Ow.

[rivka]

Poor Alex is having a rough week for health. Tuesday morning she woke up with a diaper rash. I immediately started treating it with Balmex, but it only got worse. By last night, it was a livid, angry red. She screamed every time we touched it.

I called my parents, and they immediately diagnosed the problem as a yeast rash. (Later net research suggests that they were going by location (in folds and creases, rather than places with direct diaper contact), bright red color, and the stark border between rash and no-rash areas.) They recommended using a yeast-infection cream as well as Balmex, and washing her with plain water instead of baby wipes. (Apparently wipes contain alcohol. Poor little baby, I was putting alcohol on raw skin.) They also said that if she didn't improve with a couple doses of yeast medicine, we should take her to the doctor.

Michael fed and changed her at midnight, and applied the two medicines. He had closed the bedroom door and taken her downstairs. But her screams were so piercingly loud, so agonizingly distressed, that not only did I wake up, I nearly flew out of my skin. She sounded like she was being stabbed. I tried to lie in bed and withstand it - I knew Michael was taking good care of her - but I couldn't. I had to go downstairs. I found them just finishing up, and hovered while he settled on the couch with her, cuddling close and giving her a bottle. Then I went back upstairs. But I didn't start to relax until my baby was next to me in bed where I could wrap my arms around her, and I didn't settle down enough to feel like I could sleep for almost an hour. That cry dumped a week's worth of cortisol into my system, in a way that her hungry and overtired cries don't. My body was convinced that my baby was in danger.

She woke me up at five. I gave her a bottle and took her downstairs to change her, closing the door in an attempt to protect Michael's sleep. It turned out that I could've changed her right in the bedroom. She accepted the cleanup and the medicated creams without a whimper, eyes fixed on her teddy bear mobile. The worst scarlet patches were still there, but in other places her skin had already faded to pink. I changed her again at 7:30, and again she seemed to feel no pain. So we're going to keep on with the yeast medicine. I'm watching carefully to see if she needs to go to the doctor, but for right now I feel like she's turned the corner. God, I hope so. Poor little girl.

Comments

[tammylc.livejournal.com]

Yikes! Those yeast rashes can be a bear. Glad you figured it out quickly and she's responding to the medicine.

[rivka.livejournal.com]

Thank heavens for my parents, the retired pediatrician and the pediatric nurse. I had no idea how long it was supposed to take to treat a regular diaper rash, and I probably would've waited another day before calling Alex's actual doctor.

[curiousangel.livejournal.com]

I should point out that she almost always yells when I'm doing the midnight diaper change and feed, mostly because she's suddenly awake enough to realize, "Hey, I'm starving!!!" Yes, she was noisy last night, mostly because she was hurting, but she was also hungryhungryhungry, and she chose to pee all over the changing pad and herself about ten seconds after I'd gotten the diaper off her.

Basically, just about everything that could have gone wrong in her world had done so all at once (except for attack by vampires) -- she had just been awakened, she was hungryhungryhungry, she had a painful yeast rash, and she was wearing a onesie that had wicked up large quanities of pee. It's no wonder she was yelling in an inordinately pained fashion. I agree, though, she does seem to have turned a corner. Poor little girl.

[rivka.livejournal.com]

Yeah, but the hungryhungryhungry cry alone doesn't wake me up if I'm asleep upstairs. She always cries at the 5am (or whenever) feeding too, if I change her diaper before giving her a bottle.

I would like to point out that we don't have a dachshund, and yet nevertheless there was not an attack by vampires last night.

[curiousangel.livejournal.com]

I would like to point out that we don't have a dachshund, and yet nevertheless there was not an attack by vampires last night.

We've got the stuffed one that geekchick gave us, but that won't keep them away forever -- they'll figure out soon enough that it won't bite.

[geekchick]

Obviously you got lucky this time, but do you want to count on the fact that the vampires will continue to be unaware that you don't have a real dachshund in the house? ;)

I thought of you the other day -- we were at Petsmart and the folks in line in front of us had three dachshunds: one sitting in the cart and being very friendly, another adult who was sitting by the door, and the cutest little tiny puppy toddling around. *squee*

[janetmiles.livejournal.com]

Poor kidling. And poor you, too; that particular shriek hits even *my* minimal protective instincts, so it must have been awful for you both.

I'm glad the rash is getting better.

[samtosha.livejournal.com]

Huggies and Pampers both make what they tout as "Natural Care" diaper wipes and they contain no alcohol and no fragrance. Just thought you might like the info. I am glad Alex feels better. I know when my Alex would get those yeast rashes, he would be miserable for a few days and his discomfort was very disconcerting to my mommy sensibilities. You are doing a great job. Hang in there.

[richtermom.livejournal.com]

For us, we would let her sit in her tub a little extra just to make sure there wasn't anything uriney soaking into her skin, then we'd let her air dry a bit more, and then we'd put on the two creams. Also, especially since you're pumping anyway, you might want to look into some acidophilus or whatever the active ingredient in yogurt is -- that'll help her innards get back into whack.

ouch!

[librarygrrl]

Max had occasional problems with that, too, and it took us a little while to figure out what it was. No fun at all! Hugs all around. :)

[morning-glory.livejournal.com]

I'm glad to hear that her yeast rash is getting better. One of the things we did when LB got a yeast rash was put her so that her parts got some sunlight through window, since sunlight helps kill the yeast. We just set her on her changing pad in the patch of sun with her bare but for 10 minutes a day, and it seemed to help.

[saoba.livejournal.com]

Poor little treasure! One of my children had yeast diaper rashes. They were fast-spreading and clear pure misery for the baby (and surrounding concerned adults). The diaper cream that worked was prescription only.

