Cleaning my DD's bits

[TooThickForNickname]

First off - I've name changed for this, but I've been here a while (penguins, moldies, shiney cult, etc, etc) and need to ask this as I'm a single RP Dad with a 3.4 DD.

I read the last thread about this with interest, but found it very hard to find the advice within the unfortunate troll hunting.

I generally bathe DD every other day, although presently it's more like every night. But she still seems to have a build up of white stuff. I think the anatomical wording would be that it's under the labia majora. To give an idea of it's appearance & consistency, I had wondered if she'd been getting sudocreme'd at either nursery or her childminder (I work full time, so she has full-time day care), but realised it wasn't that.

She can get a bit whiffy down there, but she hasn't been smelly for some time now. She has been quite spotty on her bum and upper thighs for some weeks now - about half to dozen spots.

I know a lot of this is to do with her age - independence of wiping, lack of thoroughness and supervision with same, and the wearing of tights to keep her warm in current weather. Hence I have upped her baths to more like every evening.

Is this, combined with encouragement to better wiping, enough bathing? Should I do anything else? Should I clean the white stuff away?

[InmaculadaConcepcion]

It could be thrush - very common and exacerbated by wearing of tights etc. (keeps the area warm, which the yeast love). Thrush can cause a white, sometimes yelllowish discharge which isn't usually smelly.

Maybe check with your GP, but if it is thrush, it's easily cleared up with a bit of cream.

Also (live) natural yoghurt - eaten and applied - helps.

[TooThickForNickname]

Thanks, Immaculada.

We've got appointment with HV on Friday anyways, so I'll ask about it there too. Meanwhile, I'll get her some natural yoghurt too.

I was mainly after thoughts on general cleaning.

[NotAnotherBrick]

Don't use soap - we don't use soap at all on fannies. Only on bottoms.

Clean knickers every day and no knickers at night is good as well.

[InmaculadaConcepcion]

Probably a good idea to avoid using bubble bath until whatever it is clears up...

[TooThickForNickname]

Thanks, ladies. Will do.

[Bonsoir]

3.4 is way too little to wipe independently in my book.

She needs thorough soaping of vulva and anus every night (even better, every time she does a poo) and of her buttocks, upper thighs etc. And then you rinse incredibly thoroughly with the shower attachment.

[TooThickForNickname]

Bonsoir - I agree entirely. She's very stubbornly independent, so I imagine that even if help were offered at pre-school she's likely to refuse, and her CM tells me that though she does what she can, DD is often a bit too quick (and again stubborn) to be helped.

So keep to the outside, but plenty soap everywhere and plenty rinsing?

[booyhohoho]

bonsoir you would use soap every time she does a poo????

OP really, soap is not necessary at all. it can actually cause thrush as it upsets the natural PH balance. don't use soap.

[winnybella]

What Bonsoir said-vulva would mean labia majora and minora, not 'outside'. Obv. no soap/any wash of any kind for vagina.

I would also use a gentle shower gel (without soap and perfume etc).

[winnybella]

OTOH, no, I don't think she needs her bum washed every time she does a poo- a proper wipe should be fine.

Lots of women use soaps and have no problems with it, so there's no reason why OP's dd should have any. If she does, it will become obvious- and I think you do need to have a proper wash. While vagina is obv. self-cleaning, vulva is not.

[winnybella]

And the white stuff doesn't need to be thrush- it's totally natural to have a build up of it if you don't wash. Whether it can cause inflammation, I'm not sure, but it can definitely cause the vulva to be whiffy.

[TheBreastmilksOnMe]

It sounds to me like a build up of normal secretions, which, if not cleaned thoroughly, will become a bit whiffy. Not thrush. I would 2nd what Bonsoir suggests but use a very mild soap or a baby shampoo/wash and rinse thoroughly. Every female would get this if they didn't cleanse thoroughly, as would every man if he didn't cleanse beneath the foreskin. Make sure that you get within the labia, on either side of the clitoris when you are cleaning as this is where it tends to build up.

[AllOverIt]

Sounds normal to me, though if you're in any way concerned then a quick trip to the GP should ease any worries.

As for washing, I'd use as little soap and as mild as poss, lots of water.

[AllOverIt]

P.S. Not sure why you needed to name-change as it's a perfectly normal question. I know the other thread kicked off, but I'm not sure the name-changing helped that!

