Incision Infection...

[Tenk]

So over week 3 after Bodie's birth, I had been feeling very sick. I had flu like feelings, and I was very weak and had shivers and hot flashes. Finally on Thursday night (2am) I woke DH and told him to watch Bodie (he was sleeping at the moment, but would wake soon hungry) that I needed to shower to warm my bones. When I got out, I cried and said I needed to go to the ER. I feel asleep after taking my pain meds and woke up in a puddle of sweat, knowing I had just broken my fever. Went in on Friday morning to my OB. Aparently my incision was SUPER infected. She had to scrape it out, drain it, and make holes in it so it could keep draining. I had Bodie in my sling, sleeping, so I had to keep completely still, as I cried my eyes out. My poor doctor wiped my tears off for me as I cried more. I was given antibiotics to help rid the infection because it's so bad. On the bright side, i feel MUCH better now that I've been on them for a few days tho. I've never had any type of incision before so I didn't know this could happen. Oh, she wanted me to come back today to drain it more, but I felt like it was doing ok now and I didn't need to go in again.

Just needed to vent, and I hope all you other C/Section mamas are doing well.

Oh, question for you all..;........ Bodie has a rash on his bottom, the Ped said it was from wiping him so much, since he's BF he poos a ton and we're trying to keep him clean. Now it's raw looking. How do I get rid of this?? i've tried vaseline, organic UN-petroleum jelly, Budreaux's Butt paste, and some Aveno stuff for rashes. Any suggestions for this mamas? he doesn't seem to mind it, but I feel so bad for my poor little tiny guy.

[Linzie2]

Maybe you could try some flannel wipes? Or just take some receiving blankets and cut them up and just wet them to wipe. Whenever DD was red, I'd use my Lansinoh cream on her bottom. FWIW, my DS's bottom looks red in the crack constantly, although not painful looking.

[Blu Razzberri]

Originally Posted by Tenk

...Bodie has a rash on his bottom...from wiping him so much...we're trying to keep him clean. Now it's raw looking. How do I get rid of this??...

Newborns poop a LOT. I understand the desire to keep him clean (I'm obsessive about keeping my kids clean - always chasing after them to wipe them up!); but you're overdoing it and it's hurting him. My newborn poops pretty much as soon as the new diaper goes on, like literally within' minutes. Unless he poops a good one (not just a streak, but rather it's threatening to seep out the leg holes), I don't change him right away. So, make it longer between changings. It's much less likely to hurt him if he "sits in it" for longer than it is if you're constantly wiping away at his skin. The only problem you may run into is that sometimes poop can 'burn' the skin; and to avoid this, just put a thin layer of Vaseline on his bum before doing up the diaper. (If you're cloth diapering, you can't do this unless you use a liner - ask more about this in the diapering forum, or call the diaper manufacturer if you need more info)

As for helping to heal his torn skin; express some breast milk and pat it (gently) over his 'wound'. Let it dry. If you don't find that's working (here's where I start to sound right nuts ); express some breast milk into a bowl/cup, get a cotton ball and carefully stretch it out (or rip it down to size) so it covers the affected area; soak it in the expressed milk and stick it to baby's bum; do up the diaper. This will keep the milk in contact with his skin longer, and help him heal. In a half hour, change him, clean him up, and put a thin layer of Vaseline on before doing up the clean diaper.

[NullSet]

Oh gosh Teneal, I hope you are feeling better and that infection goes away quickly.

Would it make his bum more red to just spray him off a little with water (over the sink) instead of wiping? My tried and true method with any type of diaper rash is always lots and lots of air time too.

[njbeachgirl]

If you can get his naked bum in the sun for a couple of minutes it might help!

I've also heard just plain cornstarch is good.

Hope you are both feeling better soon

[firespiritmelody]

Preventing and curing diaper rash... my tried and true methods

First, we use cloth wipes. I prefer flannel. I love the california baby diaper area spray - smells sooo good. But just a soft cloth with warm water will clean up baby just fine. You could also use a drop of good baby wash (not johnsons crap) in a few tablespoons of water to cleanse as well.

