Newborn essentials: Pick the right baby wipe

Newborns have many needs, like love, frequent feedings and diaper changes. Babies can also have health issues that are different from older children and adults, like diaper rash. Diaper rash can be really painful and uncomfortable and can result in an unhappy and unsettled baby.

So, what does a newborn baby really need in the first few months? That’s a question new moms spend a fair amount of time thinking about. Most of us fall prey to the baby gear aisle, lured by the promise of some miracle product that will make our little one eat or sleep or poop better than any other miracle product out there.

As a new mom, you too have probably stared at price tags through sleep-deprived eyes, wondering if the purchase of sanity was really a possibility. Here’s the good and bad news: nothing you can buy is going to guarantee a stress-free existence with your newborn. Tiny people are a handful, and even the easiest babies will have some troubled times. That said, there is at least one thing that can make life with a newborn a little easier (and cleaner): baby wipes that are specially formulated for the soft, sensitive skin of newborns.

Here are a few tips when choosing baby wipes…

Quantity counts

Most new moms are staggered by how often a newborn needs to be changed, how many diapers and wipes are used on a daily basis and how annoying it is to run out of wipes in the middle of a messy diaper change.  Look for the packet of wipes that is less likely to leave you stranded in the middle of a messy diaper change with none. When it comes to wipes, quantity counts. Forget the small packets, and rather get the packet that has the most wipes to offer.

A clip lid is a bonus

There’s nothing worse than pulling a dry baby wipe out. Especially when you are so sure that you closed the packet the last time you used them. The result is wastage, as you dig through the packet to find a wet one. Choosing a wipe with a clip lid prevents wastage by ensuring that moisture loss of wipes is avoided.

Stay clear of parabens

Parabens are a class of chemicals widely used as preservatives by cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries. They are becoming increasingly controversial, however, because they have been found in breast cancer tumours and as such have been banned in the EU.

When choosing baby wipes, try to select ones that are paraben free. While you’re being picky, make sure that the wipes you choose are also hypoallergenic and alcohol free, have been dermatologically tested and are approved by Intertek Safety Assessment (which will ensure you that they are gentle enough to use on even the most sensitive newborn skin).

Those that contain Aloe vera, known for its skin-soothing properties, as well as Vitamin E, a natural skin conditioner, are a great choice.

Cherubs New Born wipes are available at leading retailers. For more information, visit www.cherubs.co.za

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