No parent ever wants to see a bright red rashy bottom on their baby, and even worse a rash that won't go away! Some babies have sensitive skin so just any ol' cream or ointment simply won't do. Other times you find you are battling a yeast infection, and that might mean treatment for thrush and possibly treating yourself for a yeast infection as well. What to do?

It is important for the baby's skin to be exposed to the air as much as possible. Babies have delicate soft skin, and constant exposure to wet and soiled diapers, where air can't get to it, is breeding ground for a rash. At the first sign of a rash developing on your sweet baby's bum, act immediately. The easiest and safest method to cure a simple diaper rash is to gently wash the baby's bottom with water, pat dry and leave the baby diaperless for as long as you can in a warm room. If you find you just can't let your baby go bare as much as you would like, try to change the baby's diaper as often as possible and consider using a breathable diaper cover such as a wool or fleece soaker. Apply a barrier cream or ointment that is both soothing and healing to the skin, as well as a bit of protection from urine. Once the baby soils a diaper with feces, and is mixed with urine, the chemical reaction of the two literally burns your baby's skin if not attended to immediately.

Ointments made from comfery, calendula or chamomile have a natural affinity for healing the skin and are safe to use on baby's skin barring any allergies to the herbs. Use olive oil and natural beeswax as a base to the ointment, as these two ingredients are soothing and healing to the skin as well. If you aren't up to concocting your own diaper rash salves, check out your local health food store for herbal ointments. Weleda and Burt's Bees make nice creams for babies using natural ingredients. (I won't get into a long discussion on herbs here, but always be sure you are confident in the source of any plants you use. It is of great importance that they are grown organically or wildcrafted with conscience of the environment.) Stay away from using baby powders and talcs as these can be irritating to the skin and lungs, and frankly don't do much for a stubborn diaper rash. Other safe options for topical use on a rash are aloe leaf gel and vitamin E.

What if you've tried every diaper rash cure you can think of and your baby's bottom is still red? Time to consider a yeast infection as the culprit. If your baby is breastfeeding you will need to treat both your breasts and baby's mouth for thrush, even if you don't have any symptoms. Yeast infections often times begin in the baby's mouth and travel down the digestive system to the anus creating a stubborn yeast rash. If your baby is bottlefed, you will need to boil all bottles and nipples for every use.

Yeast infections can be difficult to get rid of, so it's important to stick with the treatment of your choice until you are certain it is gone, up to two weeks after symptoms disappear. It is not uncommon, especially in families that have a family bed sleeping arrangement, to pass a yeast infection around not only from mom to baby, baby to mom, but to dad as well. Wash all bedding, towels, clothing, and especially diapers on the highest temperature they can tolerate. Add white vinegar or apple cider vinegar to the rinse and line dry outside if possible.

Hannah is a full-time SAHM to six children and leader of the Pregnancy & Babies Communities at Mother's Nature.
Hannah is also a partner in nurslings, and a childbirth educator and doula.