If you're anything like most parents, diaper duty won't be your favorite chore. But you gotta do what you gotta do, and these tips will help. When it's time to change your infant, always start by washing your hands-even if it's just with a hand sanitizer like Purell, or a baby wipe. Ensure that you have everything you'll need, like a clean diaper, wipes, ointment AND a change of clothes. Unfasten your baby's diaper tabs and-if you have a son-avoid a surprise shower by quickly covering his penis with a cloth. Then, fasten the tabs back on themselves so they don't stick to your baby, and fold the dirty diaper under him. Lift your baby's legs by using one hand to hold both ankles. Now, use a wipe to thoroughly clean your baby's genitals and backside. If you have a girl, remember to always wipe front to back to keep bacteria away from her vagina. If you have a newly circumcised boy, follow your doctor's instructions to care for his healing penis. This will probably mean using Vaseline and a gauze barrier on the penis's tip for a few days after the procedure. When you change an uncircumcised boy, you may notice whitish discharge, called smegma, on his penis. This is completely normal, and is simply a collection of old cells which have been shed from under your baby's foreskin. No matter your baby's sex, you should now swap the clean diaper for the dirty one, ensuring that the tabs go under your baby's rear. If your child suffers from diaper rash, apply a barrier ointment, like petroleum or white zinc oxide, to the irritated area. If your baby has especially delicate skin or is prone to rash, you can also apply ointment or plain petroleum jelly as a precautionary measure. If you prefer using powder, shake the canister's contents into your hands and apply, instead of directly putting the powder on your baby. Finish by pulling the diaper up between your baby's legs, then fastening it using the adhesive tabs. Diapers aren't foolproof, so if your baby's clothes are even lightly soiled, you should change them now to help prevent diaper rash. Once your baby is clean, re-tape the soiled diaper around its contents, and drop it in a diaper genie. When you dispose of a diaper in this manner, the soiled garment is sealed with a scented film to keep germs OUT and smell IN. At last, you're done with diaper duty-for an hour or two anyway!