Emergency Babycare Solutions for Adult Babies

Emergency Babycare Solutions for Adult Babies

Diapering Needs:

How to Make an Emergency Cloth "Diaper"

It’s the middle of the night and your baby is sleeping soundly beside you in his diapers, plastic pants (or disposables) and onesies with his thumb tucked adorably in his mouth. When you put him to bed earlier, he looked so cute as he fell asleep while sucking his thumb!

Abruptly, he wakes you with an uncomfortable whimper as if he has a wet or poopy diaper. You’ve been through this countless times before, so you get out of bed and go to the closet to take out a clean diaper only to discover that somehow you had used the last one without either washing another load or buying another package of disposable diapers. As you near him to peek into the back of his diaper, you are nearly overcome with the reek of his diaper. Your baby needs to be changed immediately! The stench is horrendous and you've got to get his dirty diaper into the hamper or trash bucket in the bathroom before his mess leaks into the bed. He is whimpering uncontrollably and won’t let you get a moment’s rest until you’ve gotten him cleaned up and into something dry and clean. You look around and try to think of what you might use in the emergency.

Then suddenly, you remember this article.

Find a large absorbent cloth such as a beach towel, a non-fitted, flannel sheet top sheet, a cotton top sheet or even a stack of large men's cotton T-shirts. Flannel sheets can be folded in much the same manner to make a properly sized diaper for an adult baby and are much more comfortable than a terry-cloth towel. Beach towels, although not as comfortable as regular diapers, are large enough to be used for a diaper. Use a standard rectangular fold for prefold diapers to make diapers out of a beach towel. You can also use four or more large white cotton men's T-shirts! The bigger the T-shirts and the more layers there are, the more absorbent they will be! Note: You can also place an absorbent terrycloth kitchen towel between the layers at the front (for baby boys) or rear (for baby girls) when you lay them out to form a "soaker" panel for heavy wetters for any of these techniques.

Technique One: Standard Rectangular Prefold Diaper Fold for Beach Towels

Step 1. Lay beach towel flat in front of you.

Step 1. Fold in sides of the beach towel on the end closest to you (this will end up being the front of the diaper to meet in the middle.
Step 2. Fold up front (the part you just folded in) 1/3 of the way.

Step 3. Place a diaper liner (or use an emergency diaper liner listed below) in the rear of your baby's diaper if he tends to make messes.
Step 4. Have the baby lay down on the diaper and bring the front part up between the baby's legs.
Step 5. Have your baby lay down and bring the back sides (wings) to the front and pin each side with a diaper pin.

Step 6: Put a plastic pant over baby's diaper or use the emergency waterproof cover listed below.

Step 7: Kiss your baby’s forehead maternally and mumble sweet motherly nothings to him to calm him before you tuck him back into bed so he can return to sleep. Once he’s slumbering again, then you take the opportunity to go back to sleep yourself!

Technique Two: Folding Flat Top Twin Sheets for Use as Diapers

Note: Although this technique is for twin sized [76" x 38"] and full (also called standard) [54" x 75] sheets, a King or Queen sized sheet can be used too. Just make an additional longitudinal fold at the beginning as a center panel to bring them down to size. Also note that the standard or full sheet can be folded as in a rectangular tri-fold for a standard flat diaper once it is folded longitudinally. If the baby is small, i.e., boy's size 14 or less, then a twin top sheet can be folded lengthways to form a diaper that is 38"x38" and can be folded like a square diaper. If the baby is large, then the following steps should be observed for a twin top sheet.

Step 1. Fold a full or standard sheet sheet in half lengthways so that the size is 37.5" x 54".

Step 2. Tri-fold the diaper along it's length so that one third of its total width forms a pad which runs along the center line in the middle of the diaper. This should make the diaper approximately 30" in width.

Step 3. Fold one third or more of the diaper down lengthwise so that its total length is approximately 50" or less. If this is too much ease for a tight fitting diaper, then size of the fold. Remember: The fold should be in front for baby boys and in back for baby girls.

Step 4. Place a diaper liner (or use an emergency diaper liner listed below) in the rear of your baby's diaper if he tends to make messes.
Step 5. Have the baby lay down on the diaper and bring the front part up between the baby's legs.
Step 6. Have your baby lay down and bring the back sides (wings) to the front and pin each side with a diaper pin.

Step 7: Put a plastic pant over baby's diaper or use the emergency waterproof cover listed below.

Step 8: Kiss your baby’s forehead maternally and mumble sweet motherly nothings to him to calm him before you tuck him back into bed so he can return to sleep. Once he’s slumbering again, then you take the opportunity to go back to sleep yourself!

Technique Three: Folding Adult T-shirts for Use as Diapers

Step 1. Place the T-shirts on a flat surface. Fold in both sides of the hem at the bottom of the T-shirt to form a tapered end.

Step 2. Place a diaper liner (or use an emergency diaper liner listed below) in the rear of your baby's diaper if he tends to make messes.

Step 3. Have the baby lay down on the T-shirts so that his bottom is in center of the T-shirt and wrap the sleeves around baby's tum-tum.

