Help! We keep going through a cycle where the skin in the baby's diaper area will look great for a few days, then get reddened for ~2 days, then peel for a day or two
, then go back to looking okay, then the cycle repeats. He doesn't seem overly uncomfortable or in pain, but it's making me feel like a failure and like I want to say screw it and use disposables.
I need help figuring out what the problem is and/ or where to start figuring out what the problem is. Is it:
1. We're not changing him enough or fast enough? We go through probably 10-12 diapers a day. If I know he's wet or poopy, I try to change him ASAP, but how far do you take that? If your baby falls asleep, do you wake them up and change them? I am trying to get him to have some naked time everyday, but he doesn't always cooperate with that plan.
2. Washing related? We use Planet detergent (which is supposed to be very clean rinsing and is recommended for cloth diapers). We have a front loader, but I'm not sure that it's high efficiency (there is no HE label on it anywhere I can see). We usually wash every other day and do a cold/ cold cycle with detergent and an extra rinse and then a hot/ cold cycle also with detergent and an extra rinse. Starting today, I am trying adding 1/2 cup baking soda to the cold cycle to see if the issue is that the diapers are too acidic. We then dry on med heat until the diapers are completely dry. Should I be using Bac-Out or vinegar or a different detergent or rinsing them more or... or...?
3. The type of diaper? We've been using a combination of prefolds, fitteds (kissaluv, thirsties), contours (kissaluv), and AIOs (thirsties) Only a dew of our diapers have a microfleece stay dry liner. Should I be investing in liners and using them with all the dipes? Any recommendations of diapers for babies who have this problem?
4. The type of diaper cream/ powder we're using? I have virtually everything that is cloth diaper compatible at my disposal, but we've not been particularly consistent with using the same thing every time. We have Earth Mama Angel Baby Bottom Balm, California Babies Calming Diaper Cream and Calming Powder (talc free), Burt Bees powder (talc free), and Magic Stick. And I have some Claymazing powder on order (talc and cornstarch free). For the type of skin irritation I'm describing, is powder better (to help keep it dry) or a cream/balm that provides a barrier better? Or some combo of the two?
Any thoughts/ recommendations?
I need help figuring out what the problem is and/ or where to start figuring out what the problem is. Is it:
1. We're not changing him enough or fast enough? We go through probably 10-12 diapers a day. If I know he's wet or poopy, I try to change him ASAP, but how far do you take that? If your baby falls asleep, do you wake them up and change them? I am trying to get him to have some naked time everyday, but he doesn't always cooperate with that plan.
2. Washing related? We use Planet detergent (which is supposed to be very clean rinsing and is recommended for cloth diapers). We have a front loader, but I'm not sure that it's high efficiency (there is no HE label on it anywhere I can see). We usually wash every other day and do a cold/ cold cycle with detergent and an extra rinse and then a hot/ cold cycle also with detergent and an extra rinse. Starting today, I am trying adding 1/2 cup baking soda to the cold cycle to see if the issue is that the diapers are too acidic. We then dry on med heat until the diapers are completely dry. Should I be using Bac-Out or vinegar or a different detergent or rinsing them more or... or...?
3. The type of diaper? We've been using a combination of prefolds, fitteds (kissaluv, thirsties), contours (kissaluv), and AIOs (thirsties) Only a dew of our diapers have a microfleece stay dry liner. Should I be investing in liners and using them with all the dipes? Any recommendations of diapers for babies who have this problem?
4. The type of diaper cream/ powder we're using? I have virtually everything that is cloth diaper compatible at my disposal, but we've not been particularly consistent with using the same thing every time. We have Earth Mama Angel Baby Bottom Balm, California Babies Calming Diaper Cream and Calming Powder (talc free), Burt Bees powder (talc free), and Magic Stick. And I have some Claymazing powder on order (talc and cornstarch free). For the type of skin irritation I'm describing, is powder better (to help keep it dry) or a cream/balm that provides a barrier better? Or some combo of the two?
Any thoughts/ recommendations?