Newborn & nappies, advice needed!

[MrsSET]

I would have usually posted in pregnancy but figured this is probably the best place seeing as all of you will have gone through this!

I am expecting my first baby in 2 weeks and am doing a massive Boots online order.

I am ordering nappies, will use cotton wool and water initially but wondered what all your thoughts and advice was when it came to sudocream, talc etc.

Here are my first time questions to give you all a good chuckle but hopefully to also get me the right answers!! (I don't mind laughing at me, I do all the time ;) )

• What else I am supposed to use?
• Do you use them both each time you change a nappy?
• Or do you only use them for different reasons? IE Should you use sudocream each time to prevent nappy rash or only if your baby has nappy rash?
• Is there anything different you should do for newborns?
• Is sudocream even the best cream to use or is there a better alternative?

Thank you in advance!!

Oh, and I would buy some very good hand cream for yourself, you will change many nappies and wash your hands a lot during the first few weeks.

Oh FFS. Muslins, not Muslims. Sodding autocorrect!

Agree about pulling out the frilly bits on the nappies too. As well as stopping poo explosions it stops them getting sore, it seems.

In the hospital where I gave birth they provided you with foldable towel nappies which was really useful in the first few days so you could see how much wee the baby was doing. They were doing all the washing though; not sure if it'd have been as nice if I'd have had to do it all myself,

Oh, and if you're going to breastfeed get a tube of lansinoh. It absolutely saved my nipples at the start (had lots of problems at first, partly due to daughter's pallet shape and her shark-attack suck but lansinoh and pig-headedness saved the day).

I used cotton wool and water for months, but found Waitrose's folded was best and cheapest. Boots is often quite expensive for that kind of thing.

I got a small sample pot of Sudocrem in one of those freebie things you get when you're pregnant. Never had to use it though. I think if you use it before there's a rash you risk causing a rash by trapping moisture against the skin.

Lansinoh is available on free prescription, and sometimes midwives have free sample sachets. It's £10 a tube in Boots. But it is fantastic and lasts ages, DH finished up the last of it on his feet

I recommend not buying too much before you know you need it. I wasted a lot of money on things I never used.

Good luck

I used cotton wool pads and water for a couple of weeks then used sensitive wipes which were fine for ds, after every nappy change I put vaseline on his bottom and he never, ever had nappy rash so I recommend that :)

We use cotton wool when washing DD's eyes and tear it off a roll (cheapest option). I wouldn't use it for wiping her bum. wipes are better for that job.
Initially we used disposable nappies and plain wipes but now we use washable nappies and washable wipes (except when away from home). If you're up for the washing, we've found cheeky wipes www.cheekywipes.com/ really good.
We are still using the bounty sample of sudocrem (at 5 months old) on the rare occasions her bum gets sore. Once it's used up we'll use whatever is cheapest and works. Probably not worth using anything as a preventative if there's no sign of nappy rash - some babies seem to be more susceptible than others.
We also have some Epaderm (sp?) we use from time-to-time when her skin gets dry but we were given that by the HV so there's no need to stock up.
Not worth getting much of any of these because you'll soon figure out what works for you and your LO.

Talc is unnecessary and considered a bad idea these days.

It is worth getting a good supply of muslin or equivalent cloths.

I never used very much nipple cream so that was a bit of a waste for me, but I think most people who BF do use it.

And I second stranded on plug socket covers. Just don't.

This reminds me of when I used to smear sudocreme all over my DD's bottom, and I mean ALL over.

HerrenatheHHHarridan ah you bring back such happy memories. We still call them the "poo catching frills" even though it's such a long time since those delighful days of newborn squits.

Huggies wipes, any old nappies, Sudocream/other brand but only when needed, NO talc - for anything!, boots also do some great teething powders in a little blue and white box which were a godsend when they were grumbly (not just for teething!), they are herbal and you tip them on their Tongue. It's like magic dust ...

I love Huggies wipes, and this spray from Boots here it's so quick and easy.

With regard to cotton wool- I found cotton pads much better than the cotton wool balls.

I only ever used a little smear of vaseline after each change so there was a barrier between DS bottom and the nappy- helped with cleaning up poo too.

Only used sudocreme/ caldescene etc if DS had a sore bum. Be warned sudocreme is a nightmare to remove when mixed with breastfed baby poo!

I used Little Lambs nappies until DD was 5 months, only stopped because moved into tiny flat with no drying space. I'd switch back in a heartbeat. DD only got nappy rash once we switched to disposables but still not so often. We only use Sudocrem when she has a rash, not as standard.

Second the pulling the frills out of the legholes - crucial. We buy cheapie supermarket brands and have only had one or two leaks in 6 months. DD has fat thighs though so that probably forms a good seal!

Olive oil for cradlecap and sore bits in the early days.

NEVER used talc, but I was scared off it after years of working in modelmaking workshops. We'd use it to coat moulds with and we were told it was the most dangerous substance in the whole building. We used fibreglass, cyanide-based glues, silicones, resins etc and it was talc that got everyone worried. The reason is that talc takes the moisture out of things, so if you breathe it in, it turns to clay in your lungs. PLEASE try not to use it!

Am I the only one wasting time/money slathering on the sudocrem?!! I thought I was meant to put a big thick layer on all over the bum to stop them waking from a wet nappy in the night. Am I bonkers?!

I never use sudacrem, my two DTs are in night time nappies and sleep 12 hours and have never had nappy rash. Not teething or on solids yet though when I think risk of nappy rash increases?

We used Metanium, only if nappy rash occured though.

Foe anyone cotton wool phobic Conti Patient Wipes are good - they are like a dry baby wipe and can just be used with a bit of water.

For, not Foe!!