The Itchy and Scratchy Show

I'm not a medical expert, although, Ryan thinks he's a doctor. He has performed several shady procedures on himself and loved ones (me). I was young and in love, but I learned my lesson after one mishap, and he is not to go near Raegan with anything other than a Band-Aid! We've been through a lot of trial and error with her eczema, so I wanted to share what we've learned.

Here's a brief history of Raegan's eczema:

• 3 months - first noticed a mild rash on her forehead, applied Aquaphor daily
• soon developed dry patches on shoulders, stomach, and back
• 5 months - spot on her chest got very red and received first prescription steroid cream
• 7 months - bad flare up on her right leg, infection from scratching, antibiotics, switched to soy formula
• 8 months - worse flare up on her right leg, another infection, 2 antibiotics, more prescription creams, stopped soy formula because she did not have a dairy allergy
• 9 months - got it under control
• 10 months - saw pediatric dermatologist (appointment made 2 months prior), skin was great by the time we saw the derm. and she was very pleased with our skin regimen

Here are a few photos for reference, and these aren't even the worst :(

Everyone has their own regimen that works for their baby, but some things are universal when dealing with eczema. Here's what works for us and is recommended by our dermatologist:

• daily or every-other day baths in warm water, not hot
• wash gently with Dove unscented bar or Cetaphil
• limit bath time to 5-10 minutes
• pat the baby dry, don't rub
• if you are applying prescription creams, start with those, followed by a moisturizer all over
• Moisturize with CeraVe, Eucerin, Lubriderm, or Ceptaphil (Lubriderm works best for us)
• dress the baby is loose fitting cotton clothing so their skin can breathe (The exception for us has been leggings. Raegan needs something close to her leg to keep her from scratching. All summer she wore capri leggings under her shirts and dresses. I learned from experience that she could not be trusted with bare legs. Even when her skin was doing well, she scratched her leg, possibly out of habit? She will be in leggings all winter. I think loose fitting cotton pants brush against her leg and irritate the spots. When her leg was really bad, we put a tube sock on it with the foot cut out, kind of like a sleeve on her leg).
• wash clothes in a free and clear detergent, fabric softener is unnecessary
• be careful of your own clothing fabric, detergents, make-up, perfumes etc. as they will come in contact with the baby
• lotion all over at least twice a day ~ I do it in the morning when I change Raegan's clothes and at night after bath
• keep the baby's fingernails short and filed to prevent them from breaking their skin when they scratch

Lubriderm also makes a version of this lotion with SPF 30, so that will be her summer lotion on days we'll be spending time outside.

My mom had the idea to wash Raegan with this moisturizing glove. Notice it is not the rougher exfoliating glove that some people shower with. I love the glove because it is easier to use than a wash cloth, in my opinion, and very gentle.