The Trials of Nappy Rash – Why I Protect Against the Causes of Nappy Rash
Nappy rash is something that all three of my children have had in varying degrees.
My eldest Reuben suffered from nappy rash the most, whether that was because we didn’t know the best ways to protect against it yet, being new parents and all. I thought nappy cream was something you used AFTER nappy rash, not to prevent it. Wally. By contrast, I had wised up with Toby and knew that a good dosing of nappy cream such as Bepanthen at every nappy change was essential to protect against the causes of nappy rash.
With my experience in mind, I thought perhaps I could share a few of my tips with you. Obviously, it should go without saying that this is 100% what worked for me and in no way is this medical advice – I’m just a mama who has been through it.
My top tips for protecting against the causes of nappy rash.
Nappy free time
I remember creating a little zone for Reuben with blankets and cushions around the perimeter so that I could keep him in the one spot. Then off came the nappy! Swoosh! Nappies can be quite damp places, so taking them off as and when you can is really important. Even after Reuben had developed nappy rash, we still kept this up while we treated it.
Use a good nappy rash cream.
I always kept a tube of Bepanthen baby cream in my changing bag. Always. I learnt the hard way with Reuben that it’s far more beneficial for your child to apply a small amount of cream after every clean nappy instead of waiting until there was no other option and you needed treatment cream. Protection is the way forward mamas, particularly at night when the nappy is on the longest!
Cleaning properly before putting on a fresh nappy.
I remember my mother in law telling me that she was so pleased to see I used a wipe every time I took Reuben’s nappy off. I was a bit flummoxed… what else did she think I was going to do? When I questioned her on it, she told me that over the years she had known so many mums just take off the wet nappy and, unless it was soiled, just replace it with a fresh one without cleaning the area first. Urine can be really harsh on baby skin (any skin actually) so it’s so important to make sure you wipe the area first, whether it be a poopy nappy or just a wet one.
Boys and girls have different creases to clean.
It’s true, I actually think girls are easier to clean than boys – other than in the instance of a poonami. It’s really important to make sure that you clean all of the creases in both cases. With my little boys, it’s often under the testicles that was missed when cleaning (obviously not intentionally, but if it’s just damp, you don’t see anything to actually clean and it can be missed) and that would become sore. Proper cleaning is essential, followed by applying a barrier cream like Bepanthen to help protect against the causes of nappy rash. For Edith, it’s the opposite, where over cleaning can cause an issue.
So those are my tips. What I would say is if your little one does develop nappy rash then you shouldn’t feel guilty at all. There is a reason that it is so commonly referenced and dreaded amongst mums. The most important thing that you can do for nappy rash is protect against the causes of it with some baby cream.
Harriet
Harriet is a mama of two little boys called Reuben and Tobias and a daughter called Edith. She founded the popular parenting blog Toby & Roo in recognition that parenting can be hard and we all need some support sometimes!
