diaper rash help- please!

[brennatsi]

My ten month old is mostly breastfed. We use prefolds at home, pockets when we go out, and a hemp prefold for overnight. I just started washing with Country Save (got it in bulk), but this problem was present before also (when I used Arm&Hammer Sensitive Skin).
Problem: DD can be wet for hours with no problems, but if poop stays on her skin for even a few minutes she gets a terrible rash. It looks like a cross between a yeast rash (satellite dots) and a chemical burn- bad! Since she nurses so much she poops frequently and sometimes only a little bit and it slips under the radar and the poor thing doesn't get changed until she wets later on. When she is rashy, I try to give her lots of coverless time, but it is really Desitin that helps (with a flushable liner). It seems worse with the pockets, but I could be wrong.
We think she has a mild milk protein allergy, so maybe I cheat too much (i.e. hazelnut creamer in my coffee)? Maybe the detergent isn't washing out? Maybe it is another allergy or ... i don't know!
Please help- any advice would be welcome.

PS- My wash routine goes like this: all covers, prefolds, pockets and inserts in a cold soak with OxoBrite and sometimes a smidge of detergent, a hot wash with a 1/4 cap of Country Save, then a hot cycle with no detergent.

Thanks in advance!!!!

[katie9143]

sounds like maybe you should try stripping....lots of soap

try a tbs of dawn followed by several rinses. also, turn up your water temp on the water heater if its not already up all the way. super hot water works like a charm.

[mommyhopeful3]

It could be a synthetic material thing since you said you think it is worse in the pockets. It also could be build up issue. Or it could be something you eat and from her poop only.

I agree with pp. Try to strip them first. Rinse until there are no more suds. See if that makes a difference. If it doesn't then I would try to take a look at your diet a little more and see if it seems to change with what you eat. Also try to see if it really does seem worse in the pockets. It could be the liners that help the rash along as well. You could always try silk liners.

My son gets a little red from poop too. But it doesn't get the way you talk about unless it is runny and makes its way up front. I just use some Northern Essence diaper rash salve and it clears right up. EMAB bottom balm works well for us too. Both are CD safe. There are some others we have used in the past and needed liners for since they have zinc.

But balms with lavender and tto should help if LO is not sensitive to them.

[sagemomma]

you might try starting her on probiotics to balance out her personal bacteria, strip the diapers , use a barrier cream, and keep an eye on what you are eating that could be causing the reaction .
HTH

[Michigan Mama]

Your wash routine sounds ideal, and others already gave you advice on stripping dipes....

Food allergies has been a big issue for us, and my ds has had them since birth, just from what I was eating. I had to be very very careful while bf'ing and it took a long time to figure out what was bothering him. After more than a year, we figured out it was potatoes, onions, dairy, nuts, and soy. Soy gives him really bad diaper rash and sometimes diahrrea...and I'm starting to suspect peas and beans, too - they are in the same family.

I guess my point is, if you think she has a milk allergy, it's possible there are more. Try to be really careful, maybe even journal what you eat, and maybe you can get to the bottom of it. It's hard though and we still deal with it here.

Most creamers, btw, have hardly any dairy in them, anyway, so you might be safe if dairy is the only issue!

[brennatsi]

Alright, ladies, here is the plan. I will strip the dipes this week and I am starting a food diary. I was intimidated by the idea of a massive elimination diet, but if I can narrow down the culprits with a diary- that might help. It is hard enough making inexpensive meals for a family of 5 and consuming enough calories to accommodate nursing a 26 lb baby, right?
I hope the stripping helps, too. My pockets and hemp prefolds are have been getting very stinky when wet. I hope I can kill two birds with one stone.