How to change a nappy without taking the sleepsuit off

Why it’s worth learning

Newborns need changing many times a day, and plenty of babies cry the moment their chest and arms are uncovered. Opening only the bottom half of the sleepsuit keeps them warmer and calmer, takes less time, and means you are not wrestling arms back into sleeves at 3am. It is the reason sleepsuits and rompers have snaps where they do, and once you have the knack, a change takes a couple of minutes instead of five.

Step by step

Starting from the crotch keeps the snaps in line.

• Before you start, put the clean nappy, wipes or cotton wool and water within reach, so you never take a hand off your baby.
• Lay your baby on their back and undo only the snaps you need: the crotch and down the inside of the legs.
• Fold the opened lower half up onto your baby’s tummy, well clear of the nappy. On a long sleepsuit, you can slide the feet out of the legs if they are in the way.
• Change the nappy as usual and let the skin dry for a moment.
• Fold the sleepsuit back down, feed the feet back in, and close the snaps starting from the crotch and working out towards each ankle.

Front-opening sleepsuits

On a sleepsuit with snaps down the front, like the Sky Blue Teddy & Stars Footed Sleepsuit, undo the lower snaps up to just below the tummy and leave the chest snaps closed. The lower half then opens out flat on the mat, and the arms never come out of the sleeves.

Rompers with snaps underneath

A romper is even simpler: undo the short row underneath, lift the front and back up out of the way, change, and close. The Sky Blue Sailboat Polo Romper has snaps underneath its bubble bottom, and the loose bubble folds up neatly while you work. On a romper that closes along the legs, open only as far as you need.

Older babies who won’t lie down

From about a year, many babies refuse to lie still for a change. With a one-piece, you can still manage it standing up: undo the crotch and leg snaps, let the front and back hang loose, and change the nappy while your toddler holds onto the sofa or your shoulder. Snaps that run down the legs make this far easier than a short row underneath. If standing changes become the norm, it may be time to use more two-piece sets during the day.

When the sleepsuit has to come off

If the nappy has leaked onto the fabric, change the whole suit rather than closing a damp one back up. Damp fabric against the skin gets cold, and at night it will wake your baby later anyway. Keep a spare laid out near the changing mat so this takes a minute, not ten.

Choosing pieces that make this easy

You can see how each of our one-pieces opens on rompers and sleepsuits, and our newborn clothes checklist covers how many to have ready before the birth.

• Snaps that run down both inside legs, not just one, so the lower half opens right out.
• Enough length in the body that the crotch snaps close without stretching over the nappy.
• Feet with room to slip in and out easily.

Quick answers