Diaper Rashes

What can you do for babies with diaper rash? The first step is identifying the type of rash. Originally I googled photos of different rashes in attempt to post coordinating photos with this post. Unfortunately the photos were all worst case scenarios and I didn't want to scare folks. I am listing some rashes and remedies below - I am NOT a doctor so please check with yours.

A few things to note:

• The diaper rash is usually caused by the feces and if the feces happen to be solids then the risk of the rash is high.
  
• Breast-fed babies are less prone to this infection. A balance of breast milk and semi-solid foods or formula would go a long way in controlling this rash.
• Avoid perfumed baby powders
• If you are cloth diapering - try changing detergents and then strip your diapers. My easy diaper stripping instructions (scroll to the bottom)
• Do not use wipes, lotions, or powders that contain alcohol or fragrance, because this can irritate babies delicate skin and prolong the diaper rash.
• Look at the obvious clues. My daughter Rylee had a horrible diaper rash. She was in pre-folds and a wool cover. After switching out the wool the rash went away. WE had her tested and sure enough she had a lanolin allergy.
  

Rash Remedies for every type of rash

• Air your baby out as much as possible.
• If naked time isn't an option then make sure you are changing diapers as soon as your baby dirties it.
• Calendula cream encourages healing and helps with pain.
• Avoid foods that cause diarrhea and acidic urine.
• Plain old corn starch helps any kind of chafing on your body just pat on dry skin.
• If you are lactating - squirt some breastmilk on the rash. It will be sticky but breastmilk has natural antibiotics that work as well topically as they do orally.
  

Candida aka yeast
If you go to a traditional doctor they will give you an antifungal topical treatment.

Natural Remedy

• Both of you should start taking acidophilus if you are breastfeeding to help get your systems in balance again (and in your case, to prevent thrush on your nipples).
• Also avoid sweets and yeast!
• You can also apply acidophilus directly to your baby's bottom.
• Paint baby's bottom with gentian violet (once a day for 3-4 days), which you can buy from small drugstores. It usually works very well, but is also very messy - it turns everything purple! Also it can irritate the skin so use moderately.

Painful Red Bleeding Rashes
In addition to the rash remedies listed first in this post you can also:

• Use vinegar in the bath water and let the child soak for about 10 minutes - fill tub to waistline, and add 1/4 -1/2 cup white vinegar.
• Just rinse the baby's bottom in the sink at each change instead of using wipes.

When to call a doctor

• If the rash lasts longer then a few days
• If it spreads to other parts of the body - arms, face...
• If your baby is under two months old
• If the rash is getting worse instead of better
• If your baby has a high fever or is lethargic
• If the rash is bleeding, has pus, crusty patches or boils

Note: If you are using a LolliDoo ™ Diaper - you can boil it once in a blue moon to sterilize it. Do not try this with PUL (polyurethane) diapers because you will ruin the PUL.

This is a great article from WebMd for more information

Ali's Butt Juice aka wipe solution

I've been asked several times how to make butt wipe solution. I am a simple kind of gal - this easiest, cleanest method works best for me:

1 TSP Glycerin soap (Trader Joes has a great liquid)
1 C water

That's it.

I put it in a bottle, shake it up a little and it's ready to use.

When travelling with your little one just put some of the solution in a bottle and take it with you. I also keep a bottle of fresh water handy for a final water-only wipe down.

LolliDoode Photo Contest

Have you met Ike, our LolliDoode?


Well Ike is a big boy now and he's using the potty. It looks like we need a new LolliDoode or LolliDoodette.

Lets have a contest.

Do you want your baby to be the next LolliDoo ™ model?

Submit as many photos as you like of your baby wearing a LolliDoo™ to: alison@lollidoo.com.

The winner will receive:
One LolliDoo™ Free Spirit™ eco-pocket™ diaper

AND a Free Spirit™ bag!

