Need more baby skin help

[maisiedotes]

Poor Mairaed and her sensitive skin... from nursing so much (nobody get excited- she seems to just be comfort sucking... even when I manually express ) but her little chin is SO red. Her cheek too, from where I support her head, which I do with a bare arm. I hesitate to put anything on it in case it irritates her more. Also on her chin and cheek where the redness is, she has gotten red spots- much different than the little whiteheads she has on her forehead and the other cheek. I feel so bad... I put breastmilk on it today and hopefully it helps. Any other suggestions?

Also, while you are here, can anyone give me any tips on nursing laying down? My boob squishes into her nose when we lay down and I lay awake worrying that she is going to have trouble breathing. Thanks for any help!

[lesliesara63]

Breastmilk is all I'd put on it. My dd gets kind of red like that too. My friend who has pretty large breasts always pushes her finger into the breast to give a little space around her dd's nose. Not sure what she does when laying down though.

[Dee-Groovy]

My DD has some skin issues too (zits, whiteheads, pressure redness) but both my ped and the Dr. Sears Baby Book say it's normal & nothing to worry about. It's mostly due to residual hormones in the baby's system & should start clearing up around 6-8 weeks, IIRC. Does the redness go away quickly? Baby skin is sensitive b/c it's new, but my DD's skin seems to recover from the "pressure redness" pretty quickly.

[Beckula]

I'm not sure about the skin issue as I am battling pretty much the same thing though i'm pretty sure my LO is due to me not being vigilant enough with eliminating dairy. As far as the side lying nursing position, neither of my DS's could do it at first. We had to work on it and I almost always have to hold my boob back from his nose. Luckily he is strong and vocal enough to let me know if he is having trouble getting air and i wake back up and adjust. Sometimes I think it takes them time to effectively learn this position. Just keep trying, also putting my arm under his back helps as well.

[lisarussell]

is she allergic to something on YOUR skin- like your lotion or deodorant?

[sandiegokristi]

I sometimes put my arm under Jacob's head while lying down and nursing. Another trick I used in the beginning was to latch him on sitting up and then lay down with him. I seemed to be able to have him in a better position for side sleeping/laying then.

Hope the breastmilk helps with the skin. I don't have any other advice for the skin problems.

[Isaac'sMa]

Caleb gets this too...mostly if his cheek is against my bare chest when he's in the Moby. It seems to me llike a contact heat rash and sounds like what you're describing. I use a cool washcloth before bed and nap and breastmilk everytime he nurses. The breastmilk helps a lot, but it does seem to take a day or two to really look better.

[maisiedotes]

Thanks everyone! Her skin looks alot better today where I put the breastmilk. I guess I will keep it up!

[Isaac'sMa]

nak...just re-read your OP and as far as nursing lying down, don't worry about her being able to breathe. Babies noses are specially designed so that they have an airpocket around their nose even when they have a face full of boob!

Glad the bm is helping her rash.

[maisiedotes]

Well, thank you all! I have to say, suddenly sticking her on the boob while we are laying down makes her pass right out. Last night she was still up fussing at 1:30am and I stuck her on the boob and she was out cold within 5 minutes. It seems to be the only thing that settles her down in the midst of all the fussiness. Of course, this means DH can't really help in that respect...

[GinaRae]

I totally agree with Laura, but in my case it often encases his nose like soft dough would and he has to pull his head back every few seconds and gasp for air. Still, at some point I fall asleep and my hand slips away and I guess when he's had enough he goes back to sleep. Somehow we've done okay.

The only thing I worry about is how much carbon dioxide he breathes back in being so close to the breast

[free2be]

Seems like the breast milk is working great for you, but if you want you can try calendula cream. It's all natural and works great on skin problems. I use it on my DD and now on my DS who is having the same issues as your LO.

[welldone]

For nursing lying down, try getting her latched on, then pull her lower body in toward you as snug as you can. That tends to pull the upper body away from you a little bit, giving a big of breathing space.

You can try just gently tilting her forehead back, too, but sometimes that tends to break the latch if you're not careful.

Glad the rash is clearing! Asher has a consistent rash on his chin and cheeks, too. It comes and goes, but there's always something there. I think it's either a heat rash or a food allergy. I'm hoping it's the former, not the latter, because I'm horrible at elimination diets!

[cheeseRjedi]

Originally Posted by welldone

For nursing lying down, try getting her latched on, then pull her lower body in toward you as snug as you can. That tends to pull the upper body away from you a little bit, giving a big of breathing space.

:

I pull DS' legs and bum way in close to me so he's angled and that usually does the trick. Sometimes I hold my boob back a bit too b/c it's as big as his head . Be careful doing that though because I read that if you hold your boob back too far it can pull your nipple to the front of theirmouth causing a shallow latch which will wear down on your nips.

Glad the BM is helping her rash. I swear that stuff is pure gold!