Counting down the days till I'm allowed hard liquor

Jack isn't sick very often. Like: never. There was the time he got his first cold and Phillip took an entire day off work because OUR BABY IS SNIFFLING. And there was the time a few months ago when he got the stomach bug and made my life miserable for about two weeks afterwards.

Even when he IS sick he seems perfectly fine. Like with the stomach bug- the only thing discernibly wrong with him was the immediate regurgitation of everything he ate. Otherwise? Laughy smiley happy baby.

Which is the kind of baby I've had the last few days, except for when we change his diaper. He had a bit of a diaper rash on Saturday, but it seemed to be going away. Phillip swore up and down he was having diarrhea (Note to Future Jack: I'M SORRY) but I didn't think two weird diapers was evidence of gastrointestinal distress. But the diapers have stayed consistently weird and, today, more frequent, and diaper changes are torture. Last night he woke up a few hours after he went to bed just howling. We finally figured out he needed a new diaper and oh my goodness, the misery the poor kid endured while his stupid parents fumbled around with diaper rash cream and a new diaper.

Today was fine (minus diaper changes) until he woke up screaming from his nap. Why didn't I check his diaper right away? BECAUSE I AM AN IDIOT. But I finally figured out he needed a new one and then the crying... the crying lasted for 45 minutes. Jack just doesn't do that. It totally freaked me out, all the crying, and nothing I did was helping and then I thought, "I don't know if he NEEDS Tylenol but I know he LIKES it" and thank God that seemed to calm him down. Nothing like cherry-flavored chemicals sucked out of an eyedropper, huh?

I called Phillip. I called my mom. I thought about calling the doctor, but I always talk myself out of calling the doctor. (I KNOW. HORRIBLE MOTHER.) My all-about-babies book suggested teething or a strange new food as possible causes, but WHO KNOWS. Maybe a stomachache? A virus? I have no idea. If we have a bad night I'm calling the doctor in the morning.

When Phillip got home I went to my place of worship, the local Target. I bought two sizes of diapers (because what if the ones he's wearing now are too small and adding to his discomfort?), two different kinds of diaper rash cream (because the two kinds I have at home don't seem to help), and "sensitive" wipes because I had a $5 off coupon if I bought wipes and diapers together. (Get yer coupons from Baby Cheapskate, aiding the poor and  lazy via RSS feed.) It was like my baby would feel better again if only I spent enough money on overpriced paper products.

But then I had to restrain myself from biting off the Target clerk's head when she sniffed suspiciously around my coupon. There was a sign posted saying they were no longer taking two very similar looking coupons (for toys) because of "fraudulent tampering", but MY coupon was FINE. She kept looking at the sign, then my coupon, then the sign, then me (AS IF I LEARNED PHOTOSHOP OVERNIGHT JUST TO SCORE A CHEAPER PACK OF DIAPERS YOU MUST BE KIDDING ME) and then I had to wait forever for the Manager to come over and approve my freaking coupon. I. Was. Livid. Plus there was a woman behind me buying sunglasses and sunscreen and a tiny bikini and probably thinking how very pathetic my life was, buying diapers and diaper rash cream and wipes and Tylenol and DEMANDING THEY TAKE MY DIAPER COUPON.

I made it home without being arrested for assault. I stocked up the changing table with our new supplies. I deposited today's offending diapers in the washer for the first of forty-seven hot rinse cycles. I emptied all the trash and had to put it in the hallway, because our trash can outside is overflowing and they didn't pick up our recycling last week and we are drowning in cardboard boxes from Ikea. And my Client is coming over tomorrow morning so I can teach her some finer points of Geekness and my house is a disaster and my baby is hurting and Phillip can't figure out why I had to sit down and put my hands over my face and visualize Hawaii for five whole minutes.

Anyone have any diaper rash tips? I've been using the Arbonne diaper rash cream (hello, baby shower gift!) and it has never failed me until this weekend. I have Desitin and tonight I bought Triple Paste and A&D ointment. And while the internet recommends putting a cloth diaper under your kid and letting him sleep diaperless, they must be talking about those fictional toddlers who sleep in the same position all night long.

