There are many reasons babies get diaper rashes, recently W got her first really bad case of diaper rash and B and I kind of panicked. She was red and there were little (and some not so little) bumps forming, and she cried – real, in-pain cries every time we laid her back to change her diapers.
These are the five things that helped the most for our family. This is not saying all or any of these things will work for EVERYONE, or that what causes one baby’s rash will be the same cause for another’s.
1. Evaluate what W has been eating. Recently she got a severe diaper rash and when we looked at what she had been eating over the last few days we realized that most of her “snacks” (yogurt melts, teething biscuits, and the dissolving puffs) all had two main ingredients: blueberries and beets. Both of these foods, for her, were causing her to have really dark, sticky BMs which were irritating her diaper area. Once we made the connection that the blueberries and beets were a likely cause of W’s diaper rash we switched her back to bananas and rice/oat cereal for about a day and a half and noticed a significant decrease in redness.
2. Air it out. Yes, this means I’ve been peed on a lot in the couple days it takes diaper rash to clear up, but it helps. After a diaper change, I layout a towel or blanket and let W just air out for a few minutes (usually 5-10 minutes while playing on the floor). This reduces the amount of moisture that is being trapped in by even her cloth and “breathable” diapers.
3. Pat dry after using a wet wipe. Along with letting W’s bottom air dry I also used clean, dry wash clothes or towels to gently pat her dry after changing her diaper.
4. Vaseline/ Petroleum Jelly. It’s a natural way to create a barrier to protect her skin without overly drying her out “down there.”
5. Frequent diaper changes. This is one of the best, tried and true methods I have known in all my years taking care of kids (well before I had my own). Change the diaper as soon as you notice it is wet or soiled. Babies’ skin is extremely sensitive, and the longer they are sitting in their dirty diaper the longer their skin is being exposed to acidity of their urine and poo.
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