Hello Tired Troopers,
Around 5 months old my son started getting eczema at 6 months he looked like a lepper!
I’ve always had eczema and IT SUCKS! So my poor baby boy got it from me, ugh! If your baby gets it, don’t panic! I know it looks horrible, but it isn’t contagious and your kid will be ok! But eczema sucks, so here are some things you can try to help:
Look for any possible triggers. Like I said he started showing eczema at 5 months and around the same time I had a small flare up. At the time, I didn’t think anything of it, but when his got worse and mine didn’t go away I knew we were both having a reaction to something. So look for possible irritants. Use fragrance free EVERYTHING. I know its super fun to use the cute baby body wash and baby lotions that make your kid smell oh-so-good, but don’t. Trust me, the fragrance lotions and body washes actually sting and make it worse! Aveeno, CeraVe, Aquaphor, these are what you want! Whether it’s the regular tubs or the specialty baby products these brands make. Some even make some geared specifically for eczema! I started with the regular tub of CeraVe and Aquaphor, but it wasn’t keeping up with my poor baby’s eczema, so I bought some eczema cream by CeraVe. DONT GET HYDROCORTISONE CREAM OR ANY OTHER MEDICATED CREAM FOR YOUR BABY UNLESS IT IS PRESCRIBED TO THEM BY A DOCTOR! And even then, I’d get a second and third opinion. Those creams (which i have used my entire adult life) are much too harsh for babies. Many have steroids in them and temporarily weaken the skin they are applied to.
Check into using a gentile laundry detergent as well. We like tide free and clear. Also, baths can help, but make sure it isn’t too hot and limit how long it is. If you pay attention you can literally watch their eczema patches turn bright red the longer or hotter the bath is. Our poor boy lit up like a Christmas tree after 3 mins in the bath! Bright red patches everywhere!
Once I learned what works for my skin I was able to omit all exterior triggers except for seasonal changes, that always made me flare up until my body regulated. But stress still remains a major trigger for me. For example, when my volleyball team went to state my thighs looked like I had leprosy. It was really embarrassing. I also got teased a lot as a child because other kids didn’t know what it was and it was weird and looked bad, so they would tease me and say it was contagious. Like kids tease about fictional cooties that you CANT SEE, eczema, unfortunately is very obvious. So, please try to teach your kids whether they have it or not, that it is only severe dry skin that needs some extra TLC and it is NOT contagious! Cause if your kid is lucky enough to never have it, chances are they will know or see someone who does! It’s very common.
Slather lotion on your kiddo every time you change their diaper. Put it everywhere except for the diaper area (unless they have patches there), but chances are it’ll be everywhere but there. Now trust me, there are going to be times, multiple times, when you won’t want to take the time to slather on the creams, but please look down at their eczema patches and try to understand how uncomfortable they are! Your little one needs your help! And when you win the battle and their eczema subsides, remember you haven’t won the war! Eczema still lurks beneath the surface just waiting for a trigger or for u to back off enough for a flare up! So, maybe not every diaper change, but keep up with moisturizing your little ones skin! Preventative measures really help!
I use it as a bonding opportunity. I talk to them and give them a little baby massage. I try to make them laugh. Anything to make it a positive soothing experience. And just think, if you train your baby that slathering lotion on them is a good thing, it’s just going to make slathering them in sunscreen that much easier as they grow up! That right there is a cause worthy bonus!
But remember once you slather them up they will get very warm. So be careful zipping them into a onesie and wrapping them in a blanket, because they might get to hot and uncomfortable. Especially if you use a heavy gel like Aquaphor. Good news there is that once you get lotion, cream or gel on your naked baby they will be warm. So you can take your time getting them into their clothes. No need to panic rush because your baby is wet and naked. And it’s hard to get them into clothes when they’re damp and/or all motioned up, so at least you know you have some extra time! They will literally have a moisturizing body suit on, so you can take an extra minute or two to calmly clothe them. And if you don’t know what I’m talking about just put lotion on all over your body next time u get out of the shower then get clothed, it will be super warm! Try it before you do it to your kiddo.
One last tid bit… you can’t always see eczema, but it will still be there. It might just be too light to clearly see. You’ll still be able to feel it though and if you give them a bath their patches will seriously light up like a Christmas tree! So be diligent with the creams and lotions until your baby’s smooth skin returns to normal. Then you can back off and apply as you see fit. Your kid will be much more comfortable if you do! And a comfortable kid = less meltdowns! Win, win!
P.S. My NICU Baby Buddy found out that my son had eczema and gave me a bunch of her breastmilk freezer supply to use in the bath to help soothe his skin! Bless her!!! Because I wasn’t producing enough milk to even feed both my babies, let alone have some left over for baths!!! I used some for his baths, but I actually ended up using most of it to supplement my supply and fed it to my babies. Bless you woman!!! We are so much stronger together, I’m so lucky to have her as part of my tribe!