Step 4. Bring the tapered end up between his legs, then fold over the sleeves and tuck in.

Step 5. Have your baby lay down and pin the fabric securely.

Step 6: Put a plastic pant over baby's diaper or use the emergency waterproof cover listed below.

How to Make an Emergency Cloth Diaper Liner

The new high absorbent paper towels with polymer fibers to strengthen them make them excellent diaper liners for adult babies who tend to make messes in their diapers as well as soak them. In this case, they are not "soakers" but prevent his poopies from staining his cloth diapers (or top sheets or T-shirts) when he messes them. Just take a few paper towels and fold them to make a liner, Dust each layer lightly with Baby Powder before you fold them and have your baby sit or lay down on his diaper for final folding and pinning.

How to Make an Emergency Waterproof Diaper Cover

Are all of your baby's plastic panties in the wash and you need something to keep him from "leaking" everywhere until you get the wash done? Use a large plastic lawn and leaf bag (35-55 gallon size)! You'll be making a T-shape out of the lawn and leaf bag. First, do a rough measurement with your arm to determine how much of the top of the lawn and leaf bag will need to cut off. Place the ends of your fingers about four to six inches beneath the level of his crotch and mark the area where you want the top of his diaper cover to be. If you'd like a better fit, simply cut down the sides outside folds of the original bag to open up the bag and have him sit down on the plastic with the center of his crotch at the bottom fold of the bag. Make a notch above the top of the diaper and another notch where the top of his thigh is. Have the baby stand up. Fold the bag together again and hang upside-down by your fingers. Use your arm to measure. For accuracy you can fold the bag across its width and measure using half the length in the sentence below from the center to mark the outer edges from the center of the bottom fold of the bag. Notch the the base or bottom part of your "T" about 20" (50cm) or one cubit (the length of your arm from fingertips to elbow) in total width centered at the center of the bottom fold of the plastic bag. This will form the crotch of your emergency "diaper cover".

Next cut straight across the top of the bag and make a gently curved cut from each thigh notch to each crotch notch on both sides. This will create a curved "T" shape with the tops of the "T" forming waist ties to hold it in place. Open up the bag and you will see that the bag is now a giant "H" shape with the base of the "T" forming the crotch. Have your baby lay down in the opened "H" shape with him already diapered, and tie at each side at baby's waist. If baby likes this style of diaper cover, you can construct more out of waterproof, rip-stop nylon for no-sew, indestructible, washable, tie-on diaper covers. If your baby was born in the very early Fifties, chances are that he wore this sort of diaper cover rather than plastic pants when he was a tiny baby. Of course they weren't made of lawn and leaf bags, but "H" sections of polyurethane plastic without any sort of elastic whose ends were tied in place - just as these are.

How to Make an Emergency Snappi-Style Diaper Fastener to Replace Diaper Pins

Many people have elastic stays to keep the ends of a fitted sheet tucked in. These are manufactured from one inch wide elastic bands with a latex rubber fitting and a piece of wire that snaps around the fabric which is draped over the rubber fitting to keep it in place, much like men's stocking garters or the fasteners on a woman's garter belt to hold up their hose. You will need two of them to fasten the baby's diaper. Fasten on end of the stay to one of the rear pieces of the diaper and pull it across baby's tummy, then attach the other end to the other side of baby's diaper. To fasten the front, lay the remaining stay over the middle of the previously fastened stay and tuck one end under. Pull the ends of the stay down to put some tension on all ends of the stay and fasten them to the front of the diaper.

How to Make Emergency Baby wipes

Recipe One

1 roll Bounty paper towels

2 1/4 cups water (preferably distilled)

2 Tbls. baby bath, baby shampoo or an antibacterial soap like Dial® with a moisturizer

1 Tbls. baby oil, mineral oil or lavender oil (optional but recommended as protection against diaper rash.)

2 Drops of Vanilla (if using mineral oil)

1 used baby wipe container

Sometimes baby shampoos can cause mold and mildew to form in the wipes, so antibacterial soap or baby wash is a better choice. Cut the roll of paper towels in half and remove the cardboard center. Mix all ingredients in an old baby wipe container. Place the roll of towels in the bowl or tub, and turn it over to let the roll absorb the mixture. Turn again and start the roll from the center.

Recipe Two

1 roll Bounty paper towels

8 cups water

4 tbs. antibacterial liquid hand soap (I use)

4 tbs. baby oil, mineral oil or lavender oil (optional but recommended as protection against diaper rash.)

4 Drops of Vanilla (if using mineral oil)

2 used baby wipe containers

Fold the paper towels in a "Z", so that you can pull each sheet up one at a time, just like commercial baby wipes,- then stack in a used baby wipe container. This recipe makes two tubs of baby wipes.

How to Make Emergency Baby Powder: Use cornstarch from the kitchen. If you want it to smell like baby powder, place a drop or two of vanilla extract on the baby's diaper or diaper liner to have him smell as sweet as the day he was born.

How to Make Emergency Nursery Vaseline®: Regular Vaseline can be scented with a few drops of vanilla to smell like nursery Vaseline. Crisco® or any other solid form of vegetable oil can also be used like Vaseline. Even lard can be used. Place a few tablespoons in a small cup and mix with a few drops of vanilla with a small spoon or fork to make it smell like nursery Vaseline®.

