Nappy rash

[Annpan]

We have recently made the financial descision to change E's nappys.

We were useing disposable Nature Babycare nappies, they Are 70% biodegradeable and use bamboo as a lining, no chemicals in contact with babys bum. I think that the non-degradable bit is the gel that is in them (which makes them more absorbant and thinner than other eco-disposables)

However we have come to a financial squeeze and we have had to make some cutbacks. So... we bought some Huggies that were on special offer and in the last few days that we have been using them E's bum is sore and red.

She only suffered from nappy rash a few times before, when she is ill, or the grandparents feed her chocolate. Sudocream clears it up, no problem.

I was just wondering if anyone has any experience with the same kind of thing?

Could it be chemicals in the nappies?
Could it be an allergic reaction to the nappies? (her diet has not changed, she has been with me for the last week)
Could it just be a side-affect of teething?

Any thoughts?

It is horrid.

I wish I had never bought those stinky things now

Oh... today I also used washables for a while, to see if they helped, but she is uncomfortable in them and the liquid being right on her seemed to inflame the rash more.

[mrsflibble]

the problem could be any of the above.
get in contact with your local herbalist shop, calendula cream will help her little botbot.
buy asda own brand nappies- if she's a wriggler get the george active fit.
or wilkinson's similar version. soph is allergic to loads of different nappies and those never affect her. nor do the t***o little walker equivalents.

[snapdragon]

Bleach is often used in the processing to make them look 'nice' and white

[getting there]

I'm biased but I'd say its the nappies, all those bleaches and chemicals. Plus they feel drier so often they're left on a bit longer than, say, with cloth so the urine has longer to break down into burning ammonia.

Fresh air even for an exta minute or two after each nappy change will help her heal a bit faster. Washing her bottom with water with a bit of baking soda or apple cider vinegar in it and a cloth should help prevent any infections getting into the rash.

I hope she heals quickly.

[getting there]

sometimes I think all the irritating things in disposables are purposely there to cause rashes and such so that then creams and lotions can be sold to 'fix' the rashes. But then the creams and lotions are drying and so a moisteriser has to be bought. And on and on

[Annpan]

I was begining to come to the same conclusion myself GT Isn't it crappy that if we can no longer afford the old nappies we now have to buy the ones pumped full of chemicals and bleaches

I have tried reusables and I just have no luck with them

Well I'll give it a few more days and then go back to the old, chemical free numbers.

Thanks for your tips guys

[baldowrie]

many years ago for me now but Huggies always made the children have bad nappy rash. Pampers not so much.

[Clara]

This is VERY interesting! Because we are waiting for our beefed up solar system to arrive and mid winter means very little power from the old decrepit one, we have been using HUGGIES and yep, you guessed it, nappy rash! We are about to run out so I think I´ll try another brand.

May I recommend Weleda nappy cream - it has calendula but also zinc oxide, and from my reading it is that latter that really makes the difference (I "know" this from experience too as the straightforward Weleda calendula cream doesn´t do as good a job). If your budget won´t allow it, at least make sure that what you do get contains zinc oxide, you can even buy it straight from some chemists.

[mrsflibble]

I can post you some dried calendula flowers. make them up into a strong tea and stir into the zinc oxide cream.

[Annpan]

The sudocrem seems to do the trick for us... it was bought before we went super-green but it seems to last ages - Thanks for the tips though

She is not nearly so bad today, but interesting how other people have had the same trouble with huggies. I won't be buying them again.

Apart from the tags at the side being super soft and comfy looking, I can't see that there is any benefit from the Nature Babycare ones we were on before. Apart from financially of course Huggies 13p per nappy, Nature Babycare 17p per nappy. I think I am just going to have to suffer that extra 4p for the sake of E's bum and my guilt.

[mrsflibble]

try own brand nappies, honestly they're not as bad as huggies. Soph's currently in te**os ones and she's got no probs.

[baldowrie]

a nurse in the hospital gave me the tip on the nappy brands and rashes when my girl had to go back in for a while. Also Sudocrem is great BUT it can also feed bacteria. If no improve shows in a couple of days, stop using it and try good old fashion Vaseline...but it will clog disposables

[circlecross]

I usually use cloth on the boys, but after ds1 resolutely rejected potty training, he is back in nappies, and ds2 has squirty bum from teething and any other bug going about, I have been having to use dispicables a bit more frequently than I would like. I use nature baby - is there really that much of a price difference if bought in boots? My not-so-local health shop seems to wack an extra pound on the cost, but if I find them in Boots on Sainsburys they seem comparable with other brands.
Moltex is my all-time fave, but so expensive. Occasionally I can't use anything else for ds1 if his eczema is playing up, but recently I shamefacedly purchased a packet of Pampers which I have never done before. The delivery hadn't arrived, and I had a coupon, and my washing pile was already mountainous (not from nappies - I never know what is in there!) How ashamed was I to send ds1 to nursery with planet killers on his bum!

On the cloth/rash front, frequent changes, a paper liner, and a barrier cream is all I can suggest, and a stint in moltex until skin clears up.

[mrsflibble]

is there anywhere you can get the nature ones online? would it be cheaper?
as for umcream my mum used to swear by a cream which contains coaltar- will have to get it's name for sticking on here 'cos it's worth a look. it's normally given for psoriasis but contains non of the steroidal nasties that other psoriasis cream have... I'm seeing her tonight.

[Annpan]

E's bum has fully recovered.

Poops are yukky just now, just because of the teething, and I guess the cold weather must be having an effect.

I have not been able to find Natures any cheaper than in boots, but... they are never on offer, and huggies/ pampers/plastic nasties are.

There is a 4p difference on each nappy. I cannot justify spending that on nappies, we are cutting back everywhere. Without getting into too much detail, the essential building work on the house was ALOT of money, it is currently on intrest free credit cards, but we need to have money to pay it back next year.

The sudocrem that I have works wonders. I absolutely don't use it if it is not needed, I hate puting chemicals on Es bum.

I am afraid that I will have to stick with these bulk buys until I can convert to re-usables (when dryer weather comes again) or until we are flush enough to care about the environment again.

[rant]

I am currently really cheesed off with the cost of making green choices. (and before you suggest it, no we don't get any grants for anything... not damp proofing, not dry-rot, not insulation, not reusable nappies....aaaarrggh)

[/rant]