4.18.2009

Calling all moms!

I need some advice on:

• Diaper rash.
• Newborn face rash.

• How to get a new baby to accept a pacifier (because she's using me as one alllll day long).
• How to get a 2 year old off the pacifier (we've weaned him down pretty well, but any tips are appreciated).

•The dreaded potty training.

Yep—that's a lot. So hit me with your best shot! :)

POST EDIT:
Wow! Thanks so much for all of your comments so far! They are awesome. Keep 'em coming! I had to laugh out loud about the "Help Meeeeeee" comment. It was so sweet, and I could picture Finn doing just that. Also, Maya gags when I try any type of pacifier, as well (believe me—I have bought every single paci at the store...Finn is addicted to Mams, but Maya gets pretty dramatic with the gagging when I tried them). So I am going to try dipping one in the sugar solution. I also thought about maybe dipping it in a little breastmilk, to see if she will go for it. We have been allowing Finn's "Uh-oh" (that is what Finn calls his binky) only at night and naps for a week. He still tries to sneak it if we aren't looking, of course (he knows it "lives" in the bed—ha!). I'm pretty sure we won't be potty training until after the move (so that he's not so overwhelmed by new baby and new move), but he seems pretty interested in "pottying" outside of the diaper lately. So I will store all of the great advice I am getting. I'll be sure and post if I find any really effective cures or solutions to any of my issues.


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Nash said...

ok i remember reading on stephanie court's friends blog (don't laugh). anyway i was just trying to find the name for my SIL. i think it's called Resinol and it's for minor burns. she said it was the best, it was the girl from musings and misadventures. she said places like rite aid, maybe cvs and small stores carry it.
anyway i hope that helps.

Nash said...

oh and potty training, i firmly believe they will do it when ready and it isn't worth stressing yourself out. i mean you do have to give hints and try to interest them but that's it. i have 2 girls who did it 6 weeks before turning 3, my boy will be 3 in about that time.
we had one good day last week and then no interest. oh well.
i am long winded, must go to bed. good luck.

Lovely Lindsay said...

oh! you sound like me right now!
we tried every paci in the drugstore for the new babe. finally he chose the "soothie" - it's big. it's ugly. but it works!
++++
this was our saying good-bye to the paci adventure:

http://runlucasrun.blogspot.com/2008/05/turn-around-and-youre-tiny-turn-around.html

and it worked until he found some hidden around the house. now we'll have to start all over.
++++
we are entering week two of potty training. we talked and talked and talked about how when he turned three... and three came. and it's been sort of easy. easier than i thought it would be anyways. don't sweat it.
++++
love the little piece of cyber-space you've got here.
love, lindsay

Ali said...

For Diaper Rash I've found that Balmex works best.
For Face rash, try Bourdeaux's Baby Kisses. (I found it at babies r us) but Target probably carries it too.

I had a hard time finding a pacifier that Gavin would take too. He was using the soothie by first years at first, but he really liked the Playtex Ortho paci. Now he has decided he likes Luke's paci the best, the Nuk by Gerber.

I was planning on weaning Luke off the paci after he turned 2 as well, but then I read something that said if you don't get rid of it by the time they at 17 months, it is best to wait until after 3 since this is such an emotional time for them. Finn especially is going through a lot right now with a new sis and a big move coming up. I only let Luke have his at nap and bed times, and occasionally when he is super cranky and needs some soothing.

Ali said...

OH Potty training. I haven't started this venture either, but I got Luke a potty anyway just to start talking about it. He will sit on it and read books, but has yet to actually use it as anything other than a "thinking" chair. Luke would rather sit in a pile of poop than be disturbed from his playing, so he is not even close to being ready. Most Boys aren't until 3, at least that is what I have heard and read.

Hope this has helped.

Deb said...

The best solutions I have found for a diaper rash is to give them a bath with baking soda sprinkled in. Then I put a little Lotrimen on as cream. It works like a charm.

I have also used Arbonne's diaper rash cream and it works better than any other cream out there.

Good luck, girl! Hang in there!

Christy said...

I wish I had some advice you on these subjects, but I don't. I do, however, have advice on my blog from a great friend who is a pediatrician, on crying and problems with sleeping. So if you ever want some extra advice on those subjects, go to my category: advice for new moms. I have two posts there, and the comments sections are great. Good luck - hope others are able to provide you with great advice today!

Christy said...

