Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Flip

Original poster

Baby acne and breastfeeding/formula

22 replies

Anonymouse007 · 12/12/2019 13:57

Hi there,

My DC (4 weeks old) has acne. It started around 2 weeks when it was particularly bad all over child’s face and head (body and everywhere else is perfectly fine). It’s calmed down somewhat but child still has loads of spots, bumps and redness.

GP said it was baby acne (not eczema, heat rash, etc) and that it would clear up naturally.

Baby poos, feeds regularly, sleeps as much as any other newborn (lol), is alert and otherwise very healthy. Was born at almost 10lbs so seems big too!

My AIBU is this: I’m almost exclusively breastfeeding (meaning baby has had the bottle about 4 times since birth but only small amounts of milk). I prefer BF because it’s convenient and baby seems to prefer it (plays around with bottle, rarely bothers even latching onto it).

So... some people have said I should be offering MORE liquids (formula milk) to “flush out the acne” from baby’s system and implied baby isn’t getting enough milk, which may be causing acne.

Is there any truth to this? My GP seemed fine but I thought I’d ask what other mums experienced with baby acne and if “extra” milk really did help?

I’m just confused and feel a bit guilty. I really hope the acne hasn’t been triggered by my decision to BF exclusively...

Thanks x

OP posts:

OrangeZog · 12/12/2019 14:06

I’ve always fed my babies on demand, so when they wanted and as much as they wanted. I’m not sure baby acne is avoidable and I don’t think you can flush it out. It really doesn’t last long.

MustardScreams · 12/12/2019 14:07

Just feed baby on demand. You can’t use milk to flush out clogged pores, it doesn’t go into the skin! It will clear up in a couple of weeks.

cinnabunbun · 12/12/2019 14:08

Please don't feel guilty! Baby acne is absolutely normal and the idea of increasing fluid intake with formula to somehow "flush it out" is a total nonsense. Please don't let anyone pressurise you to to it if you are happy with breast feeding.

The worry with adding in formula to a baby who is happily breastfeeding and gaining weight, is that the baby will just self regulate their fluid intake and reduce the length and frequency of their breast feeds. This will cause the breast milk production to dip as it's a simple demand and supply relationship.

Baby acne passes in a couple of weeks and although it looks yucky it is absolutely normal and best left well alone

popcorndiva · 12/12/2019 14:09

It's just the hormones in your milk which you are still flushing out your system after giving birth. Took 2 week's for my DS to go. Strangely breastmilk on the spots made them less red

CmdrCressidaDuck · 12/12/2019 14:11

That's just rubbish, baby acne isn't caused by lack of milk and supplementing with formula would just cause baby to downreg the amount of breast milk they take. If baby is breastfed on demand and gaining weight well they are taking everything they need.

Baby acne can look pretty gnarly (my baby looked like a tiny teenage pizzaface and had a massive bald spot at the time to boot) but it's not caused OR cured by milk. It just works its way through and clears up itself.

Wafflecopter · 12/12/2019 14:14

Ignore those people!

I put breast milk on my baby’s face and it cleared it right up.

Baublesbanglesandbows · 12/12/2019 14:15

Leave it alone and it will go away.

I know it looks bad but honestly, it will soon be gone and you’ll have forgotten all about it. Baby won’t have a clue it even happened!

Absolutely no truth in the extra fluids thing.

Celebelly · 12/12/2019 14:20

Yep just let it be. It goes away on its own.

PinkDaffodil2 · 12/12/2019 14:24

Absolute rubbish - please keep breastfeeding exclusively if you are lucky enough it’s going well and you want to :) the spots will clear up and won’t do any harm. Changing the milk won’t make any difference and you don’t want to risk your supply dropping if feeding is going well.
Mine was so so spotty for about 3 weeks at that age - no hint at all now, her skin is perfect.

