PSA - Diaper Rash Tip

martinimomma

For those of you keeping score at home, both my kids have GI issues and food sensitivities. December to almost Feb my son had a horrible rash. It took forever to clear and he was miserable the entire time. We are talking open bleeding areas - just unbelievable. We had developed a regimen with DS that involved water to wipe, drying with a hair dryer (yes we were blow drying his butt), and applying a mix of purple tube desitin, hydrocortisone and lotrimin. We eventually got to just desitin and thank goodness it finally cleared up. The worst part was wiping his bottom after poops. There was just no good way short of rinsing him off in the shower every time. Even water on a soft washcloth was painful enough to make him cry. Starting about 3 weeks ago my daughter developed weird poops and a terrible rash too. First it looked like yeast, then it just morphed to red, raw and scalded looking with open bleeding areas. We are transitioning her to neocate and the best bet is allergic colitis. But for the rash, this time around, I got a tip from a pediatric dermatologist (by way of my pedi who called for advice) that has worked wonders and I wanted to share it with you ladies just in case you find yourself in a rashy situation with your LOs. Rather than using wipes (obviously) or water to cleanse your LOs bottom when they have even a mild non-yeast looking rash, try using a small amount of baby oil on a cotton pad (like the ones you'd use to remove makeup). You can follow up by dabbing with a dry cotton pad to remove excess oil, then applying whatever balm you prefer. Because you are not using water, there is no additional drying needed and no chapping or peeling of skin. It also is more comfortable, at least for DD, she barely flinched when getting changed even after a messy diaper using this routine. We are almost healed now, with only one small open area and the red chapped appearance almost entirely gone. Hoping we can get it totally gone and keep it gone once on neocate entirely. I'm not a baby oil fan generally, but this has been a godsend and I am so glad to know about it!

lauralew

Ugh, we've had some AWFUL yeast rashes and they are the worst.  And can take so long to get rid of...happy to hear you know what yeast looks like, though.  That's the worst part.  If it's yeast and you're treating like a traditional rash you'll never get rid of it.

Thank you for the tip...I wonder if coconut oil (or really any oil) would work.  I would never think to use baby oil!

BootsOrHearts

That is a great tip! We use Honest Co. body oil on ourselves so maybe it would work with that too, a little more natural that the J&J stuff. I try not to buy anything from that company if I can help it.

BootsOrHearts

lauralew said:

Ugh, we've had some AWFUL yeast rashes and they are the worst.  And can take so long to get rid of...happy to hear you know what yeast looks like, though.  That's the worst part.  If it's yeast and you're treating like a traditional rash you'll never get rid of it.

Thank you for the tip...I wonder if coconut oil (or really any oil) would work.  I would never think to use baby oil!

Oh yeah I bet coconut oil would work too!

MJM3108

BootsOrHearts said:

lauralew said:

Ugh, we've had some AWFUL yeast rashes and they are the worst.  And can take so long to get rid of...happy to hear you know what yeast looks like, though.  That's the worst part.  If it's yeast and you're treating like a traditional rash you'll never get rid of it.

Thank you for the tip...I wonder if coconut oil (or really any oil) would work.  I would never think to use baby oil!

Oh yeah I bet coconut oil would work too!

Coconut Oil should definitely work, and it has the extra bonus of being naturally antibacterial! 

So glad your LO's poor little tushy is getting better, @martinimomma, and thanks for the tip!

docamy2011

Thanks for the advice!! We have our first rash currently but already seems to be improved with just desitin. But I will def get some baby oil for the future!!  

Forgive the newbie mom questions but how do you tell the difference from a yeast versus a regular rash? 

MickeyM04

Thanks for the tip lady!  It's like you're in my head sometimes.

We have the diaper rash from hell right now...went to the doc this a.m. and yep, it's yeast.  A parting gift from the antibiotics he was on for 10 days for an ear infection and pneumonia.  And of course it's been getting worse because we've just been using the damn Desitin on it like morons. Poor kid, can't catch a break.  Between my pregnancy hemorrhoids and his diaper rash, no one in my house can poop without crying these days.

lauralew

docamy2011 said:

Thanks for the advice!! We have our first rash currently but already seems to be improved with just desitin. But I will def get some baby oil for the future!!  

Forgive the newbie mom questions but how do you tell the difference from a yeast versus a regular rash? 

Yeast rashes are angry looking and red.  I've had multiple medical professionals describe it as "big, beefy, red."  If it doesn't improve with normal diaper rash cream, lasts for days/weeks, and just keeps getting worse, there's a good chance it's yeast.  If you use cloth diapers you're kiddo is probably more likely to get a yeast rash at some point.  Most yeast rashes can be eliminated with Lotrimin or Monistat cream 4x per day for two weeks and lots of nakey time.  If you cloth diaper, you have to treat your diapers...which if you want that info, let me know.

martinimomma

lauralew said:

docamy2011 said:

Thanks for the advice!! We have our first rash currently but already seems to be improved with just desitin. But I will def get some baby oil for the future!!  

Forgive the newbie mom questions but how do you tell the difference from a yeast versus a regular rash? 

Yeast rashes are angry looking and red.  I've had multiple medical professionals describe it as "big, beefy, red."  If it doesn't improve with normal diaper rash cream, lasts for days/weeks, and just keeps getting worse, there's a good chance it's yeast.  If you use cloth diapers you're kiddo is probably more likely to get a yeast rash at some point.  Most yeast rashes can be eliminated with Lotrimin or Monistat cream 4x per day for two weeks and lots of nakey time.  If you cloth diaper, you have to treat your diapers...which if you want that info, let me know.

You're also likely to see "satellite" lesions - small red spots around the edge or that eventually merge together into rashy badness.  Also beefy redness in creases, etc. may indicate yeast.

docamy2011

lauralewmartinimomma  Thanks ladies! What he has now is red but looks like tiny red bumps and after just a day of desitin it seems to have improved!  I do plan on using cloth diapers in the future but when he's a little bigger.  My cloth diaper stash appears to be too big for him right now! 

HoolahZinger

That's so good to know! Todd gets them really bad every once in a while. 

4legsRbest

Brilliant!!!! We are fighting an allergy ring rash and it is bad. He has a little yeast starting but cries like he was hurting bad when we wiped him. Not with the baby oil or coconut oil! Lifesaver - thank you!