Hi Mamas! I was just wondering if any of you have any tricks for cleaning those pesky folds in baby's neck... My little one seems to collect ookies there and is not exactly patient when I'm trying to clean there. Plus, it's usually red. Any tips would be greatly appreciated.
I used baby wipes to wipe the area. Once it was dry, my pedi told me to put a little diaper cream on the area. Worked like a charm!
During bath time I used the blue bulb syringes...it is good for cleaning and rinsing.
During bath time I like to use the peri bottle they gave me at the hospital and squirt in those little folds. I also like to use it to rinse their little heads.
If he spits up, I take a cloth wipe (we cloth diaper and use cloth wipes) and make sure and wipe under there as well. The times he's gotten red are when I didn't get spit up cleaned up (didn't know it was there!). Then I put bee balm on there (a natural salve made with beeswax and propolis) and it healed right up. I would imagine what you use for diaper rash (as this is red from moisture and friction) would work.
I stopped using my wash rag for this and started using my fingers with soap on them. My lil one screamed when I would do it with a rag, so now I use my fingers to "get her" or "tickle her" and make silly noises, so she thinks it's a game and I get to make sure I get all the rollies. Her neck gets red as well, but I try to make sure to keep a cloth diaper around in every room to wipe the drool from her chin. Right now, it's not going to happen, because she is chewing on EVERYTHING all day!! ha
Lay your sweet baby on the floor. They usually look up and you can wipe baby's neck with a warm washcloth then.
It's hard to get a washcloth under there. My mother in law taught me to lather up and clean under the neck with my hand. Its easier to reach and feel if you are getting to all the folds. Baby seems happier with that too!
I used to have this problem too. My son was a little porker and would always get milk and spit and everything else stuck in those rolls. So, the best way was to lay him in my lap with his feet towards mine and his head closest to my stomach so he would want to look up at me. I used a soft baby wipe or a warm tiny wash cloth. The redness was there if I didnt dry it well, so be carefull that. Good luck!
Do as Allison said and then put some babypowder with cornstarch in it under the neck. this will help keep heat rash and reddness away..
Good luck..
oh yeah little fat baby neck is the hardest thing to get to! What I realized is that it was getting red because I wasn't getting it totally dry due to all the squirming during dry off time. I started taking a small toy and holding it over my baby's head and just back a little where he would have to lift up his chin to see it and reach for it, as soon as he did I would swoop in and dry that neck really good. That got rid of the redness problem really well. :)
As one person recommended use your fingers lathered up and then your baby should get undered you doing that and then you can introduce the washcloth. For the redness, I just took my 8 month old in because baby powder wasn't working anymore, and the doc recommended hydrocortisone 1%, after bathtime.
Lay him on your legs (you sitting in a chair) and let his head fall back so you can get access. He will most likely enjoy the new perspective on the world and you can get a washcloth in there. Use a dry one afterwords and maybe some diaper cream so the redness doesn't get worse.
Hi AM
My grand daughter has the same issue- her mom used the baby wipes or a cloth with mild soap and water- then she used baking soda for the redness- it works- baking soda is a great healing agent for the redness- and it helps keep it dry to prevent more irration.
I know that the folds were so deep that even laying him on his back I couldn't really get into all the folds. I found that if I put him on the bed for some tummy time and then kneeled on the floor and got the folds from underneath while his head was up I could work a wet washcloth in. LOL! Good luck!
Keep it dry! We use the cloth diapers for burp cloths, so we just keep one tucked under her chin while she's feeding, and have one probably in every square inch of the house for the spit ups (she has reflux). I put good ole baby powder in her rolls every morning and evening, especially if its been a bad spit up or sweaty day. Sometimes though, she does get a little infection/rash there, and my doc told me to use cortisone 10 and lotrimine (anti-fungus) until it clears up, then back to the powder.
