Before having my daughter I did my best to prepare. I stacked up on nappy rash cream as I knew I needed it to prevent nappy rash for my baby.
After this, my colleague at work who had two children gave me some advice about what she considered to be the best barrier moisturiser to prevent nappy rash.
She told me that from her experience of trying different types of barrier cream there was one that far outweighed the others.
I decided to give it a go and bought some of the moisturiser that my colleague recommended to me. Over 12 months later and my daughter had NEVER ONCE had nappy rash. Don’t get me wrong, she has since had a sore bum but only when she’s been unwell with diarrhoea which is very common.
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Are you ready to know what this barrier cream is that I was using…! It was just plain and simple petroleum jelly that you can buy large tubs of for like £2 from any local supermarket.
I have to say that I think that the main factor in preventing nappy rash in my daughter was my consistent use of petroleum jelly. Having used it and found it to be so effective at preventing nappy rash, I strongly vouch for its benefits.
I really have not had any experience of using other creams or ointments to prevent nappy rash because I haven’t needed to. It may not work for every baby (and some babies can have allergies to petroleum jelly) but it did an amazing job for my baby.
The well known website, Healthline states that petroleum jelly has been shown to reduce the occurrence of nappy rash by forming a protective barrier. And it’s not even advertised as “nappy cream”.
Of course, there are other things to consider besides barrier creams when trying to prevent nappy rash in baby’s.
These are the 7 best ways of preventing nappy rash (from my knowledge and experience)
1. Always use fragrance and alcohol free baby wipes on your baby’s bum.
2. Never use fragranced products to bath or moisturise your baby because their sensitive skin reacts more to these.
3. Avoid using soap. Use a soap free alternative.
4. Change nappies often. Also, clean your baby’s bum daily with water.
5. Give your baby some time without their nappy at every change (I always aim for 10 minutes without a nappy at each change if possible).
6. Use petroleum jelly or another barrier cream to form a barrier between your baby’s bum and the nappy. I personally recommend using petroleum jelly at every change as this will always give some protection to your baby’s skin.
As recommended by Healthline, you should ALWAYS clean your baby’s skin properly and let it dry before applying petroleum jelly to prevent infection.
7. If your baby is on solids, just be mindful that some foods like citrus fruits and tomatoes can increase the risk of nappy rash because of their acidity. Try to limit the quantity of acidic foods that can increase the chances of nappy rash.
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How to get rid of nappy rash fast
If your baby does happen to get nappy rash, Very Well Family recommends one treatment for nappy rash is adding two tablespoons of baking soda in your baby’s bath as this will help their skin to heal. Let your baby soak in the bath for 10 minutes then pat them dry afterwards.
Regular nappy rash should clear in about 2-3 days if you follow steps to treat it at home. If the nappy rash symptoms persist then you should speak to your baby’s doctor as recommended by the NHS.
Conclusion
Try the above 7 strategies and hopefully you find them helpful for preventing nappy rash. Feel free to leave a comment if you find these tips helpful or you have any other suggestions to help other parents.
