Just wanted to share a warning in case anyone else comes across something like this. The first night we brought our newborn home just 6 hours after giving birth, I was changing his first diaper and got really worried about his umbilical cord getting irritated. I was tired and anxious, and I noticed a trick that suggested cutting a wedge in the diaper where the cord is. I did this for a couple of diapers until I saw some of the gel from inside the diaper near his belly button. I freaked out and remembered how harmful that stuff can be and tried my best to clean it off him. He had it on overnight.
I can’t stop thinking about it, and now that three days have gone by, I’m really uneasy. I can’t find clear info on how bad the gel is, but I read it could be harmful in some diapers. Having postpartum anxiety has me really worried about this. I feel so bad about it, so here’s a warning to tired new moms to be careful if they see similar tricks.
Davin said:
Just fold the diaper and make sure to point it down or it will leak out the top.
mom of an 11-month-old son
Haha, I had a funny experience at a fair with my mom and my over 1 year old. I had to change his diaper in a private spot because I couldn’t find a changing room. I lifted the front of the diaper to adjust him while explaining, ‘Make sure to point it down to avoid leaks,’ and my mom was confused. She didn’t realize that’s why he leaked when she put his diaper on.
To be fair, I’m her only child, so she never needed to know stuff like that. Definitely a handy tip for new boy moms.
You can fold the diaper. But postpartum anxiety makes new moms worry about everything. I felt the same way for the first few weeks, but it does get easier.
Hey! My son’s belly button got some of that gel stuck in it too, but it was fine. The body pushes it out, just watch for irritation. It came out after a couple of weeks.
Try not to worry too much. If your baby had eaten it, I’d be more concerned. But honestly, would companies use harmful materials in diapers designed for delicate babies? I doubt it. Take a deep breath, you’re doing well. When things like this happen, it can help to talk it out with someone.
‘Baby diapers contained several known or suspected carcinogens, including benzene and 1,4-dioxane, with some diapers posing a lifetime cancer risk of 1 in a million in a worst-case scenario.’