Nappy Irritation Triggers - From Teething To Weaning

Teething was one of the reasons my eldest had such bad nappy irritation. He was in so much pain with his teeth coming through and this also translated into the pretty awful nappy contents.

When babies’ bottoms come into contact with wee and poo, their skin becomes sore. So, although it’s technically not the teething itself causing the irritation, that nasty runny poo will. Some babies’ teeth appear without their parents even noticing, but others seem to struggle for months with teething pains! It does seem a bit unfair when this translates into sore bums too. Fortunately, ointment for the nappy area can help.

1. Sensitive Skin

Babies’ skin is a lot thinner than adults’ and so it’s not surprising that it can react so easily. Anything that touches their skin can be a potential irritant, from wet wipes to nappies.

It doesn’t matter whether you only use disposable nappies and wipes occasionally or all the time, everyone has their preferred brand for their child. With our youngest we could only use one brand of nappies, all the other brands we tried would cause his bottom to become red and sore. So do try different brands until you find the one that works for your baby and don’t forget cloth nappies too, they really aren’t scary at all!

2. Weaning

Weaning your baby is always a messy time, particularly if you go down the baby led path as we did! But it’s not just the food causing mess, weaning can also make a difference to little bottoms too.

Your baby is going to be trying lots of new foods and some of them might not sit well with their tummy. So be ready for nasty poo again, similar to teething. However, if you think that your baby might be getting nappy irritation as a reaction to a type of food, speak to your doctor.

3. Detergent

As mentioned before babies have a lot more sensitive skin than us adults. So it’s understandable that certain detergents might cause their little bottoms to become sore. This is clearly something that is more likely to affect a cloth nappy wearing baby at the nappy area.

To prevent detergents causing the soreness, make sure that you thoroughly rinse cloth nappies, an extra rinse cycle is always worth it. You can also choose detergents that are less sensitive to skin or alternatives such as soap nuts.

4. Protecting your baby's nappy area

There are several ways to protect your little one's nappy area. The first thing to do is let your baby have some nappy free time, on a towel is good, outside even better! Probably best not to attempt nappy free time on your new rug… Make sure that nappies are changed frequently. When changed frequently, no poo or urine will be in contact with the skin for long.

Don't forget, applying a barrier ointment before you put on a clean diaper can help protect your baby's nappy area.