I'm a full-time mummy

The other day, I saw a mummy asked "Want to ask if cleansing wipes is safe for newborn? Anyone use any good brand to wipe LO buttock after LO poo?" in one of the mummy groups I joined on Facebook and decided to write this post to share our methods of how and what we do when washing our little ones (aka LOs) bums after they pooped.

My immediate reply was "At home, I used warm water with facial cotton for both my kids before they turned 1 month old. After 1 mth old and before they can stand, I washed them over the sink or bend over my lap while I squat on bathroom floor. If outside, I use baby wipes, brands not particular. Most important is apply nappy cream after wash and clean to prevent rash. I apply nappy cream for first 2 months after that no more."

Now, before I elaborate further, just want to share that both my kids so far have never experienced any nappy rash and I think it is because we do the following:

1. Ensure baby diapers are regularly changed (I changed when I feel it is heavy or after they poop of course or if it is not heavy at all, I will still change every 2-3 hours)

2. Ensure baby's bum are wiped clean (whether you use baby wipes, cloth, wash etc)

3. Apply nappy cream around baby's bum area (concentrating on the area where they would be in most of contact of pee or poop). We use Bepanthen Ointment 100 gr. Tube for both our kids.

4. Always be alert to check whether baby has pooped or not and don't let them sit (soak!) in their pooped diaper for long time.

Ok, back to our bum washing regime:

1. Newborn until 1 month old:

For both our kids, before they turned 1 month old, we use facial cotton wipes (no particular brand), soak into a small container of warm water, squeezed off the excess water and wiped their bum.

Each facial cotton wipes can only be used once, meaning, soak into warm water, squeezed off the excess water, wipe to clean, then throw (never re-dip the facial cottons into the container of warm water!). Repeat until bum is cleaned. Then apply nappy cream and put on new diaper.

2. For 1 month onwards until they can stand by themself:

After 1 month old and before they know how to stand themselves, we will carry them and wash them over the sink. And yes, that means cold water. We will use this method while they are still small and not able to wriggle around, so that'd be around 1 to 5 months old.

Once our kid got bigger and wriggle more, we have to wash them in the bathroom. By this age, their bum can withstand cold water so this is our preferred method of washing their bum after they pooped.

So far my 9 months old Alyson is being washed like the pictures shown below. Hubby will stand and carry our LOs while he washes them. I on the other hand, prefer to squat down (don't want to strain my back), put my kids over my thighs and wash them.

3. Once they can stand on their own:

This is the easiest stage! I just get my kid to stand, tell them to spread their legs wide and wash the poop (whatever left). So far, only my 3 year old Benjamin is doing this and it helps greatly now that he is potty trained mostly (I'm working on getting him diaperless for bedtime at night, other than that, he is completely potty trained already!)

4. Regime when we are out:

Of course, the above can't be practised if we are out (like in the mall) so we have to resort to using baby wipes to clean the mess.

What is your washing regime when it comes to cleaning your LO's bum after they pooped?

Yes... you read that right. I've got orange-y colored oil coming out of my butt... and I thought I was dying before I found out the cause just few days ago.

I silently went through the thoughts of dying because of this weird oil thingy and I dare not tell anyone until I gathered enough courage to Google this condition. I mean, would you go around telling people you are leaking orange oil from your butt?

So you have no idea how I relieved I was that it's not just me (who's dying) with this condition... in fact, one post I read has close to 400 comments where most of the people who feedback said they too have experienced the exact same thing! (and also thought they were dying!)

I have thought about whether I should write this post as you can see, the title itself is already gross enough. TMI (too much info) right?

But then, I thought people need to know the cause of this. And I think by writing this post, hopefully I'm cutting short the time you might waste worrying yourself to death thinking you are so going to die because of this orange-y oil coming out of your arse!

Now, let me tell you what happened...

One fine day, I was just doing my own stuff and I farted, few times (snort all you want, everyone farts, at least I dare to admit it!). I did not think much about it other than my body's natural function to expel gasses that are byproducts of my body's digestion process.

Few hours later, I went to the toilet and that's when I saw my pantyliner streaked with orange-y oil stains. Firstly, I am too busy with my SAHM life to be looking at what comes out of my privates all the time, so forgive me when I say I only noticed this few hours later. Secondly, yes again, gross it may be, but I think it's not just me who do look at what comes out of our body? Right?

So anyway, I freaked out of course. How can a human being excrete OIL from her body? And orange-y colored oil too! And don't get me started on the yucky smell... Bleurghhh...

As I sat there on the toilet seat, I remembered back having experienced this over a decade ago. Exactly the same orange-y colored oil coming out of my butt. But it went off and I forgot about it... until now...

What went on my mind at that time? It goes from:

'Oh crap, my digestion system is going bonkers... I can't even digest fat and oil from my body that they all decide to flow out by itself!'

to

'What next? Blood?!'

Anyway, I kept this 'discovery' to myself, telling myself I seriously need to Google this out when I've got the time to do so later. And that's when I stumbled upon the article and finally unlocking the mystery.

Apparently, this condition is called "Keriorrhea". According to Wikipedia, "Keriorrhea (oily diarrhea, oily orange diarrhea, anal leakage, orange oily leakage) is greasy, orange-colored stools which results from the consumption of indigestible wax esters found in oil fish and escolar." Am I grossing you out already?

Now the next thing is figuring out what I had that causes that... it took me a while but i finally remembered i had this on last Friday (2 days before the oil discovery).

This my friends, is "Smoothies-Fruities Fish" or pan-fried butter fish infused with passion berries fruit and sun-dried tomato. This dish is one of the many dishes on Fullhouse Lifestyle Store and Cafe menu, one of the hip restaurants here in Malaysia.

Butter fish.

A type of fish species called escolar. You can read more about it's effect and even being banned in Italy and Japan in the Wikipedia article.

So back to my purpose of writing this post despite publicly embarrassing myself by letting the world know that I farted, admitted it, look at what came out of my butt and then blogged about it. Please note that I am not condemning the restaurant or blacklisting it. I blogged about it because I care enough not to see this happens to any of you.

I'm still having the orange-y oil leak on and off.... Now if I were you, after reading this post, please stay clear of Escolar type of fish. You really don't want to be excreting orange-y oil from your arse. It's not a fun thing to experience and it's downright gross and yucky.

You read that right! Your awesome mummy blogger here is hosting yet another awesome giveaway just for you bunch of awesome people!

If you have been following my blog closely, you would have realised I have just recently reviewed this awesome Skyline Pac-Man Fever 80s Retro Bag! Upon my completion of the review, Ark Clothes, the sponsor generously offered to sponsor a bag as a giveaway on my blog, so yes, you people, read on what's coming up!

I am so excited to be able to hold this giveaway for my lucky blog followers and readers! ONE of you lucky people are going to win a a bag of your own choice (as long as the stock is available!) for your guy!

Now how often you get to choose something awesome that your guy or the love of your life is going to be estatic to receive it?! Or better still, if you win this giveaway, you can even let your guy choose his bag design himself! For those of you who are married, this is going to be a lovely and awesome gift for the coming Father's Day!

Now, let's read below for the giveaway terms and conditions OK?

To enter the giveaway, kindly read and follow the instructions as stated in the Rafflecopter form below.

• You can enter either via login through your Facebook account or just key in your name and your valid email address.
  
• Please also leave your valid email address in the post comment so that I can contact you if you win this giveaway.

a Rafflecopter giveaway