Tears and Teething, When Nappy Rash is a Pain in the Bottom

Nappy rash is one of those inevitable things that you come across only when you become a parent. It’s not something you really know about beforehand but, it’s one of those things I really wish I had! Nappy rash happens to nearly every baby and can be quite uncomfortable and sore. Our poor little babas!

It can occur at any time during your baby’s nappy wearing stage and the risk of nappy rash changes as your baby grows, because your baby’s skin and nappy habits change as they get older. In association with Bepanthen, I’m going to talk about my experiences of nappy rash, especially during teething, in both my kiddos, and what I’ve done to combat it.

First of all, it’s important to note that every baby is different – my daughter, I, seemed to suffer with it a lot more than her brother. With her I felt like I was battling nappy rash constantly whereas with him I was fortunate enough to only have it three times in 18 months. We concluded that this was because my daughter’s skin is more sensitive in general and reacts a lot quicker than L’s does. However, recognising this didn’t stop us having a few cases with I where it was hard to even get her in the bath because she was so sore! I felt so helpless when it was really bad and felt a huge amount of guilt about how uncomfortable she must have been. You just want to make it magically go away and are constantly checking their nappy to see if it’s improved at all.

One thing that we noticed that increased the likelihood of our babies getting nappy rash was, and still is, teething. Both of my little ones have started teething pretty early and have hit the ground running with at least two or more teeth coming through at once every time.

Like with nappy rash, my daughter, little I, suffered from teething the worst – she used to get a high temperature, go off her milk, experience interesting changes in the nappy department and get bad nappy rash whenever she was teething. Whereas L just gets red cheeks, a bit of discomfort and possibly an explosive nappy situation or two!

After a while we figured out that changes in Little I’s poo during the teething period was in fact the cause of her nappy rash. During teething, diarrhoea became a more regular occurrence for her and with that came the nappy rash!

(L’s first teeth)

(Little I’s first teeth)

 Over the years, thousands of nappies and the appearance of teeth, we found a few tips that helped protect their little bottoms during teething and beyond which helped me feel a little less helpless when it comes to nappy rash;

1. Understand the causes of it; the easiest way to protect against nappy rash is to protect against its causes (the ones that are preventable at least!). There are numerous causes of nappy rash , the most common being irritation resulting from soiled or wet nappies, friction and a lack of air circulation.
2. Have plenty of nappy free time: I always remember my mum saying, when she was down visiting, to let baba have nappy free time and it helped a lot. Letting the skin breathe seemed to do a world of wonders. However, watch out if you have a little boy! I’ve noticed nappy free time can be harder to do with a boy because they have a tendency, or at least in our case (!), to feel the need to wee a bit more!
3. Sounds silly because I know all parents do this but, keep your baby’s bottom clean: Always clean from front to back, use fragrance free wipes to refresh the area and then make sure your baby’s bum is completely dry before putting their nappy on has made a huge difference in our experience.
4. Use a barrier cream; protect against the causes of nappy rash with a barrier cream such as Bepanthen. When we first experienced nappy rash a friend recommended using Bepanthen and it’s been a staple in our changing bag ever since as it doesn’t contain any colours or additives and it’s really light and easy to rub into the skin. Rather than just treating nappy rash when it appears, protect your baby’s bottom at every nappy change.
5. Use the right nappy; just like a good pair of jeans, its crucial you find a nappy that fits your baby right! Buy the right sized nappy and don’t put it on too tight – this can cause friction around the nappy area and ultimately could lead to irritation, redness and an unhappy little baba!
6. Ask for help if you need it: Definitely contact your doctor if the nappy rash spreads, the rash doesn’t improve after a week, the rash starts to blister/bleed or your baby has a fever.

All in all, we’ve been pretty lucky when it comes to nappy rash. We haven’t experienced too many serious cases of it in our two and I do think this mainly comes down to being aware what causes nappy rash and trying to protect against it before it happens!

How do you protect your little one from nappy rash?

For more information on nappy rash, head over to the Bepanthen website.

*This post is sponsored by Bepanthen, but all thoughts and words are 100% our own.