Battling baby rashes

Newborns don't always have the picture-perfect skin we all dream about.  Babies get acne, heat rashes, eczema, diaper rash, the list goes on.

As a new parent, every time I caught sight of a rash it kind of sent me into a panic, unintentionally of course.  I think it has to do with that new mama anxiety, y'know.  So let's talk about that first time (and only time... so far...) that Maverick had diaper rash.  He was 10 weeks old, and we had just used Pampers sensitive baby wipes because we ran out of our usual brand (Kirklands).  To this day I still like to blame the change in wipes as the cause, but I'm sure it was a variety of things.  Babies can get diaper rash, or nappy rash, from wearing a soiled diaper too long, from the chemicals in diapers (and wipes), and simply from not airing out their bums enough.  

When Mavi had the rash I read every online source made available to me with no prevail.  This was one stubborn bout of nappy rash!!  I was just about ready to call his doctor for an appointment when our remedies finally started working.  Here's what we did:

We originally had a little sample of Penaten cream and I was using it generously... it was not working!!!  So we switched to Sudocrem and it worked wonders pretty much immediately. 

The added benefit of Sudocrem is it also works well as an eczema cream.  My better half told me his family swears by it to rid their eczema flare-ups.  Finally... something that works and doesn't cost a fortune!  

The next thing we did to battle Maverick's nappy rash was leave his bottom bare after every single diaper change for about 10-15 minutes--the goal is at least 30-45 minutes a day.  Some good ol' fresh air is really the best cure for pretty much any stubborn rash, be it diaper rash, heat rash, eczema... you name it!  This is now part of our daily routine to keep his bum rash free.  But I always keep a towel nearby for those surprise pees (they're pretty much inevitable).  Usually what I do is lay out a towel and put him on it, and keep his junk lightly covered with the towel, and let him play in his activity gym for about a half an hour.

The next change I made to heal his bum goes hand-in-hand with the last tip.  We started using the next size-up in diapers and I put them on a lot looser.  So this means our boy is now in size 2's and when I put them on I leave the tabs pretty far apart and closer to his hips (before I'd strap them on until they were closer to centre of his belly).  This helps make sure his bum isn't in a super tight diapey that restricts oxygen flow.  And even though the diapers aren't on as tight, we haven't had an increase in accidents or poop slipping out the sides or up his back... so that's always good, right?  I also stopped putting pants on Mavi whenever possible, and since I keep my home pretty warm I actually let him hang out completely naked (minus the diaper) most of the time.

The final, and probably most important, change I made is I stopped using his baby wipes when he had diaper rash and instead switched strictly to a wash cloth and warm water.  This really helped heal his bum, since all baby wipes contain chemicals, despite how "sensitive" the brand claims to be.  Now, even though he doesn't have diaper rash, I still use a wet cloth a couple times a day after changing his diaper just to cleanse any remaining chemicals from his bum.  And I always, always, alwaaays let his bottom dry completely before putting him in a fresh nappy.  

Regarding other rashes, Maverick's prone to a rash in his neck folds and armpits.  This is from moisture building up or heat, giving him a red, irritated rash.  To remedy this I use a wet washcloth frequently and carefully clean out his skin folds.  I do this with more of a blotting motion then wiping, because wiping can actually irritate it more and cause him discomfort.

In addition to that, I'll blow on his neck and armpits until their dry and use a sparing amount of baby-friendly vasolene on the affected area.  I don't like to over-do it on the vasolene because I find it traps moisture in the area and makes his rash worse.  And I say baby-friendly vasolene because once I used an aloe-vera vasolene on his rash and I made it much, much worse.

Our third line of defense against the neck rash is bibs!  We got the cutest bandana bibs from Wal-Mart for just under $10 (for 2).

My babes gotta have style, right!  We started out with 5 bibs and now we have 10 lol.  I really didn't see the value in bibs until we started the neck rash battle but now we have Maverick bibbed all the time to soak up his drool and spit-up.

For his eczema: we were originally using Johnsons baby products (as we received them as a gift) and unfortunately they were drying out and irritating his sensitive skin.  So we switched over to Aveeno products, and even use the baby bath treatment (as per the directions we only use half a packet per use and bathe him for no longer than 10 min).  Since we changed his lotions, baby wash, and shampoo over his skin is soo much softer and he has way less red, irritated eczema flare-ups!!  Thankfully Aveeno is working for us--I know it doesn't work for all families.  So if your newborn baby has sensitive skin and you haven't tried Aveeno yet I highly recommend it!  And remember to use their eczema products only on affected areas as it contains medical ingredients.  

I hope this post helps ease any stresses you might have as a new mom battling your babies rashes!  And remember, don't be afraid to call your doctor or pediatrician as sometimes a babies rash can mean something else and they might need professional care 😊.

Xoxo

Monika