My Newborn Skin Is Shedding: Causes and Remedies

Entering into a new stage of motherhood with a newborn is noticing all the little things and wondering if it's normal or if there's something I'm doing wrong. Lately, I've been noticing my newborn's skin shedding and here's what I've found out.

In this Article:

• Why Is My Newborn Shedding?
• What Should I Do To Stop It?
• Recommendations For Peeling Skin

Why Is My Newborn Peeling?

If your newborn is shedding, it's okay. It's totally normal. Life outside the womb requires some thick skin to combat all the natural ailments in the earth, and thus shedding will occur.

I know...the unsightly peeling may look scary but this shedding is necessary to coat your newborns skin with skin that is more resilient and suitable for life on the outside.

You can expect your newborn to shed within the first two to three weeks after birth.

This process is natural and will take course on it's own.

What happens during gestation?

During gestation, your newborn is surrounded by amniotic fluid that helps protect the baby while inside the womb.

This liquid substance not only coats your infant's skin but also helps to pass nutrients from mom to baby.

Over time, this liquid sets in to provide an antibacterial layer to your baby's skin, helping to act as a protective lubricant during child birth.

During child birth, this fluid appears as a white waxy substance that protects your infant's skin.

Once born, you'll notice that your baby's skin feels delicate and extremely soft, which is why that outer layer peels to avoid becoming irritated easily.

What Should I Do To Help The Peeling?

It's important for you to know that your newborn's skin peeling is normal and there's nothing that you did or didn't do to make this happen.

This peeling process is natural, but there are some things you can do to help baby while this peeling is taking place.

• Avoid long baths in the tub.
• Use Lukewarm water.
• Use baby safe body wash.
• Use oil after a bath to moisturize the skin.

Baby's skin is going through a natural transition and keeping his/her skin moisturized can be beneficial to prevent dry skin.

Dry skin can be very uncomfortable to baby and could make them become very fussy.

Common Symptoms of Dry Skin

Dry skin isn't fun in infants or adults. You'll want to moisturize well to prevent dry skin from happening or spreading. Some common symptoms of dry skin include:

• Itchy
• Cracked, Dry or Peeling skin
• Skin appears inflamed and irritated (red in color)
• Rash

Other Things You Can Do To Help Your Newborn's Peeling Skin?

Although it may look tempting, avoid picking at your newborn's peeling skin so that you don't mistakenly cause bleeding or irritation.

This peeling happens because baby's skin is delicate and fragile and you don't want to accidentally cause discomfort by picking at the seemingly dead skin.

Other things you can do to help your newborn's skin are:

• Avoid super cold temperatures. Think about the winter time when your lips and hands get super dry and cracked without proper moisturizer. The same applies here. Avoid cold temps to prevent worsening dryness.
• Use baby moisturizer. Just as you would apply lotion or oil to your body after a bath or shower, you'll want to do the same with baby. Moisturizing helps prevent cracking.
• Limit fragrances. Using gentle baby recommended deodorizers, laundry detergents, and avoiding harsh perfumes or colognes when holding baby will reduce irritation on baby's delicate skin.
• Dress appropriately for the weather. Keep baby out of direct sunlight without proper clothing to prevent sweating and overexposure to water. Also, keeping baby cool and dressed comfortably can help the skin process peeling on it's own much faster.
• Pay attention to the fabrics you use on baby and in bedding. Cooler fabrics will help baby to regulate their body temperature making it less likely to have dry and sensitive skin from sweating.

This information is equally as important for you as an adult as well.

Dry skin doesn't just affect babies, it affects adults as well. Some great fabric to wear to reduce sweating and dry skin for adults are from Muscle Up Mommy's® activewear collection.

Check out these super soft and comfortable sets: