Mommy FTW

UPDATE:  Sadly this printable coupon for Triple Paste no longer is active, but a nice representative emailed me and said that my readers were more than welcome to call them at 1800-533-7546 and request some coupons!

I’ve sung the praises of Triple Paste in the past – but one of the only downsides of this diaper rash eliminator is the price tag.  Well, here’s a link to a printable coupon for $1 off!

Click for your Triple Paste Printable Coupon!

FYI – moms have asked me where they can find Triple Paste in Fort Greene – the Walgreens on Myrtle has some.  Pick up a jar and keep it around in case diaper rash rears its ugly head in your house.

My daily Diaper Rash cream for Cameron is Kiehls Diaper Rash Ointment, but when he has a little “situation” going on “down there” I get out the big guns – Triple Paste.  One of the things that makes Triple Paste so good is that it is really thick and stays in place…. but this also makes it hard to apply.

Triple Paste - Pasty, But Good!

A trick I use to loose it up and make it easier on myself (and baby’s butt) is to put the jar in a sink filled with hot water for a few minutes.  This makes the Triple Paste a little easier to smooth on, and, obviously, warm…. which Cameron seems to like better.  Remember when they put that cold goop on your tummy for the ultrasound?  Yeah, no one likes that feeling!  Give it a try – it works wonders!

Cold season is upon us, and is hitting this household especially hard!  I’ve been trying to wash Cameron’s toys regularly, but I got tired of doing it all by hand…. so I decided to chuck them in the dishwasher.  It was so much easier!

As if a cold, then diarrhea, then another cold, and an ear infection didn’t make for an eventful enough fall already, this past weekend while we were in Chicago visiting family Cameron came down with Roseola.  Thankfully another mom friend had just encountered it and told me about it before we left – so even though I was stranded miles away from my pediatrician and my trusty copy of Baby 411, I figured out quickly what I was dealing with, and we all made it through.  So, here’s a little about roseola so you can be on the look out:

Roseola is sometimes called “baby measles” or the “sixth disease.”  It is a form of herpes.  Roseola is highly contagious, being spread through contact with saliva or being breathed on by another baby with roseola.  It usually starts with a sudden high fever with sometimes no other symptoms (in Cameron’s case he had some “cold like symptoms” as well).  During this phase of the illness just give your child ibuprofen to try and keep him comfortable.  I didn’t notice Cameron’s fever as being especially high, but he was already being dosed with ibuprofen for his ear infection, so I think this helped keep it down.  FYI – About 10 to 15 percent of children with roseola have a seizure. If this happens, your baby may become unconscious and jerk his arms, legs, or facial muscles for two or three minutes.

I didn’t realize what  I was dealing with until Cameron got the telltale rash.  The rash isn’t itchy or uncomfortable, and contact with the rash itself doesn’t spread the illness. It’s usually seen on the trunk and neck, but it can extend to the arms, legs, and face.  It usually lasts for about 24-48 hours.

There’s no specific treatment for roseola. Like most viral illnesses, roseola just needs to run its course. The most important thing you can do is make sure your baby rests and gets plenty of liquids.

Here are some pictures of the rash Cameron had on his left and right legs.  It looks a little scary but it didn’t last long!

Cameron's Right Leg - Roseola rash

Cameron's Left leg - Roseola rash

It’s only November and Cameron has already had two colds, an ear infection, and the diarrhea that wouldn’t die.  I think it’s going to be a long winter!  And then there was the heat rash and diaper rash of the summer time.  So I decided to add some new categories – pediatrician and illness – so it was easy for you moms to keep track of all the pearls or wisdom my pediatrician was bestowing upon me, and Cameron’s illnesses.  I hope you find them useful!

Back in early October when Cameron had his first bad cold it left him with some diarrhea.  At first I thought it was just loose poops because he wasn’t eating much solid food during his sickness.  But it went on and on, even after he got his appetite back.  His poor little butt was suffering with some terrible diaper rash, he was having trouble sleeping, and I was getting worried.

Other than the issues “down below” Cameron was fine.  His cold was gone, he was eating, and drinking plenty – so I wasn’t too concerned about dehydration, but I had to solve the problem so I referenced my fail safe, baby 411, and hit up google to see if I could find some advice from the internets.

