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I don't wear gloves but the thought entered into my head today as I think one of my DCK has a yeast infection. If you're like me...diaper changes can be like an assembly line ( I have 5 in diapers). I use wipes and my hands well and use sanitizer between bums...but is that enough?
Are yeast infections contagious?
I have sometimes been tempted to go the glove root but it wouldn't work for me because the ones I do have in diapers are such squirmers that they would not have the patience for me to put gloves off/on anyways.
I also don't like the idea of going through so many gloves and then having to toss them out.
I have my diapers go into the green bin because we are lucky that we are allowed to do that where I live. I usually take each diaper straight away to the green bin in the garage and then thoroughly wash my hand.
There are times where my hands are raw and bleed from washing so much so in the winter I have to switch to moisturizing soaps and put on tons of creams during the day and at night to heal it.
I sometimes will wash hands and then if it was really bad still use santizer just to be sure everything is dead and gone.
I don't use gloves either, just wash my hands ALL the time it seems. I also have hand sanitizer in every room of my house lol. All my little ones are in diapers as well, straight out to the garage to the garbage when they are changed. Too much in the landfill already so I'm trying to do my part to be 'green' :)
Unfortunately, yesQuote:
Originally Posted by Spixie33
I don't use gloves, but I know a provider who uses them on outings and I thought it might not be a bad idea to have some in the diaper bag in case of a relaly messy diaper while out. Other than that, i just wash and wash and wash my hands and find it hard to keep my skin from cracking :( Anyone have any tips on keeping away the rought, dry hands?
I don't use gloves but I have a few in my diaper change area that I can use if I have to put cream on what I believe to be a suspect rash. For just regular changes and diaper cream I dont' wear one. I have used a wad of toilet paper to spread the ceam in a pinch which I also keep a roll of in the diaper change area for wiping noses etc. while I have a captive child laying down.
I switch to the moisturizing hand soaps like SoftSoap (the white/creamy kinds) duirng winter instead of the clearn antibacterial one I use the rest of the yearQuote:
Originally Posted by kangaroomama
I was at the organic/health store on the weekend because I find that Vaseline Intensive Care and Aveeno stopped working on me. The health food store gave me some Weleda cold cream which they say absorbs faster and makes a barrier. So far that is helping much more than the other creams I was using.
It really hurts to have your hands crack from over-washing. It is like having a bunch of papercuts and noone believes how painful it can be to even bend your hand or wash them when they are cracked like that.
try the cold cream if you can. A little bit goes a long way and try seeing if you can switch to a moisturizing hand soap
Also....if you have gloves....I sometimes put lotion on and then plastic latex gloves and let it sit on my hands for an hour. Of course this is best done at night while watching TV. It helps get moisture back in
Something I find works really well and even the store brand hand cream will work somewhat although I like the St. Ives oatmeal and cocobutter one the best. Wash your hands as normal with soap and rinse then squirt on the hand lotion just as if it was soap, rub around and rinse again just as if you were using soqp. I rinse the palm part well and the backs less so. Then dry. The hands don't feel near as dry but since you rinsed the palms well they don't feel sticky. Prevents a lot of cracking. But yes that is such a painful condition it makes you dread going near water and for sure no purell when you have cracks - no alcohol unless I feel like screaming.
One of the best and cheapest cures I have found is good old vaseline. Rub that on at night and if you rub long enough it doesn't really stay greasy enough to be concerned but works wonders.
I don't use gloves. I see why someone might want to, but you can't wash them (also, that would defeat the purpose) and it seems wasteful to me to throw gloves away. I don't normally use a lot of "anti" cleansers, but I definitely use hand sanitizer after bum changes.
I usuallly only have issues with my hands cracking right by my nails on the tip of my fingers. I put a dab of polysporin on, with a bandaid for half a day or so.
They aren't contagious in the sense that she would get one having touched he child as yeast infections are actually a LACK of bacteria where they are needed. but, if you touch your eyes or something afterwards you could end up with an eye infection.Quote:
Originally Posted by Spixie33
I don't use gloves, or hand-sanitizer (is it it so drying, the cracking around the nails is like ASKING to be infected). I just wash well with soap after I'm done.
