EBF diaper rash and mild colic?

[Memphis]

My son is one month old and I am EBF. I have a 3yr old but was not successful in breastfeeding her. Thankfully with my son we have been doing great, well other than feeding very frequently! Which sounds pretty normal for his age. The thing is he has had a diaper rash on and off since week one and in the last couple days a yeast rash that looks horrible, red and raw with some broken skin. I spoke with the nurse and know how to treat it but she said it is unusual for EBF babies to get diaper rash!? Is that true? Also it seems our little guy may be a bit colicky which I had also heard was less frequent with EBF babies. So are we just really lucky or what!? The nurse mentioned that I may want to try to cut out all dairy for two weeks too but is that really necessary? I dont eat tons of dairy and when I drink milk it is skim but do like it in the morning for cereal or a bit of cheese in my omelette.... sorry I have so many questions! I thought I would love breastfeeding but to be honest it seems way more problematic and tiring as we never had any of these issues with our daughter who was on formula.

 

[bananaz]

I wouldn't jump straight to blaming breastfeeding for your son's issues. On average, kids with sensitive skin and dietary problems tend to do worse on formula, so just because your daughter was fine on it doesn't mean your son would be.

I agree that cutting out dairy would be a good place to start. I know it sounds like a pain but honestly it's not that big a deal. These days there are so many dairy-free alternatives available, it's just a matter of finding which ones you like. You may find that you actually prefer some of the substitutes over the "real" versions! You do need to cut out ALL dairy though, even if you only have small amounts, so that you can see whether or not he improves.

Colic can have a number of different causes that may or may not be related to a baby's belly. Some kids are just sensitive to being out in the world and get overstimulated easily and that makes them fussy. I would recommend looking into the Happiest Baby on the Block techniques if you haven't already - they are really helpful!

 

[Memphis]

Yes I actually have that book but havent read it all as of yet. One thing they recommend is swaddling but we are unable to do that right now as our son has a left hip click and has an appt in october to be assessed for that. Until then we actually have to double diaper him and tbey do not want him swaddled Yes I really should look into alternatives for milk. I know of almond or soy milk. Should I worry about a potential allergy to soy though? I do want to conti ue EBF, the nurse just kindof made me feel like we are out of the norm with how we are doing....

 

[SerenityNow]

I've never heard of it being unusual for bf babies to have diaper rash. All 3 of mine were ebf and 2 of them had trouble with rashes, my youngest would even get blisters and broken skin he also had eczema but that seemed to sort itself out by the time he was one and he hasn't had a flare in a long time. Some people have sensitive skin, it isn't always linked to diet.

Also, given your babies age and that you describe his colic as mild it may just be a developmental phase. Crying and fussiness peaks around 6 weeks (in all primates apparently, not just humans). If it is easy for you to adjust your diet then there's no harm in seeing if that helps but you may find that he grows out of it in a few weeks anyway.

 

[Scorpio23]

Wet wipes can cause nappy rash. I try to wipe only when necessary/when DS has a pooey nappy.
I use talc power or rash cream after each pooey nappy. The nurse suggested to use cotton balls instead of wipes.