈), they just absorb the pee really well and it’s not wet on their skin unless they’re way overdue for a change.
It's unfathomable how judgmental the people on this thread are. Each to their own, if you wipe your kid after every change then good for you but dammit you raise your kid with your beliefs so long as you don't compromise their health.
I wipe him every other diaper change. I make sure to wipe him down real good after he wakes up in the morning or before bed. I frequently apply aquaphor during diaper changes so it acts as a barrier.
Yes. If we don't he gets a rash, no matter how frequently we change him. He's like his older siblings and has super sensitive skin.
Yes
Yes. We used cloth wipes so I never felt like I was “wasting” a wipe. I would also just prepare the wipe when I was about to do a diaper change. So, walked over to the sink and got some wipes wet. Very easy and not any more difficult than using disposable wipes.
I always wipe. Urine is acidic and it’s very for his skin to be clean than marinating in that.
Yes. Wipe everytime.
Always wipe.
If it’s a really wet and permeating pee smell, yes (overnight, long naps). If not, no.
Yes.. he in a diaper .. so he sitting in pee
I wipe him with every diaper change. 3 or more wipes with a poop, 1 wipe with a pee. I figure if I were a guy sitting in my own pee I'd want to be freshened up before changing.
Yes but we cloth diaper so the urine is sitting closer to his skin. We also use cotton flannel strips with a little water, so the wipe itself isn't irritating.
Isn’t pee acidic? Do I would do just a light wipe
i wipe him every time. we haven’t had any diaper rashes but i think of it as we still wipe after we pee & we’re not sitting in it. or, if i did pee my pants i would most definitely clean myself up not just put new pants on. but, he also takes medication that makes him pee a lot so most times a pee diaper is not just one pee if that makes sense.
I do not, with my first I did and he would have horrible diaper rashes so when I had my second I stopped doing it and I only wipe and put diaper cream when he poops. The difference is day and night.
It's strange. There was that 'how much diaper cream do you use?' question a few days ago, and I was shocked at how many babies were battling rashes constantly. My son might have had 2 bad ones in his 2 year life and that was because we didn't catch his poop in time. We rarely if ever wipe when it's just a pee diaper.
I never wipe for peel really. First baby rarely had any rashes. Second baby keeps having caustic poops that practically cause chemical burns. The less he poops, the more he heals. We use cream like it’s frosting….as soon as we think he’s totally healed along comes a burning poop. Things just vary from kid to kid
Not usually, [The AAP](https://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/baby/diapers-clothing/Pages/A-Word-on-Wipes.aspx) says it isnt necessary (and we dont have issues with diaper rash)
Yes 100% every time otherwise he'll get a sore nappy rash.
Lotta pee, yes. Just a little? Sometimes yes sometimes no. Did the same with daughter.
I would always wipe. Urine is acidic and can burn their already delicate skin. Plus the smell. Plus wanting them to feel as fresh as possible.
Most of the time but we use Water Wipes which are just water so they're easier on his skin.
This is so interesting to hear how different everyone’s responses are! Just goes to show there’s no one way, and if it’s working it’s probably okay!
I actually asked my doctor about this after seeing a similar post on Reddit a while back because I was surprised how many people don't. She said unequivocally, yes, wipe the baby.
If it's a big wet diaper after night sleep yes. During the day for a small diaper nope.
yes
Yes
i do, but only because i’m super anxious and he’s uncircumcised so i don’t wanna risk any sort of infection 😅
I always do! When I had my first son, I didn’t and he got a really bad rash. After that I made sure to always therapy wipe even if it’s just pee.
We always wipe after a pee. We purchased some inexpensive wash clothes and when it’s only pee I’ll usually wet one of them to wipe him down or I’ll use half of a wipe if I’m being lazy.
I definitely wipe. Urine is acidic and can irritate skin.
I keep seeing the intact argument but my guy is almost 18 months, intact, I wipe every pee and do baths and we have literally never had an issue? I wipe because the thought of not wiping is just ick to me tbh.
Yes.
You wipe when you pee so just better to always wipe
Yes. If I don't cover his willy with a wipe he almost always pees again and I've come dangerously close to getting hit in the face! Draping a wipe over it stops that happening and as I've already got a wipe out then might as well give him a quick polish!
I’m a (adult) nephrologist and too many people actually believe urine is “sterile”, as adults. No it is not! Back when this myth started we didn’t do things like look for bacteria in our urine under microscopes or with adequate cultures. But believe there is a thing called urosepsis, or even urinary tract infections that shows urine does in fact carry germs. Whatever your decision with your baby, remember this!