How to Make Emergency Baby Oil: Mineral oil meant for use as a laxative is best, however, corn or vegetable oil can be used. Vanilla can be used to scent the oil.

How to Make Emergency Baby Lotion: Hand or body lotion scented with a few drops of vanilla from the kitchen will work fine.

How to Make Emergency Diaper Rash Ointment: Use 1/4 cup of cold cream, Crisco® or lotion as a base. Mix in 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda, castor oil or a pulverized tablet of a multi-Vitamin or a few drops of vitamin E, and a few drops of squeezed gel from a fresh leaf of an aloe vera plant. If you have access to beeswax, melt 1/4 cup and replace half of the cold cream with the melted beeswax before you add the other ingrediants. The results will astonish you.

Sleeping Needs:

How to Make an Emergency Adult Crib:

Place a twin bed against a wall in a corner. You will need to make a waterproof mattress cover before making the bed. (See the next article) After placing the waterproof cover on the mattress, make some loops of masking tape or duck tape and stick them to the top of the plastic before laying out the sheet. I recommend that you half, then quarter the sheet in the middle lengthways so you can properly center the sheet on the first try. Then pull out the top and bottom of the sheet and lay it over the loops of tape. The tape will keep the plastic from sliding during the night.

Next place the corners of the fitted sheet around the mattress corners. Once the bed is made, you can build the outside walls of the crib. The bottom of the crib can be made by moving a dresser or placing some heavy boxes at the foot of the bed so they come up at least one foot over the surface of the bed.

The outside of the bed can be enclosed with wooden garden lattice, side rails from an old baby crib, parts of an old free-standing and non-floored wooden playpen or even an interior door with the hinge pins removed and the door laid against the side of the crib. The object is to create a visible, but not insurmountable barrier. Place heavy cardboard boxes along the side of the outside border of the crib to keep them upright. (Note: Many Pizza companies such as Domino's Pizza® ship their sauce in extremely heavy duty cardboard boxes which when filled with heavy objects like bricks, rocks or books, will make excellent weight/supports for your emergency crib. Domino's® boxes are especially good because they have cutouts for hands that make them easy to handle. Tall them that you are moving and they will be happy to give them to you. Ask at approximately 11 AM on a Friday or Saturday night when they've just opened and are setting up for a busy evening.)

Feeding Needs

What to Use as an Emergency High Chair: Place two phone (or other large and thick) books on a regular dinner chair to raise the bottom of the chair so that baby's feet can't touch the floor when he sits in it. Have the baby sit in the chair which you have provided with a single sheet that was folded in half lengthways and then again across its length with the short end towards the chair and the two ends brought up between the rear railings of the chair and tied or pinned. Let the baby sit and spread the end of the sheet to cover his chest, then bring back the ends of the sheet between the upper railings of the chair, then twist them and tie or pin the ends together.

What to Use as an Emergency Feeding Bib: Double pin a large towel behind the back of his neck with the front over his chest.

How to Make Emergency Baby Formula:

1 13-ounce can whole evaporated milk (fortified with vitamins A and D)

19 ounces water
2 tablespoons sugar (either table sugar or corn syrup). Do not use honey.

What to Use as Emergency Mother's Milk: Substitute fresh Goat's milk with 1 tablespoon of corn syrup or table sugar for every pint of Goat's milk.

How to Make Emergency Baby Food: Baby food should be served only moderately warm, about 99 degrees or body temperature, like breast milk. Test for safe temperatures by poking or swirling your clean washed finger into the bowl. The cereal should feel neither hot nor cold because it should be at body temperature. When warming food from the refrigerator for baby, warm ever so slightly on the stove top or for a few seconds in the microwave, just enough to get the chill out. Stir very well to distribute any "heat pockets" or "hot spots" that may burn your baby's mouth. Then test for proper temperature as described above.

Applesauce is a good food that is both a baby and adult food. So are canned yams or sweet potatoes. Other foods, such as chicken, can be placed in a food processor or blender to purée it. Separated egg yolks can be cooked and minced into spoon-able pieces for the baby. Fruits can be juiced or puréed in the food processor to make a baby meal.

Oatmeal Recipe: Put two cups of water in a saucepan on the stove top to boil. Meanwhile, take 1/2 cup (8 tablespoons) of oatmeal (non-quick cooking) and powder it in the blender, stir it into the pot of boiling water, turn the heat down to low, and let cook for 10 minutes. Stir with a whisk or fork to prevent lumping and scorching on the bottom. Let cool thoroughly before feeding to your baby. It will look just like the commercial boxed baby oatmeal mixed with liquid. To sweeten, add some applesauce.

TIP: You can double the recipe and store half of the cooked oatmeal, well-covered, for up to two days in the refrigerator.

Mashed Bananas: To make bananas for your baby, peel a ripe banana and thoroughly mash with a fork-mash until there are no lumps and the banana is so mushy it's almost liquid. You can add a teaspoon of table sugar or corn syrup to sweeten.