For new parents, even seeing the word “blowouts” can be triggering. It conjures up memories too painful to speak of; ones too recent to be able to look back on and laugh about. And in many ways, blowouts are a rite of passage–or, at least, they’re spoken about like one. Like they’re something everyone has to experience before being anointed a true parent.

In our opinion, though, blowouts shouldn’t be canon. With the right preparation and super absorbent diapers that you trust, they can be avoided in just about any situation. Keep reading for our top tips for avoiding this tragic occurrence.

1. It’s all in the fit. When you’re putting the diaper on, take an extra minute or so to ensure that you’re fitting it correctly to your baby’s body. It might sound silly, but little things like making sure it’s on straight, centered at your baby’s belly button, make a big difference in preventing a blowout. You also want to check that the wings are secured evenly on each side so that the diaper fits snugly at the waist, and that the elastic around the thighs is fitted against your baby’s skin without any gaping holes. We also like to tuck in the flap at the back of the diaper a bit, just as an added layer of protection in case the projectile is so violent that it tries to shoot right up their back.
2. Fluff out those leg ruffles. You’ve probably heard this one before, but those little fabric ruffles around the leg elastic need to be pulled out before your diaper change is truly finished. They help ensure that the elastic gets a nice close fit on your baby’s legs, and they keep any escaping leaks from ending up on the outfit that you definitely paid way too much for.
3. Change them frequently. One of the reasons blowouts happen is because there’s already too much liquid in the diaper pre-blowout. This is an easy solve. Just make sure that if you notice that the diaper is becoming heavy or puffy, you switch it out for a new one. That way, there’s always lots of space and absorbency in the diaper to catch whatever might come next.Don’t get obsessive about it though–there’s no need to change them every hour. If you have a good diaper, you shouldn’t have to change it out every single time the wetness indicator turns blue. A Coterie diaper can hold up to 70% more liquid than your average diaper, and has 4x faster absorbency too. For you, that means your baby will last longer in between changes, and you’ll be marked safe from high-speed projectile poops.
4. Size up. If you’ve followed tips 1 through 3 religiously and you’re still experiencing blowouts, take that as a sign to move up to the next diaper size. We use weight ranges as a guideline for when your baby might be in certain sizes, but sometimes they might need to move to the next size before they hit our suggested range. That’s totally normal and okay–it’s always better to err on the side of caution and size up rather than have your baby in a too-small diaper. Make sure you update your subscription if you have one, and so that your smaller-sized diapers don’t go to waste, you can continue using them until they run out. Just try to avoid using them overnight, on long car trips, or when you are overdue for a number 2.
5. Switch diaper brands. We never want to disparage our competitors, but you might find that some diaper brands just aren’t cut out to handle the almighty power of a baby’s gastrointestinal tract. If you’ve tried all the tricks above and are still getting leaks or blowouts, it’s probably time to think about switching to a new brand. If you want some recommendations on the highest-quality diapers on the market, ask your mom friends or do a quick Reddit spiral. We’re confident you’ll hear the name “Coterie” more than once.

Even with our best guidance, there is the rare occasion when a blowout is unavoidable. Like when your newborn hasn’t pooped in over a week and you put them in a carseat for a 3 hour road trip. You’re just tempting fate. So just in case it does happen, you’ll want to be prepared to handle it as quickly and painlessly as you possibly can. Below are two extra “break in case of emergency” tips for dealing with a blowout in a pinch.

1. Pull the onesie down, not up. If like us, you never knew why onesies have little flaps on the shoulders–let us fill you in. They’re actually structured like that for this exact situation. So if your baby has projectile pooped all the way up to their neck, you don’t have to pull the onesie up over their head and make it even more of a mess than it already is. Just hook your fingers into the shoulder fabric, and gently pull outwards, stretching the onesie over and down your baby’s body. Voila–poop-free hair for life.
2. Always bring an extra outfit. This might seem like an obvious one, but the one time you forget the change of clothes is always the one time you actually need it. We recommend keeping a full outfit in a ziploc bag in the backseat of your car, along with a spray bottle filled with water and your favorite stain remover. That way, whether its a blowout or an ice cream spill, you’ll have everything you need to salvage both the clothes and your child’s mood. Pro tip: use the plastic bag to store the dirty outfit afterwards. Your nose will thank you.