10 Ways to Prevent Diaper Rash on your Baby

The following is a sponsored post written on behalf of Signature Care™ diapers. All opinions are my own.

Diaper rash is one of those tricky things that many parents experience with a new baby. Some babies naturally have more sensitive skin, and even without that, a rash can be almost inevitable.

In most cases, there are things you can do at home to help prevent diaper rash. Even though diaper rash is not usually a serious condition, it is still difficult to see your littles in pain.

Preventing diaper rash in the first place is obviously best because it’s usually much more difficult to fix once it’s there.

Our oldest daughter only experienced diaper rash a couple of times. I was very adamant about making sure we changed her bottom on an almost hourly basis for the first few months.

Honestly, every hour is a little excessive; like many other new parents, I worried about everything.

The one rash I remember her having was terrible. We used a different brand of diaper, and apparently, it did NOT agree with her sensitive baby skin.

We were forced to take her to the doctor because she ended up with frightening sores and screamed every time she was changed. I think it may have been more traumatic for me honestly.

I will never forget her face as she turned bright red and cried so hard she seemed almost unable to breathe.

Luckily it was an isolated incident, and she only had minimal irritations from then out.

Fast-forward to my second daughter: we were wary of a repeat, but a little more relaxed with her diaper changes. We were only changing her every couple of hours and it turned out this was TOTALLY fine.

What is a diaper rash?

A diaper rash is (unfortunately) a common type of inflamed skin. It can look a little different depending on the type of rash and the quality of the baby’s skin, but typically it presents as little red splotches.

According to the Mayo Clinic, you can expect to see tender-looking skin on the buttocks, thighs, and genitals. [source]

What causes a diaper rash?

Some of the most common sources of a diaper rash include

-A yeast or bacterial infection

-Irritation from laundry detergent, baby wipes, or other new products in the home

-Introduction to new food, and subsequent change in stool

-Sensitive skin

-Antibiotic use

-Chafing from a tight diaper

-Irritation from urine and stool (the MOST common cause of diaper rash) [source]

10 ways to prevent your baby from getting a diaper rash

1. Have a bare-bottomed baby—some of the time. A baby that wears a diaper ALL of the time is more likely to develop a rash and letting your baby’s skin breathe is usually a prescribed treatment from the doctor for diaper rash.

There is no such thing as too much naked time for your littles, so definitely take advantage of it when you are at home and able to do so.

If you are busy (which most of us are) your baby is going to need to wear a diaper most of the time. In these cases, you want to be SURE that you are using a breathable diaper. Personally, we have found that Signature Care™ diapers have been breathable for our daughter.

2. Use diaper cream. Remember, over the counter diaper cream works better as a preventative than it does as a treatment. Certain types of diaper cream should be used as a preventative barrier between your baby’s sensitive skin and the urine/stool in their diaper, while other kinds are meant for treating diaper rash.

Keep in mind, there are many different kinds of diaper cream, and diaper cream is NOT a one size fits all. Consult with your pediatrician about what they think will be most effective for your child’s situation.

3. Don’t over-tighten diapers. If you are finding that the diaper is leaving red marks on your baby’s skin, the diaper is probably fastened too tight.

Diapers can also become too tight if you are using too small a size. Use the weight recommendations as a guideline, but not a rule. Babies are all shapes and sizes, and two babies that weigh the same may need different sized diapers.

Also, keep in mind that diapers of lower quality are also more likely to cause chaffing of your baby’s skin.

4. Don’t scrub your baby’s bottom. Remember, your baby has soft and delicate “baby skin.” Although we love the softness of baby skin, it is definitely more maintenance to keep it irritation free.

5. Pat it dry or consider air-drying. After wiping your baby’s bottom clean, go ahead and let it air dry for a couple of minutes. If you don’t have a few minutes to spare, pat it dry–don’t rub (as we know that rubbing can cause tenderness.)

A wet baby bottom does not play nicely with a dry diaper, and it can promote irritation and it increases the possibility of a yeast infection. [source]

6. Change your baby often. Since the most common cause of diaper rash is irritation from urine or stool, it’s definitely important to make sure that you are changing your baby often enough.

Get a diaper that has a wetness indicator, so you don’t ever have to question whether it’s time to change your baby. Signature Care™ diapers have a yellow line that turns blue when baby is ready for a change. Remember, a quality diaper may allow for more time between diaper changes, but you don’t want to overdo it.

7. Avoid harsh perfumes and detergents. Since your baby’s skin is so sensitive, you want to make sure that you are using perfumes and extra chemicals as little as possible.

Although there are plenty of nice smelling baby soaps on the market, skip these and stick to something scent-free. As far as detergents, definitely try to stick to a kind that is made specifically for babies.

8. Rinse your baby’s bottom after wiping. Okay, I will admit that we do not do this. Our baby has done well with us following the rest of these tips, but this is the best way you can be sure that your baby has pee and stool completely cleaned off before putting another diaper on.

9. Watch out for potential food allergies. Once your baby starts eating solids, you may find that your baby is more prone to a diaper rash depending on the food they have eaten that day.

Sometimes we see diarrhea with food allergies, but this is not always the case.

10. Use a quality diaper. This is probably the MOST important tip of all because the diaper you choose will be a huge contributor for or against multiple diaper rash risk factors. Now, this is certainly not to say that a good diaper is a cure-all–your baby still needs regular diaper changes and naked time.

I know with my child a good diaper makes a world of difference.

In the last six months, we have begun trying to save money on diapers because diapers are SO EXPENSIVE! We tried three or four different kinds and found that her skin reacted badly to the ones we had tried.

There are some things you can skimp on, but when it comes to diapers—let’s just say that you sometimes have to pay more for quality.

Luckily, this isn’t always the case.

You CAN find a quality product at a reasonable price with MOST things.

We were lucky to find something like this. We were invited to try Signature Care™ diapers recently and found that our daughter does really well with them.

We were surprised when her skin remained clear the following days, and we LOVE how breathable the diapers are.

Other than the ones we were using, we had not found another diaper that did not make her skin break out. We appreciate the value we get with these diapers.

Maybe you haven’t found a brand of diaper you like, or maybe you have one you are fiercely loyal to. Trying new things is hard when we are used to something.

However, trying new things is how we grow–so I encourage you to give them a try. They are offering a 5 ct. sample pack as well as a 2 dollar off coupon if you fill out a short form here.

Honestly, you have nothing to lose, and you may find a new brand that you are especially loyal to.

Have you tried Signature Care™ diapers? Let me know in the comments how they worked for you!

 

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Signature Care™ diapers.