For diaper ointment, I prefer the Hylands brand. Its a more oily ointment (not creamy) and glides on very well and sticks. I really try not to use patrolium products on my kids so vasaline is not an option in our house. (And the "un"patrolium jelly has castor oil in it - makes me gag just to smell the stuff, yuck!) But the hylands will coat nicely and heals quickly.

Make sure your little ones bum gets as much air time as possible. Tummy time with no diaper on works nicely for that. Esecially if its a nice day and you can go outside. If you're cloth diapering, put just the diaper on with no cover for a while.

Good luck mama! Oh, and I'm glad to hear that you feel better after seeing your ob. Stay off your feet and slow down a bit too, that will probably help you to feel better.

[Tenk]

Thanks mamas!!! I'm going to try these and see if we can straighten it out. I thought about the breast milk thing, but wasn't 100% sure it would work. I like the idea of more air time too.

[lorelei]

Tenk, sorry to hear about your infection, but really glad you saw the Doc and are on the mend. Feel better soon!

For baby, I'd just spray him off in the sink instead of wiping all the time. Also, I like burt's bees diaper cream- it's really thick and has great staying power- no petrol. Weleda has a good baby cream too, I just find that burts stays better and it's like 1/2 the price of the calendula baby creme from Weleda.

Lots of air time will help, too. Hope Brodie's bottom is all better soon!

[Blu Razzberri]

Originally Posted by Tenk

Thanks mamas!!! I'm going to try these and see if we can straighten it out. I thought about the breast milk thing, but wasn't 100% sure it would work. I like the idea of more air time too.

The only place I might think twice about squirting breast milk on would be the eyeballs....and maybe the cops.

Don't ask....I've been having strange random thoughts lately. That one was right interesting, so I thought I'd share.

[Ilaria]

Wrong thread - sorry! (too many windows open at once!)

[GoBecGo]

I've used breastmilk to wash sand out of a newborn's eyes. Worked a treat! My midwife told me there was nowhere it couldn't be put!

[Ilaria]

Wrong thread - sorry! (too many windows open at once!)

[delicious]

Originally Posted by Blu Razzberri

Newborns poop a LOT. I understand the desire to keep him clean (I'm obsessive about keeping my kids clean - always chasing after them to wipe them up!); but you're overdoing it and it's hurting him. My newborn poops pretty much as soon as the new diaper goes on, like literally within' minutes. Unless he poops a good one (not just a streak, but rather it's threatening to seep out the leg holes), I don't change him right away. So, make it longer between changings. It's much less likely to hurt him if he "sits in it" for longer than it is if you're constantly wiping away at his skin. The only problem you may run into is that sometimes poop can 'burn' the skin; and to avoid this, just put a thin layer of Vaseline on his bum before doing up the diaper. (If you're cloth diapering, you can't do this unless you use a liner - ask more about this in the diapering forum, or call the diaper manufacturer if you need more info)

As for helping to heal his torn skin; express some breast milk and pat it (gently) over his 'wound'. Let it dry. If you don't find that's working (here's where I start to sound right nuts ); express some breast milk into a bowl/cup, get a cotton ball and carefully stretch it out (or rip it down to size) so it covers the affected area; soak it in the expressed milk and stick it to baby's bum; do up the diaper. This will keep the milk in contact with his skin longer, and help him heal. In a half hour, change him, clean him up, and put a thin layer of Vaseline on before doing up the clean diaper.

i totally disagree with this! leaving poop on the baby will definitely make it worse. i would just keep him dry-IE change him pretty often and wipe with just plain water. naked time will help, and maybe some kind of natural cream with no petroleum would be best. i like weleda baby cream. it is really healing.

Originally Posted by Blu Razzberri

The only place I might think twice about squirting breast milk on would be the eyeballs....and maybe the cops.

breast milk is great for eye infections or plugged tear ducts!

[firespiritmelody]

i've heard several times over that breast milk is a great *cure* for pink eye. a friend of mine swears by it and has even been known to treat the other members of the family with it, not just the baby

[Tenk]

Originally Posted by Blu Razzberri

The only place I might think twice about squirting breast milk on would be the eyeballs....and maybe the cops.

