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Original poster

my week old baby has a red raw bottom, please help!!

25 replies

BlueJellie · 03/10/2008 22:34

hiya, I had my baby last week on Wednesday, and since coming home his bottom has been really sore, and the skin in the creases of his legs. The midwife said we should use sudocrem in smaller amounts as tbh I thought more of it would clear it! Well 3 days has gone by on the sudocrem and his poor bottom is getting worse it seems. I only use cotton wool & water no baby wipes. He cries terribly when I change his nappy & I just don't know what to use to relieve his sore skin. He's my first baby so is it just a case of sensitive newborn skin? Any recommendations? I'm really worried!

OP posts:

bythepowerofgreyskull · 03/10/2008 22:36

what nappies are you using? could it be worth changing brand to see if there is something in them that disagrees with his skin?

ShadyBunch · 03/10/2008 22:39

Try and expose his bum as much as you can to the air- know its difficult as its so cold at the moment. Also wouldnt bother with sudocrem if its bad- get some Metanium cream, put it on the affected areas in a layer and it makes a barrier on the skin.

AnotherFineMess · 03/10/2008 22:40

Sudocrem advice is that you shouldn't be able to see it left on skin once rubbed in - I was when I read that, cos like you I figured the more cream, the more protection. Apparently though, too much cream can cause a type of burn-like reaction, so maybe try leaving off the cream for a while? Would also advise leaving off nappy for as long as is practical and warm enough - freash air can clear up a lot of rashes.

My DS had v sensitive skin at first but it cleared after about 3-4 weeks IIRC.

Interested in this thread?

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Babies & sleep Families General parenting

Original poster

BlueJellie · 03/10/2008 22:40

using pampers newborn. I've also got huggies but don't like them as he gets gaps round his legs with them.

OP posts:

ginseng · 03/10/2008 22:42

Hi, my daughter had this and it was thrush, but your other reply is right too, it could be the nappies. you could try a homeopath, it worked brilliantly for my son when he was a baby. hope it settles soon, its so hard isnt it as you want to help them.

G x

SammyK · 03/10/2008 22:42

Air.

Don't dash out buying creams. DS is 4 next week and I still have several pots of cream.

Warm room, little towel under bum (just in case), and leave him with no nappy for as long as possible, as often as possible. If midwife has checked it I am assuming it's not infected, just try to air it until monday.

tellyaddict · 03/10/2008 22:42

As the skin is red raw, it's just possible that the ingredients in sudocrem is stinging him. I'm sure it's got lavendar fragrance in it.

I'm a big fan of sudocrem by the way and use it on my baby's red bum, but when the skin is raw it's a different story. Alot of people on here recommend bepanthen, but I haven't tried it. Maybe when his skin is better you might switch to vaseline, as this won't/shouldn't irritate as there are no perfumes.

Can you leave him without his nappy for a while to let the air get to it? Maybe put him on a towel with another laid over him to catch any fountains and leave him as long as you can.

Poor wee soul, no wonder he cries alot at nappy change . Good news is baby's skin heals incredibly fast!

BettySwollux · 03/10/2008 22:43

Leave his nappy off as often as possible.
Dont use any bath products, they can be hell on sensitive skin, even the ones marketed for that purpose.
Could be worth checking if its baby eczema.
And congrats on your new bubba.

tellyaddict · 03/10/2008 22:44

sorry x-posted with the others - seems like stop using cream and expose to air is the general consensus

BettySwollux · 03/10/2008 22:45

Me too TA, Xposts.

mumhadenough · 03/10/2008 22:49

Another huge fan of metanium cream here, I still use it now for any spots or little sores, its the best stuff in the world!

DS suffered from the most terrible sore bums in the world, then some lovely mum recommended metanium and it definitely changed that poor wee beggars life. No more sore bums! You put it on one night and the sore bum has gone by the next.

