Diaper and Rash Woes, and Solutions

Our poor little boys suffered horrendous rashes before they were even 2 months old.  We tried all kinds of creams, baby powder, and even "airing them out," which involved laying them for a little bit in the sunlight in the living room, naked on towels!  From much reading, online research, and a visit to the pediatrician, we discovered in our case that brand names can make a difference.  I had been using Huggies wipes, which our pediatrician at the time said had also caused rashes on his children.  So I bit the bullet and bought the more expensive Pampers Sensitive wipes.  On top of that we would make sure that after wiping the boys we would also pat them dry, using facial tissues, and apply A&D to the affected area, before putting on the clean diaper.  It seemed to do the trick and the rashes improved immediately.  We still get rashes every now and then, but nothing as painful and serious as the first round.

We had also had issues with Huggies and other brands of diapers not fitting well and leaking all over.  Pee on guests and poop on yourself at 2 a.m. need to be avoided.  The only brand that seemed to work perfectly was Pampers Sensitive.  (As the boys got older their skin was not quite as sensitive, and we gradually switched to Kirkland diapers and wipes.)  To try to keep costs down I did a lot of ordering on Diapers.com.  They have a user-friendly site, quick shipping, and accept coupons!  And ordering in bulk helped keep costs down a fraction.  Amazon also has several options for money-saving ordering (such as Amazon Mom).  I also know a lot of moms who are coupon geniuses, and can manage name-brand diapers from Walgreens or CVS for less than even Costco.  

If you are still having issues with rashes, you could consider making your own, all-natural wipes.  A friend of mine does this for her child (recipe below) and here is what she has to say:  

"As far as preventing rashes, not only is this all natural with no preservatives, aloe is fabulous as a balm for dry and compromised, red and rashy skin. Our daughter has an ileostomy, and the stool that is eliminated is extremely acidic and burns the skin. We treat with fresh aloe when changing the bag, and it heals every time. It is perfect for healing red and rashy bottom skin too!"  

Natural Baby Wipes:

• 1 3/4 cup boiled or distilled water- use when warm
• 1 Tbsp Pure Aloe (I prefer to take straight from my aloe plant, but you can use refrigerated aloe in a bottle from the store)
• 1 Tbsp Witch Hazel
• 2 Tbsp Castille Soap (I use lavender for clean and calming scent)
• 1 Roll Bounty Paper Towels

Cut paper towels in half while still in roll. In a bowl, mix aloe with water until completely disolved. Add witch hazel and Castille soap, and stir well. Pour liquid over paper towels and let sit for 10 minutes, making sure all parts of the paper towel roll are moist. Transfer to old diaper wipe container or other sealed plastic container. Wipes are good for a few weeks but will go bad if not used in a timely manner.

Considerations:

• Water must first be boiled, or wipes will go bad in a matter of days.
• Taking aloe from a plant is much more cost-effective, as bottled aloe can only be used for 6 months after opening.
• Essential oils may be used for scent if you prefer to use unscented Castille soap.
• Bounty is the best brand of towels- they hold up better than any others

How do you deal with diaper woes?  Comment below!