I read that sometimes babies that are not normally lactose intolerant can become so once they already have diarrhea.  This sounded kind of crazy to me – Cameron has been having milk based formula pretty much since birth – but I was desperate, and willing to give anything a try.  I called up my pediatrician and asked her opinion.  She agreed with the info I had read on line, so I switched Cameron to Soy formula.  I thought he wouldn’t drink it because it might taste different, but he seemed fine with it.  And in 2 days his poops were back to normal.  Yay!  I saw her this past Friday for Cameron’s flu shot, and we talked about the diarrhea.  She said keep him on the Soy formula for a few more weeks, and then transition him back to dairy.

the Soy Solution!

So if any of you out there have babies with diarrhea that won’t seem to go away, try taking them off dairy…. it might be the thing that does the trick!

I took Cameron to the Pediatrician today because he (and I) have been sick for over a week now and I was at my wit’s end. I found out he has an ear infection! I’ve been having a problem giving Cameron Children’s ibuprofen lately because he just spits it out – figuring I would have the same issue with Cameron’s prescription, I asked the Pediatrician for some tips.

She suggested mixing the medicine in with some Chocolate Pudding which is nice and thick and will mask the flavor – so I picked some up at Walgreens and I’ll give it a try…. hopefully it will help out, because tonight we gave him the medicine straight, and he did not seem to appreciate it, even with the bubble gum flavor!

This past weekend Cameron came down with his first really bad cold – cough, runny nose, fever, and all around cabbyness.  And to make matters worse, my husband had to work all weekend so we were stuck fending for ourselves.  Two things helped us through it – 1) Baby 411, and 2)my fellow mommies and daddies.

Here’s what I learned:

1) A fever is a good thing.  It means Cameron’s body was busy fighting the intruder.  Also, fevers are naturally higher in the evening than the morning – so don’t be surprised if your baby is 100 in the AM and 102 at night.  Once the fever was gone, I knew Cameron was going to be out of the woods and recovery was on the way.

2) Baby Ibuprofen lasts longer than Baby Acetaminophen (6-8 hours vs 4 hours) so if your baby is over 6 months, give it a try – especially for overnight.  It will give your baby (and you) longer relief.

3) Get yourself a cool mist humidifier.  I don’t recommend the one they sell at Walgreens – it is kind of noisy.

4) Before bath time, run the shower to really steam up the bathroom.  This is good for helping the baby breathe.  Don’t give your baby a cool bath if they have a fever – this is only something you do if the baby is SUPER hot – like 107.  Would you like taking a cold bath when you were sick?

5) Use a Saline Mist to help loosen up all the snot that your poor sick baby is producing.  Then, if you feel comfortable with the idea, use a booger sucker (nasal aspirator) to suck out the snot.  Both of these things will make your baby hate you for a minute, so be prepared for tears and protest.  Also keep a kleenex at the ready to wipe up the snot, and tears.

6) Give your baby extra opportunities to sleep – try putting them to bed 30 minutes early for bed times and nap times.  When you’re sick, doesn’t extra sleep make you feel better too?

Baby 411 - my savior

Check out Baby 411 for more info on colds and other viruses, and don’t forget to ask your fellow parents for help.  I used facebook, and got some really great info as well as support!  Good luck mommies!

Cameron had a little Diaper rash situation last week, so me being a paranoid first time mom… I took him in to see his pediatrician.  Her suggestion for a quick cure was a few easy steps:

1)Clean the area well with wet Viva paper towells (she said all wipes, even the “sensitive” ones have other chemicals).  She recommended Viva because they are the softest, most cloth like.

2)Air time – I use wee wee pads to catch any pee that might come my way.

3)Neosporin – she recommended the ointment kind over the cream kind.

4)Diaper cream – she recommended Triple Paste because it is very thick and stays in place well.

5)Mylanta – yes, Mylanta!  She said poop is very acidic and the Mylanta will help cut the acid for those times when he might not get changed immediately (such as nap time, or over night).

In a few days, the rash was all cleared up!

Update:  This is a pretty popular post so I wanted to add more info since, unfortunately, I’ve had some more experiences with diaper rash since originally writing this.

For Cameron’s basic diaper care, I don’t usually wipe him when I change him (unless it’s a poop, of course!)  I also don’t apply diaper cream unless I think he is prone to poop.  He is a regular pooper for the most part, so this works for me – but maybe not for you.

Skipping these two steps keeps him dryer, and allows his skin to breathe.  Since doing this, I am generally able to keep his diaper rash at bay – and also keep it from flaring up too badly when it does happen.