OriginalMe · 12/12/2019 14:30

Why would nearly always breastfeeding trigger it? Any baby can get baby acne it's perfectly normal. Some people just seem obsessed with topping up with formula for no reason it's weird!

han01uk · 12/12/2019 14:36

It's completely normal due to the hormones I believe. Just carry on as you are,will soon be gone

CmdrCressidaDuck · 12/12/2019 14:38

Also, remember the baby is 100% nor bothered. It doesn't hurt them or make them feel insecure or itchy. They're perfectly happy. The only person it is bothering is you, and you can now let it go, knowing it's nothing you are doing and nothing to worry about :)

Some people just have really odd ideas about how breastfeeding can't possibly be "enough" and therefore anything that a breastfed baby is experiencing is because of breastfeeding. Which makes no sense from any angle, because breastfeeding is how babies are biologically meant to be fed. Try to feel sorry for the people who have been left with misinformation and odd ideas.

TheBabyAteMyBrain · 12/12/2019 14:39

I was advised to put breastmilk on the acne to help it clear up.

Tbh, breastmilk is wonderful for so many things. If in doubt, give it a squirt 😂

userabcname · 12/12/2019 14:52

Both my boys had baby acne - DS1's was terrible but went very quickly and DS2's wasn't as bad but lingered (he is 8 weeks old now and it's all but disappeared). Be wary of too much formula as your supply is still being established unless, of course, you are happy to combi feed. You don't have to do anything though- baby acne looks bad but does them no harm.

Also if baby is gaining weight and having plenty of wet and dirty nappies then he is getting enough milk. Weight gain and nappy output are the only indicators of supply!! Nothing else!!

This is a little off topic but at around 6-8 weeks your baby may hit a fussy phase. Both mine did and feeding was rather akin to wrestling a very angry eel! Fussy feeding is not a sign of poor supply either and it will pass. Just mentioning it to you as it sounds as though you may be getting advice from people who aren't particularly clued up on breastfeeding.

CoffeeWithMyOxygen · 12/12/2019 14:59

Offering formula won’t do a thing for baby acne, just keep doing as you are and it’ll go away. We still laugh about what a spotty boy DS was for a few weeks and he was exclusively breast fed - I put a bit of milk on the worst bits which helped it clear up but otherwise just ignored it and he quickly grew out of it.

Whattodoabout · 12/12/2019 15:00

Feed baby on demand. You can’t flush acne out, it doesn’t work like that.

Original poster

Anonymouse007 · 12/12/2019 19:50

Thanks for all the helpful replies! I agree with the poster who said people are obsessed with always assuming breastfeeding isn’t enough! Each to their own, but the constant remarks of “your milk isn’t enough for a healthy growing baby” are tiring.

Anyone else with baby acne experiences? How long did it take to clear in your situation? For us it’s been 2 weeks...

OP posts:

Daffodil77 · 12/12/2019 19:56

I think it took about 4 weeks to clear with my dd. It'll soon go. I forget she had it now (she's nearly 1). X

ActualHornist · 12/12/2019 19:58

God they’re talking absolute shite. Ignore them.

Congratulations

Solihooley · 12/12/2019 20:08

No, baby acne is totally normal. Your baby will probably have many weird skin things/rashes over the next few months. It doesn’t always mean something is wrong. Mine had acne for probably about 4 weeks, then awful rashy/red/dry skin in patches. Don’t let people tell you it’s b/feeding causing it, or that you need to cut out dairy to feed or anything like that, cause that’ll be the next thing you’ll start hearing (only about 1% of babies have true allergy to cows milk and there is zero evidence that mum eliminating it from her diet has any effect on symptoms anyway).

Howdidido · 12/12/2019 20:19

6 weeks here and baby acne gone.. I did get a bit fed up and wash her face with very very watered down mild soap. (Like a gentle smear on a damp cloth which is then rinsed again!) And it cleared up the next day.

TheBananaStand2 · 12/12/2019 20:26

You’re not being unreasonable but it’s unreasonable for people to say formula will flush out toxins. What madness!! Feed your baby the way you want to and ignore what other people are saying. I found it really hard to ebf because so many people were adamant that formula would make my baby sleep, would stop him feeding all the time, would give me a break, blah blah. I’m so glad now that I stuck to my guns. Hang in there, if it means something to you it’s a marathon at first but it’s worth it.

Flip