Posted by KarenC on December 07, 19103 at 20:14:06:
In Reply to: Ointment posted by Noah's mom on December 07, 19103 at 18:59:00:
The problem with Desitin is that it contains fish oils and they do not wash out easily (of any fabric, not just cloth diapers). It will stain and leave an unpleasant fishy odor behind. I have heard that Desitin creamy doesn't contain fish oils but I can't verify that or how well it works.
I have heard of people using liners while using Desitin and it's worked for them. Keeps the oitment off the diapers while still protecting the skin. I would make sure it's either a very cheap piece of fabric I don't mind potentially wasting if it gets badly stained or too smelly (a few hot washes should take care of the smell though, it's not permanent, just very difficult to remove).
My best recomendation for diaper rash though is to use fleece liners (usually only necessary at night but can be used all day for babies with very sensitive skin). Fleece works because it isn't absorbant (100% polyester fleece anyway) and just lets the urine pass straight through to the diaper and stays dry itself, thereby keeping baby's skin dry. You can either buy stay-dry liners (with fleece or some other polyester fabric) or make your own by buying cheap polyester fleece at the fabric store and cutting it to the size/shape you need. You don't even need to sew a thing because fleece won't unravel.
I've also had great success with plain old petroleum jelly (Vaseline) as a moisture barrier. It's not medicated and doesn't contain any fancy ingredients but protects the skin from wetness by forming a barrier. Fleece is cheaper in the long run though, not to mention less messy and better for the environment.
Karen.