I do wear gloves. I have a good friend who is a nurse and I asked her about what her thoughts were. She basically told me that that there are diseases in poop that can spread to you. She said no hospital personnel would change a diaper (or bedpan) without gloves on because of that. So I wear them and I still wash my hands just as much. I can't wrap my head around NOT hand washing especially after a poop even though I have gloves on.
I use to work in 'centre care' for 20 years so wearing disposable gloves to diaper or handle any 'bodily fluid' such as blood or vomit was a public health requirement as part of the 'Universal Precautions' for HIV and AIDS - we had to keep gloves on hand at all times 'just in case' ... so I am use to having to wear gloves while diapering squirmers and so forth - like a 'surgeon' when you wear them consistently with practice you can learn to do fine delicate work in them - you just have to get them on and prepared before starting to actually 'diaper' the child.
That said now that I work from home and am my own boss I can make my own rules based on the 'risks; I am willing to take in my job - so I only wear them if changing a really disgusting poop or dealing with blood or vomit ... otherwise I use a 'kleenex or wipe' to scoop out any diaper cream and apply it with the same so as not to contaminate their container with MY germs or me with theirs - it is still a 'barrier' from skin to skin contact just quicker and easier to work with. When dealing with a normal 'poop' I can clear away as much of the poop with the actual diaper front wiping front to back with it fold it up and set it aside and than use a wipe just to make sure the surface is entirely clean but again the wipe is always my barrier so I never actually touch them.
I also make sure I carry two to three pairs with me when we are out and about in a ziplock bag for emergencies and so forth....they have come in handy at the local park when it was used by someone for a 'meet up' and left behind their used protection - put on the glove to pick up the condom and than pulled the glove off carefully so the glove turned inside out and became the 'bag' for the garbage and threw it into the trash and than used hand sanitizer just in case.
The bottom line is what you are comfortable with ... urine and feces care bacteria and germs for sure and ensuring you have a barrier between them and your skin is ideal as well as ensuring proper hand washing practices as well!
I didn't know that yeast infection is contagious. My 2 dck are infected. I immediately wash my hands and god knows how many times a day. Right now my hands are like a rough carpet up to half way of my elbows. :( Does only washing not prevent infections?
Cocoon
And also I never touch a dirty diaper I always use wet wipes. Even when I'm putting rash cream.
I use Q-tips fro applying bum cream...I would never touch a bare bum of a daycare child...aside from not being sanitary, it just doesn't seem right somehow. Your own kids are different...I always used to use my fingers for the cream on them, but not anymore when they are with the daycare kids...just want to keep things sanitary.
. Wow, I totally never even thought about the bum cream. I apply with my finger all the time!Quote:
Originally Posted by kangaroomama
I just put a wipe over my fingers, scoop out some bum cream and apply it with the wipe.Quote:
Originally Posted by Dreamalittledream
I keep a roll of toilet paper at the change area for applying the creams. Saves trying to wash it off the hands too since it is meant to not wash off without effort.
I've thought about using gloves and I've bought the little disposable package of Mr. Clean clear see-through gloves at Dollarama and have them here but never use them, silly me. I have 3 little ones in diapers right now and usually only have to change 1 or 2 poops a day. However, I do take the diapers immediately to the garbage and wash my hands thoroughly after every diaper change, poop or not. I use a lot of hand cream too as some of you mentioned.
And for those saying gee I never thought about the need to wear gloves - and I am one that doesn't - if you are also not posting about all the disease and infections being spread throughout your daycare it just goes to show you that some things we are conditioned to think we need to do are overkill and only necessary in specific cases. And even if I am dealing with a diagnosed infection I only wear one glove on my right hand which is the one I am washing and using cream with.
Just think about how much better it would be for the environment if all those latex and plastic gloves weren't ending up in the landfill. Not to mention how much money you would be saving.