This guest post was written by Marcy Tate, a blogger at Networx, Your Home Improvement Network. Marcy writes about home and family green living, including green home renovations.
When my third child experienced chronic diaper rash, I didn’t know what to do. My other babies rarely had diaper rash problems and if they developed a rash, Desitin (one of the best diaper rash treatment and prevention creams, in my opinion) did the trick to cure it within hours. So when all else failed to cure my daughter’s diaper rash (including lots of communication with my wonderful pediatrician), I felt like breaking down. My daughter was so uncomfortable and the sight of the rash was just awful. Keeping her bare-bottomed, as suggested by many, was simply impractical. In the end, after 3 months of struggle, my pediatrician told me about a product called Boudreaux’s Butt Paste. It’s an amazing product that finally cured her poor little sore tushy. To this day, my pediatrician and I are still unsure about the cause of the rash and why it took so long to heal. Almost 4 years later, I believe that if I had tried more natural remedies, her rash would have cleared up quicker.
The following are natural remedy tips for how to deal with a stubborn-to-heal diaper rash. These tips have worked successfully for many moms and they’ll hopefully work for you, too. Note: ALWAYS consult with your pediatrician first for the best advice about how to cure your baby’s diaper rash. Sometimes a baby is sensitive or allergic to something a breast-feeding mother is eating or to a certain formula, and that could cause diaper rash. Your doctor can help you create a diet to test sensitivity, or may recommend switching formulas. (I did the diet thing: no gluten, no dairy, no gassy vegetables. It was a huge challenge and didn’t help the diaper rash go away.)
1. Always change your baby’s diaper promptly.
2. To prevent diaper rash, make sure the buttocks and genitals are dry before applying cream or ointment. Always apply a cream or ointment after using wipes to clean up a messy diaper. Try any of the following creams. For newborns and infants, only a pea-sized amount or less is necessary: A & D Ointment, Desitin or Boudreaux’s Butt Paste. Calendula, Vitamin E and Naturity Organic Diaper Balm have also been known to work well.
3. Try a baking soda wash for the rash area. Mix 1 tablespoon of baking soda in half-cup cup of warm water. Slowly pour over your baby’s buttocks or spray it on with a spray bottle.
4. Forgo conventional baby wipes. Instead, clean the buttocks with water, mild natural soap and soft-cloth dry wipes.
5. Switch diaper brands or try a natural disposable diaper such as Seventh Generation or Mother Nature.
6. Consider cloth diapers.
7. Wash cloth diapers in unscented detergent only and double-rinse before drying. Additionally, consider a natural detergent or make your own.
8. Give your baby as much diaper-free time as possible.