Comments

[Megan]

I'll add my two cents, since you asked for it. We use Desitin Overnight (NOT the creamy).
The active ingredient in diaper rash ointment that protects from moisture is zinc oxide, and Desitin Overnight has the highest percentage: 40%!!! Triple Paste has less than 12%, and Dr Boudreaux has less than 18%.
We use the Desitin every night and have never had diaper rash since.
I have also used lanolin they gave me for sore nipples on my daughters raw areas (nose, bottom, mouth sores from drooling) and it helps heal and protect, but it is VERY sticky though.

[Tara]

Northern Essence is what we use, and it is safe for cloth diapers, too. The bummer thing is that you have to order it online (northeressence.com)

Sorry Jack isn't feeling well! Sick kids are no fun, mostly for moms I think. Shea never gets sick either, yet for the past two days she has had a fever and nothing else. Maybe it's a 14 month thing?

[annie]

Oh maggie. I do not envy you. Nor does Christopher envy Jack, as we have been there quite recently ourselves. His poor little bottom was RAW. And when he had diarhea, it just made it WORSE. He'd wake up SCREAMING in the morning and his whole body would shake while I tried to change his diaper. It was AWFUL.

The best thing, for us was: DAILY baths (sometimes twice). It would take him a while to sit down because his bottom hurt so bad, but the soak really helped. Then, COPIOUS AMOUNTS of diaper cream - our ped. recommended A&D or Desitin. During all of this, maybe stay away from fruit or anything acidic (like orange juice) becuase acid going in makes for acid coming out. And that's no good for a sore bottom. Use that diaper cream with EVERY SINGLE change. And then, as it clears up, KEEP USING IT. Use it for a couple of months (seriously) every single time even to the point where you think "he's fine! he doesn't need this anymore!" Just because, honestly, do you want to go through this again? And more importantly, you don't want Jack to have to go through it again.

[Elizabeth]

That sounds insane. I also had a head in hands kind of day, due to teething I think. Which oh my god, could he be done with the teething already? Total nightmare.
Anyway. We use A and D ointment and Seventh Generation diapers and have never had any diaper rash problems. I have also heard that if they are having kiester issues you should let them spend as much time as you can diaper less, even if they POOP ON THE FLOOR GAH.
Have fun with that.
And I am sending Jack get better vibes even though I think he gave Eli the only one nap per day idea.

[Manda]

A&D has always been the old standby in my family and it's working great on my nephew.
Kudos for not killing anyone at Target ... I would have been throttling that girl with the stupid coupon.
And I LAUGHED OUT LOUD when I read about the suggestion from the book ... have those people NEVER been peed on by a little boy??

[Rebecca]

We are going through the same thing right now. My daughter's butt is so red that it makes me want to cry. I do want to try the diaperless thing. Perhaps I will layer cloth diapers all over her crib tonight.

Did you know that diaper rash is caused by a chemical reaction between poop and pee - together they produce ammonia, which iritates the skin. Which is probably why people recommend no diapers for serious reashes - no chance to create the ammonia reaction. Crazy chemistry.

[Anna]

It has been a very long time since I have had to deal with such issues - - - so long that I do not even recognize the brand names of diaper cream that everyone is bandying about - - - but when any of my kids had rash we would let them play outside with no diaper at all, as much as possible, with no dipaer cream on so that the fresh air and sun could do its work. Then cream and diaper them when you come back inside.

[jennifer]

After months of no diaper rashes or anything Bronwyn suddenly developed bad diaper rashes and eczema on her lower back (I think it is all diaper related).

We actually dispensed with the creams (we tried every one mentioned) and started using this medicated powder. I forget what it's called but it comes in a pink bottle. If we forget to use it, it comes back. That worked on her diaper area--where the diaper touches her lower back and she gets eczema we use hydrocortisone cream and calamine during the day and put a slick of aquaphor on it at night.

You can actually use hydrocortisone cream on diaper rash, too, if it is really serious.

