Before I became a mom, bum cream of any kind was just something you heard about from a distance, and spotted by accident on the shelves in shops.

Well! Since welcoming Paige into our lives, bum cream has become an extremely valuable item in our household.  Obviously it gets smeared on her little bum day and night, after each and every nappy change – and yes I have let the good habit slip a few times, but who hasn’t?!  I’d just like to add that she is now 14 months and has NEVER had a nappy rash! (yet…touch wood)

It is, however, also for other reasons that it is held in such high regard.

The definition of ‘nappy rash’ is:

“An inflammatory reaction localized to the area of skin usually covered by the diaper.  It can have many causes, including infections (yeast, bacterial, or viral), friction irritation, chemical allergies (perfumes, soaps), sweat, decomposed urine, and plugged sweat glands.”

And from mothers’ experience across the globe, it is most commonly caused by soaps, sweat & urine/nuggetts, which basically means that a nappy rash is a ‘burn’ of some kind – be it from chemical or body acids.

So, when I was cooking the other night, and my husband was working late and Paige was whining and crying at the toddler gate (which stops her from getting into the kitchen area), I got myself into a little fluster-rush while trying to finish our dinner, make her bottle, and talk to her in a soothing tone.

I removed the pot of boiling water from the stove, and of course you can see where I am going with this…yes it splished and sploshed over the side when I made an effort to side-step a toy that Paige had lovingly thrown at me over the gate…and the slightly warm (ie: *beeping* hot as hell) water splashed onto my stomach as I reached the sink.  Well, the profanities that escaped from my mouth said it all, and the skin on my tummy instantly turned a lovely shade of crimson and began to welt.

Being the organised person I am, I keep a fully stocked medical bag in my car at all times, which Terry had borrowed…so no burn gel.

Next best thing…BUM CREAM.

And wow that stuff worked well! I spread it on (quite generously) and by the time I hopped into the shower a few hours later, the swelling had gone down and the only proof of the evenings festivities was a small red patch to the left of my belly button.

I have now purchased an extra tube which is going into the medical bag…which will be returned to my car asap.