Prefold Cloth Diapers

Today, one in every four or five babies and toddlers suffer from dry skin. This makes them prone to more serious skin conditions such as eczema. Since their skin is more delicate than adults’ skin, it is important to know the ins and outs of skin care for them.

Causes of Baby Dry Skin

When the baby is born, she is initially covered in a slippery coat of amniotic fluid. During the first several days, her skin may still not be used to such a dry environment and develop patches of dry skin and redness. Dryness in the air, such as during winter and inside heated homes, can also strip her skin of moisture.

Doting parents may be tempted to give the baby daily baths to make sure she stays clean. What most people don’t know is that daily baths are unnecessary, and may actually harm and dry the skin even more. Summer is also a time for swimming in the pool and the ocean, especially for active toddlers. The salt and chlorine have drying effects on the skin and can cause rashes.

Prevention and treatment of baby dry skin

Adding a humidifier or vaporizer in the baby’s room will help control the moisture content in the air and help hydrate her dry skin. When the temperature gets too cold, it is often a better idea to give the baby more clothes to wear instead of turning the heat up; doing so will lower the humidity. During the summer, take steps to protect the baby from sunburn. Give her gloves or mittens during the winter, both to protect against dropping humidity levels and scratching.

When it comes to washing the baby, a bath every three or four days is actually enough to give her a measure of protection against dry skin. As the baby grows and begins to crawl and get dirty, a bath scheduled every other day is reasonable; just make sure to avoid bubble baths as much as possible, as soap and lather tends to dry the skin. It is often enough to simply sponge areas that look dry during the day.

While giving baby a bath, it is advisable to use warm water instead of hot, as hot water dries the skin. It is also a good idea to cut down the bath time to ten minutes or so-any longer will sap most of the moisture from her skin. Don’t use soap on the baby. Instead, use a soap-free, fragrance-free cleanser. Soap, as in every other possible case, dries the skin. Within a few minutes after the bath, pat her dry and apply a moisturizer, lotion, or emollient. This will lock in the moisture her skin took in from the bath and keep her skin supple until the next bath time. Make sure the moisturizer has no dyes and heavy perfumes, as these can irritate and dry skin.

When washing the baby’s clothes, wash them in a batch separate from the clothes of other members of the family. Do not use laundry soap and fabric softeners on her clothes, as the detergents can irritate her dry skin and cause allergies. Tea-tree oil and baking soda has been advised in the past as a substitute for laundry detergents. During the day, make sure the child isn’t dressed too tightly, and try to avoid any wool or nylon in her wardrobe. Wool, as well as other synthetic materials, has rough edges which easily causes irritation, especially on the baby’s delicate skin. Disposable and cloth diapers are both fine and acceptable for babies. There is only one rule to remember about diapers: if it’s wet, change it. Many parents leave disposable diapers on their babies for too long, until the core bursts and exposes the baby’s skin to more than just wetness.

Toddlers love to play in the water, and trips to the beach or the pool are often in order during the summer. To protect against dry skin caused by salt and chlorine, rinse the child completely in tap water after swimming, then apply a good moisturizer. As a general rule for children, the thicker the moisturizer, the better.

Consult your doctor

Regularly check your child’s skin for any dry skin and redness. While eczema is often treatable with regular applications of moisturizers, it is often best to see the child’s doctor if the redness does not disappear or if the child is always uncomfortable. Red, dry skin may also be an indication of icthyosis, a genetic medical condition. As dry skin gets worse, it may break, swell, or get infected.

It is always a good idea to consult with your doctor if your child’s dry skin problems worry you. Schedule a visit if her dry skin does not respond to home treatments.

Buying a gift for a baby is especially tough when you don’t have any kids of your own. If you’ve never had children, how in the world are you supposed to know what to do?

Relax, we are going to give you some quick ideas to help take the stress off of you, help you choose an appropriate and useful gift and make the shower an enjoyable experience.

Call the soon to be parents or the host of the baby shower and ask if there is a gift registry for the baby. Many people do this just as brides do for bridal showers. Many times it will be available online.

The baby gift registry will tell you what they are asking for and if the desire has already been filled. Diapers may not seem the fanciest of baby shower gifts, but they may be one of the most useful. Diapers are expensive, and babies use them quickly, so new parents always appreciate a gift of diapers.

Even parents who use cloth diapers might like to have a pack of disposable diapers for travel. Diapers are sized by baby’s weight. Buy larger sizes instead of newborn diapers, since some newborns grow quickly and don’t use many of the smaller sizes. Don’t forget to throw in some baby wipes!

