Bathing and Bum products for bub, creams, cloths, wipes etc what do you recommend?

[Babyluv]

Hi ladies,

I was wondering what your recommendations are for baby products?

I bought a bottle of Moogoo milkwash and a tub of Uddercream thinking these would be great and just found out they have palm oil in them will use them until finished but trying to make as little impact on the environment as possible so would prefer palm oil free products.

Not keen on using the big name brands that are full of chemicals, I want something natural, not too pricey that smells yummy.

So what do use on bubs? Wash, bum cream, scalp care etc?

Also what do you recommend for wipes? we were given some johnsons wipes but i'm apprehensive. Do you use cotton squares to wipe bubs bum? and then chuck them in the wash? If so do you add a cleanser or just water to clean bubs bum?

Also we are using cloth so i'd like a product that will prevent nappy rash without interfering with the bamboo absorbency.

Also for cloth nappy users, do you have a little squirt? do you use liners? how do you dispose of poo?

Feel free to rample off a list of what you use and why because I don't really know what I need and what I don't

Thanks Ladies

[LimeSlice]

I was wondering what your recommendations are for baby products?

Some cloth wipes - I prefer flannelette.
Lavender, Tea Tree essential oils
Warm water
Tnderbox Calendula Ointment.

Honestly, you do not need anything else (unless bubs gets extreme and very persistent nappy rash, but we never had that issue)

So what do use on bubs? Wash, bum cream, scalp care etc?

Essential oils, warm water and a cloth.
No need to use bum cream until any nappy rash appears, and the calendula will clear it up the same day. Make sure you wash your nappies every so often in Tea Tree oil to kill any fungal problems - often a cause of recurrent nappy rash is a fungal infection, easily killed by lavender or tea tree oil.

Scalp care? Same as everywhere else lol You only need to bathe a newborn every few days, we just spot washed her bits every nappy change.

Also what do you recommend for wipes? we were given some johnsons wipes but i'm apprehensive. Do you use cotton squares to wipe bubs bum? and then chuck them in the wash? If so do you add a cleanser or just water to clean bubs bum?

Flannel squares - you can sew them yourself or buy them lots of the MPMs sell them.
We have everything from old terry flats and flannel flats cut up in squares to old tea towels - work fabulously - cut up as well lol. You can really use anything. Lots use cotton wool buds. I jut found flannel easiest, and best (most effective for poos!).
You can get wipes solutions from most WAHM stores online, I personally used a few, but warm water works just as well - a little spray bttle you fill daily and keep at teh change table.

Also we are using cloth so i'd like a product that will prevent nappy rash without interfering with the bamboo absorbency.

There is a Paw Paw ointment - YELLOW tube - you can use without liners I think, but the calendula mentioned above is all we used for the most part. And always use a liner with any creams etc anyway.

Also for cloth nappy users, do you have a little squirt? do you use liners? how do you dispose of poo?

Never had a Little Squirt but WILL be getting one this time around. I used to take the pooey ones outside and hose them off into the garden bed But will be getting one this time around.
We used liners for a while, but they are fairly useless on BF newborn poos. Later on they become much more useful.
Get some microfleece from Spotlight and cut it into nappy width strips yourself. Also raw silk liners are great for bubs who want natural products next to their bits. Raw Silk were by far my favourite.
Newborn poos - nothing you can do. Put them all in the wash and give an extra rinse. DH is poo-ranoid so he will doa rinse first, wash then extra final rinse lol
Once they get more solid, scrape of into toilet and then wash (we had a designated metal spoon for this rather pleasant task lol Was kept with the toilet brush)


Feel free to rample off a list of what you use and why because I don't really know what I need and what I don't

DO NOT NEED EVER:
Powders of ANY sort.
Any products, save maybe Sudocream, you get in any Bounty Bag.
Alomost anything you buy in a baby isle at the supermarket.
Basic rule of thumb: If it contains things you wouldn't use yourself, things you can't pronounce, or need google to find out what they are, and where they come from, you don't need it.



HTH

[~Kim~]

ETA :yeahthat: snap Limey.

