Dealing with nappy rash in cloth nappies

Nappy rash. Its something almost every baby will inevitably experience. But why? There are plenty of causes for nappy rash, and lots of ways to help stop it happening.

We always recommend seeing a doctor to rule out any nasty rash causes, but we have discussed below some of the common reasons we see nappy rash in cloth nappies.

1. Leaving on a wet nappy too long
This is the main reason babies get irritated. Sitting in a wet nappy for too long. We recommend changing every 3 hours (or aiming to).

Helping protect their skin with a cream can also help. We love CJ's Butter as a preventative cream and for when bub has a rash. This cream is an oil based recipe, so it helps to create a protective layer on top of the skin. I particularly love how easy it makes cleaning up dirty nappies and all the mess wipes off much easier due to this oily layer. CJ's can help reduce redness and also prevent rashes occurring.

2. Irritation to the nappy fabric
Some babies bottoms do not like synthetics. So the stay dry layer on most cloth nappies can irritate them. This generally looks like a reddening of the skin all over the bottom.

You have a couple of choices.

•  For a suspected suede cloth reaction, try putting the natural fabric straight against the skin. In the Baby Bare nappies you can do this by putting the booster on top in your Bare Cub nappies, and in the Teddy you can fold the bamboo to be on top. 
• You can use a liner of a different fabric to the nappy lining. Liners are available in a bunch of different fabrics. Microfleece is very common and popular as its affordable, easy to acquire and often works really well. Silk liners are great but the cost is expensive so for many they are a last resort. There is also disposable liners in cotton, viscose or bamboo (although many children can also react to these so keep an eye out).

3. Reaction to the washing powder, or routine
Some children rash up from different washing detergents or from nappies insufficiently cleaned. Make sure nappies look clean and smell clean. They should not go grey or brown from use but stay relatively white. If your child does react you can try a different detergent for a few washes to rule out whether the detergent is affecting them.