I was going to switch to cloth diapers because I really think something in the diapers themselves is bothering her sensitive skin--but cloth diapers are actually really bad for diaper rash.

[Madame Queen]

I think this contradicts what someone else already wrote, but Punkin used to get THE WORST diaper rash -- I think it had something to do with her acid reflux. Anyway, my ped said to put only a VERY THIN layer of diaper cream on. Enough to make a barrier, but don't slather it on. He said that will allow the skin to get some air, which it needs.

After his bath, try to let him go as long as possible without a diaper. I know it's hard once they become mobile, but fresh air is the best helper.

[Lisa]

Seriously, the internet resource that recommended letting him sleep naked must be recommending a diaper for your entire crib mattress plus restraints to make sure that if he does soil himself and them move, he doesn't end up with a face or hand full of excrement. Apparently they have never met a baby over 6 months old.

[Ashley]

Boudreaux's Butt Paste, they have it at target, great stuff! Maybe you can have him run around without a diaper during they day. Outside maybe? Poor thing!

[jaimie]

Hi,

For diaper rash, I'm also a fan of Butt Paste. When we've had trouble with diaper rash, we let our daughter eat with no diaper on-- the high chair has a vinyl seat. So we just put a dish towel down and let her sit there for a meal and for however long she is willing to look at books. It helps a lot-- not right away, but the rash will look better the next day.

But it sounds like you also need to address the poopy diapers at the source. My daughter has had stomach bugs several times-- we stick to the BRAT diet. You can google it, but basically they can only eat bananna, rice, apple sauce and toast. The baby should be totally normal for a solid (ha) day before you go back to regular food.

Good luck!

[Leticia]

I'd let him sit in a bathtub...with some warm water and just hang out for a while, or if it seems really irritated.

I know this seems bizarre but maybe switching your pampers? My son wore only Pampers and then all of a sudden, almost over night he broke out in a serious rash that would not go away. As soon as I changed to another brand he was fine, but he remained very picky to that particular brand (LUVS in my case). You might try that too.

[Sarah]

Has he been eating lots of fruit lately? My son's butt has been so red (with sores too!), and I'm blaming the fruit. I actually really like calendula-based creams. They seem to work better for us than even the zinc stuff. I'm also a cloth diaperer, but I'm alternating between disposables and cloth now too (and I'm all about coupons!)

[Kim]

My little guy would get horrendous diaper rashes that oozed and hurt bad. I actually DID bring him to the dr, it was that bad. Only thing that cleared it up was the prescription stuff (muprocin?), for yeast infections. If it gets worse or doesn't get any better, get him to the dr. If it's a yeast infection, it won't necessarily get better with OTC stuff. Good luck!

[Colleen]

Boudreaux's Butt Paste worked wonders for us (once you get over the name).

[Jen]

My mom did the no diaper thing for my little sister during a nap, to cure the diaper rash. She came back to find my sister happily playing in her own poop. Apparently (and this was 25 years ago and she still talks about it) she considered just throwing my sister away and starting again. Luckily, my dad cleaned up my sister and brushed her teeth. (Yes! Her teeth even had poop on them!)

I think, if you decide to go with the no diaper cure, you should do it while he's awake and you are watching. At least that way, when there are accidents, you'll see them quickly and they can't get spread around. How's the weather? Good enough to play outside naked for a while?

[maggie]

Thanks for the recommendations! Turns out that Triple Paste and fancy Pampers worked wonders for our guy. That or he's just feeling better today. THANK GOD.

Here's some more info about that Fraudulent Target Coupon!

[Dooneybug]

Oh Maggie, that is TOTALLY me at the register demanding they take my coupon too! Haha!

Sorry about the diaper rash - poor little Jack is in a lot of pain. If it's really red and blistery it could be a yeast infection. My son had that once and we got some prescription cream for it - the same stuff they use for thrush if I remember correctly. Anyway, if the diaper creams don't work you could try an anti-bacterial ointment. If it persists or gets worse, call the doctor and they'll either call in a prescription cream or have you come in.