Sensitive Wipes & Newborns

[GeorginaA]

First time around, we did all the song and dance with warm water and cotton wool balls at every change time for x number of weeks (whatever the current advice was at the time).

However, second time around I'm thoroughly converted on the convenience of botty wipes, especially as there'll be a toddler around wanting my attention back asap. No fuss, no muss. I would much rather start off using sensitive baby wipes from the start, and I've noticed the sensitive packets do imply suitable from birth without explicitly saying so.

DH, however, thinks we should do it "properly" and use cotton wool balls again to protect baby no. 2's skin. So anyway, what's the current advice? Am I doing horrible things to my baby's bottom by sullying it with a perfume-free sensitive wipe? Or is it something in the scheme of things I can be more relaxed about with the second?

[Hulababy]

I would just see how it goes with your little one when s/he is born. It will depend on the baby's individual skin. DD was perfectly okay with wipes the whole time and never had any problems with any dry skin, rashes, etc. However friend's DS found all wipes a bit too harsh on his excema when little.

[eddm]

I've only got one ds, but I really would go with cotton wool at first ? have you tried using the pads, much easier than balls or tearing off strips. If I use wipes at several nappy changes in a row ds gets a very sore bum, but maybe he's just sensitive - he does have eczema. But then eczema is very common in babies, so better to be safe? Have noticed with other newborns the ones who are 'wiped' do get more nappy rash than the ones who are cleaned with water... but completely understand your point re convenience.

[Jimjams]

seem to remember we binned the cotton wool as soon as we were out of hopital. Mind you I got so fed up with buying mountains of wipes that I then converted to washable ones

[Jimjams]

georgina - we were like you fist time round- weeks of water and cotton wool. second time round we couldn't even find the water bowl. Think it might be a frst baby thing.

[Clayhead]

Did use cotton wool with ds (2nd child) but for less time, just for that peroid when they have the really sticky tar like poo! dd was still in nappies when ds born so changed to wipes soon after with no problems.

[squirmyworm]

we had this debate - isn't it funny what parenthood does to you, one minute you are talking about what a wally George Dubya is and the next minute:

dh: hmm, we could try sensitive wipes when we're out and stick to cotton wool when we're at home
me: yes, or try that chamomile tea on a fabric square thing I read about on the internet
dh: or maybe cotton wool PADS would be better

etc etc

we did cw for about 3 weeks and then switched to little cloths that we just soak in warm water (adding a little baby wash or aqueous cream if he's mucky). we got ours from cotton bottoms - they come in quite cheap packs of 12 or so and are about 8 by 8 inches with a little hem around them in pink or blue so you can keep some for faces if you want. I love them but I'm a non disposable nappy convert so I'm probably a bit biased. We do use wipes sometimes when we're out and have never had a problem

[Lara2]

I found that Johnson's wipes gave mine rashy skin!! ASDA's fragrance free cotton wipes were fab - still buy them to keep in the car.

[popsycal]

We did cotton wool and water in hospital. We ended up being in hospital for 2 and a hlaf weeks and the midwives kept saying - whay arent you using the wipes out of the bounty pack??


with that in mind though, they gave him a really sore bottom and then we discovered pampers snesitive wipes and all was fine

[Cod]

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[popsycal]

oh i find pampers wipes to be the least wet of the lot....

[popsycal]

and the only ones that don't give nappy rash

[Cod]

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[WideWebWitch]

I used wipes both times from birth and had no idea the official advice was any different. It just wouldn't have occurred to me to use cotton wool. I've used Pampers normal wipes from birth on dd (16 weeks) and her bot is fine. If her bum has got slightly sore I've used Sudocrem on one nappy and it's gone.

[Hulababy]

I like Pampers best (sorry), then Johnsons. Not ken on Huggies - too thick. Oh, and the Sainsburys and Boots ones I really didn't like - way too wet and soapy (both normal and senstive ones).

[hercules]

I was told in hospital to use water and cw as wipes can damage a girls bits due to something or other like the ph??
I do use just cw tbh but with ds as soon as we left hospital it was wipes.

Have to say everything they told me in hospital was bo*ocs so that probably was too!

[Cod]

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[kiwisbird]

I used washable wipes rather than cotton wool, just chuck em in the wash, I still use them now and dd is 17 mths, I do have wipes for when out and about etc, but use them mostly for dusting LOL
I wouldn;t like the feel of wipes so I would guess it isn't that fluffy and nice for a baby either

[JulieF]

Oddly enough I am less fussy about what I use on my newborn ds than my 2 year old dd due to her breaking out in excema.

The only wipes we can use on her are Boots own make sensitive skin ones. Not the normal fragrance free ones but sensitive.

[nutcracker]

All of mine have been fine with Pampers or Johnsons wipes. I do not like the Huggies wipes though, they are too wet and although they are supposed to be fragrence free they have a very strange smell i think.

[kiwicath]

Have used homemade cotton washable squares with homemade wipe solution from day one ie water,drop teatree, drop lavender, sqwirt baby oil, sqwirt baby lotion all in sqwirty bottle. 12 weeks now and not so much as a rosey bum ... so far anyway. I wash a batch of nasty smelly bought wipes (the only ones you can get here) and small sqwirty bottle for out and about so I can toss if too soiled. Can rewash half dozen times if not to manky. It sounds very high maintenance but once you get into the swing of things you'ell not look back (my opinion anyway). Use cotton wool and water on his little face though - and what a precious little face it is .

[littlerach]

Went over to Tesco own sensitive when DD was about 6 wks old, Boots were too wet. Never had any rash, even though DD gets excema.

[mears]

For the most up to date recommendations on skin care have a look at my friend's website.

It is best to avoid baby wipes and bath products for at least the first 2 weeks to prevent possible skin rashes and eczema.

website

[mears]

Sorry - didn't work. Try again

website

[GeorginaA]

Thanks all. Think I will be more laid back about it this time, but have come to a compromise with dh - we'll use the cotton wool pads (will look out for them now, thanks for the recommendation!) for the first 2 weeks when he's on nappy duty then when paternity leave runs out I'll switch to pampers sensitive wipes (we always found them the nicest on ds' botty!)

Thank you for that link, mears - interesting comments re: baby bath products on their too.

[Cod]

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