Some babies are really picky when it comes to bottles and pacifiers – some babies will only use one particular brand or shape. If the parents-to-be have registered for a particular type of bottles, nipples or pacifiers, it’s safe to buy them for a baby shower gift. Otherwise, steer clear of these gifts until you know which type the baby will prefer.

Some parents do not ever introduce their baby to pacifiers or bottles because these items can interfere with breastfeeding.

This is another reason to do some research if you want to buy something like this, I know my son never used a pacifier and some people are touchy about that.
Baby clothes are sized by age and sometimes weight.

The smallest sizes don’t get a lot of wear since newborns grow quickly. Baby clothes in larger sizes will likely be used more. Use the baby’s due date to figure out what season it will be when baby reaches a new clothing size, such as 6 months, and buy seasonal clothes in that size.

If you don’t know the baby’s gender, a gift certificate is a welcome baby shower gift, allowing the parents to choose an outfit in pink or blue after baby arrives. If you’re stumped for a baby shower gift, help boost baby’s brain power by choosing a classic baby book, educational DVD or music CD.

Studies show that music encourages brain development in babies, so a lullaby CD or some tunes for the car would be a nice gift. Also look for one of the many DVD learning series for infants, such as Brainy Baby or Baby Einstein. Still stumped? A copy of your favorite book from childhood is a meaningful and useful baby shower gift.

The baby shower gift possibilities are almost endless when you give the gift of baby toys. You can buy toys made for older babies for use later in baby’s life, but stick with toys for ages 3 and under to avoid small parts that could choke a young baby. Toys have an age range listed on the package.

If you want your gift to be used for a long time, look for a wider age range on the package. Fancy doesn’t necessarily mean better when it comes to baby toys, either, babies love simple toys, too.
If you want to give a baby shower gift that’s out of the ordinary, consider the parents’ lifestyle.

For environmentally active parents, an organic baby gift is a smart choice. Are the parents into travel or outdoors adventures? A baby backpack carrier or baby bike trailer would get baby involved in family activities.

Techie parents might enjoy a titanium stroller with an onboard music system. Other lifestyle gifts might include breastfeeding supplies, baby slings or cloth diapers.

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As a mother you just spent nine months carrying this new life around. It is amazing what a life changing impact a small, helpless baby can have on your life. The new baby has transformed you into a mother and suddenly everything feels more important – including the products you choose to put in your home and on your baby’s skin. There is nothing in the world you would not do for your new baby, you want to offer them the best you have to give. After breastfeeding, using only natural, non-toxic products around and on your baby is one of the first steps in protecting them.

Why use natural baby products?

Many synthetic ingredients are found in cosmetics, and even in over the counter baby products. These products don’t cause immediate visible signs of toxicity, but can affect the health of the baby negatively over time through repeated use. Some of these can lead to rashes, respiratory distress, even long term health consequences.

Are there safer alternatives?

Thankfully, there are many natural options available to prevent excessive use of toxic and allergenic ingredients. Many times natural, homemade baby products can be made in your own kitchen if you’re so inclined, saving you money. If not, most can be found at your local stores.

Cloth diapers and homemade wipes help cut down on rashes and allergic reactions and save lots of money. New improved design of cloth diapers have made them just as convenient as disposable diapers. Homemade baby wipes can be easily made and help prevent diaper rash as well as producing less disposable waste. To make your own wipes, mix one fourth cup olive oil or baby oil with two cups of distilled water and one fourth cup of natural baby shampoo to ½ roll of organic paper towels. Pour the solution over the towels and seal them in an air tight container. Of course you can also use this wipes solution on cloth wipes.

Instead of using store bought baby oil containing petroleum-derived ingredients for the baby’s tender skin, natural oils such as apricot provide the same benefit. Giving your baby a massage is highly recommended, especially for premature babies, in the bonding experience. It also helps in digestion, eases tension, and spurs growth and helps you bond with your baby.

Even when you are using cloth diapers and wipes your child may at some time experience a diaper rash. The ingredient in many organic diaper rash creams, Jojoba oil, allows skin to breathe and is non-carcinogenic. Mixing Jojoba oil with either pure vitamin E oil or Wheatgerm oil it provides the healing agent needed while letting the skin breathe. Instead of using a baby powder containing talc, a known carcinogen, consider one made from natural minerals and clay or cornstarch. Safer products mean more peace of mind for you and comfort for baby.

Providing your newborn baby with natural, non-toxic eco-friendly products just makes sense. The products are just as easy to obtain, and protects your baby from possible toxic or allergenic ingredients – while being more environmentally friendly.