[onepieceoflollipop]

The child can wash herself under supervision. I have 2 dds, youngest is 3. They bath most nights, but dh and I ensure that they have a good rinse of all areas with jug/shower as I like to ensure the shampoo etc is thoroughly rinsed.

Each dd has a fresh flannel every night. We put a tiny squirt of top to toe wash (or similar) on the flannel). We tell them to wash their bottoms, at the front and then at the back. They understand this and are cooperative.

In addition we use unfragranced babywipes on the littlest dd after a poo. She is like the OP's dd in that she is reluctant to let nursery staff "help" so we check her bottom when she gets home if she has pooed at nursery.

She is also in a nappy at night. In the morning we use a warm flannel, similar routing to at night but not in the bath. hth

[onepieceoflollipop]

To clarify re the rinsing. They rinse with jug/shower head just before they get out.

[TooThickForNickname]

Rinsing sounds like a good idea.

Quick claification: outside / inside, vulva / vagina, etc. My assumptions and understanding here is that I would never even attempt to wash DD's vagina - ie actually inside her, unless specifically medically directed. And even then I'd be looking for another opinion - just seems far too invasive and plain wrong.

So for me if / when I say inside, I mean under outer labia (majora?).

So on cleaning this area, as per TheBreastMilk's post, would it be best to direct DD to do it, her or me to use a flannel, or me or her to use unfragranced wipes?

Last time I did it, she wasn't overly impressed. Not hurt or anything, just stroppy with me. But that's a common response from her for me doing anything she doesn't see any need for...

[TheBreastmilksOnMe]

No, you don't have to go near her inner vagina, just like you said- the inner labia. I would encourage her to use a flannel, or her hand if that is easier. A flannel can be a bit rough on sensitive bits and a hand is much kinder, maybe that is what she didn't like? I would use infragranced wipes on her bottom after she has had a poo but I would leave cleaning her vulva until bathtime, a wipe with some tissue should be sufficient after a wee in the toilet.

[TooThickForNickname]

So encourage her to wash between her labia herself, either with hand or something very soft, and maybe some baby soap or similar of some kind, yes?

And cleaning should be daily.

[Orissiah]

The mildest soap you can find. We use mild, natural organic baby soap for DD's entire body (excluding inner bits, obviously). Pricier than non-organic but a little goes a long, long way.

[Orissiah]

Organic, natural wipes too.

[bibbitybobbitysantahat]

Just a quick swish with some Johnson's top to toe wash on your own hand, or on hers, and a very thorough rinse off will do. Soaps and bubble baths can sometimes be the cause of a thrush-like problem, so use the very mildest products you can as quickly as you can.

[LadyOfTheFlowers]

Okay, here's my tuppence worth.

(have 3 boys and 1 girl, aged 7 months)

DD sits in the bath for a bit of a soak.

I sponge her all over with baby wash then rinse her.

While I am towel drying, I check inside the labia, if there is a white build up, which there often is, like helmet cheese I guess - for want of a better phrase - I just gently wipe it out, one sweep down each side with a fragrance free baby wipe.

That's it. Job done. No piddly cheesy smell.

(I remember noticing white stuff in my own twink when I was little)

[TooThickForNickname]

Thanks, all.

I'll be following the advice of gentle and mild stuff, letting her wash herself (and encouraging better wiping), and checking up here and there.

[Pengyquin]

Apologies - I realise this is an old thread - but I have a question relating to this.

I was under the impression you should let their 'bit's' self clean. Anyway, to that end, I only wipe out the white stuff every so often, certainly not all the time.

Anyway, DD (2) is potty training and noticed she had got a bit whiffy. Lay her down to have a look/check nothing amiss infection wise, and noticed that her bits had been totally cleaned out.

She was at nursery last week. I can only presume they did it. However, the worst bit, she was flinching when I tried to have a look.

When she was in baby room, she used to come back with her bits FULL of sudocrem (and I mean full, inside) - I did raise this with them and said someone was being a bit overzealous and it stopped.

I don't think it's any sinister, but surely nursery shouldn't be thoroughly cleaning a little girl's bits??! Are they any nursery staff reading this who can comment on this?

How do I tell nursery i know someone did, and now she's flinching? Without making it sound like i"m accusing them of something :/

(whiff has now gone, took her to the drs, doc thinks maybe too much messing with her bits so to speak and ph out, so gave us some stuff for the bath, and it all seems to have rectified)