Natural Baby care DIY

Diaper Rash

Every baby is going to battle diaper rash at some point, and you don’t have to resort to using that stinky white cream that feels like you can never wash off your hands.

Unrefined coconut oil is a super easy diaper rash cream. Coconut oil has natural anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties, so it will help to heal up the rash, and protect the skin at the same time. If you use cloth diapers you’ll want to be careful about using coconut oil though, because it could cause oily build-up on the diapers and make them repel. Your best bet is to use a liner to keep the coconut oil off of the cloth diaper.

Also, diluted Apple Cider Vinegar can be used to heal diaper rash. You can mix about a teaspoon of ACV with a half cup of water in a little bowl and then dip a washcloth in the mixture and lightly pat it onto your baby’s bum. Apple Cider Vinegar also has anti-bacterial qualities that help to fight diaper rash, but be aware that it may sting when you put it on your baby’s skin, if the rash is severe.

Finally, air and sunshine speed up the healing of a diaper rash. When the weather was nice I would sit outside with Blair in my lap on a prefold cloth diaper, just in case, with the sun shining on her bum. Diaper rash thrives in dark and moist areas, so if you can increase air circulation and expose the area to light, that will help the skin to heal more quickly.

Cradle Cap

All of my babies have had cradle cap, but I didn’t worry about it with my first two babes because they had so much hair that it was hardly noticeable. Blair is a bald baby, so the cradle cap shows pretty badly on her little head. Cradle cap doesn’t hurt anything, but it can be an unattractive on a baby. I’ve found a simple solution that works well for both removing cradle cap and for keeping it from returning.

When you are giving your baby a bath in the evening, rub a small amount of coconut oil onto their head and then use one of the soft bristled baby brushes to gently rub their head in a circular motion for a few minutes to help loosen and remove the cradle cap. Then rinse their head and wash with a natural baby shampoo.

After they’re out of the bath, massage more coconut oil into their head where the cradle cap is. Their little head will look greasy and shiny, but leave the coconut oil on through the night.

Then in the morning gently wash their hair and head again with the natural baby shampoo. The cradle cap should be mostly gone and will stay away for several weeks. If you notice it returning, you can try rubbing in some coconut oil overnight, but if that doesn’t work, you can use the bath and baby brush treatment to help remove it again.

source: Emily @ Live Renewed

Colic and Teething

Chamomile Tea is known for helping to soothe and calm babies who are fussy and upset from colic, gas pains, and teething. Choose tea from a trusted source (I use Traditional Medicinals), and brew it as you would normally brew a cup of tea, but then dilute it 1:1 with filtered water, or brew it diluted by using one tea bag for 16 oz. of water.

Give 1/2 oz of tea to your baby using a dropper, or mix it in a bottle of breast milk or formula. If you’re breastfeeding you can also drink the tea (undiluted), and your baby will reap some of the benefits through your breast milk.

For teething discomfort, soak the corner of a washcloth in the undiluted Chamomile tea and place it in the freezer. Let your baby chew on the frozen washcloth to soothe them and ease their teething pain.