Vaseline and baby oil

[LailaCa]

Did some shopping at Target today, however, after reading some of the message boards I find that I am STILL missing some items!!! I wonder if I will ever have everything little thing I need. My husband thinks I am crazy with all my little trips to Target and BRU.

My main question...besides for the circumcision, what do we use vaseline for? I bought diaper rash cream and baby lotion but I have no idea what I will use the vaseline for besides his circumcision.

Also..baby oil! What do we use that for?

[luvbeinmama]

Let's see...

Vaseline... the only other thing I used that for was to lube up the rectal thermometer. My son developed a condition where he just would not let go his sphincter muscles. When the dr was checking him, once, poop exploded across the room! So I had to try to help him "loosen up" by putting a thermometer in his rectum every diaper change for a while. (I know... oooo, fun! NOT!) Don't bother getting a big container of this. Try the "samples" aisle for a size more like travel size.

Baby oil... the only thing I ever used baby oil for was to loosen the scabby stuff on his scalp. Again, I would go for a travel size on this.

I never did use baby lotion, and he didn't need it. I guess this can depend on your baby and the local weather.

You may want baby powder, although I didn't start using it until later. Get the cornstarch version, not the normal stuff that has talc in it. Talc is not good for baby (or you) to inhale. Also, for future reference... take baby powder when you go to the beach! When you get ready to leave, just powder over all the nasty, sticky sand, and it brushes right off!

[trumansmom]

I use Vaseline all the time. We use it every diaper change to form a barrier, and only use the diaper rash cream when there is actually a problem. He's 6 and a half months old and has only had diaper rash a couple of times.

I've never used baby oil, but I do use lotion after every bath.

Good luck! And you might want to get the smaller sizes to begin with, because as you can tell, everyone has a different opinion on what works best, and you'll start to find what works best for you. Odds are the nurses will tell you something different than we did! And regardless, your hubby will probably be making a trip to the store before you come home with the baby for those last minute things. For me it was Tucks, vaseline and something else that I've already forgotten about!

[Sheila]

I used vaseline on my daughter's scalp when she had "cradle cap" (someone else mentioned using baby oil for this). I would rub it on her head right before a bath to loosen up the dry skin. It worked like a charm.

Also, in the winter, she had some dry skin patches on her arms and legs, and vaseline helped a lot with that. And, it is great for pink, chapped cheeks! Babies can get them for many reasons - from cold weather to drooling in bed!

I personally never have used baby oil, but I have always hated it for myself (soooo greasy) so that's prob why I opted for vaseline instead. A lot of this stuff really is personal preference... whatever you get into the habit of doing that works for you and your baby!

Sheila

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[egoldber]

I agree with the above, it is all mostly personal preference. Also, different peds give different advice on how to treat the same issues. The only thing I use vaseline for is to lube the rectal thermometer. I also never use baby oil. Occasionally, when it is really dry, I use baby lotion after the bath on her skin. As for cradle cap, my ped said to just ignore it and it would go away on its own. I use a lotion called Aquaphor, recommended by my ped, for her cheeks (she gets a rash from drool). I get it at Costco/Price Club. It is a little expensive, but works beautifully and is MUCH less greasy than vaseline.

I have never used diaper rash ointment (or anything else) on my baby's bottom. She has only had diaper rash once, when she was ill and had diarrhea for a couple days. It went away on its own after a day. Diaper rash mostly depends on your baby. Some are prone to it and some are not. Of course, good hygiene, frequent changes, and being sure to air dry before putting on the new diaper also help.

I wouldn't even both to try and have "everything" on hand. You'll still need to make a million trips to the store after you have the baby, so have the basics and then just get what you need as you need it.

HTH,

[mommymaria]

Up until recently, I only used Vaseline for the thermometer. But my son just had his first cold, followed by the teething sniffles. His little nose was so sore, and he hated when I would try to clean the crusty stuff that formed there. I rubbed a little Vaseline on his nose and upper lip to easily remove the crust and then left a light film of the Vaseline there for protection.


Good luck,
Maria

[emilyphill]

I recently heard on Oprah that baby oil is very dangerous. If a kid gets it into their lungs it is fatal. You don't need it!
Also, even cornstarch baby powder is bad for babies to inhale and it does nothing for their bottoms so don't even have it around because grandparents might reach for it.
You can use vaseline for dipering but something with zinc like balmex will totally prevent diaper rash.
- Emily in NYC

[laura_winckler]

My pediatrician told us to use Selsun Blue to wash my son's hair when he had cradle cap. (don't buy that now. You might never have to deal with cradle cap!) I've only ever used Vaseline for the thermometer, and I've never used baby oil or baby lotion. You really don't need as many of those things as you might think! We just used a head-to-toe baby wash, diaper rash cream occasionally, and that's about it. We used Aquaphilic (dry skin cream) when his skin was really dry and on his "old man feet" that he had as a newborn.

[Rachels]

I don't use the traditional baby oils, but I have used the Burt's Bees apricot oil (safe if ingested) on my daughter. Mostly I use it to do a light infant massage when I'm changing her diaper in the evening. It seems to calm her down. Also, the oil smells wonderful. Safflower oil is another safe choice for this. I also used the apricot oil a little bit when her newborn skin was peeling. She developed some cracks around her wrists and ankles, and I used the apricot oil when lotion seemed to sting.