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a couple of questions from a first time mum to be

Hiya, Im 37 wks so my little one is due quite soon and as Ive done my classes and im reading my books I thought I'd ask a couple of small questions if thats ok.



Firstly I've been advised to use olive oil and water instead of wipes for the first few weeks of nappy changes but our nct teacher said not to use nappy rash cream unless necessary either- is that right? do you just clean and replace with a fresh nappy or do you use some kind of lotion?



Secondly when do you start using baby bath and moisturising lotions etc on your little one when bathing? Im planning to just use water for the first few weeks then infacare.



Hope these aren't silly questions, thanks for your help xxx

Replies

  • Hey!



    Not silly questions at all!



    We were told not to use anything but water/olive oil on babies skin for the first 6 weeks and also that they didn't need bathing for the first few weeks either.It's all related to babies skin sensitivity and i think there has been some research into how not using anything but water benefits the skin condition in the long run.



    We washed Cam head to toe just with water probably for the first few weeks (not in a bath just with a sponge on the floor) and then just water in the bath. I don't think we used any soaps or anything like that until 3/4 months and even then it was only Dr prescribed for his eczema



    In terms on nappies we started off using warm water and cotton wool to clean up poop but it only lasted about 2 weeks and then we switched to johnsons fragrance free wipes which are 98% water anyway. It was just more convenient than getting warm water in a bowl etc each time. Cam is a year old now and i've not once applied cream after a change of nappy! If he's made a mess we clean him up with wipes but that's it. Having said that we've never had nappy rash so never had the need for cream.



    In terms of skin moisture olive oil is fantastic...as is coconut oil (which you can get at most pharmacies) or just aqueous cream is good and fragrance free.



    Just do what you thinks best though...if baby has dry skin then moisturize it, if they have nappy rash then put sudocrem on it and if you want to put something in their bath then do that image



    Good luck with the birth! image x
  • I used baby wipes from birth and Sophia is 24 and has never had nappy rash! I only use barrier cream at night as she's in her nappy for so long!



    We used water for about 2 weeks, then top to toe wash as it's so gentle, then johnsons bedtime bath!





    No questions are silly, but you will find your own way to do things! Honestly when baba arrives you will find that you know more than you think and your instincts will guide you xxx
  • They aren't silly!



    I'm very anti baby toiletries - they have some really foul stuff in them, and babies skins just don't need that kind of aggressive cleansing.



    I use cloth nappies so I use cloth wipes with a gentle wash solution in a foaming bottle, when he was tiny it was just water or water and olive oil. If they are sore, cooled chamomile tea is excellent. He's never had nappy rash - he's 9 months - but if he looks a teensy bit red I like Weleda's Calendula nappy change cream - from Boots. Definitely not needed at every change time though.



    To wash, we kept it plain water for the first 8 weeks or so, and only a full bath twice a week to stop the water drying his skin out. Then we progressed to using a pump bottle of liquid African Black soap, it's all-natural and very moisturising. We use it on his hair too. At 9m I'm still only halfway through the first bottle, so cleaning him has cost me three quid over the whole of his life so far.



    It's up to you what you choose to use but google some of the ingredients in Johnsons etc and ask if you REALLY want that going on your child's delicate skin! All this 'Pure as water' stuff is bunk!
  • Hi hun,



    We used cotton wool and water only til about 12 weeks for nappy changes, just cos its easy enough to do, followed with a muslin to dab dry. Still do when at homne in the day but use wipes at night and when out and about. I find that no matter how clean a bum looks after using a wipe, if you then go over it with wet cotton wool you see it wasnt really clean at all! Didn't use any creams at first, except a dab of Palmers Cocoa Bottom Butter now and then which is a lovely moisturiser, not a barrier cream. Do use a bit of sudocrem at night as nappy changes are less frequent now.



    Bath products when you're ready, I can highly recommend Boots Baby Botanics range. I binned all the Johnsons crap as the difference in my DD's skin was amazing when we switched to Botanics



    Good luck with it all! x
  • Hiya, we used water and cotton wool for the first 2 weeks for nappies, i then used wipes (just to get them used up as i had been given them), now i am using cloth "cheeky wipes"



    Because i was recovering from a c-sec, bathtimes were difficult for me so we only bathed once a week for the first month - at 10 weeks we started a bath, boob, bed routine every night, again using top to toe wash and some bedtime baby bath. We used olive oil to start with, but then moved on to normal baby lotion at about 6 weeks.



