I suffer from eczema and one of my wishes during my entire pregnancy was that my baby would not get it. Unfortunately she did but, that doesn't mean she has to suffer. I made it my mission to find what works, what are the triggers and solutions to make it more manageable for both of us. It feels like torture to watch my baby in such discomfort. This is my story about how I manage my little girl's eczema.
I spent hours and hours researching the internet, talking to people, asking professionals and anyone else that would listen! Baby eczema can be mild and barely noticeable or out of control and beyond discomfort for baby.
My little girl was overdue, she was born with dry skin and this started my battle with baby skin care products.
Fragrances – do nothing but smell nice and can actually harm baby's skin.
Artificial chemicals – can cause more damage than you realise and can actually be the cause of baby's skin issues.
Lotion – in most cases does not moisturise. This may not be the case for every baby or product, but it was the case for my little girl.
Moisturiser – for really dry, itchy and eczema skin, you need to use 24 hour moisturiser. It must state 24 hour moisturisation on the package or it wont be good enough and you'll need to apply it more than once a day.
Laundry – in my case, the laundry powder I was using was helping to irritate and dry my baby's skin. So I switched to sensitive powder, wash on cold and always a double rinse cycle. Double rinse cycle helps to make sure there is no residue of powder left in the clothes.
Bath products – I was using the standard baby products and didnt think twice about it. Turns out they were helping to dry her skin. I went to the health store in the local mall and had a long talk with them. Its amzing what a professional can say when you ask the right questions!
I sat down to weight up all my options and all thing things I did daily that may contribute to her discomfort. I thought about where the eczema was and what comes into contact with that area etc. I thought after trying multiple products, I needed to also find the source if I can. We all know its better to fix the cause rather than have the ambulance at the bottom of the cliff!
I discovered that she could drink milk without reaction but yoghurt made her skin break out.
I also noticed that her eczema was around her neck and chin and some of her bibs were contributing.
I started using goats milk soap and her skin started to become softer, more moisturised and less irritated.
I also discovered and much to my surprise, certain brands of nappies made her skin react too.
I also discovered when we visited New Zealand in November 2010, her skin instantly became better, the only difference being the moister climate, this was a very interesting surprise!
My daughter's skin isnt 100% perfect, but a vast improvement on what it used to be. I found the best thing I did was sit down and think logically where it was irritated and what touches that area. It always pays to speak to the local health store and do your own research too. Also the local chemist is a world of knowledge, they are qualified to know about these things so it always helps to have a chat to them too. I know some chemists have their own products they make there that can help or they may have other fantastic advice and give you new ways to tackle baby's skin problems. Sometimes there is someone in the family with tips on prevention and relief and they may just be the key you needed to unlock this awful skin issue baby has.
Biggest tip I can give, never give up. There is a solution for everything – they put a man on the moon, so there is a solution to your child's skin issues somewhere!
