Just thought I would share three year's of parenting conclusions on three dirty issues.
Diaper Smell
We tried to use a DiaperGenie for a year with Ryan (now 3). The fact is that poopy diapers stink. We have been much happier since we started a few years ago putting poopy diapers in a blue bag like Sassy Baby Disposable 200 Ct. Diaper Sacks
and immediately put them outside. Their room doesn't smell. Regular pee-only diapers don't really smell. We just throw them in a garbage can near the diaper change station.
Diaper Rash
If the kid has diaper rash (often caused from loose stools), the best thing to do is clean off his dirty butt with wipes, then give him a quick bath after every poopy diaper, and then put Desitin or Butt Paste or another product with zinc oxide. This will help. The bath (in the sink or tub) really does wonders; it is impossible to get the butt clean with just wipes after a liquid poop.
Fiber
The "regularity" and the ease with which bowel movements are made depend almost entirely for our boys on what they have eaten.
The BRAT diet stops you up and makes your poops firmer. (Bananas, Rice–white, Applesauce, and Toast). But see the interesting Wikipedia BRAT diet entry which also recommends liquids, cereal, milk and yogurt.
On the other hand, we have found Fiber cereals to do as advertised and keep our boys very regular. It is terrible to watch a kid who is constipated and who is in pain every time they poop.
Here are some of the cereals in our cupboard. I have put the cereals' grams of Dietary Fiber per serving. (No wonder it is hard to read the labels when each cereal has a different serving size!) But the point is that each of these have quite a bit of fiber. I like to just spread a bunch of different kinds of cereal on their plates and let them choose what they want to eat.
Kellogg's Crispy Blend Low Fat Granola without Raisins (In 1/2 cup serving, 3 g)
Barbara's Bakery Bite Size Shredded Oats (In 1 1/4 cup serving, 5 g)
Nature's Path Organic Heritage Flackes, Multigrain Cereal (In 3/4 cup serving, 6 g)
Cheerios Cereal
When they are getting a little bit too loose, we mix in more cereals with less fiber like Kellogg's Crispix
(in 1 cup serving, less than 1 g of Dietary Fiber).