Well this is funny - another blog I read has an article today on ridding a toddler of his paci:
http://svmomblog.typepad.com/dc_metro_moms/2009/04/the-paci-fairy-giveth-and-the-paci-fairy-taketh-away-draft.html?cid=6a00d83451bae269e201156f334d04970c#comment-6a00d83451bae269e201156f334d04970c

If that link doesn't work do a search for DC Metro Moms Blog and it's the post from yesterday.

Leslie said...

all three of my kids had diaper rash often, and the only thing that ever cleared it up for me was Original Name Brand Desitin and some airing out of the bum area. a couple of times, my dr. prescribed a cream because they got little white bumps associated with their rash and he said it needed a prescription to clear it up.

Jennifer said...

Hi Lyndsay,
In my opinion the only way to get a two year old off of the pacifier is to completely go cold turkey-of course you absolutely must(as another person said) make sure you remove or find all other hidden pacifiers.(which might be a problem if you want your other child to take one-he might steal hers :) This worked for my daughter and trust me you are more attached to that thing than they are--if he is talking then its time! She forgot about it within two days or so. Also, my mother in law once told me to use cornstarch for severe diaper rash-it works really well, but a little messy. And I wish I could help with the potty training, my 2 two year old is still not ready, and from my experience in training my other child is that they will not be potty trained until they are ready. Just my two cents :) Good Luck!

Unknown said...

A friend of mine told me his story of the pacifier wean...he said they'd gotten down to, like, one pacifier left in the house. And when they put their daughter to bed that night, they couldn't find it ANYWHERE. So they realized, "well, this is it." So, when she asked for the "binky" they said that they couldn't find it and she'd have to be brave and go without. I guess she seemed ok with it and didn't say anything. They left her room and shut the door. In their own bed now, they listened as they could hear her calling out and realized she was yelling "help!" "heeellllp!!!" "Heeeelllpp Meeeeeee!!!" She really wanted the binky! But they stayed in bed, and both he and his wife cried because they felt so bad, plus they'd never heard her say the words "help me" before so it made it so much more dramatic and worse. They were even debating whether to break down and run out to the 24-hour pharmacy to get more binkies. Finally, their daughter fell asleep on her own and never asked for it again. He laughs telling the story now and says it's so ridiculous, but he said it was really hard at the time. He said it ended up being that simple though. He now loves sharing that story and he laughs most during the "help meeeeeee!" part. Just wanted to share that little story. :)

Kristen said...

Lydnsay,
My oh my how I feel like our lives are a mirror image of one anothers. I am trying to potty train... she is only interested a little... but I get frustrated because she likes to take her diaper off. But, I don't like worrying about having to clean a potential mess! My 3 week old (unlike my 2 year old) gags when I try the bink...? My 2 year old (her name is Lucy) is no joke addicted to her bink- we call it a binka- she is stuck on the mam brand... I only thought that my boy-Peter- would be as well... no such luck so far! I too am having much difficulty with diaper rash... One of your commenters said Arbonne... I love Arbonne, but so far nothing has worked for me. I use Burt's Bees for everything else and love the diaper rash cream, but I am not having any luck with that either. I took Peter to the dr and they told me Bacitracin.... not working right now! I feel terrible because my baby is RAW! Thanks for blogging about this and even more thanks to your commenters about their suggestions... I will try some out and hopefully it works! Hey, this comment is super long and I am only venting... how selfish of me, sorry! Wish I had some better advice... thanks for listening! Good luck!
Kristen

Kelly A. said...

Hi. My friend showed me your blog and introduced me to your super mom series. Love it! :) Anyways, you could try looking at villageformoms.blogspot.com
It is a group of young moms that write about questions like the ones you have and then other moms discuss them. A couple of the things you've asked have been brought up in old posts if you scroll down (or click on the labels in the margin) and you can email questions to the address on there if you'd like to see a post on your other questions. Good luck!!

stephanie said...

i have potty training advice, but you don't have to take it. :)

every kid is so different, so what worked for me might not work at all for you.

i trained mabel and oliver right when they were 2. oliver was the easiest. i sometimes think people wait too long.

once we start training, we don't leave the house for a few days, and we don't go back to diapers (unless they really aren't getting it. with mabel, we tried once but it just wasn't working, so we went back to diapers and tried again in a month or so). for the first day or two, i set a kitchen timer every 30 minutes. i call it the potty clock and when it dings, we go to the potty. it they sit, i give them an m&m. if they actually go, i give them a few m&ms. i think it takes kids a while to know when they have to go, so making them sit on the potty often prevents accidents. at night and during nap time, they wear pull ups, which we call "special nighttime underwear". once they have gotten the hang of it and we are able to leave the house again, i make sure they go potty before we leave.

potty training is a pain, but it doesn't last forever, and it is so much better than changing diapers.

good luck!

onehm said...