Honorable mentions receive:

One LolliDoo™ eco-pocket™ diaper

Your photographs must accompany this consent form:
I, ______________ consent to let GGSI publish photographs of my child on the internet and in print media. I surrender the rights to the photograph(s) that I submit.

Signed_______________________ Date________________

LolliDoode Photo Contest Rules:

· Photos must be high resolution in JPG or TIFF format, minimum 300 dpi/dots or pixels per inch. Photos can be in color, black and white, sepia tone or duotone and must be taken of your child.

· Your photo entries must have been created by you and you must not submit a photo created by someone else. You must be the sole owner of all rights to the photos you submit.

· By entering the contest, you agree to have any of your winning photos and photos that receive honorable mention displayed and used in LolliDoo™, LolliPlace print and electronic communication materials, advertising and promotional materials and on the websites, for any purpose and at any time in the future, without any fee or other form of compensation.

· You waive all moral rights in any of your winning photos and photos that receive honorable mention.

· You may submit more than one photograph.

· The photo subject must be relevant to LolliDoo™ diapers. Photos that contain obscene, provocative, defamatory, sexually explicit or otherwise objectionable or inappropriate content will not be considered. GGSI will determine, in its sole discretion, what constitutes such content.

· Your submission must be accompanied by a signed consent form from each child’s parent/legal guardian.

· Participants who have submitted winning/honorable mention photos will be notified at the beginning of June 2010, approximately. If you are a winner, you will be notified and, upon notification, you must respond within five (5) days of such notification. If you don’t respond within that time, you will be disqualified and will not receive a prize and another contestant may be selected.

· You acknowledge that GGSI reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to cancel or suspend all or any portion of this contest without notice for any reason whatsoever, without any liability to you for any costs you may have incurred in respect to the contest.

· GGSI is entitled to interpret these rules as required and its decisions are final.

Our Core Values

When Melissa and I were in our conceptual phase we envisioned a company that was socially conscious and environmentally responsible. A company that supported our economy by creating green jobs, manufacturing in the USA of components in the USA. Most importantly we wanted to create a diaper that encompassed all these things while being soft, comfy, absorbent and safer for babies.



I am proud to say that we have, at least in part, hit all of these goals.



We are socially conscious. At least 75% of our staff are single mothers from domestic violence shelters. We aren't giving them a hand out, these are well trained workers who needed a break. They create the beautiful diapers that we make today. We employ these women because we believe in them and we support mothers.

Have you met our sales reps? All but two of our reps are mothers who work from home, sometimes taking their babies on sales calls with them. Melissa and I made the decision to hire mothers as a way to empower women to generate income and raise their family without having to choose.



We are environmentally responsible. Most people know that LolliDoo™ diapers are recycled, recyclable, re-usable and certified organic. But did you know that we re-purpose our manufacturing waste into packaging? Our materials are printed at Arizona Lithography using wind power on recycled paper with soy based inks. Melissa and I are trying to get a grant to build or renovate a building using as many renewable resources as possible. We also donate 10% of our profits to the Water Keepers Alliance. One of our dreams is to create a non-profit to educate the public on water consumption and quality.



Green jobs. By manufacturing in the USA we create jobs. By using only domestic components we support other American businesses, especially the organic cotton farming industry - which you may know is floundering.

As for the final product we manufacture - LolliDoo™ Diapers, well they are soft, absorbent, comfortable and safer for babies. They are highly breathable and we even came up with a nighttime solution for heavy wetters.

Melissa and I want to make a difference in the world. We not only want to support our families but our babies, our planet and our economy. When you purchase a LolliDoo™ Diaper - rest assured that you are supporting a company with the purest of intentions.

How Much Money Do You Save With LolliDoo(TM)?

I thought it would be helpful to take a look at the most inexpensive disposable diapers and compare them with LolliDoo™. Below is a chart of the results. Please note that Pure & Simple is still in production and hasn't been launched yet. Look for it soon :)



As you can see here, LolliDoo™ Diapers SAVE MONEY. Lots of money.

