Chandra Wilson on her (Diaper) Rash Decision

Back when I was a new mom, I became totally frustrated when I opened up my precious baby girl's diaper and saw the reddest, itchiest, most uncomfortable-looking diaper rash ... and didn't know what to do about it. It crept up on me! It started out as a little spot, then grew into this nasty patch of ridiculousness.

Everybody told me all kinds of remedies. So whenever redness started to pop up, I powdered with each change. Sometimes I Vaselined, then powdered. One time I tried one of those white creams, but it was far too strong for her tender skin and discolored her a little. The most labor-intensive remedy I was told was to brown some white flour in a skillet on the stovetop, spread that on her bottom, let it sit for a few minutes and then put on her diaper. There I was, with not enough hours in the day already, cooking flour and storing it in a recycled margarine container to keep it next to the bed! I had such an overwhelming sense of "mom failure." I had truly done everything I could, but I still didn't have a solution for this awful irritation.

After many mommy books and several trips to the pediatrician, I'm happy to report that I found the answer: air. Good old-fashioned air! Those babies need air down there to keep things dry and prevent the trapped moisture that causes all kinds of irritation. Once I figured this out, at every diaper change I would wipe her down good with a non-scented wipe, lay her on top of the new diaper then let her air out for a minute. I'd distract her with a game of "Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes" or just kiss her for a minute or two. Then, once the air had thoroughly dried her bottom, we'd diaper up. Presto! No more diaper rashes.

I went confidently into motherhood for the second and third time and can triumphantly report not one diaper rash on either baby! It's about the air, y'all. And the best part about the air trick—aside from keeping my beloved babies healthy and dry—is that it saves me time. Time that I can spend sitting absolutely still, not thinking about anything or doing anything for anybody. Maybe not as much time as I'd like, but time just the same. I'll never waste my time cooking flour again!