Lyndsay, I have never commented before, but you asked for advice...here it is! ;)

Diaper Rash: I swear by a spoonful cornstarch in the diaper at each changing. I had great success with it and some of my friends have too.

Baby and the Pacifier: My SIL dipps her babies paci's in sugar. I'm not sure if it works, my baby took one no problem. (But my 3-year old still LOVES it, so I have no advice on that...if you make it go away, I'd appreciate knowing what worked! LOL)

Potty Training: I say don't rush it. And when he's ready let him "go commando" (no pants, no underwear, completely bare!) for a couple of days. That's how I was able to do two at once with no accidents.

Good luck! Look at all you are doing while trying to move too! I'm impressed!!

PS...Love your blog!

Sarah said...

Hey,
Ok for diaper rash and face rash, I use Calendula cream, it's by a company called Weleda Baby. I get it at the health food store, good luck!

Jamie Antisdel said...

You have a lot of good idea already but here goes mine:

Diaper rash - Desetin and air

Face rash - Aquaphor (drugstore lotion aisle) mixed with a bit of Mylanta. I know this sounds so
strange but it helps with baby eczema, etc.

New baby paci - make a syrup with sugar and water, and dip the paci in it once it is cool. This was a trick from a nurse when we were in the NICU.

2 year old paci - Can't help here.

Potty training - Can't help here either.

Good luck!

Maria said...

Diaper rash: Bordeuax's butt paste (best ever, has worked every time for my kids when they have a really bad rash)
Face Rash: Have you thought about why she has it? I know my Olivia had a bad one when she was really new, and the Dr. told me it could be from the detergent I used on the rest of the families clothes (we were using Dreft for her, tide for us). I switched and used Dreft on everyones clothes and it cleared right up. Turns out she was breaking out from us holding her and rubbing her skin against our clothes. Also, could be certain food you are eating if you are breastfeeding? Just some ideas. :) I know my Dr. said many products out there that are used to treat this stuff don't work that well, or you really should not use them.
New Baby to accept a pacifier: I used Mylicon (an all natural sugary type liquid used for babies with gas, can find it at Target, WalMart) and put a few drops on the end of the pacifier and my babies would take it.
2 year old off the pacifier: Slowly clip it until there is nothing left... take a scissors and cut off just the tip of it and give it to him to use for a day or two. Then clip a bit more of, and let him use it for a day or two, so on and so on until there is nothing left of it. Worked like a charm for all my kids, and have known a bunch of other moms who have done it as well and it has worked for them!
Potty training: They will pretty much be ready when they are ready. Every child is different! I can say that boys tend to take longer to potty train... both my boys did not go on the toilet until right after their 3rd birthday. :)

make it perfect said...

Hello

I don't ususally leave comment on blogs of people I don't know...but stumbled across your plea and have some remedies that have saved our family!

1. Nappy Rash
Plain old cornflour sprinkled after every nappy change. Paw paw ointment also really good.

2. Newborn Face Rash
Let it run its course, it will only last a week or two and is perfectly normal.

3. When our kids turn 2 we hand them a pair of scissors and show them how to cut the teat off their dummy, then get them to throw it in the rubbish bit, we do this with ALL the dummies in the house and make a big deal about how they cut up their dummies and threw them in the rubbish so when they ask for them we remind them that they got rid of it!

4. Toilet Training
Don't push it and if it becomes stressful or a chore, then give it a break for a month before trying again. You can't make it happen, they have to be totally ready. My little boy is only just fully day trained and he is 3 1/2!! But it was much easier waiting until he was ready - it only took 1 day, rather than lots and lots of mess and grumpiness from me when I was trying to push it!

Hope this helps - chill out...it will all get better soon!

Jill said...

Are you sorry you asked for advice?! Now you've got so much conflicting advice that you'll never be able to decide what to do!

Jace never would take a binkie. Sad sad days. I hope Maya finds one.