For in the bath when they're tiny I use only water. When they're bigger I use 3 drops of lavender in the bath and I like Ecostore products from woolies and there's another wash with mallow and something.....grrr can't remember the name.
I still don't use shampoo or moisturisers on either of my two, but have never needed too.
In times of desperate bum issues I eiether use teatree oil or a petrochemical free pawpaw ointment (either the orange or black tube from the chemist - not Lucas), but in all honesty for DD that was about twice and DS has had separate issues that required seriously heavy duty stuff. If I need to use anything I use microfleece liners and have never once had an issue.

My fave wipes are madoe of either bamboo velour or fleece and cotton jersey on the other side.

I've never had a little squirt and I've managed just fine. I have an old spoon in the laundry for any emergencies lol. I only use liners when using product and i just tip what comes off by itself into the loo and use my spoon for the rest. I rinse in the laundry tub with hot water if it's really yuck.

I truely only use the basics.

[LimeSlice]

I've never had a little squirt and I've managed just fine. I have an old spoon in the laundry for any emergencies lol. I only use liners when using product and i just tip what comes off by itself into the loo and use my spoon for the rest. I rinse in the laundry tub with hot water if it's really yuck.

Let's hear it for the Poo Spoon!

[~Kim~]

stupid I know....but I got the idea off ~Raven~ :P

[Babyluv]

Haha gotta get myself a poo spoon must remember this!

Thanks for the tips once again ladies, Limeslice I'll be sourcing that calendula cream!

Good to know all of this, it's very easy to be fooled by clever marketing into thinking you need a bunch of products when by the sounds of it you really don't!

Thanks again

[Mum2Romone]

What do you use for cradle cap?

DS is nearly two and still has this a little bit because I'm scared to pick at his head.... I remember when it was really soft ' his scalp that is and so I just left it. I hasn't gone away by itself though

Help? Something natural obviously

[sasha]

Pretty much what others have said. Water for bathing, until they start moving about on their own and start to get dirty. I use a miessence body wash for hair and body a couple of times a week (although with T, it was ages until she actually GREW any hair to wash LOL). Bare bottom time helps with nappy rash, but if I have to use a cream, I use liners. We don't have a little squirt, and I've toyed with the idea of getting one this time, but I probably won't. I tend to hold onto the nappy, put the lid down as far as it goes without squashing my fingers and flush the nappy - haven't lost one yet!

[maz]

stupid I know....but I got the idea off ~Raven~ :P

you know I bought that woman a dame good scrubbing brush and she never used it

I cant remember the last time we used our little squirt either..pooh gets flickied and rinsed in the laundry sink...especially after I hear that it all goes down the same pipe anyway.

PMSL at you Limey.....I just went to woolies and walked down the supermarket baby isle and thought good do people really know what their buying into when they come down here.

Oh and if you HAVE to use powder...use cornflour in a shaker container...much much better

[LimeSlice]

I know Maz! It is a disgrace, but people honestly think you need all these bottles of crap!

M2R - use olive oil, massage it into his head and leave it on overnight, pop him in a shower cap and wash it off in a warm bath in the morning. You'll need to keep doing it unti it goes away... I still get cradle cap now sometimes lol

And don't use shampoos or soaps on his head as they will dry it out.

[Hollybolly]

A POO spoon you girls say?!?!?!

I've finally just ordered my Little Squirt.. pretty excited about using it I have to say Might give the poo spoon a go until it arrives although don't know how effective it is with breastfeeding poop?

So, Lime & Kim have really summed everything up I would've said!

I get the foamy wipes wash online from Bubblebubs... its been perfect for DS & I love all of the yummy smells. At home I just use water a lot, but the foamy wipes wash comes in handy for the napppy bag.
I've got a range of different types of cloth wipes, I do like the bamboo or the flannelette ones too... flannel is great for poo!

I use a fleece liner - one because it makes it easier to contain the breastfed poo in the one place, and less mess in the nappy (I've found this anyway)... and I find it easier to clean off the liner rather than the nappy itself.
I like the idea of the fleece against bubs bottom... and I also want to keep the nappies lovely as long as I can so the liners definately help with that too

I either bathe him in just water, or the Moogoo Milk wash.... I know its not necessary to wash in anything, but I do like the moogoo

[CrazyLady]

Let's hear it for the Poo Spoon!

I was rinsing pre little squirt but I can't reach my laundry trough and felt it was unhygenic rinsing it in the bath. Plus DD's poos took a good 10 mins to rinse, i have no idea what that kid eats!!

I just bought cheap facewashers because i found they helped collect poo but the cheaper ones aren't so plush so wash well without bits staying stuck in (ewwwwwwwww)!

I use the black tube of paw paw that's petrochemical free for overnight as she sleeps 12 hours and is a champion piddler and also for times when she's a tad red/spotty. Clears it right up!

Ecostore bath products! Sorry that's all I can think of right now as DD STINKS so off to change her bum!

[mummydreamer]

ETA :yeahthat: snap Limey.

For in the bath when they're tiny I use only water. When they're bigger I use 3 drops of lavender in the bath and I like Ecostore products from woolies and there's another wash with mallow and something.....grrr can't remember the name.

the brand is called Method, i have used them a few times and they're nice.

are you serious moogoo has palm oil in it??? i'm so shocked, i really thought they wouldn't.how disappointing :-\

in terms of what to use, i think everyone has listed some good things. plain water while they're really young, essential oils. paw paw ointment. this one is natural:

Simmons - Petroleum-free Paw Paw salve 25g tube

the aldi fragrance free nappy wipes are really good, if you needed to buy wipes at some point. and i really love Gaia's products, they're really good for bub too.

[CrazyLady]

the brand is called Method, i have used them a few times and they're nice.

That's the one that makes DD's skin break out. It's the mallow one in the little animal shaped bottle and looks the colour/consistancy of honey.

I can't for the life of me find my natural paw paw ointment right now. I will have to buy about 5 tubes while visiting melb I think because it's FANTASTIC stuff!

[allycat06]

For the first few months I didn't use anything on DS. For nappy changes just some cotton balls and warm water did the trick.
After that we've just used the Gaia products. Only need a few drops so they last for ages and I like that I can just buy them from the supermarket. I also like the Burt's Bees range, Baby Bee.

We use a combination of cloth and disposable wipes, flannel squares (Big Softies brand, I'm too lazy to make my own, I think it's about $5 for 12 or something like that) and Gaia bamboo wipes.

[luna moth]

Flannelette squares and face washers at the ready here! My flanno squares are old pillowcases cut up and edged. I hate disposable wipes, but they are great to have on hand for cleaning stove spills, skirting boards, DH's bikes etc.
Scalp care - since you're asking now - use a face washer, just wet with water and run it firmly over baby's head, backwards from the forehead, just to sort of scrub off any issues before they start. Do it daily from birth. I second the olive oil treatment if you do run into any issues.
I have ecostore and Gaia (x3!) and aromababy bath wash, don't know which I like. Probably won't use them in the bath, but I might make a pump pack with a little bit of baby wash and some water to use as a wipes solution.
And we've got microfleece liners that I made, it's just cut up microfleece. It was on special at Lincraft last week, being end of winter, or you can always buy it off ebay in a wider variety of colours.

[leckert]

Hi ladies,

I was wondering what your recommendations are for baby products?

I bought a bottle of Moogoo milkwash and a tub of Uddercream thinking these would be great and just found out they have palm oil in them will use them until finished but trying to make as little impact on the environment as possible so would prefer palm oil free products.

Is there a fancy/chemical name for palm oil?

I've just looked at my MooGoo stuff and I can't see it listed as palm oil on the ones I've got. We use the MSM cream - for bum and moisturiser, psoriasis & eczema cream, milk wash for bath (we also have the shampoo & conditioner not used yet) and the scalp care cream (to reduce the cradle cap).

To answer some of the other Qs

When we use commercial wipes (more often than not ) we use the Curash brand, either the fragrance free (still smells nice) or the soap free ones. They are nice to DS's bum. The huggies brand were nasty - DS didn't like those at all.

Lil Squirt - used it frequently, even with the NB / BF poops. Made rinsing out those MCNs easier and made me feel like there was less poop to go through the machine. Don't use it as much now with DS's poop as it now tends to roll off the nappy into the loo. I only use it when the poop really sticks.


Cornstarch, I think is sold in Aus as cornflour (I remember trying to find cornstarch for a slow cooker recipe (US recipe) and discovered that it was the same as cornflour.) Maybe try the cooking (flour etc) aisle at the supermarket.

[LimeSlice]

Usually Palm Oil listed as Vegetable Oil.