Diaper Rash Home Remedies and How to Prevent It
When it comes to your baby, you always want them to be happy and healthy. Many babies will experience diaper rash at some point, sometimes it is unavoidable. There are many ways that you can fix a diaper rash to soothe your baby’s bum. There are also many ways that you can learn how to prevent a diaper rash from happening again. Most of the time, you won’t even have to buy those expensive creams and pastes from a store, you can fix a diaper rash with things you already have in your home.
Diaper Rash Home Remedies
There are many different ways that you can get rid of a diaper rash, without spending a ridiculous amount of money. A lot of the time, you can use items that you already have in your home. One surprising thing that you can use is breastmilk! Yes, breastmilk can help soothe your baby’s bum if they have a diaper rash. You should be careful though, if it is a yeast rash, breastmilk can make it worse.
Soaking
If this skin on your baby’s bottom is super raw, you can soak their bottom in a tub of warm water, with two tablespoons of baking soda. You can do this three times a day for ten minutes each time. This will help their skin heal. It can also soothe their bottom until the diaper rash is relieved. You should try and allow your baby to be diaperless for as long as they can be. It can help a lot to allow their bum to air out.
Coconut Oil
Some of you moms that are like me may already know this one, coconut oil is one of the most amazing things on this planet. Coconut oil has so many different uses, it is honestly so versatile in it’s usefulness. You can use some coconut oil on your baby’s bottom after a diaper change to help soothe their bottom and help it heal.
You will want to put enough on that it covers the area of the rash, but not too much that it leaves your baby’s skin oily and sticky. Not only will it help with the rash, it’ll leave your baby’s skin super soft. While you’re at it, you can also place it all over your baby to keep their skin soft. Also, coconut oil smells good!
Nutiva coconut oil is a great kind. Not only is it easy on your wallet, it also doesn’t have an overpowering coconut smell if you don’t like the smell of coconuts. You can get a large sized tub for a very reasonable price. Don’t worry if you don’t use it all on your baby, you can use it on your skin, hair, teeth, and you can even cook or bake with it!
Flour
Now this remedy might seem a little bizarre, but it works! You place some flour into a pan and fry it until it becomes a little brown. Place the flour on your baby’s bum just like you would with baby powder. Many moms swear by this method and think it is absolutely amazing. You can place the leftover flour into a sealable baggie, and you will want to throw any unused flour in about three or four days.
Preventing Diaper Rashes
Although some diaper rashes may seem inevitable, there are some preventative measures you can take. If you notice that your baby has diaper rashes quite frequently, you may want to consider trying some of these preventative ideas. Even if you try all of these ideas, your baby may still get a diaper rash, there is no guarantee.
Stay Dry and Clean
One of the easiest ways you can prevent your baby developing a diaper rash is to keep them dry and clean. You obviously can’t change your baby as soon as their diaper is soiled every time, but you can change them often. You don’t want to wait until their diaper is full every time you change them, especially for babies with sensitive bottoms.
When your baby sits in a wet diaper for too long, they can get yeast rashes. Chunky babies and babies with rolls are more prone because when the folds in their skin collect moisture, it just sits and festers. You also want to clean your baby’s bottom and genitals good every time you change them. If your baby isn’t properly cleaned, they can also develop a rash. Thankfully, most diapers have a line on them that changes color once the diaper is soiled.
Switch Brands
Whether it is your diapers or your wipes that are irritating your precious baby’s skin, you may need to switch brands. Don’t become discouraged if you have gone through a couple of brands and your baby still breaks out in diaper rashes. Some babies just have very sensitive skin and you should be able to find a brand that works best for your baby’s bottom.
There are so many different brands of diapers in today’s market, it may be hard to choose. If you are having issues with your baby constantly having a diaper rash, you may want to buy a small pack of diapers for different brands. Even if the brand states that it is all natural and good for sensitive skin, it may still irritate your baby, or there can be another issue causing the rash.
Wipes can also irritate your baby’s skin. The best option is to go for a sensitive formula or a wipe that is frangrance free. Many wipes that have a fragrance cause baby’s to break out. I personally prefer wipes that are soft to the touch and don’t feel too wet. I also prefer most store brand wipes because they are great on my wallet and usually work just as well as the name brand ones.