• Pure & Simple is a diapering kit that provides you with a lifetime supply of diapers saving you over $534 just in the first year and over $1000 in two years.
• Award winning LolliDoo™ eco-pockets™ have a bit of a bigger price tag and still save you close to $200 in the first year and almost $800 in the second year.
• Our Innies™ and Outties™ will save you $260 in the first year and almost $900 by the time your baby is two.
• A family diapering a baby in disposable diapers from a big box store spends roughly $600 a year. One box of diapers contains 120-180 diapers depending on the size of your baby and each box retails for $49.99.

Do the math folks.

Not only does LolliDoo™ save you money but it's the greenest and most comfortable diaper available.

During Flu Season - Breastfeeding Is The Best Protection For Your Baby

During the flu season and especially since the Swine Flu epidemic, breastfeeding is so important in safeguarding your little ones.

Even the Center for Disease Control, whom I typically disagree with, agrees:

Because mothers make antibodies to fight diseases they come in contact with, their milk is custom-made to fight the diseases their babies are exposed to as well. This is really important in young babies when their immune system is still developing.

Breastmilk is nature's way of boosting a young ones immune system. All those lovely antibodies that mom has built up over her lifetime are passed along to her baby. This is a much safer and respectful way to immunize your baby.

There is one H1N1 vaccine approved for infants. The package insert for the H1N1 vaccine produced by Sanofi Pasteur, Inc. lists formaldehyde, a known carcinogen, as an ingredient in this vaccine. Since extensive testing of this vaccine hasn't been tested yet - the long term effects remain to be seen. What I can tell you is that injecting formaldehyde into any body, but particularity a little body can be very dangerous and in some cases fatal.

Mercury is also an ingredient in the Swine Flu vaccine. According to Victoria Nicks of Suite 101:

A .5 mL dose of the vaccine contains 25 micrograms of mercury, according to the package insert. Each infant dose of swine flu vaccine is .25 mL, exactly one-half the amount of vaccine and mercury, which equals 12.5 micrograms of mercury. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency uses a formula to state the amount of mercury that an individual can be exposed to without "recognized adverse effects," of .1 microgram per kilogram of body weight per day. In order to avoid adverse effects, the six month old infant receiving a 12.5 microgram dose must weigh at least 275 lbs.

Read more at Suite101: Infant's Swine Flu Vaccine Injection Ingredients: Toxins in H1N1 Vaccination Formulated for Babies Six Months and Up http://public-healthcare-issues.suite101.com/article.cfm/infants_swine_flu_vaccine_injection_ingredients#ixzz0bCca0aM7


In my house if a kid is sick, I will express some breast milk into a cup and have them drink it. I realize that some people might be grossed out by the idea, however, my children don't stay sick for more then a day or so. Even when my entire family had a Type A flu that we believe was H1N1 - not one of us was in bed for over 24 hours.


For guidelines on breastfeeding while infected with the Swine Flu visit http://breastfeeding.suite101.com/article.cfm/breastfeeding_and_swine_flu

If you can't or won't breastfeed please consider going to a milk bank to boost your baby's health. There is a yahoo milk share group as well as local milk banks all across the country.


A real look at the components of formula and why it is substandard to breastmilk, visit: http://www.theecologist.co.uk/trial_investigations/268337/breastmilk_vs_formula_food.html

Diaper Economics

Without even touching on the obvious environmental and heath threats of disposable diapers: In this lovely recession I don't understand why anyone would waste money on disposable diapers.

Considering that an average pack of disposable diapers costs around $30 for a 40 count package. That fluctuate a bit depending on the size diaper you purchase.


Now just for the sake of arguing lets suppose you bought two dozen of the most expensive LolliDoo(TM) system. That would include Tye-Dye Fitted Innies(TM) paired with Recycled Outties(TM). Tye Dye Innies(TM) retail for $60 each and Recycled Outties(TM) are $28-$30 depending if they are Classic or Overnight.

