Screwed up diapering

[MrsKC]

Our DD is nine days old and I feel horrible that I screwed up diapering!  I feel like I know nothing about how to prevent rashes or what products are best.  I thought I did until her skin started peeling and she developed bumps on her bottom.  We stopped using baby wipes and just wash her now.  I am still using pampers swaddlers because they are easy right now as we are adjusting to parenting. .  

Any tips on diapering would be appreciated.  How can I protect her skin and prevent rash? What products are gentle on a baby's skin? 

Thanks!

[Mummoth]

You didn't screw up diapering. All babies get rashes from time to time. There's no way of knowing what product your baby might react to until she has a reaction. I'd suggest going to the doctor and have her rash looked at. I think it's common for baby's skin to get a little peel/rashy shortly after birth, and it's not a reaction to something, so much as everything... her skin might just need to toughen up a bit.

I think switching to water for washing up was a very good idea. A few times a day, if she's calm during a change, try and leave her diaper off for a few minutes and let the rash get some air. A little bit of olive oil or coconut oil will help protect her skin.

[fruitfulmomma]

http://www.mothering.com/community/f/307/allergies

Could be an allergy. I have a 4yo with a lot of food intolerances and had to cut stuff out of my diet while breastfeeding. Try posting in the allergy forums -  

Earth Mama Angel Baby also makes a good balm.

And yeah newborn skin will peel sometimes, though usually hands and feet.

[amberskyfire]

You didn't screw up! :) There could be lots of reasons why your baby has rashes. You want to worry less about product and more about the diapers you are using and how you are using them. Babies don't need to have any chemicals or products on them and it isn't healthy for them when you put it on all of the time.

There are lots of possible reasons for peeling. Some babies have sensitive skin and can get chemical burns by chemicals in the diaper such as absorbent chemicals, plastic, perfumes, dyes or the chemicals used to bleach the paper. Some babies are sensitive to their own urine, so they have to have their diapers changed immediately after they pee instead of sitting in a wet diaper until it gets full. Some babies' skin needs lots of air and sitting in a diaper can cause rashes. There are so many reasons.

One or more of these might help:

1. Try different brands of diapers until you find something that doesn't cause a reaction.

2. Be sure to change your baby's diaper immediately each time she pees.
 

3. Switch to cloth diapers (I highly suggest Kawaii baby bamboo minkie/minky diapers, they are my fave!), especially cotton or bamboo.

4. Try elimination communication.

My babies have never once had a diaper rash, but I don't know for sure why that is. It could be because I keep them in dry cloth diapers and don't let them sit in pee. It could be because we do elimination communication, so they almost never pee or poop themselves. Or it could just be luck or genetics.

[LionessMom]

i like the all natural butt paste. awesome stuff. 

my babies get a rash if i drink milk or eat too much sugar. it makes the poop acidic. try cutting out some foods. try simple things like no drinking milk products, dont eat a lot of sugar or citrus fruits, dont eat a lot of peanut butter, and stay away from broccoli and brussel sprouts. try that for a few weeks. if the rash clears up then you food what was causing it. you can then try one glass of milk or something else and wait a day to see if a rash comes back. if the rash comes back then it was causing problems. some rashes are just caused by acidic poop or pee. but if it doesnt get better or heal it can get infected with yeast. that natural butt paste is awesome and not expensive. i found it at wal mart. 

cotton diapers are awesome too. i highly reccomend them. they help the butt breathe.

[Quinalla]

Changing right away as much as possible and giving some air time after each diaper change (as you can) really help a lot, even an extra minute or two can be helpful and do more if you can. For creams, I really like Balmex when there is a real rash and then I would use Aquaphor in the tub when it looked like a rash might be starting, that helps give a barrier between the skin and pee if you miss a wet diaper for a bit. I know those are not as popular around here, but they definitely worked for us. I know I did often as I was so tired! And yes, sometimes you need to change diapers, we started in pampers swaddlers too and since they worked well, I didn't mess around with it. I would try some other diapers, maybe sensitive ones or switch brands, and see if that helps. But yeah, sometimes that new baby skin is just pretty sensitive.

[Silverring]

Hiya

Don't worry.  Your baby is only a few days old and no-one is born just knowing how to get all this right.  Go easy on yourself!

My midwife told me that the only thing babies need on their skin is water and that's what I did with both of mine.  I used cotton wool balls to wash them with warm water.  I used baby talcum powder to keep their bottoms dry and nappy liners inside cloth nappies and I changed them every hour or so, or immediately after a bowel motion.  I used a disposable at night on the youngest as he suffered with nappy rash a lot and this sorted it completely.

You may need a nappy rash cream until it heals up but hopefully this should help.

Edit - yes, we had lots of 'bum time' too where we let the babies lie with no nappy on to let them get air on their skin.

[katt]

You're doing great!  One never knows when a rash will happen, just roll with it and try and fix the cause while treating the rash.

We CD here and I use Earth Mama Angel Baby Butt Balm for when his tush looks a bit too red for my liking.  I also have a jar of coconut oil as well. 

I don't really use soap on my newborns when bathing unless I NEED to.  Granted I don't really bathe my newborns unless i NEED to, so there is that.  lol