Switch to Cloth
I really wanted to cloth diaper my daughter, but I didn’t plan ahead of time enough. With my next child, I will definitely cloth diaper. Not only is it great for your baby, it is also good for the environment and your wallet. Some babies need to be cloth diapered because their skin is ultra sensitive. Plus, there are thousands of adorable designs that you are sure to love!
Now I know what you are thinking, I don’t want to have to clean my kids poop out of a diaper. Or you may think it is just gross. It is nothing like when our grandparents or parents were cloth diapered. There are different kinds of cloth diapers. Some require a high amount of care and prepping, while others are very simple to use and clean. If your child is strictly breastfed, with no baby or table foods in their diet, you don’t even have to rinse the diaper out before you wash it.
After your baby soils a cloth diaper, you can rinse it out, or use a diaper sprayer. A diaper sprayer is exactly what it sounds like; it is a sprayer that you hook to your toilet that will allow you to rinse out your baby’s cloth diaper before you put it into your washer. You can then place the soiled diaper into a wet bag until you have enough to do a load of diapers.
Cloth diapering may seem expensive if you buy from certain brands. You can always buy second hand diapers, just make sure you properly strip and prep them before placing them on your baby’s bottom. Most parents can get a small stash of cloth diapers started for around two hundred dollars. In the long run, you can save quite a lump of cash, especially if you plan on having more children. You can use most cloth diapers on multiple kids over many years, as long as they are properly taken care of.
Watch What Your Baby Eats
Once your baby starts eating baby or table food, you will want to limit the amount of acidic foods they have. If your baby consumes too many acidic foods, it can cause a harsh diaper rash. The acidity in food will make your baby’s poop acidic and potentially cause their skin to feel like it is burning. Some babies won’t have issues with acidic foods, while others may. You will want to watch your baby’s poop once they start eating solids.
Switch Sizes
Your baby may be getting a rash from wearing the wrong diaper size. While every diaper bag or box has a suggested weight on it, you shouldn’t always go by that. If you have a chunky baby like me, you can’t base anything off of the weight suggestions. My daughter is nine months old, and wears twelve and eighteen month clothing. She is also in a size five diaper, which the suggested starting weight is typically 32 pounds with most brands.
If your baby is constantly having blowouts in their diaper, you may want to go up a size. If you notice that they pee or poop out of the leg area, you will want to go down a size. A wrong sized diaper can cause your baby to get a rash, especially if the diaper is too tight. Too tight of a diaper can cause your baby’s poop or pee to be pressed up against their skin.
Remember that every brand of diaper is different. Just because a size four diaper in one brand fits your baby perfectly, doesn’t mean that a size four in another brand will. This is where trial and error is important. There are some brands of diapers that a lot of parents consider “in between brands”. These brands of diapers are great for when your child doesn’t fit great into one size, but isn’t ready for the next size up either.
For example, if a size three in your favorite brand is too tight on your baby, but the size four is too big, you may consider trying an in between brand. This would allow you to use the size three or four in the other brand until your baby is big enough for your favorite. While your neighbor may think of a brand as an in between one, it doesn’t mean that you will agree.
Stick With One Brand
You should try and stick with just one brand of diapers and wipes if you can. The diapers don’t have to be the same brand of wipes. When your baby is first born, it is hard to tell what brand of diaper will work best for them. It can take quite a bit of trial and error until you find the perfect brand for your baby. Before your baby shower, you should ask for different brands of diapers in small sizes, just in case you need options.
Once you find a brand that works for your baby, you will want to try and stick with that brand. While you may need to use an in between brand sometimes, you should avoid it if you can. Some babies skin can become severly irritated when diapers or wipes are changed too often. There are different chemicals in each brand, and it can be hard to tell which ones affect your baby.
Make Your Own Diapers and Wipes
If you are a crafty person, you can easily make your own diapers and wipes at home. This is as natural as you can get. There are thousands of different patterns online that you can choose from to make a diaper. You can also choose the best designs that will fit your baby’s personality. It may take a while for you to perfect making a diaper. With persistence and creativity, it should be easy for you to do.
Making your own wipes is much more simpler. Most people use fleece squares and serge them together to create a wipe. Once you have enough cloth diapers made, you can make your own cleaning solution. There are different recipes you can find online for a cleaning solution. Many parents will just use warm water, or warm water and soap to clean their baby’s bottom.
Do you know another way to prevent or heal a diaper rash? Please share with us below!