Baby Breakout!

I have never considered myself to be vain. Of course I care about my looks - shouldn't we all? But I am an extremely low maintenance gal. I can count on one hand the number of times I've blown my hair dry in the past year. My thinking is, 'Why take the extra 15 minutes when I could be sleeping in?'

And it's the same for my kids. They must look clean and neat before stepping out of the house. My daughter's hair must be brushed and swept back, clothes clean, nose wiped. With a newborn in the house, it's a bit more challenging to make sure all of this is accomplished every time we run an errand, but I make the effort none the less.

Before the breakout

The toddler I've got a handle on. It's the 3-week-old that is giving me problems. She's got a terrible case of baby acne! I knew this was coming, as my oldest daughter suffered through it for a few weeks as well, but it doesn't make it any easier to bear.

And it has caused me to do some unusual things. I've avoided having any professional pictures taken until it clears up - which could take who knows how long! The timing is especially unfortunate, as I had hoped to give my husband a cute framed photo of the girls for Father's Day.

What's a mom to do? I know I'm supposed to wait it out, as it's especially common in breastfed babies, but in the interest of Father's Day, I've decided to cheat a bit and see if I can come up with a few remedies.

I've found a bevy of ideas on Mamapedia.com:
- Cetaphil
- hydrocortisone
- washing with a warmly soaked rag each night
- rubbing breastmilk on the affected areas
- ponds lotion
- ruling out allergies
- checking to see if it's actually eczema

But, of course, I'd like to do the right thing, so I checked in with the American Academy of Pediatrics, which has a handy dandy handout about newborn skin conditions, which you can download here. Turns out "Baby acne develops within the first three to four weeks due to hormonal changes that stimulate oil glands." The academy recommends washing your baby's face with a mild soap and warm water, and advises that the condition will usually clear up on its own. If it doesn't clear up within three months, consult your pediatrician.

So, I suppose I'll wait it out before trying any lotions or creams while my daughter is still so new. And I can always Photoshop the acne away just in time for Father's Day!