Diaper Rash And the Way I Handled It
O Quinn
I thought I was the perfect mother. Changing diapers after every nap and before every feeding and often inbetween. Making sure to clean thoroughly with wonderfully scented baby wipes each time. The baby's bottom was beautfiul. Notice I used the past tense. And this was baby number six! As foster parents we had cared for our share of baby bottoms. Then it hit. Diaper rash. It came so quickly. And I had no idea how to cope.
I received advice from every corner of the globe. And the funny thing is even though everyone had their own idea, they were all good and they all worked. Hmmmm....
My mom praised browned flour.
My friend swore by Eucerine.
My aunt said only A & D worked for her babies.
But yet another foster mom swore by Butt Paste!
And to top it off they were handing out samples of yet another diaper rash cream at my local store!
What did I do?
After panicking and calling the advice nurse I analyzed the situation and applied my attack plan.
The rash comes about because tender baby skin is being exposed to irritants. Sometimes it's an allergic reaction to a new food or the wipes themselves. Sometimes the brand of diaper is the culprit. Many reasons can bring on diaper rash and many solutions can clear it up.
Now I keep a variety of things on hand and here is my personal attack plan for hands on healing.
1. Mix up solution of distilled water, 2-3 drops of *tea tree oil and a dash of castille soap. Soak papertowels in this for diaper wipes.
2. Change baby diaper very often and try to give a good airing if time permits.
3. Slather on zinc diaper ointment and then whatever heavy duty moisturizer I have on hand (vaseline, Eucerine) over this. If it was bedtime add a diaper liner for good measure.
Some other tips I use:
Keep Clotrimazole on hand for yeast rashes.
Keep a handy chart of the different types of diaper rashes
Call the doctor is improvement isn't seen in 24 hours.
With these methods I don't fear the dreaded diaper rash any more.
*(Tea Tree Oil, a natural antiseptic, germicide, antibacterial, fungicide that while safe to apply neat or directly to the skin, should be heavily diluted before using on baby skin)
About the author: O Quinn is a foster mother and owner of the website http://www.mommybabytools.info . A site with tools and information for your home and family.