According to disposablediaper.net - babies go through an average of 9 diapers a day. We all know that babies should be changed more often then that but for statistical purposes I'll use that figure. I am also going to use 2.5 years as an average time that a baby spends in diapers. This doesn't include "pull-ups" or the likes.

An average family will spend .75 a disposable diaper which costs approximately $6.75 per day. Annually a family will spend somewhere near $2464 and in two and a half years this family will have spent over $6000 on a disposable product.

Now lets go back to the premium LolliDoo(TM) line. Two dozen (approximately two days worth) Tye Dye Fitted Innies(TM) will run you $1440 and lets say that you buy 18 Classic Recycled Outties(TM) and 6 Overnight Recycled Outties totaling $684.



Lets compare the eco-pockets(TM) as well while we are at it, using the same quantities. So 18 Classic eco-pockets(TM) and 6 Overnight eco-pockets(TM) will cost $876.

As LolliDoo(TM) diapers are ALL one-size, there is no need to continually restock AND they can be passed down from child to child.

As you can see from my calculations above, even using the most expensive LolliDoo(TM) system saves the consumer upwards of $4000 in a baby's lifetime.

Made Here, Baby!

I had the opportunity to speak with Bruce Wolk, the author of Made Here, Baby!-an extensive compilation of American manufacturers of children's products. Bruce interviewed over 400 American manufacturers in order to provide the public with this amazing resource.

As you probably know, a lot of the products in our households are foreign made. Buying foreign products directly impacts our economy, puts our children at risk for lead and phthalate poisoning and supports unfair working environments.


Made Here, Baby! guides you to safe, quality, American-made products for new moms, preemies, infants, toddlers, preschool, school age and beyond, including toys, games, puzzles, diaper bags, carriers, car seats, baby products, clothing, shoes, bedding, furniture, sporting goods, and much, much more.

For what it's worth, the reason that all textile components of LolliDoo® Diapers come from the United Statesis that buying products made in the USA supports our local economy by providing jobs which support families and generate domestic spending. Buying domestic also reduces the environmental impact by saving energy required to ship goods internationally.

Support your country, protect your children and educate yourself about the products you buy by checking out his website and ordering your copy of Made Here, Baby! today.

Formula is the last choice for feeding babies pt. 1

The WHO (World Health Organization) states that the most nutritious way to feed a baby is:
1. Breastfeeding
2. Pumped breastmilk
3. Using donor breastmilk
4. Formula

They have good reason to make formula a last resort. For starters, this was recently in the news.

According to FDA data for tests of 77 infant formula samples, a trace concentration of melamine was detected in one product — Mead Johnson's Infant Formula Powder, Enfamil LIPIL with Iron. An FDA spreadsheet shows two tests were conducted on the Enfamil, with readings of 0.137 and 0.14 parts per million.

Three tests of Nestle's Good Start Supreme Infant Formula with Iron detected an average of 0.247 parts per million of cyanuric acid, a melamine byproduct.

-FDA finds traces of melamine in US infant formula By MARTHA MENDOZA and JUSTIN PRITCHARD, Associated Press Writers

To read the whole article, go to http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081126/ap_on_he_me/infant_formula

Formula companies are marketing geniuses and they portray images of formula fed babies as healthy. While formula is not a prescription for poor health, it certainly has a lot of risks that I for one am not willing to take.

Lets look at some studies.

Formula feeding increases baby girls' risk of developing breast cancer in later life. Women who were formula-fed as infants have higher rates of breast cancer as adults. For both premenopausal and postmenopausal breast cancer, women who were breastfed as children, even if only for a short time, had a 25% lower risk of developing breast cancer than women who were bottle-fed as infants.

Freudenheim, J. et al. 1994 "Exposure to breast milk in infancy and the risk of breast cancer". Epidemiology 5:324-331

Breast cancer is so prevalent that I would not willing introduce anything into my daughter's bodies that may up the risk.