    LO developed nappy rash at about 3 weeks and we used sudocreme which cleared it up in about 2 days, i then stopped using it for a while - now i use it sparingly at each change as a preventative measure.
  • Hi these are questions I had myself so don't worry.

    I used water/ cotton wool for first 2 weeks then went onto the Huggies Pure which seem to be the gentlest and didn't use barrier cream at first only when she started getting the occasional sore bum after a few months.

    She was washed in plain water for first week then used Johnsons products ie. shampoo/wash, she's never had any skin problems.

    xxxx
  • Thanks for all the replies girls! I really appreciate the help and advice image Its so exciting but also a bit overwhelming haha x
  • No question is ever a silly question! We used warm water and cotton wool for the first 2 weeks or so and then switched to wipes after that. Not sure how i managed to do the warm water and cotton wool for so long!! Our little boy is nearly 6 months and has never had nappy rash so there has been no need for cream. Good luck with the upcoming arrival. x
  • Hi x



    I used cotton wool and warm water for the first few weeks, and wipes if out and about - I only use nappy cream every few days and lo is now 8 months and never had any nappy rash problems image



    The most important thing is to regularly change nappies and give some nappy free time each day - even if it's just while preparing a bath or getting him/her ready for bed for a few mins. I was always told barrier cream can block the pores and potentially cause nappy rash, which made sense to me but don't know if it's fact! lol.



    I didn't use baby bath products until baby was around 5 months old, I just used plain water - and then Johnsons Bedtime Bath - but then she got dry skin so am using Oilatum Jnr at the moment and have reduced her baths to every other day.



    Best of luck with the birth! image
  • hi, with ds we used cotton wool and water for first few weeks and olive oil on any dry/sore bits, or zinc and castor oil cream if nappy rash (i'm allergic to sudocrem, plus it's medicated so i'm guessing would sting a bit putting that on a rash, and zinc is well known for healing properties)...with dd though been a bit lazier lol, cotton wool and wtaer only for the first 2 weeks, then started using wipes for night time changes in the bedroom and for when out and about, we've stopped using the cotton woool and water these past few days and solely wipes and she's now 6 weeks, but if she ever looks sore i'll just revert back to cotton wool and wtaer for a day or two...re the baths, we only bath very young babies once a week, and only top and tail until her cord came off (same with ds) and that was in plain water until this week, and now just started using a drop of bedtime bath in her bath once a week, but the top and tails nightly is just plain water...i've never used any lotions or baby oils (well except for on ds's eczema, but thats prescribed) as olive oil/sunflower oil really is the best moisturiser for delicate skin as it's the closest to the oils ur skin produce and therefore the least likely to dry it out or cause a reaction...agree with maenad, the 'just like water' wipes are far from it, if u look at the list of ingrediants on the back of the pack, yikes! ds had an awful rash from using johnsons sensitive wipes for just one day, not touched johnsons since...most definately not silly questions

    wishing u all the best xx
  • i just used water on cotton wool to wash lo for first 10 days or so then a bath just water.



    After two weeks i use johnsons baby bath and shampoo annd tbh his skin was better after that. He had dry skin when i was just using water.

    Also sterted using baby wipes after a week or so and hes neer had a rash on him. I use the sensitive ones which are basically like water and a cloth anyway.

    Also i use olive oil on his dry bits for a good few weeks rather than moisturiser.



    xx
  • I have always used wipes mostly johnsons pure or asdas fragrance free ones, my lo has not had nappy rash, just had odd sore bum when badly teething.

    Also I did bath him after a couple days at home but only twice a week probably and i'd use the toiletries and again my lo skin is soft and fine!

    xx
  • Thanx for your replies everyone, I will be sticking to water + olive oil for the first few weeks then see how lo is. Thanx again xxx
  • the cotton wool/water thing during nappy change time really annoyed me so i switched to wipes after about 10 days. she's 7 months now and has never had a nappy rash problem. I also started putting products in her bath when she was about 1 month old.



    you'll know what feels right for your baby when he/she arrives. you'll just get a natural feel for it.
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