New mums - remember no need for baby bath/soap/shampoo

[mears]

Since there a a number of new babies on mumsnet I thought I should bring to your attention the latest guidance on skin care.

Babies should only be bathed in water alone for 2-3 weeks. Also do not use baby wipes. Apart from saving money you are proecting their delicate skins. Explanation here

sounds like I used green coloured shampoo! Not: used 'green' as in no dyes or perfumes, wish I could remember the name so I could get it again...

I advise my new parents not to use any products on baby for 4 weeks then i like the halo n horns range found in many supermarkets they have as many harsh chemicals removed as possible here tho website playing up today.

I steer well clear of the J* * sons and A * *t ranges.

As to babywipes i use a lock seal container and use cotton wool pads, put in container and add water then just squeeze and use, not much more effort than wipes but a lot cheaper and can be used everywhere, and boy to traditional wipes including the 'newborn' sting downstairs if sore.

For cradle cap, i use olive oil and for baby's skin daily, great with baby massage.

I advise my new parents not to use any products on baby for 4 weeks then i like the halo n horns range found in many supermarkets they have as many harsh chemicals removed as possible here tho website playing up today.

I steer well clear of the J* * sons and A * *t ranges.

As to babywipes i use a lock seal container and use cotton wool pads, put in container and add water then just squeeze and use, not much more effort than wipes but a lot cheaper and can be used everywhere, and boy to traditional wipes including the 'newborn' sting downstairs if sore.

For cradle cap, i use olive oil and for baby's skin daily, great with baby massage.

didn't mean to double post

I actually didn't like the Halos and Horns stuff.
It made everything dry. My dd's hair went all dry and knotty from the shampoo and her skin went dry from the bath stuff.

Our local hospital has said not to bring in bath products for newborns as they encourage just using water.

We used cotton wool and water for DD until she was 4 months- When I started to wean we decided to use wipes and baby soap etc...

DD has never had any skin problems/ asthma etc and has never had nappy rash apart from once when she had a bad bout of the 'trots'...

I won't be using any of the baby products for our new baby until he is weaned either...

Some of the stuff is just a gimmick- and they smell nice so mums like them but are useless half the time. I must admit tho the baby soap came in hand throughout my preg and afterwards as my skin was so dry and it didn't make it itchy or any more flaky.

sory what is the AT range?

Avent range

mears, i read the article (opening post) and i agree, my midwife said to me not to use strong products and that J* is not recommended by all midwives i had to use baby wipes to get rid of the meconium in hosp as i had to change nappy on the bed but will definatly try oil next time as recommended below first but i always reassured myself that using simple baby wipes followed by cotton wool and water made it better, is that true are so called chemical free alternatives ok?
After a few weeks i introduced small amounts of soap i think bars are better if you only want to use a bit, i used burts bees buttermilk baby soap and now use Lush's 'Honey i washed the kids' honey soap. But i often wonder if this is the right thing to buy or is it marketing. What is best for small babies my dd is 3 months now and as she was overdue never had vernix at birth.

DS is 23mo and I still use just cotton wool and water on his bum.

Mineral oil in a scooty bottle (camping shops) is the DBs for meconium and infant poop.

When DS was born the midwives also recommended slathering vaseline on his bum until the meconium had passed.

Hlao and Horns sounded good but their shampoo (now discontinued at lesat at my supermarket) caused an itchy rash on dd's neck and small of back - cured by not using it again and aqueous cream.
I have only ever used hypo allergenic products and re useable wipes, in fact I still ahve a box of pampers wipes that someone bought me when dd was born nearly 4 yrs ago
Great for wiping splashes off the toilet seat but wouldn't you know
I wash then and reuse them 4-5 times too

I use an infant and children's soap made by a local herbalist, Napier's, on both girls now they're a bit older - 8 months and 3 years.

The 3-year-old can get wicked dirty, especially as we like to go for rambles and live near seaside.

The baby I find gets increasingly dirty as she's now mobile.

I don't use commercial wipes.

Just cut up and hemmed some old muslin squares and use them as wipes, but I'm a cloth nappy mum as well.

I still don't use anything on ds in the bath except water and some plain unscented vegetable soap (use this on me too )for really sticky face/hands or I sometimes use some aqueous cream instead of soap.

Not really sure why - I just resent paying money for loads of toiletries/baby products. He doesn't have much hair so I mostly just rinse it but I do use some soap sometimes

I do use biodegradable wipes though and have done since he was about 2 months old.

Have taken the advise on this thread not to use products in babies bath etc.

What do you recommend putting on babies red marks around the neck or the creases on top of legs where its a bit red and sore looking, there even looks like the odd white head/spot?

Please advise anyone?

At last. Smebody who agrees with my theory.
I bathed my ds in just water for the first 4 weeks. After that I put a little bit of sensitve bubble bath in the water to 'make him smell nice'. What a mistake to make!!!
He ended up with slight eczema on his ankle, so I stopped use immediatley and used a little cream (i can't remember the name of it now) to clear it up. It cleared up within a couple of days and I stayed well clear of the stuff until he was at least 18 months old. This is when his hair started to smell a little when it was washed with just plain water.
I also used plain water and cotton wool to change his bum and it's only been in the last month or so I have started using baby wipes - on his bum only!! (he is just over 2 years old) Apart from the slight eczema which cleared up completly and has never returned, I have never had any problems with his skin.
I have relatives on the other hand who used baby wipes from day 1, not just on their childrens bottoms, but their hands and faces aswell! They both have bad eczema and have to use steriod creams to clear them up whan they have a flare up.
I have said this to friends who are newly preganant and have advised them against using these products, their response 'but baby wipes are so quick and easy to use'.
I have to ask tho, if baby wipes can be used to get get coal and ash off a pure cream carpet and can be used to remove other stubborn stains, why the hell would anyone want to use them on a newborns bottom?
Please draw your own conclusions from this....

Unfortunately, not using soap/perfumed products doesn't guarantee no eczema (though obviously it can only help). There's a big genetic componenent to most eczemas, and dd has had it (mildly) regardless...I never ever used soap or bath products when she was a baby, just water.

I've never used a fragranced baby wipe on her either, but yes you can get unperfumed biodegradable ones - and ironically, even with Pampers sensitive she's never had nappy rash or eczema on her bum!