Nappy rash and reusables.. should I use them?

[angelcake99]

DD is 8 months and has been suffering with what the Gp said was thrush initially and has now decided it is nappy rash. I have tried many of the usual nappy creams and all of the main brand disposables.

Its getting worse! I am now thinking maybe its the gel in the nappies causing the irritation, is it worth trying reusables or am i wasting my money. Also what might be the best ones to try? I got some kushies from the supermarket as they were on offer but they seem very bulky...

I am off to buy the weleda cream today as have heard good thing about that, any advice please?

For nappy rash I always use Metanium as I find it works best. That said, you have probably tried it if you have tried the usual nappy creams already.

She could possibly be allergic to something in the disposables, it is fairly rare but does happen.

First thing I would suggest you do is get hold of a piece of fleece - doesn't matter what kind, it can be plain or patterned polartec, anti-pil or normal. If you have an old fleece cot balnket that would be fine. Cut it up into rectangles large enough to sit inside the nappy from from to back like a panty liner and use that inside your disposables. Fleece is hydro-phobic and will keep the dampness away from your DDs skin as well as providing a barrier between the nappy material and her bottom. Wet liners can be washed in with your other laundry - they don't absorb anything. Poo doesn't usually stick to fleece so all you need to do is hold the liner over the toile tand pull both ends to stretch the material and thus loosen the poo. Then you can wash as usual - no need to soak or anything.

I personally don't think reusables are a waste of money (quite the opposite) but in your situation I would say don't rush out and buy loads in case they make matters worse. Kushies are OK, they take a while to dry but wash well and are easy to use. There are other cloth nappies out there which are more absorbant, quicker drying and far less prone to leaks but they should be fine as an experiment. Kushies are relatively bulky, there are thinner options but tbh when you first move to cloth you'll take a few weeks to get used to the extra bulk - after that your DD will look strange in disposables. If cloth solves the problem then you can buy something better suited if you wish. I would recommend you are cautious with bamboo cloth nappies as some children are allergic to them - organic cottom would be a good choice and many nappies have that fabric as an option so you would still be able to have a wide range to choose from.

Another suspect would be wipes - what are you using? If you move to cloth then it is well worth using cloth wipes too - no extra effort and you'll save ££££s