30/06/2021 by Meg
If you are a new parent/caregiver or going to be a new parent/caregiver, you will hear words such as “nappy rash” or “give your bub nappy-free time” a lot. Often when caregivers think of nappy free time, they’ll associate nappy rash with nappy-free time. Well, nappy-free time is of course a way to prevent nappy rash but there are other benefits too. Here, I’ll share a few of those benefits!
First, let’s tackle some facts regarding nappy rashes.
So it makes sense that parents are encouraged to allow the baby more nappy-free time as air circulation is known to lower the skin pH levels which in turn helps to reduce the incidence of nappy rash.
Babies love to kick their legs. Being nappy-free means that they can get full movement exposure, they can feel textures, and temperatures all around their skin. Yes, our skin is the largest sensory organ and babies/infants learn a lot from everyday touch across their body.
I read this article written by Miranda Thorpe, a registered psychotherapist who conducted a study in 2014 published in the Journal of Psychotherapy Aotearoa New Zealand. I’ll be borrowing her words to explain this.
Elimination Communication is the Western name for a specific indigenous and traditional technique of potty training. This technique relies on minute, careful observation of the newborn’s pattern of eliminating body waste. It is a practice in which the caregiver/parent uses intuition, timing, signals, cues, and associations to address a young baby’s need to eliminate. […] when his/her body indicates he/she is about to eliminate […] Caregiver will then hold the young baby in a certain position over the basin, toilet, potty, or outside and patiently wait until he urinates or defecates. At this point the mother then uses cueing by making an onomatopoeic sound when the baby urinates and a different or the same sound when he defecates. The baby starts to associate that position and sound with his body waste’s elimination.
The optimal window of opportunity for mother and baby to be attuned to one another is from birth to four months as the baby is not mobile and eliminates frequently so there is more opportunity for learning. […] However, Elimination Communication can happen at any age, and can be practised full-time, or just during weekends, on evenings, or occasionally with a particular caregiver i.e., grandmother or nanny.
by Miranda Thorpe in Journal of Psychotherapy Aotearoa New Zealand (2014)
Thorpe believes that the caregiver practising Elimination Communication, who has to be so finely and minutely attuned to their baby’s cues, is optimally attached in a relational sense with her baby, at a conscious and unconscious level. In turn, this promotes the child to be more aware, sensitive, and connected to their own body, to their internal world, as well as to others.
Also, to give you an idea: a newborn urinates approximately every 10 minutes, a six month old about every 20 minutes. It’s not always feasible, but my point is that it is important for a baby to connect with their own body and nappy-free time helps in achieving that!
Of course the elimination process, above, suggests that your bub will be able to easily respond to possible signs, hence building the relationship of trust, and communication confidence with the caregiver or mother.
There is a lack of guidance or evidence for how long you should give nappy-free time. A study done in 2012 suggested that it can be sometime between 10 minutes to several hours a day, however, the study report didn’t provide a reason for this recommendation. We believe that providing nappy-free time as much as you can is good. It should be a stress-free time for both you and your infant. Also, it should be a time for parent-infant interaction.
You often hear from nurses and health professionals that tummy time is very important to aid normal development of babies’ back and abdominal muscles. Nappy-free time naturally aids this as they gain experience and practice in consciously using their various muscle groups. They get regular practice building their upper body strength to be ready for mobility.
Using waterproof sheets is a good idea not only to protect surfaces from accidental wetness but also to create a warm and comfy environment for your bub.
Remember: Nappies should be changed frequently and nappy-free time should be given in a safe, warm environment.
Nappy-free time can be done at any time, however, here are some suggestions to make your life easy: