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If you haven’t yet heard of Betabrand and their washable dress pant yoga pants, you should definitely know about them. They’re highly rated and come in a million colors as well as bootcut, straight-leg, skinny-leg, cropped-leg, and leggings styles. Readers have always been singing their praises, so if you want something that’s very easy to take care of, these are good to keep in mind. They’re $78 and available in regular, petite, and long sizes. Betabrand Here’s an option in plus sizes from NYDJ. Looking for other washable workwear? See all of our recent recommendations for washable clothes for work, or check out our roundup of the best brands for washable workwear. This post contains affiliate links and CorporetteMoms may earn commissions for purchases made through links in this post. For more details see here. Thank you so much for your support!Sales of note for 4.18.24
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And — here are some of our latest threadjacks of interest – working mom questions asked by the commenters!
- If you’re a working parent of an infant with low sleep needs, how do you function at work when you’re in the throes of baby’s sleep regression?
- Should I cut my childcare down to 12 hours a month if I work from home?
- Will my baby have speech delays if we raise her bilingual?
- Has anyone given birth in a teaching hospital?
- My child eats everything, and my friends’ kids do not – how should I handle? In general, what is the best way to handle when your child has some skill/ability and your friend’s child doesn’t have that skill/ability?
- ADHD moms, give me your tips to help with things like behavior in the classroom, attention to detail, etc?
- I think I suffer from mom rage…
- My husband and kids are gone this weekend – how should I enjoy my free time?
- I’m struggling to be compassionate with a SAHM friend who complains she doesn’t have enough hours of childcare.
- If you exclusively formula fed, what tips do you have for in the hospital and coming home?
- Could I take my 4-yo and 8-yo on a 7-8 day trip to Paris, Lyon, and Madrid?
Anon says
I’m wearing a pair right now – I have lived in these since going back to work with my second kid. My office is business casual, although starting to trend more casual (jeans Fridays were just introduced) so these pants fit right in with the khakis and slacks on the guys.
I’ve been rotating through 4 pairs for over a year now, and they’ve all held up exceptionally well. I did notice the gray and pinstriped pants are not quite as heavy material as the black, so they show wrinkles faster and I have to wash them more frequently. But I am a total believer.
Sabba says
Thanks for this comment. I have been wavering on ordering these. Seems like they would be perfect for more casual days at the office, so I think I will get a black pair.
AIMS says
I’m sorry I don’t think these are work pants. Pairing them with heels only highlights that. I can see doing these on a flight with flats and a sweater if I had to be dressed in work clothes on a plane somehow but I can’t imagine wearing these to the office. The pockets are fake? Button/zipper is fake? And yet someone thought it was a good idea to press these into having a crease? No, no, no.
Anonymous says
I’m mostly disturbed by the fact that on their website they decided to note the height and weight of their models when they are underweight on the BMI scale. (yes BMI isn’t perfect but it’s a rough guideline). Who on earth thought that was a good idea?
Anonymous says
counterpoint, I always appreciate the reviews that say things like, “I’m 5’3 and 150 and bought a M and it was too big” when I’m shopping online for an unfamiliar brand. This is just the store doing that instead of the customers.
What was interesting to me is that I’m also 5’9 and I weigh ~35 lbs more, which is significant, but I don’t feel like I look 25% larger than the models. So, camera adds 10lbs, I have an unrealistically positive body image, everyone carries weight differently, and now I’m done thinking about this.
Blueberry says
I really wanted these to work, but when I tried them on they looked too tight for the office, and too much like yoga pants. I guess that’s because they are, well, yoga pants. Too good to be true, for me anyway.
Anon says
Asking in a non-snarky way, can you highlight why they’re not professional? Is it just that the pocket and buttons are fake? Can people tell that on someone else’s pants? To me, they look like they drape just like the unlined “dress pants” that you buy at Express or Loft or Banana. Is there a telltale sign that they’re not draping that way?
Literally, to me the Betabrand look pretty much exactly like this. What is the difference? Or are these not professional either?
https://www.express.com/clothing/women/low-rise-barely-boot-new-waistband-editor-pant/pro/07249424/cat2730001
AIMS says
I can just tell? I don’t know if it’s these specifically but someone I work with wears yoga pants as dress pants and it’s fairly obvious they are not real pants. You can see they’re pull-on, have no pockets, they are clingy in a way that real pants usually aren’t, they drape differently and just look off. Kind of like how jeggings don’t look like real jeans or you can usually tell when it’s a button down shirt + real sweater vs. a “combo” piece. Also, to the extent they look like express pants, I’d say they also look dated. I don’t know. If they work for you and make you happy and it works in your office, great, be comfy and enjoy. But I just don’t feel good in stuff like this so the fact that it may be more comfortable is totally outweighed by my self-perception in something like this.
CPA Lady says
^ all of this. My coworker usually wears real pants, but on the days she wears her black fake pants (not sure if they’re beta brand or some other brand), I can tell. I don’t care, and I’m glad she’s comfortable, but they just look a little different. At least black ones are somewhat unobtrusive. I can’t imagine them looking professional in any other color.
I’d definitely wear them on an airplane though. Or some other non-work, trying to look nice, but not trying to look REALLY nice kind of setting.
CPA Lady says
BTW, I have never said anything to her about this, so I don’t think the general excuse “but no one said anything” is one that would work in this situation.
avocado says
These remind me of the polyester doubleknit pants my grandmother used to wear.
Macademia says
I’d love to find some flattering pants but I don’t think these will be them. My strong thighs and belly are tough to fit.
GCA says
+1. Signed, person with a nonstandard waist-to-hip-to-thigh ratio.
Vanessa says
+1 YUP
lsw says
They definitely are on the more casual end of business casual, but someone on here recommended Eileen Fisher crepe pants a while back and I ended up buying two pairs. I LOVE them, and they fit great on my still-not-back-to-normal-size PP body.
Anonanonanon says
I’ve looked at reviews a different places online for these, and the general consensus seems to be that they’re comfortable but aren’t necessarily as professional-looking as advertised. I was hoping everyone here would prove me wrong! I can see wearing them on a flight like someone suggested above, however.
AIMS says
FWIW, maybe not the most stylish either, but certainly the most comfortable real pants I’ve had are a pair of Eileen Fishes ones I got on sale at Nordstrom Rack. I expected them to be my “spare pair” of clean pants and they ended up being the pants I wore if I had to work sick, work late, or just needed to feel like I was wearing pajamas at work.
GCA says
Who else is having post-holiday re-entry problems? Mr GCA left for the lab at 6.30am and kiddo flat-out refused to go to daycare at 8 like usual, so we were home, with me ignoring him and working on my laptop, until 9. I need more coffee.
Anon for this says
Same. All of my friends seem grateful that the long weekend is over so they get a break from their kids (which I get), but not me. I’m just sad and missing my daughter. Days like this really make me want to quit my job.
CHJ says
I’m just completely disoriented. It’s a Wednesday? Why am I wearing pants? What are clients?
Fortunately my son was great about going to preschool today. He seems to do better when we have ample family time versus a busy weekend. And I think he starts to miss his friends and the playground at school. =)
EB0220 says
Yes….I was sad because I realized how much of my low-energy/distracted parenting is because I’m frazzled from work when i get home. By Tuesday I was tired but felt so connected to the kids, calm and creative.
FTMinFL says
I’m wearing the maternity version of these pants right now and have worn them about four times per week for the last 20ish weeks (OMG pregnancy is so long!). They look great and perfectly adequate for my one-step-below-a-suit office dress code. They look remarkably structured but have stretched with me nicely throughout this pregnancy.
The only part I can see appearing unprofessional is the stitching (obviously not slacks, but no one gets close enough to see the stitching). I haven’t seen the non-maternity version in person so I can’t comment on the pockets and waistband.
Anonanonanon says
I didn’t realize they made maternity ones, I could see this being ideal for a maternity situation
16 Weeks says
They make a maternity version?!?!!?!?!?!
I am very stoked now.
16 Weeks says
:(
sold out in most sizes.
FTMinFL says
I’ve got a size L petite (I think) that I never opened because the M petite fit me if you’re interested! I thought I might need them in the later part of the third tri, but at 37 weeks I think the M will carry me through.
16 Weeks says
thank you for the offer, but i’m 5’7, so I don’t think petite would be appropriate! I do appreciate the offer :)
NewMomAnon says
OMG, they sell a “business suit onesie.” My day is made.
Anonymous says
poo emoji dress also there
Anonanonanon says
wait stop I can’t find it I must have a link (trying to search on my phone instead of the work computer)
Anonymous says
just look under the dresses section. There’s also a pumping dress with two side zippers which actually seems kind of great for $50
NewMomAnon says
It’s called the “Suitsy”
https://www.betabrand.com/mens-business-suit-onesie-hybrid
NewMomAnon says
Oops, blog thread fail. Sorry.
Anonanonanon says
No you were spot on- I was totally talking about the suit onesie, it was a thread fail on my part!!!
Anonanonanon says
OMG IT’S ALSO ALMOST $400 I CAN’T EVEN
Anonymous says
Pep talk please — I have a daughter who turns 3 in August. She still relies heavily on a pacifier to fall asleep for naps and at night. She will cry in the middle of the night if she can’t find it, and needs me to come in and replace it.
I know I need to get rid of it — but how???? Cold turkey?? Am I doomed to terrible sleep indefinitely? She was a really bad sleeper, which is why we used it so heavily and haven’t taken it away yet. I think I’m really nervous in advance that this is going to cause a huge regression.
Anonymous says
Our dentist said it was fine as long as they dropped it before their permanent teeth come in (around age 6). I haven’t pushed the issue with my 2 year old twins because I’m scared they’ll suck their thumbs instead.
For finding it at nighttime, our boys actually have pink and orange pacifiers (Avent brand) because they could never find the blue and green ones at night. We also throw in an extra one in the crib so there’s more chance of finding it. They also only have one blanket and two stuffies in their cribs so it’s easier to find. Try a glow in the dark or brighter color pacifier.
Anon says
Yep — my parents took my pacifier away when I was preschool aged and then I sucked my thumb. Til age 9 (but only at night). And needed braces…but who knows, I probably would have needed them anyway due to genetics. I don’t think this would be the hill I’d die on with a 3-year-old.
CPA Lady says
So here’s what I’m planning to do. My daughter turns 3 in September and is a huge pacifier fiend. Right now she gets a paci at night, and at nap time on the weekends. She doesn’t get one at all at daycare, including at nap time. I got her a book called “Pacifiers are not forever” by the same people who did “Teeth are not for Biting” and we’ve been reading it a few times a week. It starts gently breaking the news that we eventually get too old for pacifiers.
I am also telling her, pretty much every day, that she is going to be 3 soon, and when she turns 3, we are going to gather up all her pacifiers and leave them for the pacifier fairy to take to “the new babies”. I have also informed her that the pacifier fairy is going to leave her a present. She’s really obsessed with birthdays and presents, so she keeps talking about this with excitement. We’ll see how it goes once we get down to the cold hard reality of the situation. This is what a coworker of mine did, and it went shockingly well. So… fingers crossed.
Anon says
I had success with the pacifier fairy for a new baby cousin. (And we bought a brand new one to give to cousin so they saw the baby “using” theirs.) If that didn’t work, my fallback plan was to cut off the tip of the paci and just cut a tiny sliver more every couple of nights until it wasn’t functional.
PregLawyer says
Pay attention when daycare has its next Hand, Foot, and Mouth breakout, and then make sure your kid plays a little bit longer with the sick kids?
The only way we kicked the pacifier was because our guy got HFM and the soreness in his mouth made him reject his pacifier. Other than that (probably bad) tip, I got nothing.
Spirograph says
lol, this “advice” made my day. I don’t know if it would work, though, unfortunately My 2.5 year old pacifier addict got HFM, and it didn’t phase her one bit with regard to pacifier usage.
This is not a hill I am willing to die on. My daughter isn’t allowed to have her pacifier at school, and at home we limit it to nap/bedtime. She knows paci is only for sleeping, and it lives in her bed. (Or, more accurately, it lives on a high window ledge out of her reach, and watching her little brain problem-solve how get it down is great. I like to pretend that I’m fostering her creativity by denying her.) I thought we’d won when she lost it a few weeks ago, and she went to sleep just fine for a few nights because she knew it was gone and there was no sense protesting…
then the cleaning lady found it and left it on daughter’s pillow. When her birthday rolls around this winter, we may try CPA Lady’s tactic. Or it may get lost again.
I sucked my thumb til I was 5 and later needed braces… but so did my siblings, and they weren’t thumb-suckers. I’m not totally convinced by dentist fear mongering on this topic. Also, I’m already planning on my kids needing braces, regardless, so meh.
Anonymous says
My little guy (almost 3.5 yo) still uses his for bedtime and naps. I’m totally against worrying about it. We’re working on potty training right now. Let him have the paci if Dear God he’ll just use the toilet!!
Anonanonanon says
full disclosure, I used one till I was 5. and a half. My parents straight up bribed me to get rid of it. I had to get rid of it so that Santa would bring me a big playhouse to play in. It worked, and my teeth are fine. I do have memories of hiding one under the couch and grabbing it out to get a quick fix, though.
H says
We just dropped the paci over memorial day weekend so about a month in and going strong. Our 2.5 year old was at the point where it was only at night and naps on the weekends too. He’d occasionally ask for them at other times, but we tried really hard not to give in. Sometimes I would say, ok you can have it for 3 minutes and set a timer.
Then the long weekend arrived and we just went for it. Something just told me that he could do it and he’s been fine. BUT. I honestly don’t think it could have happened before then and be successful. You know your daughter best. And yes, you might a regression (one of us has to stay in the room with LO until he falls asleep), but that’s one less thing you’ll have to worry about.
Potty training, now that’s a different story…
D. Meagle says
I stopped my son cold turkey when he was about 2.5 yo. His speech therapist was advocating that we wean him from it, but it was the dentist who really inspired me to get rid of it. After his first dentist appointment, I said he was a big boy and didn’t need the paci anymore. The first couple of days were rough, but he adjusted. The nanny probably bore the brunt of it during the day; I noticed that it was harder to get him to sleep, since he used the paci to relax, and without it he couldn’t wind down as easily. Totally worth it though, IMHO.
Pigpen's Mama says
We got rid of the pacifier around her 2cd birthday. We read Pacifiers Are Not Forever, watched the Elmo Bye Bye Binky video series (this was better for my kid than the book I think) and then finally had her collect her pacifiers and use them a the toy store to buy a new toy. We had a rough few nights/naps (and she insisted on sleeping with her new toy a few times), and to be frank, she has never slept quite as well, but it wasn’t that bad.
rakma says
YMMV, but when my niece was 3, my sister had a big talk about the ‘pacifier fairy’ who could come take niece’s pacifiers and bring them to the new baby in the family (not a sibling). Niece seemed uninterested, until a week or two later, when she announced she was done with the pacifiers, the pacifier fairy was going to bring her x number of specific toys that night, and that was that. Emergency Target run to acquire said toys, and niece never looked back. I think the element of control there might have helped, since niece decided to give it up, rather than it being taken away.
ElisaR says
Maternity swimwear PSA: At the pool this weekend I saw this very pregnant girl in the cutest bathing suit — I had to ask her where she got it…..this morning I went out and promptly purchased. I’m super excited since the maternity bathing suits made me want to cry…. it’s from Athleta not technically a maternity suit. It is called the “Languna Side Scrunch Tankini”. There’s a lot of fabric that might be annoying normally but works for the belly. Anyway I just had to share. She wore a regular bottom under the bump with it. Link to follow….
CHJ says
Oh this is really cute! How far along was she? I’m 8 months now – do you think it could handle the final days of 3rd tri?
ElisaR says
she was probably about 8 months… depending on how you’re carrying it might work!
Knope says
Nice! Asos has great maternity swimwear too. I got a tankini that fit great for like $30.
ElisaR says
thanks going to look there now!
ElisaR says
http://athleta.gap.com/browse/product.do?cid=1076600&pcid=1076564&vid=1&pid=593995002
EB says
I think we have just been hit HARD with the four month sleep regression (at 4.5 months). Got a total of 3 hours sleep last night, and ended up letting him sleep on my in the chair for the first time since like the first month. I am a walking zombie. He screamed everytime we put him down on his back, kept trying to roll to his front but then cried when he got there, yet passed out immediately as soon as we picked him up. We just traded off every few hours all night long. Resources? Commiseration? It gets better? How long does this last? We have had a slow descent into this – he was an amazing sleeper all through the night until about 2 weeks ago, then started kind of waking, to waking to eat, and now this.
NewMomAnon says
Could be sleep regression. Did you also try Tylenol/teething toy? Some kids get teeth at 4 months, and apparently touch/nursing is as good a pain reliever at that age as the OTC stuff. If he’ll sleep on you but not alone, might be worth a shot.
Otherwise, try taking sleep shifts with your husband – it’s better to get 5-6 hours of solid sleep each, than alternating who gets up each time. So one of you gets to sleep from 8-1 am, and one gets to sleep from 1-6 am (or something like that). The other one takes what comes in during their shift.
anon says
All of my memories are blurry but I am pretty sure our regression only lasted a week or two. When it stopped my son slept for 12 hours straight 3 nights in a row – it was so glorious. Then he went back to waking up 1x a night for many months more, but that was manageable. Hang in there.
Sabba says
We got hit hard with the 4-month regression. Ours lasted for 2 months, I hate to say. For most babies, it ends 5.5 months after the due date. You can try sleep training, but that usually works best after the regression ends. Another thing to do is to give baby 1 to 5 minutes to “fuss it out” before you get him. Always give him a minute to calm himself down before you jump right in there at night. Watch the clock, a minute can feel like a long time when your baby is crying or fussing. It may not work 90% of the time, but you need to give him lots of small opportunities to self-soothe. If you don’t sleep train, just do what you need to do to get through the regression. Take shifts, do co-sleeping, whatever works. Every baby is different and some are very difficult during this period. Good luck.
Knope says
I need some words of encouragement. The ped just informed us that our 4 mo old son has eczema, and the most likely culprit is a food allergy. I exclusively breastfeed/pump, so the implication is that my diet is the source. The ped recommended an elimination diet, cutting out dairy, eggs, soy, and wheat. I’m a lifelong vegetarian and have no intention of changing that, so this pretty much cuts out major food groups for me; I could cut any one or two of those, but all of them is so, so hard. (please do not respond trying to convince me to start eating meat; I would switch to formula before I did that).
I realize the ped is trying to do what’s best for my child, but it upset me how casually she suggested this, and didn’t seem to be sensitive to how hard this is going to be for me – she was basically like “oh well you can eat beans and lentils and quinoa for protein.” I am a creative cook and think I can swing this for the two weeks it takes before we start re-introducing foods, but I’m really stressed about how hard this will make lunch meetings with clients, or the two weddings I have to go to next month, or just going out to dinner with friends. And of course I’m also upset that my child is going to have to deal with food allergies when he eventually starts eating.
Has anyone been through this? Any words of advice or encouragement?
NewMomAnon says
Not quite as extreme, but I had to suddenly eliminate dairy for a month while nursing (and already had some of my own food allergies to soy, corn and some other stuff). It was a hard month but overall just a blip in my life, if that makes sense. It certainly was much harder because of hormones/sleep deprivation/recent return to work, etc. It’s OK to be upset; your whole life has literally been turned upside down already with the arrival of this new little person, and making it even harder to lose the few bits of control you thought you had over your life.
Is your spouse supportive? If so, see if he/she will help you cook and prep foods for all your meals, and be ready to bring those pre-prepped meals to work events and weddings. This is literally a medical issue (try doing an elimination diet with formula…I’ve heard of moms nursing because there literally isn’t a formula that works for a kid with lots of allergies); anyone who pushes back can jump in a lake.
Also – lots of food allergies subside as kids approach a year old. I would take this one day at a time and not worry too much about your kiddo’s future right now.
H says
I would absolutely talk to a lactation consultant. A lot of babies have eczema (mine did!) and and it is really difficult to determine whether or not it is something in your diet.
Anon in NYC says
Yeah, I wouldn’t rush to do an elimination diet unless the eczema is really really bad or there are other symptoms (like irritability and gas). My daughter (now 2) had and still has eczema – it was never terrible – and it doesn’t seem to bother her. Maybe it would go away if we eliminated food groups, but I’m not rushing to do that.
Anon says
+1. I’d get a second opinion. My kids had/have eczema and it wasn’t tied to a food allergy. Or maybe it was, but it was never severe enough to warrant elimination of food groups for anyone in the family. A good pediatrician understands that everyone in the house has valid needs, and suggesting life changes for one based on “most likely” culprits of a complication for another seems a little extreme for a first step. (If it was a life-altering eczema and they’d done specific tests to point to a food allergy connection, then it might be worth an experiment.)
Knope says
This is interesting. The eczema doesn’t seem to be bothering him but the ped was pretty insistent that we treat it either by doing an elimination diet or using a topical steroid (which to her credit she said she really would only do as a last resort). You think other docs might be ok with letting it be?
Anonymous says
How large is it and what’s the location? Eczema is almost always caused by environment and not by diet. Quick fixes are switching to all cotton pyjamas (fleece can irritate) and going fragrance free (laundry detergent/bath soap etc). Helps if you/DH are mostly fragrance free as well. Also avoid dryer sheets and fabric softener which can be a trigger. Lukewarm baths and thick lotion like Cerave or Cetaphil afterwards.
For diet, you can try avoiding drinking tons of milk and instead eat cheese/yoghurt. Cow’s milk in it’s unprocessed form can sometimes be an irritant but not necessary to cut it entirely at all. Wouldn’t cut egg/soy/wheat.
anon says
Yes, our son just had it on his face as an infant and we were told to treat it with aquaphor. That’s it. He’s now 5 and we use hydrocortisone (not on his face).
Amelia Bedelia says
I would speak to a pediatric allergist. There is actually a school of thought that believes continuous exposure to “allergen” foods actually builds immunity in the kiddo. So, if you expose him to it routinely, his reaction will diminish over time. We are doing this with my first daughter, as she has many food allergies. the beliefe is that food allergies are not actually more prevalent now, they are just more diagnosable. in the “old” days, babies were just colicky or unsettled or had eczema but then outgrew it all. now we diagnose it and practice elimination. is that actually worse for the kiddo?
jury is still out — but interesting thought.
Vanessa says
Agreed. I would not rush into an elimination diet as it may not necessarily help. My son also had a dairy allergy which he (fortunately) outgrew around 9 months. If the eczema is not bothering her and there are not gas/ tummy troubles, I would maybe try cutting down on dairy intake (not eliminate) and see what happens.
avocado says
I have not been through food allergies, but did deal with a pediatrician who treated me as a non-person whose needs were entirely subservient to the baby’s. If the pediatrician’s attitude really bothers you, it might be worth trying a different doctor in the practice or even another practice. One of my biggest regrets about my daughter’s infancy is that I didn’t switch pediatricians sooner. You are a person with nutritional needs too, and it won’t be good for you or your child if you are stressed out and starving.
If I recall correctly, nearly every kid in my daughter’s day care class had eczema for the first couple of years. Her eczema went away after we switched soaps and started bathing her less frequently. I would be skeptical about trying something as drastic as an elimination diet without getting a second opinion and asking if there are simpler options to pursue first.
Em says
+1 I have had eczema on and off my whole life and was paranoid my son would have it, so from the get-go we started with eczema friendly baby wash and we only bathed him every 3 days. Unless it was really serious and/or a medical test showed it was caused by a food allergy, I would start with removing scented things, switching detergents, and looking for other irritants before I started modifying my diet.
Em says
Also meant to add, we switched pediatricians around that age because I felt like our original pediatrician wasn’t taking my concerns seriously (which ended up being correct). It felt drastic at the time but was not a big deal in retrospect and was absolutely the right decision for our family.
anon says
How bad is the eczema? My son has a mild case and we mostly just ignore it. I can totally understand not wanting to do the elimination diet; I was barely willing to try eliminating most dairy for my son’s reflux. It is hard, especially on top of everything else with a new baby. You need chocolate now, not quinoa.
Anonymous says
This is crazy and I’m pretty sure not in line with the current advice. Plus if you eliminate all the foods at once, how would you know the trigger? Not even logical. All three of my kids have both food allergy and eczema. Absent other signs, I think it’s unlikely that food allergy is causing the eczema. Heading into a meeting but post again tomorrow if I forget to follow up later.
ElisaR says
I haven’t been through this exactly, but I understand what you mean about doctors/people casually throwing out suggestions that literally upend your life. I would just echo what the other commenters say – how bad is the eczema? It is a fairly common issue and maybe it’s diet related, but also maybe not. Does the benefit of possibly eliminating the issue outweigh the onus on you? You need to put on your air mask before you assist anyone else….cliche but true. Hang in there and don’t go too crazy with the breastfeeding extremists (coming from someone who went through hell and back to breastfeed for 6 months).
Sabba says
Hi there. I eliminated dairy and wheat while nursing and it was so, so hard. If the eczema isn’t bad, I echo the other commenters and don’t worry about it. Also, try a probiotic. It really seemed to help my daughter. Get a good one–it should be refrigerated and from a reputable source, not the stuff they sell off the shelf at a grocery store. Whole Foods or a local health/natural food store are usually good sources. I’ll also second the suggestion that some sensitive babies don’t tolerate any formula, so don’t go to formula unless that makes sense for you for other reasons. Finally, I’ve heard that a *very, very mild and dilute* bleach bath can be good for eczema. You may want to check that out and discuss with the pedi.
Amelia Bedelia says
I’m so sorry. This is rough. I went through it with two children. I am not a vegetarian, but I really do not care for meat all that much. Added to that, my older daughter was SO allergic to soy that she could not even tolerate it when I had something cooked in soybean (i.e., vegetable) oil! Well, news flash: the FDA doesn’t consider soybean oil “soy”, so places/foods don’t have to disclose on an allergen list if they use soybean oil . Now, some places do still disclose, but it is very, very rare. So, I essentially couldn’t eat out without interrogating the staff before ordering. And even then, staff in the US are shockingly uninformed about what is in their food. And, frankly, they are shockingly ignorant of what constitutes “dairy” or “soy”.
Ok. rant over. (it is very likely you will not have an issue with soybean oil. most kids with food allergies are okay with this. my second daughter has extensive food allergies as well, but she can handle the oil.) To help you, here’s what I did.
