“It comes out looking almost exactly like how it went in,” is a comment made by my friend Arnold in reference to baby’s poo and solid foods. Baby has been eating butternut squash puree and, by golly, that’s exactly what it looks like in the diaper, too.
Arnold, the father of three sons and now a lovely granddaughter, is experienced in the ways of poo and had much wisdom to share with me in the days leading up to the birth of Baby Champuru. All of it very humorous. What he didn’t tell me, however, is when it comes time for the changing of the poo — from liquidy to pasty, also comes the travails of the scourge known as diaper rash.
Pasty poo has a way of sticking to the bum, especially within the confines of a diaper. Add that to the overzealous swabbing with a baby wipe and you’ve got a formula for disaster. Baby’s bum beamed bright red last night and it only escalated from there. The discomfort from the rash caused her to wake every few hours, reminding me of her newborn days when she would wake up with a whimper that eventually skyrocketed into the primal scream. Last night, we got very close to the primal scream. Diaper changes have become traumatic for both baby and mommy as of late.
Today, I tried using baby powder, but found the rash didn’t get better but actually looked worse, her skin raw and even starting to bleed a little. So, I switched to Desitin cream which seemed to make a slight improvement, but not enough to give her any comfort during diaper changes. Hubby suggested I call the pediatrician to get his advice. We spoke to the nurse and here’s what she recommended:
- No more baby wipes! Instead, wash baby’s bottom in warm water during diaper changes.
- Warm sitz bath twice a day, 20 minutes each. (I googled for diaper rash remedies and found several sources recommending sitz bath three times a day, 10 minutes each. Warm water with 2 T. baking soda. I will probably try this.)
- Slather the affected area with Desitin. I was putting a thin coating of the diaper rash cream on her bottom, but the nurse said that it should be a thick coating. In her words, “think: frosting.”
- Exposure to air. Let baby go without a diaper for as long as feasible.
I’m hoping tomorrow will be a better day and the diaper rash goes away. Both baby and mommy need a reprieve.
Care to share your favorite diaper rash remedy?
Photo by Lisa Hoang of Windwardskies Photography, taken in October 2008, when baby was just a week old.
