Nappy Rash Triggers – From Teething to Weaning
Teething was one of the reasons my eldest had such bad nappy rash. He was in so much pain with his teeth coming through and this also translated into the pretty awful nappy contents.
When babies’ bottoms come into contact with wee and poo their skin becomes sore and nappy rash can appear. So, although it’s technically not the teething itself causing the rash that nasty runny poo will. Some babies’ teeth appear without their parents even noticing, but others seem to struggle for months with teething pains! It does seem a bit unfair when this translates into sore bums too. Fortunately, a cream for baby rash will help.
1. SENSITIVE SKIN
Babies’ skin is a lot thinner than adults and so it’s not surprising that it can react so easily. Anything that touches their skin can be a potential irritant, from wet wipes to nappies.
It doesn’t matter whether you only use disposable nappies and wipes occasionally or all the time, everyone has their preferred brand for their child. With our youngest we could only use one brand of nappies, all the other brands we tried would cause his bottom to become red and sore. So do try different brands until you find the one that works for your baby and don’t forget cloth nappies too, they really aren’t scary at all!
2. WEANING
Weaning your baby is always a messy time, particularly if you go down the baby led path as we did! But it’s not just the food causing mess, weaning can also make a difference to little bottoms too.
Your baby is going to be trying lots of new foods and some of them might not sit well with their tummy. So be ready for nasty poo again, similar to teething. However, if you think that your baby might be getting nappy rash as a reaction to a type of food, speak to your doctor.
3. DETERGENT
As mentioned before babies have a lot more sensitive skin than us adults. So it’s understandable that certain detergents might cause their little bottoms to become sore. This is clearly something that is more likely to affect a cloth nappy wearing baby.
To prevent detergents causing nappy rash make sure that you thoroughly rinse cloth nappies, an extra rinse cycle is always worth it. You can also choose detergents that are more sensitive to skin or alternatives such as soap nuts.
4. PROTECTING FROM NAPPY RASH
There are several ways to protect your little one nappy rash. The first thing to do is let your baby have some nappy free time, on a towel is good, outside even better! Probably best not to attempt nappy free time on your new rug… Make sure that nappies are changed frequently. When changed frequently no poo or urine will be in contact with the skin for long. You would always want your bottom cleaned quickly as an adult and babies are no different! When cleaning the skin use water and cotton wool, or you can try reusable wipes.
Applying a barrier ointment for babies before you put a new nappy on can really help protect from the causes of nappy rash. We tried many bum creams, but Bepanthen® was always the one that worked best. A thin layer of this breathable ointment on his bottom overnight, when the nappy was on the longest would help protect from any irritants.
If you notice nappy rash developing and have recently changed an aspect of your baby’s changing routine, such as different brand of nappies, wipes or detergent, then simply go back to what you used to use.
Jenny
Jenny is the blogger behind Monkey and Mouse, a well-read travel and parenting blog. When Jenny isn't blogging or looking for great travel deals then she's home educating her two young sons and taking photographs for her Instagram account.
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Blog Articles in the Parent Zone section do not reflect the opinions of Bayer. They are reflections of real-life bloggers who provide subjective advice to consumers.