I might wait on the potty training and getting rid of Finn's binkie until after you move. Let him have familiar things for at least a month in the new place before you change it up on him. With Cohen, we used something called the 3 day potty training miracle. (or something) Basically, you get rid of the diapers and put them in underware. You keep them in your sight at all times and when you see them start to go, you excitedly rush them off to the bathroom. It's all positive and happy and upbeat. No punishments or harsh tones. You are teaching them what the sensation feels like and how to react to it. Keep repeating over and over "Tell mommy when you need to go to the potty." Expect accidents, reward successes, BUT DONT GO BACK TO DIAPERS. Once the undies are on, the diapers are no longer an option. It worked for us... but every kid is different.

Mandee said...

for diaper rash, we use A&D- in the baby aisle.

for newborn acne, we used cortizone- works instantly.

and for paci's- the paci fairy came. We put all of his paci's under his pillow, and the paci fairy left a couple of cars.

Good luck!

Leah said...

Hey you...well I will go a little RN on you and tell you what we tell new parents at the hospital--
leave the face rash alone...the only thing we suggest is using a washcloth and wiping the face several times a day, especially after breastfeeding because lots of moms forget this step and residues left on your body (soaps, lotions, clothing detergent, etc)continually irritate her skin. We also always tell moms to make sure you have a barrier (burp cloth, receiving blanket) between her skin and whoever is holding her until baby is about 3-4 months.
*IF the bumps appear "oozey" or are associated with cradle cap we recommend Cetaphil cleanser...2x a day.

Diaper rash is a bit more tricky...you may notice certain foods (oj is a repeat offender) make it worse- limit them. the key is barrier ointment...we teach 70% or higher petrolatum content...this keeps moisture out which is what cause skin breakdown. slather this on so that it lasts diaper change to diaper change. When picking an ointment, think the consistency of Vaseline. If Momma can swing allowing him air time-especially sunshine- about 20 mins a day, it should clear up in about 2-3 days. Sunlight kills the bacteria that can grow in the area leading to yeast infections. If the diaper rash begins to change, has white bumps or blisters, the pediatrician will prescribe something.

As to getting Maya to take a paci...does she eat every time you nurse? If yes, she is stimulating your milk supply. Is she falling asleep while you nurse? She may not be getting full enough and requests seconds before you are ready :) If you are tempted to use the paci to avoid nursing, I might contact a lactation consultant...they always seem to have the best answers...and now about paci use as well.

As far as weaning Finn off the paci...everyone had an idea for me with Xander--short of pulling my own hair out, when he turned 2 we had a "goodbye paci party" and flushed them down the toilet because big boys don't use pacis...it worked like a charm. He only asked for them for the next day, and when he asked i would remind him he was a big boy now and that we said bye bye to paci and he would laugh and forget about it.

I am actually potty training Rory right now, and we are doing great...this is week 3 with diaper free days, and diaper only at night. Physically, toddlers don't have control of their sphincters until 24-30 months...if at first you don't succeed, wait. The boys were such a breeze! We never used little potties, I did that about 2 weeks and hated cleaning them out, so we bought step stools and cheerios and used the real potty and let the boys target shoot. helped keep spray in the bowl, it made it fun and they learned to do it standing up "like daddy"...follow his cues, you'll know ;)

Unknown said...

I am not yet a mother, but I babysit and I have heard lots and lots of advice.

For getting a two year old off the pacifier... one Mom that I babysat for used a "Pacifier Fairy" that works similar to the "Tooth Fairy."

Have the two year old put one of his pacifiers under his pillow at night... and in the middle of the night, the "Pacifier Fairy" will take his pacifiers and replace them with toys or some kind of reward.

You do this until all of the pacifiers are gone.

She says this works... she even did it with baby bottles.

Hope this helps.

Gillian said...

The diaper rash ~ use A&D ointment. It's amazing and you'll see an improvment in just one use. Seriously. I don't know anything about the face rash; you may need to ask your doctor.

My kids never would take pacifiers. If there wasn't milk coming out of it, they didn't want it! Fortunately for me, I didn't breastfeed so I didn't care how much they drank!

Brie said...

Soothie pacifiers are the best(but ugly as well). My son loved when I put my finger in the nipple part while he sucked. I think it brought the rubber to bodytemp, so he felt it was closer to the nipple. Dont get the Super Soothie(pink and blue) only get the original soothie(green). The supers are too thick.

Aaron [air] said...

Ok so on the face rash thing. We went through this exact same thing with our little girl in July 07 {she is almost 2 now}

We tried everything and a friend gave us a bottle of Maleleuca Renew{not sure if its spelled right}I still have a bottle in our now baby's nursery if you want the specifics.

