Unexplained bum rash?

Okay Mamas, so you've chosen cloth diapering. You've thought long and hard and chosen a beautifully soft and eco-friendly cloth diaper to put on your dear little baby's bottom. You've read and heard all about the benefits of using cloth, most notably the rarity of a diaper rash due to the superior breathable quality of cotton.

But then...

One morning...

You go to change dear baby's diaper and you see redness all over the place. So you change him, apply some Bum Bum Balm and assume it will clear up. To your dismay, it does not. In fact, it seems to worsen at each diaper change. You give dear baby a bath, and things improve. However, as the next day goes on, it continues to worsen at each diaper change. You know dear baby is not allergic to BB balm or Vaseline. You know it's not the diapers- as you use only a small amount of specially formulated diaper detergent.

So what is going on here?

There is always an explanation for these "unexplained" occurrences, as my mother says. I was out shopping with her yesterday and told her about this strange diaper rash thing going on with my son.

Her first question: "What have you changed?"

"Nothing!", I say, with due exasperation.

"You must have changed something. It's worsening at each change...what wipes are you using?"

And therein I discovered the problem. Since dear baby was born, we've changed wipes a few times. First, I wanted to use reusable wipes, but W was not into it. I had won him over with cloth diapers, and so decided to let cloth wipes slide. Hey, I said I was natural-ISH!
We have tried Huggies Sensitive (super thick and left little bits of wipe on dear baby's bum), Pampers Sensitive (loved them, but a bit expensive), Alvea Organic (expensive and ineffective) and Shoppers Drugmart in-house brand. We've stuck with the Shoppers Drugmart in-house brand because they work well. The last time I bought a pack, I noticed they've changed the name of their in-house brand. I didn't really think anything of it- since they look the same.

They are not the same, folks.

For dear baby's last few diaper changes, I have used a plain washcloth with warm water instead of a wipe and the rash has completely cleared up.

So there you have it, Mamas. Just when you think something is unexplained, an explanation is found. If you are worried about wipe sensitivity, there are a couple things you can do.

1. Switch to reusable wipes. They are generally made out of hemp or bamboo, which is antimicrobial and very hygienic for your dear baby. The greatest benefit is that you prepare the wipe solution yourself, so you can control the concentration for more sensitive babies.

2. Rinse out your wipe in a little warm water before use, as this will dilute the solution on the wipe.

3. If you use a wipe warmer, make SURE you are keeping it sanitized regularly. Things can build up quickly in those things and you want to make sure you are washing it out every couple of days and replacing the soaker pad ever few weeks.

4. A simple washcloth worked for me! When travelling, you'll need water of course. So either use a bit of warm water in the family washroom or keep a bottle of water handy in your diaper bag.

Diadima xo