The "Perfect Tape Job"

By BitterGrey

An ABDL's experience with diapers might have something unique about its start, and perhaps it should arc towards another unique point. Outside of bad comedies, putting a diaper on is fairly straightforward. It can be learned from trial and error. ABDL's first times might be more errant than others, who can expect tutoring or at least a previous diaper to refer to. With practice, it will become easy, and then might become routine. This is the norm, but perhaps not the best. Perhaps, among ABDLs, taping diapers should become an art.

While the methods below might not ensure a 'perfect tape job', they may provide a good starting point. There might be other approaches that are simpler and/or give better results.

	For a starting point, let's assume some reasonable approximations: 1. Since your body is roughly symmetric, the position and angles of your tapes should be too. The sides of your hips (2) might be roughly vertical, while the tops of your hips (3) might be more diagonal. This may be easier to see when standing naked in front of a mirror. A crease (4) forms between your legs and abdomen. 5. Tapes should be in simple tension. (More on this later.) 6. Use the manufacturer's size chart to find your size. (Some brands run larger than others. ) With experience, you might find it best to deviate from these approximations. They merely provide a starting point.
	Tucking: Center the back of the diaper under you. If you are standing, lean against a wall to hold the back of the diaper in place. Guide the leg gathers (1) into the creases beside your crotch. Next, pull the front (2) firmly upwards. It should be slightly lower than the back. This distance will vary from one brand to another, so use the pictures or instructions on the bag as a guide. Failing that, have the front lower by about an inch or three centimeters. Try for a firmness that is neither too tight nor too loose. Try for more than the firmness of your underwear's waistband, but maybe not as firm as belt. Too loose and the diaper will slip off and/or leak. Too tight and it might bite into your skin, and/or stretch, possibly tearing or ironically becoming too loose.
	With practice, you'll learn landmarks for where the tapes should be on the front of the diaper so they'll fit you well. These landmarks might be specific to brands, body types, etc. These landmarks can be used to tape up a diaper that initially isn't held firmly: Simply place the first tape where it should be on the front of the relaxed diaper, then the next, pulling firmly as needed, etc. You'll need to use the procedure below, or some other method, to learn where these landmarks are for you. Tapes usually work best when in simple tension, pulling like a chain, as opposed to trying to apply a torque, like a wrench. This sets the height of the tapes at what we'll call their 'neutral position.' Above this position, the tapes will pull back downwards. Below this position, the tapes will pull back upwards. Imagine a pendulum, trying to swing back to its center. Assuming that the sides of your hips are roughly vertical, the lower tapes will be roughly horizontal. Assuming that the tops of your hips are diagonal at some angle (A), the upper tapes will slope downwards at some angle (B). On a paper doll, the angle of the tapes would be twice the angle of the hips. On people, it is often less (0 < B < 2A). Depending on the diaper and your hips, the upper tapes might actually be in line with the lower tapes.
	Centering: Start with the lower tapes. With both hands, pull the unopened tapes inwards. Pull with a firm force, on both sides. With the tapes closed, move the tapes up and down while pulling them around you. Feel how they pull towards their neutral position. Note where on your hip both tapes should be. If these two positions aren't roughly symmetric, shift your body relative to the back of the diaper and try again. Next, you can focus on one tape, and then the others.
	Taping (overview): The first tape will be the most difficult. In a nutshell, you'll need to pull firmly on the front and back, while holding both centered, and applying the tape. This would be trivially easy if you had more than two hands. A few options for two-handed methods are listed below. Left-handed ABDLs and right-handed caregivers changing someone else might wish to swap "right" and "left" in the following instructions. To prevent fouling the adhesive with baby powder, body oils, etc., avoid touching the adhesive surfaces with your fingers, or to any surface other than the tapes final position on the front. Also avoid touching the final position on the front. Velcro tapes are much less sensitive to fouling by powders and oils.
	Taping (belt method): The quick and easy method is to use a belt to hold the front of the diaper in place. The belt should be over the front of the diaper, but under the back. It should be just above where the lower tapes will go (noted in step two). You might need to place the belt, and then adjust the front of the diaper underneath so that it is centered and spread out. Open and place each tape. Then take the belt off after the tapes are in place.
	Taping (tape pull method): This method is more complicated and might foul the tapes, but avoids using an un-babylike belt. 1L With your Left hand, pull upwards on the front of the diaper and center it. 2R With you right forearm, hold the front of the diaper centered. Continue until the first tape is placed. 3R With your Right hand, pull the front side tab taught. 4L With your Left hand, open the tape. Holding it by the end (avoiding touching the sticky tape), pull the tape and apply to the front.
	Taping (arm-wrist-press method): This method is more complicated, but avoids fouling tapes and using an un-babylike belt. 1L With your Left hand, pull upwards on the front of the diaper and center it. 2R With you right forearm, hold the front of the diaper centered. Continue until the first tape is placed. 3R With your Right hand, pull the front side tab taught. 4L With your Left hand, pull the rear side over the front. Leave the tape closed for now. 5L With your Left palm, press the front and read side tabs, holding them in place. 6 (not shown) with your Right hand and Left fingers, open the tape and apply.
	Finally: Repeat the taping steps for the other side (switching hands), then repeat from the centering step for the upper tapes. (For six-tape diapers, do the middle tapes, and then the upper tapes.) Note some landmarks on the front, such as the edge of the padding, that you can use in the future to reproduce these positions next time. Also note refinements to these positions in the likely case that your first try isn't perfect.

Deviations:

• Your body won't be exactly symmetric, so your best tape positions might not be either.
• You might want a larger or smaller diaper. If the desired size difference is less than one size, you might need to try other brands.
• You might want more space up front, to show off a diapered erection. This can be achieved by angling the lower tapes down slightly, and the upper tapes up (or less downward) slightly. This fit will be more prone to leak.
• Four-tape diapers without elastic gathers are substantially different. With elastic gathers, the tapes mainly support the padding (which might gain a lot of weight in absorbed urine).
  

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For a Second Opinion: ADISC: How to put on a diaper