My poor baby! Diaper Rash was making him so miserable…

At only 10 days old, baby George was already having his first life crisis. As a new Mom, I was distraught to say the least – my baby was just having such a bad time and was so unhappy. His little hiney was red, inflamed, and looked like it hurt. (Judging by what he was “telling” me, it did hurt.)

So I sought advice..

I am fortunate enough to have a large family nearby, so the first person I went to was my sister-in-law – she has 7 kids.

Cindy proudly claims that she has never had a baby with diaper rash. GREAT – this is the right person to talk to! Well, maybe… She has a method that does work, but takes work. There isn’t an easy way out here. This is an important lesson though, because it re-affirms what I preach all the time (see my pages on skin irritants). Cindy NEVER uses anything but a wash cloth and warm water to clean up her babies during diaper changes.

This does work, and here’s why: Most diaper rash is caused by the baby wipes used to clean up the baby. Most baby wipes are full of cleansers, fragrance and all manner of other possibly irritating substances.

So the easy answer? For diaper rash treatment, don’t use baby wipes.

Except it’s not that easy.

In my experience, I changed about 8-12 diapers a day in the first month, and only a few less than that in months 2-6. So if I am using one or two wash cloths at each changing, the number of cloths you need adds up VERY quickly.

Cindy has somewhere north of 3,000,000 wash cloths in her house and a corresponding number of loads of laundry.

So, if you aren’t into being a laundry Queen (hard to do when you have children), you may opt for baby wipes. Then what?

If you do decide that wash cloth and warm water is too much trouble for you, then go ahead and use baby wipes. Just read the label and look for no fragrance or harsh detergents. Then buy some topical diaper rash cream to help keep you baby comfortable.

The creams do work. You should apply the cream or ointment to the baby’s bottom at every changing. First make sure his skin is clean and dry, and then apply with a clean finger. You should use the cream or ointment even when it looks like the rash has cleared up – this will help prevent a re-occurrence. After a while, you can discontinue use.

Here are some products that I have tried and still use. Incidentally, these were also both recommended by my pediatrician. ALSO – don’t just take my word for it – please talk to your pediatrician about this issue. They will be able to provide reassurance.

First Choice: ABC Diaper Cream by Arbonne International. This is a great cream. It is 12% zinc oxide, which is non-irritating and really helps soothe diaper rash. Even better, this cream helps it from coming back VERY effectively. I highly recommend it.

Second Choice: A+D Ointment. A+D works very well, probably just as well as the Arbonne ABC cream with one drawback. It smells funny! After using A+D you really have to scrub your hands to get the smell off. But – it is an effective cream, nonetheless.

Always discuss all concerns with your doctor or pediatrician. Always. But if you choose to use the wash cloth and water method, or regular use of one of the two products I recommend, you will have a diaper rash free baby. And best of all, he’ll love you for it.