It’s been so long now since I had to put on my very first adult diaper it’s tough for me to remember what it was like. In reflection, it took me many years to pick up all the various ways you COULD put a diaper on yourself.
On average, diapering up while laying down and doing the bottom tapes first is the most common way people prefer to do it. You can also put it on while standing up, leaning against a wall, or even pre-tape it and pull it up like underwear.
Beyond the positioning that you choose you could also choose to tape up differently than what the majority of people prefer. Technically, the only wrong ways there are to do it are any ways that lead to leaks and not getting the most out of the product.
These approaches took me years to discover and learn. I’m sure these will be helpful to some of you who read this and are new to all of it.
What Are All The Different Positions You Can Diaper Up In
In the above featured video, I demonstrate 4 different ways you can approach diapering yourself up.
There is no one position to diaper up in that is inherently better than another. I did however run several polls across my audience trying to gauge how most people do it.
Here are the results of those polls.
While this poll shows that the vast majority of people prefer to diaper up while laying down, how you end up deciding to do it will be a combination of preference and physical ability.
Incontinence is caused by a whole host of physical issues that may make it difficult for you to perform a diaper change in one or more of these positions.
- The Laying Down Position – This is pretty much exactly what it sounds like. It’s the most traditional way to diaper up as most people who change the diapers of someone else, say a child or an adult, will have them lay down for it. It’s just a far easier way to get the diaper in the correct postions while also being able to put on any ointment or powders you like.
- The Wall Technique – This is where you place the diaper between your butt and the wall and you lean against the wall to hold it in place. This is a good technique to use when you’re out and need to change on the go. I do find it more difficult to put on powders and other things this way.
- The Standing Up Technique – This is where you place the diaper between your legs, pull it up snugly to your crotch and correct postioning, then hold in in place with your legs squeezed together while taping it up.
- The Slide Up Like Underwear Technique – This is where you pretape the bottom tapes of the diaper first, then you pull it up like pull ups or underwear. Once in a snug position you fasten your top tapes. This one takes a try or two to get down but isn’t as hard as it sounds.
- The sitting down technique(bonus)– This one is another option that I didn’t cover in any of the polls but came up in a comment after I made the video. This is also a potential option. Since this one I’ve never tried myself I can’t give you any procedural tips. I’d imagine you would need to open up the diaper and place it in the seat of a chair, couch, or on the toilet in such a way that you can sit in it. Sit down, get your positioning how you need it and then tape it up.
While I would recommend the laying down position it may take some experimenting for you to figure out which one of these diapering options works best for you.
As I said earlier the only wrong way to do it is the way that results in leaks or sub-optimal performance of the diaper.
What Are The Different Ways You Can Tape Up?
There are several different ways to go about taping your diaper up. What way you end up doing it is ultimately up to you but you’ll find that the order in which you tape up the tapes on your diaper makes a difference.
The vast majority of diaper wearers who answered my polls on this topic said they prefer to tape up the bottom tapes first. I am in this category myself.
Personally, I find it helps me get just the right fit around the legs. Not too tight but not too loose. Once I have the bottom tapes securely in place I pull the top tapes in snugly to ensure the diaper is held in place as it gains weight.
So it’s safe to say that if you’re new to wearing diapers you should probably start by taping them up from a laying down position doing the bottom tapes first. This is the most popular approach and for good reason.
If for whatever reason that isn’t working out for you or you just don’t like doing it that way, there are a variety of other combinations of approaches you can take.
It’s a matter of experimenting until you find your comfort zone. Do you prefer standing up or laying down? Do you prefer top tapes first or bottom tapes first?
Pay attention to the results each approach gets you. Are you more comfortable? Are you leaking more than normal? Is the diaper coming loose at all?
The laying down bottom tapes first approach is just the most highly used and thus the most highly recommended approach you should try taking.
When To Apply Lotions, Creams, Ointments, and Powders
There are multiple different reasons why you might want to use oils, ointments, or powder when diapering yourself up. Not everyone chooses to use these things but some of us actually need to in order to avoid getting rashes.
Some people choose to use them for comfort and because they like the scents. They can help give you that fresh and clean feeling while doubling down as skin protection.
If you’re going to use these sorts of things when diapering yourself up I can tell you how I personally go about it myself. There may be other ways to approach this so don’t be afraid to experiment. This is just my personal preference of how I like to do it.
First off, I usually only go this far when I’m in a comfortable place to change. Using all these things becomes more difficult on the go as you don’t want to get any of it in the landing zones of the tapes. (explained more in the next section)
So when I’m in a place where I can change comfortably, usually at home, I start by laying out the clean diaper first placing my booster pad into place.
I sprinkle the powder in the buttocks area of the diaper and then proceed to apply a layer of baby oil to my skin.
Next, I apply a light layer of A&D ointment. Vaseline or any other similar ointment will work too.
Together they work to create a barrier of fluid repellent for your skin. Then I’m sure to clean up my hands before touching the diaper or trying to position myself in place.
After positioning myself onto the diaper I sprinkle a light layer of powder before taping up.
You want to make sure to be careful to avoid getting powder or oil on the front of the diaper or on the tapes. Wipe your hands off with a rag or wet wipes before you go to tape up your diaper.
I personally find this approach to be necessary any time I feel a rash beginning to form. Once I do this for a few days and it clears up I usually stop and only use powder. I vary it depending on the day, my mood, and the needs of my skin.
The Most Common Mistakes TO AVOID When Diapering Yourself Up
All beginners doing anything new are bound to make some mistakes. So far, we’ve set you up for success by giving you the most popular self diapering positions as well as the most popular taping preferences.
Now let us go over all the most common mistakes that get made when diapering that can lead to a tape failure, a leak, or even a rash. Try to avoid these mistakes yourself and you’ll be off to an amazing start.
- Don’t put the tapes on too tight! Putting the tapes on too tight wil constrict the circulation of air to your skin and cause rashes. Plus it just gets uncomfortable when it is too tight.
- Don’t get powder or oil on the front of the diaper! Getting powder or oil on the front of the diaper will prevent the tapes from being able to stick. If they do stick it will likely lead to tape failures if one is not careful when diapering.
- Don’t put the tapes on too loose! Putting the tapes on too loose will cause the diaper to sag when it gets any weight to it. It can also lead to openings in the leg holes that will then lead to leaking.
- Angle your bottom tapes up slightly! If you put your tapes on just horizontal over time they will begin to dig into your thighs. If you angle them slightly upward this will help avoid that discomfort.
- Activate your leg guards! This is just a fancy way of saying to make sure your leg guards are standing up. You can simply run a finger along the inside of the leg holes and pull the leg guard into its proper position.
- Place your booster pads correctly! If you use booster pads you need to make sure to place them properly in between the leg gaurds. If they are over the leg gaurd you will likely have leaks.
- Clean yourself up properly! This might seem like a no brainer but it is very common for people in a rush to take a wet diaper off and slap a dry diaper on without properly cleaning up. (guilty ✋ ) This will lead to rashes.
Luckily for you, I have made all these mistakes so many times that if I can manage to help you avoid some of them then they won’t have been in vain.
Most of these mistakes lead to bad rashes too. That’s the real big thing you will want to try hard to avoid. Especially when you’re brand new to needing to wear diapers.