Nappies & Skin Care
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Nappies for your newborn
There is a huge amount of choice now for nappies for your little one.
You want to protect their skin and give them the most comfortable experience and also help protect the environment.
Nappy contents can actually be a very simple guide to your little one’s health and well being.
Your babies first poo is called Meconium, or sometimes ‘mec’ for short.
It is very dark green/black and sticky. It is already in the bowel at birth, in fact some babies pass this during birth which may mean they need a little extra care. Nico passed his straight after birth and it went everywhere!
Poo then starts to change colour from green, to soft yellow.
They turn to yellow when there is no more meconium left in their system.
For more information and images, have a look at the NCT website. They have a useful leaflet on newborn baby poo, what to expect!
Is it ok to use wipes from birth?
As a maternity nurse I was always a believer in using cotton wool pads and water for nappy changing, however more and more people are now going straight to wipes as they are now much more natural and free from nasties. It is my own personal preference to start with cotton wool and warm water and then just use wipes as needed for out and about.
When I was working in France I was introduced by a midwife to a great product called BioLiniment Oil, I was confused as to what it was used for but they use it instead of water for nappy changing. Its a natural product based on olive oil and lime water. It cleans but also leaves a protective barrier on little one’s bottom that acts as a protective layer. I was so impressed with this product and my little charge never had any nappy rash.
I am delighted to see now its available on amazon, see below. It comes in a big pump bottle and I will decant some into a smaller squeezy bottle for changing when I am out and about. Hope you love it as much as I do!
I prefer to use cotton wool pads rather than the balls, or cheeky wipes.
Bioes Babyléna BioLiniment Oil-Limestone 1L
Disposable nappies
For Disposable Nappies, I love Mama Bamboo
‘By choosing natural Mama Bamboo products you are giving your baby a more natural healthy start in life. In return we give you our word that our products live up to our values….
BEST for BABY – each product is designed with your baby’s comfort and health as a priority
BEST for YOU – designs are beautiful yet simple, pleasing to parents but without hefty ‘designer’ price tags. Products are tested and tested for practicality and durability offering you value for money.
BEST for MAMA EARTH – all elements of product and supply are chosen to be kinder to the environment.
Mama Bamboo Eco-Nappies
I love that more companies now are focussing on the environment as well as what is best for newborn skin. Kit & Kin is another lovely company with great products.
For supermarket brands, Pampers were always my go to brand, a lot of parents also find the Lidl own brand to be great quality.
I am very interested into using cloth nappies for my little one, I have some ‘g nappy’ samples that I am going to try. I will vlog my way through this journey. I am just so aware of the huge amount of landfill that nappies alone are generating.
Over the recent years as a maternity nurse, I have also been aware of more and more cases of nappy rash. I feel this is often due to the chemicals that are in the disposable nappies. If your little one does get a reaction/rash, try a different make of nappy. It is important to get medical advice if you are worried as it could also be a sign of thrush.
If you are looking for Cloth nappies, The Nappy Lady has a wealth of information on her site.
What are the best products for nappy care?
I find that you don’t need to use a barrier cream at every change, I have seen skin problems arise where too many products are used. In the first few weeks, I like to use cotton wool and water or the biolinement lotion. If you are using water, really make sure that you leave some time for the skin to dry, or use a flannel/muslin to pat the bottom dry.
If you notice a rash developing on your new baby, keep a close eye on this. If you are breastfeeding keep a check on foods that irritate little one, if formula feeding it could be worth changing brand but you may need to ask your Health Visitor first.
I have always used Sudocrem as a good barrier cream and Metanium if a rash starts to appear, however there are lots of new products out now that are much more natural.
Weleda is a lovely company with a natural approach, I really like their Calendula nappy cream and have had great results with this.
Weleda Baby Calendula Nappy Cream
I have also been sent a new cream by The Expert Midwife called No Harm Bum Balm which is natural and I will have on my baby change table for little one! I will let you know how I find it, but I am loving all the pregnancy products by The Expert Midwife. The cream has great reviews on the website.
Laura’s nappy tips
Make sure you pull out the ‘frills’ at the edges of the nappy to try and keep the contents inside!
Use nappy change time as an opportunity for tummy time – its great to check the top of bottom and back and also gives little one lots of short bursts of tummy time.
Talk to baby – tell them what you are doing – give them a little foot rub if they are happy on the mat.
Should you use wipes or cotton wool and water?
As baby gets happier without the nappy on, try and have nappy free time in your daily routine. Its lovely for little one to have time without the restriction of a nappy. You can wrap a muslin loosely around them if you are nervous of any incidents!
Cheeky wipes
Cheeky Wipes are another great option. They are reusable little cloths that are better for baby and the environment.
