by Lindsay Weiss posted in Parenting

Moms (and Dads), if you have a child I?m willing to bet my last tube of Desitin that you?ve already been initiated into the (non) exclusive club of diaper rash doom. Sometimes it?s nothing, sometimes it?s everything, but as a mom who is just finishing the diaper stage after three kiddos, let me share a few important truths with you.
Every baby gets diaper rash
If you?re lucky it?s super mild -- just a little redness which disappears after a day and some diaper cream. But some kiddos have a tougher time. We made countless trips to the doctor with my first baby because we could not get rid of her rashes. It turns out we needed to be better detectives on what was really causing the rash in order to treat it properly. Which brings me to my next point.
There are lots of different causes
Like many moms who?ve finished the baby stage with multiple kids, I?ve become really good at figuring out what caused my kid?s rash. Here?s a pretty exhaustive list of possibilities:

Moisture: Man, those diapers do a good job of absorbing wetness but even the best diaper still traps moisture on the skin. And when your baby's urine mixes with bacteria from his stool, it?s GAME OVER. It turns into ammonia which is really harsh. That's why kids with frequent bowel movements or runny stools are more prone to diaper rash. It?s also the reason you have to change diapers fairly frequently. The more diligent you are at keeping the moisture at bay, the less likel...