For something that was never even in my consciousness before having a baby, the subject of nappy changing accoutrements has taken up residence, along with friends feeding, bathing and sleeping, in the centre of my thoughts and occasional dreams.
We fight an endless, epic battle against blow-outs and nappy rashes in an effort to keep our younglings cooing merrily and comfortably.
When it comes to changing nappies, every mother's quest is to find the ultimate nappy/wipe/cream combination and pair it with the perfect technique for their baby's bum, wrestling with such questions as do I use talcum powder and risk Cancer (I think this is nonsense by the way)? Do I apply barrier cream at every change or only when rashes are imminent? Do I give the little toosh a warm water wash every time I see a poo? (While we spend some time analysing and agonising over poo colour, texture and frequency, I will not go there in this post.)
My journey began at the baby show where I received free samples of nappies and wipes. While I am still unsure of our nappy choice, This sampling led me to a wipes pack that I would not have otherwise encountered.
We use Aldi's Mamia wipes and have a healthy store of backup packs to boot. This is mainly because we never otherwise shop at Aldi and do not have one local to us.
We started out with Water Wipes, and although they are very nice, they did nothing to soothe a rashy tooshy. So I delved into the sample cupboard and tied a few options. When I got to the Mamia wipes, I hit paydirt as I saw a massive difference after just one nappy change. I did try the other things we had samples of but have no been that impressed.
When it comes to nappies, it's not that simple. We haven't really seen much difference between Pampers (we really like the product, the price; not so much) and supermarket brands. We currently use Mamia, which I find adequate, despite recent upwards and sideways blow-outs. (I am tracking this and if it continues beyond this week, we will be investigating alternatives.)
Our collection of nappy creams is a bit democratic. Basically, I've found that no one cream does it all so we use a bit of a mix, alternating between Bepanthen, Metanium, Sudocrem and a tube of Aloe Vera Gel. Surprisingly, I don't really over-think this part as I have found that the randomness and mix of products works best. Also, when she is borderline, rashy, I do use talcum powder to make sure she is super-dry before applying creams (I wipe it off with a flannel so there is no residue).
In terms of texture, each cream is different. Bepanthen has a greasy cream texture and slides on rather well, becoming translucent on the bum. Metanium is very thick, dry and chalky like that colourful zinc stuff you put on your nose, it coats the skin and remains yellow. Sudocrem has a an almost whipped texture. It is hard in its jar but applies smoothly and softens on the skin.
There are a couple of Hero Products that deserve a mention here. They are not changing items, but they make the experience much smoother.
And the Baby Shapes 4 Books and Mobile Set, which Liora loves. We put the mobile together and attached it to the changing station so it hangs above her head keeps her fascinated.
What are your go-to, hero products for nappy changing?
Please comment below. I may give them a go.