Let's Talk Poop and Goop

It's a mom blog, so I have to talk about poop, right? Well, this isn't exactly about poop - more like the after-effects of poop.

Both of my daughters are stealth poopers. They will either do it when they are across the room and then avoid me, or they will hold off until bedtime, waiting until the middle of the night to let it all out. As you can imagine, keeping that against their sensitive, fair-skinned bottoms for so long can lead to diaper rash.

So when the Parent Bloggers Network asked me to try out Diaper Goop for their diaper rashes, I was intrigued. The name was, well, a little odd. But I hated the pungent smelling diaper creams we were already using, with only so-so results, so I was ready to try anything, even if it had a strange name.

When our supply of Diaper Goop arrived, I was impressed that it was in a tub and not a tube. There's nothing worse than trying to squeeze the right amount of cream out of a tiny tube while wrestling down an unwilling preschooler with a sore butt who is yelling "No cream! No cream!" With Diaper Goop, I can unscrew the lid and have it ready to scoop out when I need it.

Unlike the thick white paste we've used before, this is a slightly sticky, clear yellowish, uh...goop. Goop really is the best way to describe it. It's a lanolin based product - when I opened it for the first time, my mind was immediately taken back to those early breastfeeding days of cracked nipples. It's very similar, right down to the smell, which I find more pleasant than the white paste.

Does it work? Yes! Mira provided a chance for us to use it within 24 hours of it arriving at our door. I dabbed some of the sticky goop onto her red bottom before bed, and by the next morning, the redness was gone. Other experiences have yielded the same response: the rash is generally gone within 12-24 hours.

The really impressive part is that it helps Cordy with her rashes, too. She has a number of food allergies, and the reaction usually appears as the food is on the way out. If she's eaten something that bothers her, as soon as the poop touches her skin it causes a rash, and sometimes blisters if it is there too long. These are very painful rashes for her, and as a result she hates to have anything applied to them. While she still fights me to put anything on her rash, the Diaper Goop does seem to clear up her allergy-related diaper rashes better than the white cream did. It must be more soothing, too: I haven't noticed her doing her I'm-in-pain, wide-legged cowboy walk lately.

I've also discovered that Diaper Goop can be used on more than just red bottoms. Got a cut? Add some goop to help it heal faster. Dry, cracked cuticles? A little goop moisturizes and heals. And although I'm done with breastfeeding, I'm sure it works as a perfect nipple cream, too. Don't let the name fool you - this stuff can be used for any incident of dry skin or minor wounds.

The folks at Diaper Goop were kind enough to send us a few containers of their product, and I know I'll be giving them to friends who are currently pregnant. Well, I'll give at least one away - I might want to keep the others for myself.

Win your own! Parent Bloggers are giving away two containers of Diaper Goop. Leave a comment on their post to enter the contest.