And, yes, I was the kind of parent who would drive across town to the military base at midnight if the dreadful rash began and insist on being given the medication Right Now Thankyou, My Baby Is In Pain. After the second such trip I got an open scrip from the pediatric clinic and kept it on hand. Specially treated diapers from the diaper service helped and 'air baths' on a daily basis worked a treat at keeping it at bay.

And there is no sound in the world like the sound of your child in pain. My body would hit red alert and be ready to fight saber toothed bears at the first cry.

[journeywoman.livejournal.com]

Note that lots of wipes do not contain alcohol, not just the so-called "natural care" ones. I just use baby washcloths with plain water or my own wipe solution (8 oz peri bottle filled with water, a drop or two of tea tree oil, a drop or two of lavender oil, and a couple drops of baby soap).

More info on possible ways to fight yeast infections here:

herbal solutions to yeast problems

[rivka.livejournal.com]

Actually, now that I read the label, Alex's wipes are alcohol-free. (Everything we use with her is fragrance- and dye-free, because my skin reacts to perfumes and dyes so it seems reasonable to expect hers to.) But something was clearly irritating her sore skin in a way that plain water isn't. Can't beat the convenience of wipes, but I'm going to hold off on them until she's healed up.

[platypus]

Poor kid. *I* sometimes get skin-fold rashes and they aren't nice! I've got some stuff from the doctor that clears them up like magic, but I suspect it would be too strong for a baby.

[hobbitbabe.livejournal.com]

Peggy is just wincing in sympathy, both for Alex's rash and for your natural response. Not having direct experience with either, I was also thinking it was cool.

[rivka.livejournal.com]

Not having direct experience with either, I was also thinking it was cool.

Evolutionarily speaking, you mean? Yeah. At the beginning I had this intense visceral fight-or-flight surge every time she cried. As we get more experienced, she's begun to differentiate her cries and I only have the superstrong reaction to the pain cry. (I bet it would also happen in response to a fear cry - we'll see. I can't think of anything Alex fears. Of course she has the normal inborn fear of falling, but she doesn't know enough physics yet to anticipate situations in which she might fall, and cry about them.)

[mactavish.livejournal.com]

Yay for your parents, and I'm glad Alex is feeling better. (I'm amazed by the number of people on places like vaginapagina who ask questions like, "But how can I have a yeast infection? I'm still a virgin!")

[rivka.livejournal.com]

Oh my God! Do you think Alex has been messing around with the baby boy down the street? I knew I shouldn't have let her waltz out of the house in that short little playdress!

[eeyorerin]

It's the pink. It's got to be the pink. :)

[erbie.livejournal.com]

Poor baby. I know that scream. My daughter had those often when she was a baby. We used plain water and soft paper towels, or those soft baby washcloths when she had it. I also took extra acidophilus to combat it. If you can eliminate sugar and yeast from your diet as well, that could help get it over with faster and prevent another one. They also make Baby-dophilus, which helps reset the flora in her intestines to get rid of the yeast. If you can't find that, you can get adult acidophilus and break open the capsules and give her a little on your fingertip, and also use it to make a paste, with a few drops of water, and put that on the rash. That does wonders.

[rivka.livejournal.com]

If you can eliminate sugar and yeast from your diet as well, that could help get it over with faster and prevent another one.

Thanks for the advice! Her rash has cleared up really well with yeast treatment.

It turns out that the yeast which causes infections is completely different from dietary yeasts, so there's no need to eliminate yeast from anyone's diet when treating an infection. Just thought I'd pass that on.

[rdhdsnippet.livejournal.com]

Hi... I don't think we've actually ever met, though I've met curiousangel and we have some other common friends, so I've been peeking in at your new motherhood stuff occasionally, since I have a new baby now of my own too. :o)

We just had a go-round with thrush and yeast and it is absolutely heartwrenching, I know!! I just wanted to tell you that I had GREAT results with a. giving my baby's bottom some fresh air time - I put a chuck down and a towel on top of it, and just set him on his belly for a bit. In the course of the nap he took there - maybe an hour or two tops - there was significant visible improvement. I also washed his bottom during diaper changes with cotton balls and either a really weak solution of vinegar water (like 1tsp to a cup or so of water) - this won't "cure" the yeast but it keeps it from getting worse, or a solution of 15 drops of Grapefruit seed extract per ounce of water (which you can get at any health food store). It did wonders.

Good luck!

[rivka.livejournal.com]

I am amazed that your baby stays on his belly for an hour or two. Alex is fed up after about five minutes of tummy time. ;-) Thanks for the advice! She's doing much, much better.

[porcinea.livejournal.com]

Cottonelle (wipes for adults, not specifically for babies) are the most gentle that I've found. All the others have some kind of detergent! on them.

Switching to a cloth diaper while she's rashy will help it go away faster.

[rivka.livejournal.com]

Switching to a cloth diaper while she's rashy will help it go away faster.

Huh. My folks (who cloth-diapered all their kids) told me exactly the opposite - although they also said that the disposables that were around when we were kids were so horrible they'd cause diaper rash within minutes. I'm having a hard time seeing how cloth diapers would help clear up a rash, because they leave wetness in contact with the skin. But you've found differently?

At any rate, Alex's bottom looks great now. It really was yeast, and several days' treatment with Nystatin was all she needed. She's back to grinning her way through diaper changes.

[mgs.livejournal.com]

Now that you've seen it you'll certainly recognize the yeast if it happens again. The twins had multiple infections for about the first six months. The doctor said this was becaus their estrogen level was quite high, since Reen had produced massive amounts during the pregnancy.

One of our most awful experiences was when Aliera got impetago at about a year old. This is a very stubborn bacterial skin infection and we had to scrub the sores until they bled freely twice a day for about a week. Having no way to explain why we had to hurt her over and over was heart breaking.