Anyway she had rash on rash on rash and it was only getting worse. That cleared it up in all of about 5 mins and it is not medicated which I love.

We used it as needed. Now she still battles excema and its awful at times but again we have tried natural treatments to clear it up. because we hate the thought of her using steroid cream for all her life.

Email me if you want specifics on anything...because there is also a great brand of lotions we used on her that was more gentle and diaper rash was always a little more potent with her as well.

Anyway hope this helps.

Aaron Greenwood {female}
www.fabfoodandfun.blogspot.com
airgreenwood@gmail.com

Desiree said...

I rarely comment, but just thought I'd share a quick diaper rash tip. I also like bag balm, and it really seems to help for the severe diaper rashes. BUT when my daughter started getting really bad ones, it didn't always help. I started using garlic oil and it clears the rash up. Their little bottoms stink, but it works and I think every mom should have some garlic oil on hand for ear aches and such anyways. Crush 10 cloves of garlic into a glass jar (like a mason jar) and cover with 4 oz. extra virgin olive oil. The oil can be used within 3 hours but for best potency stickte jar in the sun for 3 to 14 days. Strain the oil through unbleached muslin to remove garlic pulp. This stuff stinks so bad, but it is such a great home remedy for so many things.

Sorry I rambles. I enjoy your blog. Good luck with your beautiful babies. You have the intuition to know what to do for them.

Caitlin said...

I stumbled onto your blog from NieNie's and love it.

I have a little boy about Finn's age and we ended the pacifier successfully, MUCH to my surprise. We gathered up all of his paci's he had left and put them all in his crib. We told them that once his were gone, that was it, I wasn't buying anymore. We got down to the last one pretty quickly (I may have helped him lose a couple)and once he lost the last one, that was it. No tears or troubles. He was pretty hooked and I was overly worried about the no pacifier thing, but figured the longer we waited, the worse it would be. We did wean down to naps and night time only, and then to just night time before we gave the paci's the boot. We also did a lot of talking about how pacifiers are for babies, how his were almost gone, etc.

All that being said, every kid is different, so go with what works for you and Finn.

Your family is beautiful!

Marin's Mom said...

I'm a little late keeping up with the post, my apologies if you've already received this advice....

Diaper rash - mix equal parts Milk of Magnesia and Benadryl cream. Use cotton ball to apply. Works like magic. (received this recipe from the pediatrician)

Giving up the bink – what worked for us...the Bink Fairy. My daughter was also using the binks at nap and night time, then just at night. As Caitlin states in her comment, we also reinforced the ‘you’re such a big girl now, etc.’. One day, we talked about the Bink Fairy, and how the Bink Fairy comes at night to take the binks for the babies that don’t have any. AND the Bink Fairy leaves behind a little gift of thanks, which my daughter was able to open in the morning. Worked like a charm for us. Then again, it may not work for you or others.

I love reading about your family. Good luck with the sale of the house, wish I lived in your area, I'd buy it in heartbeat!

niki said...

for diaper rash, my pediatrician recommended milk of magnesia (liquid). when getting ready to put on a clean diaper, use a cotton ball dipped in the stuff and rub it on the rash. let this air dry a little...i would fan with a diaper or blow on it. then rub some original desitin on the rash. may smear a little, but i just added a little more desitin. his rash cleared up in less than a day.

as for breaking the paci habit, we talked about the soon to be birth of a new cousin in a month, and she would need pacis. we put them all in a gift bag, and took them to her when we went to see them at the hospital. he never asked for it again. with my youngest it was a similar story, but it was a rough 3 days as he cried for it at night. that 3rd day he finally figured it out.

potty training is horrible. do it when they seem ready and don't push it. i had one do it on his own after his training got thrown off by my being on bed rest during pregnancy. a weekend alone with his parents while new brother was with nanna worked wonders. for the younger one, he fought me tooth and nail for a month. i didn't do pull ups; we just did it "cold turkey." it was a lot of crying on both our parts, but it finally hit him one day that he could go to the potty whenever he needed to.

Good luck with it all.

KatieJ said...

I'm really late in responding, it's taken me a while to sit down and read through all my blogs lately! I can't help you on the pacifiers because none of my kids were big on those, and we dealt with the face rash for a couple weeks but it goes away on it's own before long. Diaper Rash- Aquafor is the greatest stuff- it always clears them up over night. Good luck!!!

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