People have argued that formula doesn't increase the risk of diabetes, so here are several studies linking development of insulin dependant Type I diabetes (formerly referred to as "juvenile diabetes") to lack of breastfeeding. The results of a study from Finland suggest that the introduction of dairy products at an early age, and high milk consumption during childhood increase the level of cow's milk antibodies in the children's systems. This factor is associated with an increased risk of insulin dependent diabetes. Now a new study has indicated that breastfeeding in infancy may help reduce the risk of Type 2 diabetes. This sort of diabetes was formerly referred to as "adult onset" diabetes, but has been mysteriously occurring in more and more youngsters.

Young, T.K. et al. Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus in children. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med 2002; 156(7): 651-55

Gerstein HC. "Cow's milk exposure and type 1 diabetes mellitus". Diabetes Care. 1994;17:13-19

Virtanen et al: "Diet, Cow's milk protein antibodies and the risk of IDDM in Finnish children." Childhood Diabetes in Finland Study Group. Diabetologia, Apr 1994, 37(4):381-7

Virtanen SM, Rasanen L, Aro A, et al. "Infant feeding in Finnish children <7 yr of age with newly diagnosed IDDM" Diabetes Care, 1991;14:415-417

Another big bad is that formula increases a baby's risk of SIDS. There are a number of studies showing a possible link between lack of breastfeeding and SIDS. A Swedish study has found that babies who were breastfed exclusively for less than 8 weeks had a 3 - 5 times greater risk of dying from SIDS than babies who were breastfed exclusively for four months

Horn, RS et al "Comparison of evoked arousability in breast and formula fed infants." 2004 Arch Dis Child.; 89(1):22-25

Alm et al, "Breastfeeding and the Sudden Infant Death Syndrome in Scandanavia." June 2002 Arch of Dis in Child. 86: 400-402.

McVea, KL et al "The role of breastfeeding in sudden infant death syndrome." J Hum Lact. 2000;16:13-20

Fredrickson, DD et al., "Relationship between Sudden Infant Death Syndrome and Breastfeeding Intensity and Duration." Am. Journal of Diseases in Children, 1993: 147:460

Ford RPK, et al ."Breastfeeding and the Risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome." International Journal of Diseases in Children, 1993, 22(5):885-890

Taylor BJ, Mitchell EA, et al. "Breastfeeding and the risk of sudden infant death syndrome. Int J. Epidemiol. 1993;22:885-890

Scragg LK, Mitchell EA, Tonkin SL, et al. "Evaluation of the cot death prevention programme in South Auckland." NZ Med J. 1993;106:8-10

I know that this post is very footnote heavy, but I think it's important to back up what I am saying.

Formula fed babies have a higher risk of developing certain childhood cancers. In a study done by researchers at the University of Minnesota it was found that babies who were breast fed for at least one month had a 21% less chance of getting leukemia than formula fed babies. The risk was 30% for children breast fed for 6 months.

Shu X-O, et al. "Breastfeeding and the risk of childhood acute leukemia". J Natl Cancer Inst 1999; 91: 1765-72

The choice is clear to me, I would never choose formula. Mother's that do choose formula for convienence, say they don't want their boobs to sag (a myth by the way, boobs sag due to heredity not breastfeeding), need to educate themselves. It saddens me that in this day and age formula is still commonplace.

I leave you with my favorite quote.

When we trust the makers of baby formula more than we do our own ability to nourish our babies, we lose a chance to claim an aspect of our power as women. Thinking that baby formula is as good as breast milk is believing that thirty years of technology is superior to three million years of nature's evolution. Countless women have regained trust in their bodies through nursing their children, even if they weren't sure at first that they could do it. It is an act of female power, and I think of it as feminism in its purest form. ----- Christine Northrup M.D.

Stay tuned for part two of my formula rant.