Help Please Im a New Mom

I have 6 and 4 year old daughters and while I clean there vaginas like that when they are "itchy" as they call it. I am very sensitive and so are they so I clean them how I clean myself when I am "itchy". I use warm soft washcloth with no soap and gently clean the outside of them, I then will take a new spot of the washcloth and open their lips and gently clean around their clotoris'. It isnt always the most comftorable thing for them but I try to be gentle and talk to them about something fun while we do it and they would rather me do it then their dad or the dr! Good luck

I am very surprised that the pediatrician hasn't said something to you when she was an infant. It is extremely important to clean her between the lips. She should never have that creamy white stuff, she can get infections. By cleaning her you are teaching her proper hygene. The hair concerns me. Is it a hair that came from someone else or is she growing pubic hair? It is not unheard of to start puberty at 3 but it is not good. She needs to see a specialist and they can give her something to stop the onset of puberty too early. I only feed my kids meat without hormones for that reason. the hormones they ingeste are hormones they don't need.

i agree with Brenda s and all who advise to take her to the Dr/Pediatrician. it can't hurt, and they will know what to do + be able to tell you how to take care of any problem. best wishes!

Take her to the doctor. If she has hair down there it could be a hormonal issue.

I don't think you should be cleaning it like that on a normal basis. I 2nd Mindy. A nice long bath would be better for her than for you to be wiping.

It is possible the white creamy stuff is a yeast infection, you would want a doctor to look at that, but yes it is ok to clean her in her private area. she would not know how to clean herself properly. The best thing to do is take her to the doctor to get this checked and ask your doctor to teach you the proper way to clean her private area. The doctor will actually show you. Asking someone to teach you your daughters proper care is fine to ask.

If the white stuff does not go away I would get that looked at incase it is a yeast infection. As for the cleaning you can wash her the same way you do yourself. I have 2 daughters (eldest is 4) and I let them have a good soak/splash in the bath for 5-10 mins before I actually wash them , then I put soap on a wash cloth and get them to stand up while I wash them.

I also think this sounds like it could be a yeast infection, so I would take her to the doctor. White does not sound like regular dirt to me. The doc can also show you proper cleaning. I think as long as you aren't penetrating her, cleaning is fine. You have to get in all the creases, just like when you changed her diapers. Little girls can't really do this themselves. One thing to be careful of is using bubble bath, this can upset the ph balance in her vagina. You should never do bubble baths for more than 10 mins and not very often, maybe every couple weeks. (the same goes for adults). You could use a mild vinegar/water solution on a wash cloth to clean her, that would be better than scented wipes. But I think the doctor should have a look. And there is nothing wrong with asking a good question to help your kiddo! :)

Better to use wash cloth, soft, with warm water not hot, to clean. The wipes can cause the area to get worse. Yes and clean every time you bathe her. If you are into natural use coconut oil to heal, just need a tiny bit for her body.

Hi R.,
The vagina is a self-cleaning mechanism - she can have discharge just like you would. It's actually not good to do too much cleaning. Normal soaking in the bath should be sufficient, plus proper wiping at bathroom time. Supplemental cleanings shouldn't be needed. However, if she is itchy and irritated, do make sure that the doctor checks her out for any type of yeast or other infection.

hi i have 2 little girls and just wanted to let you know how i do it. There isn't anything wrong with you doing that as long as it is a once in a while thing the reason being you could seriously hurt them and not know it if ur not extra gentle (my whole family is in medicine) But it's good that u are concious of whats goin on down there. as far as the hair, I have no answers, but with my kids should my 5 yr old tell me it hurts i will look to see what we have goin on, I agree sooo much I don't know if I could be anymore uncomfortable!!!! LOL HOWEVER SHE WOULD BE MORE COMFY with me doin it then some doctor she dosen't know. Showers are the best for that age and up because less chance of infection, and i take a wash clothe and tell her to "spread em" while standing up and wipe once good front to back and rinse real good. This has wokrd since she was about 3 my other is 2 so we aren't there yet :) good luck!

I think you are doing the right thing. Clean her like you would yourself. Good luck!

Just remember that she is too little to understand about wiping good so you need to be sure that she is clean. so be sure to wash her with a soapy washcloth everyday and rinse well. Also after my girls go poop I wipe them with a baby wipe ( they are 2 and 3 years old ) because they don't understand about being clean.

this is definitely something to talk to your peds doctor or nurse about to make sure there is not an infection

I just use baby wipes (soap can sometimes be too harsh but no soap is often not good enough. If you bathe her each day clean her up then if not then wipe her down when you change her undies and she should be good. (Sometimes just all the extra dead skin accumulates and that makes her itchy without a yeast infection) If it continues to be itchy it is a yeast infection. Check with her Ped the first time after that you can treat it with over the counter meds just like your own.
It's a good habit for her to develop for herself. You would clean anything else for her if she's not able and this is just one more of those things. Teaching her to respect her body will go a long way toward keeping those things private and giving her a healthy view of herself as a girl.