Diaper Rash Relief
Posted on 05. Apr, 2011 by admin in Cloth Diapers
Diaper rash may be caused by many different things, including:
- Chafing or chemical sensitivity
- Wetness
- Thrush – yeast infection
Whatever the cause, diaper rash can be painful for little ones and frustrating for moms and dads. Over the years I have found that air exposure helps to prevent some rashes and helps to heal others more quickly. Whenever possible give your little one diaper-free time. Diaper-free can be tricky, especially for very little ones.
If your little one is sensitive to wetness, you may try fleece or disposable/flushable liners. The fleece stays next to the skin but feels dry, and the liquid passes through into the cotton/absorbent part of the diaper.
More tips on preventing and healing rash:
- change cloth diaper every hour to two – there is a good reason the Basic 70 diaper service package is the most popular with newborn clients. Newborns eliminate up to 15 times per day. If you are sending back less than 65 diapers per week with a newborn in service, you run the risk of developing rash.
- pat, don’t rub the diaper area when cleaning.
- use plain water when cleaning the diaper area
- use a 50/50 mixture of organic apple cider vinegar and distilled water, add to cotton ball and pat on diaper area to eliminate yeast and fungal diaper rash
- clean diaper area at every change (urination and defecation) and pat completely dry before changing into the new diaper
- use a thick emollient oil like castor oil or coconut oil to coat bottom at every diaper change for rash prevention
- cloth diaper-safe (non-zinc oxide) herbal-based creams that contain calendula have been found helpful in healing rashes
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I welcome your posts about your experience with diaper rash and what you found helpful.
These are great suggestions–thanks for sharing them! We started seeing some red rash on our baby’s bottom when he was about two weeks old. We initially tried adding calendula cream at each change, and after consulting with Lisa we made the following changes which we felt helped us even more:
1. When possible, checking the diaper frequently and changing as soon as it got wet.
2. Using plain water to wash his diaper area (instead of the diaper spray we had been using) and patting it dry.
3. Putting olive oil on his bum at each change to protect his skin from wetness.
4. Using wool covers.
If we changed every time Thaddeus wet, we would be changing about 24 diapers a day so we do let him go a couple of times and as he has super sensitive skin, he has developed some skin splits (skin is no longer intact). We have been using Herbal Ed’s Salve from Herb Pharm which not only has calendula, it has St. John’s Wort, which is amazing for healing, as well as Chickweed, Comfrey, Mullein and Plantain.
We struggled with diaper rash starting when our baby was about three weeks old for a number of weeks. Calendula helped heal most of it, but it finally went away completely with Motherlove diaper rash cream (which contains calendula too). I also started paying attention to changing the diaper according to when she goes poo, rather than according to the clock.
Now I’m working on prevention, and thinking of trying olive oil. Castor oil is nice and thick, but it is a bit sticky, making it hard to clean baby’s skin.