Ordered salads and plates of steamed veggies and potatoes (steamed is very important, as butter is added to most regularly cooked veggies and even baked potatoes). I would casually mention when I ordered at places “my daughter has extensive food allergies, so I have to be a bit difficult. oh well!” And then just carried on like it was nothing important. most of the time, people just let it go and carried on. a few times people inquired further, but I didn’t mind discussing it for a few minutes.
always, ALWAYS travelled with nuts and seeds. Apply to salads at restaurant, but also just snack before attending the lunch so I wasn’t ravenous.
there are a few protein bars on the market that do not have soy/dairy. eat them every day.
nut butters are your friend. I would frequently have nutbutter toast before eating out so I wasn’t too hungry. the important thing is to have something to eat while others are eating, even if it is the blandest, most unappetizing food. it just puts people more at ease.
drink more interesting cocktails! :)
order fruit for dessert if others have dessert.
honestly, my advice is to be prepared to be miserable for however long you do this, but it is doable. I nursed my first daughter for 9 months and my second daughter for a solid year. it is doable, just very bland. focus on eating for energy and not creativity and remind yourself it is short term. Also, remind yourself that you are simply learning hacks for your son to use in the future. living like this for almost two years helped me to understand better for my children. Now I know the questions to ask and the code words to avoid. (i.e., “natural flavoring” in bbq sauce almost always means it contains soy in quantities that FDA doesn’t require disclosure, but affects my oldest daughter.)
once you have isolated what the issue is, you can add back in other things. this is short term! just ALWAYS carry snacks. that way you get the protein you need.
Mrs. Jones says
Our son had eczema for a couple of years, around ages 1-3, and then it went away on its own. I wouldn’t necessarily assume it’s a food allergy.
Knope says
Responded above, but wanted to emphasize that the eczema isn’t terrible – he has one patch on his face right in front of his ear, and the rest are scattered on his arms/legs. It’s not disfiguring, and he isn’t scratching and he is generally a happy baby (doesn’t really cry unless he’s hungry or tired), so I don’t think it bothers him. I’d be open to formula feeding if we had too – I’m no breastfeeding extremist – but it seems like it would be even more of a hassle to introduce something new and figure out if he’s allergic to that, and breastfeeding is going well otherwise so I don’t want to give it up in the event that it’s not an allergy at all.
I will look into getting a second opinion; based on my ped’s reaction I didn’t think not treating it was even an option.
Anonymous says
If you followed you’re ped’s recommendation I don’t even know what formula you could feed him that would be both dairy free and soy free? Definitely stick with BF. Look for likely environmental triggers first.
https://www.healthychildren.org/English/health-issues/conditions/skin/Pages/Eczema.aspx
Vanessa says
There are hypoallergenic formulas. Nutramigen and Alimentum are 2 name brands if you want to try that route.
Amelia Bedelia says
there’s a great brand out of Britain that I ended up with for my first kiddo. expensive as all get out. second kid REFUSED formula, so I suffered through until 1 yr.
NewMomAnon says
Oh, if it’s that mild – absolutely get a second opinion. And try cutting down on baths/using a really good moisturizer immediately afterward (but steer clear of Aveeno because of the soy content). Are you using a Free and Clear detergent with vinegar in the rinse cycle and an extra rinse on all the family’s clothes/sheets/towels?
I also found that a couple of times, pediatricians made recommendations that seemed extreme for the circumstances, and when I pointed out that it seemed extreme, they walked it back. They sometimes don’t know how to tell whether a parent is asking about a Really Big Problem or a maybe problem. It’s OK to go back to your regular pediatrician and say, “We talked about eczema, and you recommended an elimination diet. That seems extreme given that it’s not disfiguring, he doesn’t scratch, and it’s not interfering with his life. Are there less extreme measures you could recommend and we can check back in at the next well-baby check?”
avocado says
+1 on pediatricians sometimes not adequately communicating the seriousness of a particular issue. There are also a whole lot of options between elimination diet and doing nothing! This is why the informed consent questions are so important: Why do you recommend this treatment? What are the likely benefits and the potential risks? What are the other options and their potential benefits and risks? What if we wait? Etc.
mascot says
Have you tried switching the detergents, creams, varying the bathing routine, etc? I like CeraVe cream the best- apply when skin is slightly damp after bath.
I’ve had eczema for 25+ years and had really sensitive skin as a kid (that got resolved with age). It’s more of an annoyance than anything. If he’s not bothered by it, I wouldn’t turn yourself inside out trying to change everything at once. Use a topical cream to treat flares as needed.