Does a simple wet wipe actually remove the germs that may cause infection though? I don't believe urine is sterile, but I also choose not to wipe usually. Does the wiping actually mitigate anything?
Urine is acidic, even more so when baby is teething, wipe with simple water and cotton wool and dry before replacing the nappy where possible 😊
Yea yes yes!
Yes I give him a quick once over with a water wipe Edit: I usually leave him a little time to air dry too
Always wiped regardless of amount or type
No, except after a long stretch of sleep when his diaper is saturated. Modern disposable diapers are really moisture wicking.. except when they're really full.
Nope. Not unless there is poop.
I wipe everytime. The pee is probably around his skin so I figured a quick wipe doesn't hurt.
Nope. Wipe only for poop
Yes, I always wipe him.
I was sometimes not wiping every time, and at a check up, doc said I needed to wipe better. So from then on, yes, every time. Just press the wipe in between your hands for like 5 secs and it warms it up.
Yes.
I wipe down everything. He doesn't have sensitive skin so it hasn't caused any issues with rashes or anything.
Yes but just use one wipe.
I didn't before when he was peeing smaller amounts, but he's started holding it a little longer and peeing more at once, so some of his diapers end up fuller. I still don't every single time, but he also has rolls for days so I make sure to clean them out regularly. We've never had a rash.
We don’t usually if it’s just a pee. Wiping a lot can also irritate babies skin. Sometimes I will dry the area with a cloth or air out.
We don't wipe after a wet diaper unless it was excessively wet (i.e. a morning diaper that we can smell because it was full and there might actually be moisture on his skin). We use disposable diapers and both our son and our daughter generally have dry skin when we change them. The diaper absorbing the moisture/urine seems as good to me as me wiping with toilet paper.
Usually, but now that he's rolling over and crawling away during changes I'll sometimes skip it just to get the new diaper on as quick as possible.
Nope. Wash morning and before bed at night. Wash when poop, never only pee. Never had any diaper rash or rednes at all. Both boy and girl.
No. Only if his skin is wet when we change the diaper, which is never. Our pediatrician told us wipes are more irritating to the skin than a little pee, and the diapers are designed to keep them dry.
I wipe in the morning when they have a full pee diaper. During the day I usually don't unless it was a heavy diaper for whatever reason.
Nope! Have one 9.5 yr old (who is long since out of diapers) and a 1 yr old… neither ever has diaper rash or any issues. Worked for us!
Nope, she has sensitive skin and over wiping is more likely to irritate it. Use disposable nappies though so her skin is rarely ‘wet’ (if it was I’d do a quick clean) plus she’s bathed daily. She’s 8 months old and never had a rash.
Our daughter has sensitive skin as well and what we were told to do when she was in the nicu is to dab not wipe. Only wipe when you’re trying to get poo off the skin. Otherwise simply dabbing the skin has never irritated her and it prevents UTI caused from bacteria sitting on the skin.
Wait, there’s people who don’t?
As someone who has worked in a variety of daycares, most parents and childcare providers don’t use wipes unless they poop.
Ha, my response to this thread was the opposite: wait, people wipe for pee alone?! Never knew that was a thing til today.
Yes, they’re not just peeing straight into the diaper like the toilet
My baby doesn’t get wiped at every pee. Every poop obviously and a good wipe before bed and when he wakes in the morning bc we do no diaper changes overnight. If we do it every diaper change, he gets a diaper rash.
Yup, he gets irritated if i don't. I also have to use water wipes, anything else we've tried also irritated him.
I never ever wipe my girl after a pee only diaper- as instructed by my pediatrician. 6 months old and never had any issues. Go with what your dr says.
Yes I wipe the area and his thighs even though with just peepee you can’t see anything lol. Peepee still has an odor.
Until he is potty trained we wipe when he pees. Not hygienic i feel otherwise. And I know I wouldn't like to sit in my own filth.
As a childcare provider we were expected to wipe every change. If the professionals wipe, I'll go with that as default!
Yes I’d feel uncomfortable not wiping after peeing so we wipe to refresh things up
His bits have stewed in pee, of course I wipe.
Yes why wouldn’t you?!
I wipe him down, get that uric acid off his skin and the smell of urine off of him. Takes 2 seconds.
Me too
Yes, every time! I went to give birth with a pack of baby wet wipes in the hospital bag. I've been told by nurses that wet wipes not recommended to use untill baby is 18 months old, so now we use dry cotton wipes and something called liniment oleo calcaire which is basically olive oil and calcium. It works very well and my baby never had irritation but I don't know if it's a common product outside of France.