Don't ask....I've been having strange random thoughts lately. That one was right interesting, so I thought I'd share.

Well if I was going to squirt eye balls it would only be DH and not Bodie.. hehe. And I try to avoid the cops at all costs. LOL

[kangaroomum25]

Oh honey big big hugs! I doubt that rash is from the all the wiping, it's more then likely from the antibiotics. Just make sure and take plenty of good probiotics, eat raw yogurt if you can etc.... I like the idea of just spraying him off with water and lots of fresh air time.

[JennaW]

Hey Tenk- I have been using Earth Mama Baby Angel's Nipple Butter on Carolines bum lately and it has been fabulous!

[KerriAZ]

Teneal!! I'm so sorry you are having such a bad infection in your incision! Thankfully, my incision has been fine and when I went in for my two week check yesterday they said it was healing perfectly... So, aside from it itching like MAD (DH and I were sitting up watching the Olympics last night and I thought I was gonna go out of my MIND it was itching so badly!!!! And then DH thought I was NUTS because I expressed some BM and put it on there and it stopped. He seriously thought I had lost my mind!! LOL), my incision is fine.

As for the rash, I, too, use breastmilk! Like Blu_Raspberry, (I haven't had to use it yet on Ashley, but I have on my other 3...) I put it right on. I haven't used cotton balls, I've use flannel squares, but same thing. I soak it in BM and then put in on the baby's bottom and then put a diaper over it. I will also put some BM on and then let it air dry. Works great!

Also, I have used BM for my DD's eyes. She had a clogged tear duct and my ped told me to express some and put it in the corner of her eye. It worked! Cleared it up within a day and a half! And a friend of mine swears by it for pink eye! (I haven't used it as we haven't had to deal with pink eye...)

Anyway, and good luck to you! (And I wonder if you couldn't put some BM on YOUR incision and see if it helps any!!)

[Tenk]

Originally Posted by kangaroomum25

Oh honey big big hugs! I doubt that rash is from the all the wiping, it's more then likely from the antibiotics. Just make sure and take plenty of good probiotics, eat raw yogurt if you can etc.... I like the idea of just spraying him off with water and lots of fresh air time.

I wondered this too, but he started getting it ( very mildly) before I started the anti's, and it's only gotten worse since then. I called the ped yesterday because I can tell it burns when he poos and she said to use a mixture of lotrimin, the UN-petrolem jelly I have, and hydrocortosine. I know it's sounds crazy, but it's getting better already, and I was desperate to try anything at this point. I've air dried him, used corn starch, and everything else you can think of. Trust me, I have a shirt that's stained yellow from Bodie poo, and this is the first thiing that has seemed to work.

Jenna ~ where can I get that brand of nipple cream? I'd rather not use this mixture forever, kwim?

Ashley, When this gets closer to going away, I'll try the BM then, and in the future to sort of ward off this type of thing. I just don't remember my others getting rashes so early. I hate it.


On my incision ~ One of the holes that the Dr made so that it could drain, it has opened up a lot more, and theres no way it can heal looking like that. So I've put a call in to my OB. I hate this, I don't want her to hurt me again, but I guess that's life. The infection seems to be tons better tho. No reddness, swelling, or flu like symptoms at all. I actually feel pretty good. I can even wear a size 8 already. That made me feel good too.

Oh and my SIL came to visit, only she didn't help with house work or anything, BUT she kept taking Bodie everytime I fed him and laid him down, she'd pick him up. He and I have been napping on the couch in the afternoons, and I mentioned it was time for our nap, she grabbed my baby and laid down on the couch with him where I was going to lay. WTF??? I'm so glad she's gone. Ok, I'm done

[CallMeMommy]

Ouch, one of my coworkers got an infected c-section scar, too. She went through the whole "scrape and drain" thing, too, and eventually needed a wound vac. It did eventually heal, though, and she hasn't had any problems with the incision since then (about 3 years ago). Hope yours heals quickly!

For Bodie's butt, see if your local Wal-Mart or Target has Triple Paste, or ask at your pharmacy. I'm not sure of the exact ingredients, but it's a mixture of 3 different things and I'm wondering if it's a premade version of what you've been mixing up yourself.