Do you use a barrier cream every change?

[Godimabitch]

Sorry, not an aibu but taking advantage of the polling option.

Getting ready for baby.
Do you use a nappy barrier cream every change to prevent nappy rash or do you only use cream when nappy rash is showing.

YANBU you use nappy cream every change.
YABU only use nappy cream when nappy rash is starting.

Also, do you use a baby powder? What for?
And, if you use cloth nappies, which cream do you use.

Meant to say I think it's old fashioned advice that goes back to terry towelling days / less absorbent disposables so more nappy rash.

No powder - it's bad for them to inhale in and completely pointless.
I'm sure some babies are more prone to nappy rash than others. We use a bit of cream only if there's a bit of soreness which might be once or twice a month. It isn't caused by urine, only if a dirty nappy isn't changed immediately. And sometimes if nursery don't do a great job wiping. Had severe nappy rash once when the baby pooed on a car journey and I didn't realise for an hour. That one required a GP visit.

Modern disposable nappies are designed to absorb liquid and 'lock it in'- meaning there is no need for nappy creams unless treating skin irritation. Using creams daily can actually reduce the effectiveness of the nappy and increase the risk of irritation.

Found Johnson’s to be the best nappy rash cream for my DS and it would usually clear up after just one or two applications. The one time it didn’t clear up we took him to the dr and it was a yeast infection so needed a cream via prescription.

With both DS and DD I've used aloe vera gel after each nappy change. It forms a very light barrier and has, touch wood, stopped either of them suffering a proper rash despite using washable nappies. DD does seem a bit more prone to getting a bit of red skin and I find the Welda works well.

I use a barrier cream for night time nappy as if I'm sleeping theres a risk I might not notice a poo.
Only use baby powder to get sand off skin.

Barrier creams (sudocrem, bepanthen etc) were designed for a time when nappies were poor quality and the damp soiled fabric was against baby’s bum. Nappies now are so effective at wicking away moisture that barrier creams stop them effectively doing this - it essentially sticks the nappy to the skin. As such, we (midwives) only recommend them to treat once some soreness has started - so useful to have in your drawer for when you need it. And Vaseline 🥴 I wouldn’t want that anywhere near my poor baby’s backside.

DS1 rarely used only when had rash which was not often at all. Had to throw several tubs out that went out of date! DS2 is really prone to bad rashes so for last few months have been using it after every change. He is 13 months.

We only use sudocrem if his bum is a bit red, plus at night.

We use cloth nappies, if you have a good routine, you can use at much barrier cream as you need and it washes right out - see clean cloth nappies.

We use a barrier cream at night time (bepanthem) because the nappies on for a long time.
Never used powder.

Only if there is soreness. You don’t want to use a barrier cream every time as it can affect the absorbency of the nappy to have a waterproof cream between nappy and skin.

Baby powder isn’t advised at all, and there’s no need for it. Midwives advise against it. Just dry your baby carefully with a soft towel after a bath (especially in the creases).

I use bepanthen cream with cloth nappies.

Didn’t vote because neither of the options represents what we do. We exclusively use cloth nappies. Very very rarely had any kind of rash.

Have a look at The Nappy Lady website and some cloth nappy Facebook groups for information on nappy rash in cloth - it shouldn’t happen often in cloth if you follow the guidance they give. The cloth nappy Facebook groups are really useful resources for building up your CN collection, for asking advice, for troubleshooting etc.

The Nappy Lady advises that nappy rash is usually because of a specific thing (I.e. we shouldn’t just expect that a child will get a rash) and therefore can be solved with changing our actions.

Definitely no sudocrem with cloth. We use Weleda - both the calendula and the mallow are nice. We only apply with his night time nappy. We apply every night. We don’t wait for a rash to appear even though both of these creams are not really barrier creams but more like ointments.

We were advised no powders by our NCT class. I think they were used for having a dry bottom in a dry nappy? We have some small muslin squares that are ultra soft and absorbing (wash a muslin a load of times and this is what happens). We give him a final dry down with one after we’ve wiped him clean before we put on the fresh nappy. Works a charm.

Good luck with your new arrival!

Depends on the child. Didn't with my first, had to with my second as she had very delicate skin and we had to otherwise the nappy rash came back

I use cloth nappies. My baby got severe nappy rash within the first week because we didn’t use nappy cream. I started using one, after a few days of metanium to heal the wound, and I’ve not had a problem since. It’s worth noting that not all nappy creams are the same. We had to switch after noticing that one brand caused the baby’s skin to get sore (never found out why - the base ingredients in the two brands were the same).

We cloth. Bepanthem and only when needed e.g. stealth poo on a car journey.

Don't forget cloth wipes, even easier than cloth nappies.

No, only when a little red.

Ah - thank you @Blibbler. I was wondering why so many people didn’t have to use nappy cream.

I use zinc and castor oil cream every nappy change and my son is 2! He has never had nappy rash once

Wow this thread has blown my mind. I thought you had to use barrier cream every time you change the nappy ! That's what I've been doing. I use Bepanthen. I wouldn't say she's had huge nappy rash problems at all. But this is definitely an eye opener as I thought everyone puts nappy cream every time they change..

Like a PP, didn't with first but second had super sensitive skin and would come out in rash immediately so we used weleda at every change for him. Very thin layer and only on affected area where he got rash.

He's 2 and still so sensitive on nappy area - plus side it he got out of nappies within a month of his second birthday!

Used cloth nappies for both children, much more clued up on washing and routines with second than first but made no difference, he was just born with sensitive skin!

Don’t use baby powder- no need if you dry baby well with a towel- it’s no advised against because of lungs and dust.

Yes to barrier cream at each change (a scant amount, and Sudocrem, you only need Metanium for v bad nappy rash) when they’re newborn. When they’re bigger only at night and when they’re red/if they’ve pooed a lot that day.

*now

You definitely shouldn't use nappy cream for every change, totally unnecessary, let your babies skin breath.
I can probably count on one hand the number of times I've needed to use it on DS and he's 3yrs old.

@catx1606

I use sudoccrem every day, it still works if he has a rash. Recommended by a nurse so happy to keep doing it

Same. I would use a barrier cream but not a metanium. Most changes. I won’t say every change because sometimes I feel like nah there’s no point and I’m worried she’s going to pee with her nappy off or something. Powder - no don’t use it, it’s not good for their lungs.

I used cloth too and only used cremes if it looked a bit red. Usually my first defence would be to let her have some nappy off time lying on a towel or a mat for an hour or so and then apply sudocreme. I never used wipes on her I always cleaned her under a running warm tap, she didn't mind so it was easier, quicker and cleaner. Sometimes I apply a little coconut oil to keep the skin in good condition. Luckily we never had nappy rash.