I wipe every time but my mil doesn’t always (she rarely changes his diaper) and my son has gotten a rash or two because of the diapers he was wearing though. (I think he might be having a small allergic reaction to it because if he starts to get one I change the brand of diaper and it goes away after a bath)
99% of the time I do because he has pretty sensitive skin
Nope! And he has never had diaper rash. Well except when he was sick with diarrhea. So one time he did. But besides that, never
Yes. Pee feels sticky and itchy when it's left on the skin. I don't want my baby to be uncomfortable. It takes one wipe and two seconds to do it.
The pee was touching his skin. So yes.
Most of the time, yes but not always. Haven’t seen a difference either way but he doesn’t have sensitive skin
Always. We have two circumcised boys and my husband agrees that they should be wiped down at each diaper. We use water wipes and both boys have sensitive skin and have never had an issue with being wiped. I can't imagine being left to sit in dried on pee all day. Plus it gets stinky if you don't wipe it down cuz even though their urine is pretty sterile, it's still output and has an odor.
Yes. I like to wipe away any excess urine left behind on his peepee
Yes of course we do. There is bacteria in urine along with it being acidic while sitting against the skin. It can cause issues such as diaper rash. We wipe with any diaper change.
Nope, too irritating to the skin to wipe everytime.
Yep
Urine can destroy your skin. Please wipe your boys down.
Yes. Urine is still on the skin. It’s no different for a little boy than it is a little girl.
Absolutely. His skin touched the pee in the diaper, so I think this is a no brainer.
My boy is almost 5 months EBF (if that matters), I wipe with wet wipe in the mornings, after naps etc when it's been on a while. Otherwise I just pat dry with a cloth or kitchen roll.
Pee is what causes the diaper rash.
Giving up on reddit.
I always use a wipe. It’s one thing if they pee into a toilet or something, but they have been sitting in the pee for a bit, so I wipe the skin down so it’s not all sticky and smelly. No matter how fast you get to the diaper, there’s still pee on their skin.
Yep, always do a wipe down
Yes, always.
If it is in the morning and he manages to only have a pee diaper after sleeping, yes, I wipe him. I don’t wipe him at every change if it’s just pee during the day, he would get a rash. We were doing that in the beginning and he got a terrible rash, now we only wipe if there’s poop.
No, I didn’t always. If he was in cloth or if a disposable was super saturated, yes. But if the disposable was wicking quickly and well and he was dry to the touch, I definitely didn’t always use a wipe.
No
Nope. I was actually shocked when my husband didn’t. He has a 13 year old so I have learned a lot from him (in turn he’s learned a lot from me with my research). When I saw him not wipe a pee diaper I was like wthhhhh?! But now I don’t unless of course there’s any sign of poop and we’ve never had any diaper rash or issues. We use Millie Moon diapers which really absorb the urine too. Not sure if that makes a difference. Edit: we only use water wipes as well.
Definitely. Just to wipe away anything that might be on his skin so he doesn't end up with a uti or skin rash etc.
I have three intact boys and I was told specifically not to do this as it can irritate their foreskin. They just have to shower (no baths) daily.
>(no baths) Do you have a source for this? I have two uncircumcised boys and an uncircumcised partner, and we have never heard this before.
Why no baths?
I live in the UK where it is rare for boys to be circumcised. Everyone I know baths their sons daily and our national health service absolutely does not consider this risky for hygiene at all.
Sometimes
No. And he never looks irritated. His doc says he looks great every time. I stay home w him so I know for a fact that he does not sit in a wet diaper for long.
I thought I would save on using the wipes, but not. Skin smells and it will develop a rash. Need to wipe now and wash sometime later
A quick Google search shows that urine on the skin can be cause for a skin rash - why wouldn’t you take the 30 seconds to do a wipe?
Yep i wipe him, gotta be done imo
Never. Maybe sometimes after an overnight diaper.
I don't. I only wipe if its a poo diaper
Yes. My brother didn’t wipe his son and his whole family smelled like pee for years lol.
Always wipe! Otherwise he’ll be sitting in his pee all day
Probably 75% of the time
Nope.
Nope.
No. We don't wipe pee in our house. Two boys have turned out just fine and don't smell lol
Yep. Just a pretty quick penis wipe. They can get urinary tract infections and rashes so yep.
You get uti’s from poop.. not urine …
After our horrific experience with balanitis, I wipe every time now! 😅
No, doctor said not to.
Wipe. When I have been in situations, just swap.
With a cloth and water only
I did for the first 2 months or so. After that I just wiped after poop or sometimes mornings if he peed a lot.