Original poster

BlueJellie · 03/10/2008 22:49

I'd like to try airing his bum, but he hates being undressed, he had a lot of tests at the hospital and was under a lamp for jaundice naked. He seems to think he's gonna have something done to him now everytime I remove his clothes, e.g blood test or those horrible billy goggles. I will deff try it though I think it will be ok with his bottom half bare only. I feel terrible about layering on the sudocrem cuz I've made it worse. Felt like a right div when midwife told me you use tiny amounts!

OP posts:

HeinzSight · 03/10/2008 22:51

metanium metanium metanium x x

poor little love, and poor you.

Congratulations by the way

SmugColditz · 03/10/2008 22:52

Stop using sudocrem, put him in disposables if he's not already, try using metanium on his sore bot.

ginseng · 03/10/2008 22:53

don't feel bad! I only just found out from being on here and i have a 3 year old and 8 month old, so i have been doing it wrong for ages! some babies do hate being dressed, my son hated it too.. I have also heard that metanium is really good, but never tried it.

SmugColditz · 03/10/2008 22:54

Don't feel bad, you don't know until you're told, they should tell you before you have the baby, not after.

Stick around here, beteen us all we know most things.

TheDevilWearsPrimark · 03/10/2008 22:55

metanium, I agree it could be a yeast type infection.

CoolYourJets · 03/10/2008 22:57

Daft Q but are you drying him really well after the cotton wool and water?

ANd yes Metanium for nasty raw bot. Sudocrem good if just a wee bit red but if worse metanium all the way.

LackaDAISYcal · 03/10/2008 22:59

If you want a super gentle barrier until the redness has gone, whisk up an egg white until just going opaque and frothy, dab it on and let it dry. It forms an impervious barrier and doesn't sting. And as long as you don;t double dip, you can keep it in the fridge for a few days use......the coldness is nice and soothing as well

some babies can react to the lavender in sudocrem and it stings like you wouldn't believe on red raw skin (having tried it on saddle sores after a long charity bike ride)

Metanium is very good stuff, but can also sting a bit. Like sudocrem, less is definately more

Try the egg white till it has stopped being so red raw and then try some metanium on it.

Original poster

BlueJellie · 04/10/2008 03:34

thanx for all your replies, left sudocrem off for last two changes and his bum his already looking better. Will send DP out for metanium tomorrow. No eggs in the house at the mo! I'm so relieved was really worried. Am a new mum and know sweet fa so feel like I'm winging it so far! Xx

OP posts:

momov2 · 04/10/2008 08:45

Both my daughters had this problem when they were newborn and it was thrush. I used a 1% clotrimazol cream from the health visitor and it cleared up within a couple of days. Also lots of nappy off time helps but be prepared for little accidents. I used to lay my daughters on a towel in the cot.

sallysparkle · 04/10/2008 09:04

This happened to my ds when he was just a few days old too. We covered the lounge carpet in those disposable changing mats and let him lie there with his nappy off. Used metanium when the nappy was on. It sorted it out really quickly. I felt bad because I thought it was my fault. The midwife gave me one of her looks and told me not to be so silly and that my hormones were just rampaging around!

harpomarx · 04/10/2008 09:07

nappy off, metanium - and maybe change brand of nappies?

if they are sold in your area, try Moltex or something similar, pampers have a lot of chemically type things in them I believe and can irritate some babies' skin.

LackaDAISYcal · 04/10/2008 10:52

glad things are looking better this morning BlueJellie. If you're not on there already, find the postnatal thread for September and talk with some like-minded new mums. Lots of support and everyone going through the same things at the same time.

And don't worry about being a new mum and knowing nothing...you will be an expert in a couple of weeks

And I forgot to say....congratulations

BigBadMousey · 04/10/2008 11:46

Glad he is getting better .

I can't use Sudocrem on my tribe as it makes them even more sore. I didn't realise it was the sudocrem making things worse until DD1 was 4mo so you're doing better than I did first time round .

Metanium is fantastic stuff though and I always keep a tube to hand but I always prefer to do the bottom airing thing when they are young - it's just harder to do once they are mobile

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