LegalMomma says
Both of my kids have eczema – not terrible but it has flair-ups. If the flair-up is really bad, we use hyrdrocortizone (have used maye 3 times for my 2.5 yo and 1 time for my 7 mo old) to get it back under control. After that we have daily baths (NOT with soap), basically just to get them wet, and then, while still damp cover them in aveeno baby eczema cream. Ped’s suggestion on the baths, said bath plus cream will hold moisture in and prevent the eczema. Generally, as long as we are vigilant about having a daily bath the kids skin stays clear.
All of that to say, I second the suggestion to get another opinion and to say it will be okay!
Knope says
Thanks all. We already are fragrance-free because I’m allergic, and use All Free and Clear detergent. We have used the same soap since he was born though – I think it’s California Baby? It’s supposed to be organic and gentle and all that, but maybe we should change it up. He gets baths 2-3 times per week and we have not changed that up yet.
One thing that just occurred to me is that we have a cleaning person that comes every other week and cleans the tub. I have no idea what kind of cleaner she uses, so I will double check that; maybe it’s irritating for him.
Anon in NYC says
FWIW, my daughter developed worse eczema when we used Babyganics, which I know a lot of people like for their kiddos. She doesn’t have a reaction to Honest, so we’ve stuck with that (and I haven’t really tried California Baby). So if you do switch, just be on the lookout for whether the eczema gets better/worse.
Anon says
Try Cerave Baby – mild and good for my son’s eczema. This was after using Burt’s Bees Baby, which seemed to make it worse.
Ms B says
The Kid has mild eczema that was worse when he was small. We switched to Mustela’s Stelatopia for it last year and have been pretty happy with it. For lotion we use Vanicream.
rakma says
I used All Free and Clear for years, then started developing a reaction to that. I’ve had luck with Method fragrance free and Seventh Generation fragrance free, if you want to give that a shot. Dryer sheets seem to give me more issues than the detergent, Seventh Generation are currently working for me, though I’ve successfully used the Bounce unscented.
California Baby soap seemed drying on my kids, but I loved their lotion. I think for a lot of the soap/bathing stuff, it’s a little trial and error. Maybe see if you can get some trial/gift size bath things so you can try a little with out investing in a $12 bottle of soap that might make things worse?
GirlFriday says
There’s a ton of good advice here but I just wanted to share our experience: my 4 month old was diagnosed with eczema about a week ago. He formula feeds exclusively. Doctor said to try eczema lotion so I bought Aveeno which made him break out in hives (!) the first time I put it on him. So for the two days following, I used a dab of hydrocortisone cream (recommended by the doctor) on his bad spots twice per day. It went away almost completely! Now I keep him lotioned up with Burt’s Bees (multiple times per day) and coconut oil after baths (3x week). I’ll have day care put Aquaphor on him, mostly because I know they have Aquaphor there. I just switched detergent to Tide Free & Clean so hopefully that will keep it at bay. Try different things! I was really sad and worried about my LO but his eczema is almost completely cleared up after just four days of treatment. I think his is heat related and triggered by the detergent that day care uses (will be discussing with them). Good luck!
farrleybear says
+1 to the coconut oil, which we put in the bath and dab on problem areas after if needed (cheeks, inside of elbows and behind knees). My kiddo does OK with the Aveeno eczema lotion, as well. We use Tide Free & Clean and no dryer sheets for his clothes, and treat bad flares with hydrocortisone. However, it was worst during his first year, and now is rarely an issue. We haven’t had to use the hydrocortisone in months. I remember being so worried when we first went to his ped with this issue when LO was around 8 months and feeling like it was going to get worse and worse, but it didn’t!
E says
My daughter had food allergies and I just had baby #2. The current thinking is that eczema may contribute to development of food allergies. Does your ped have this backward?
According to our pediatric allergist, there was a recent study that suggested liberal topical application of aquaphor on newborns with older siblings with food allergies reduced the incidence of food allergies in the newborn. Our pediatric allergist advised that we slather our newborn with aquaphor to prevent eczema. I guess the theory is that the eczema may provide an entry point for food allergens, and maybe it’s not as good for the kiddo to be introduced to the allergen through the skin versus ingesting the allergen.
EE says
Don’t do it. Another eczema mom here. This is wacky advice from your ped, and was never suggested to me for my breastfed baby. We did aquaphor, oatmeal baths, and a couple dabs of topical steroid on a really bad patch. I don’t think the topical is as big a deal / absolute last resort in the way you and your ped are describing it.
I also think elimination is a bad idea beyond the disruption to your life. If your child is at risk for food allergies, some very limited exposure through breastmilk is probably a good thing, not bad! Similar to how allergists now recommending early and regular exposure to common allergens, rather than delaying exposure (which makes serious allergies more likely).
CapHillAnon says
Over here! I’ve been through this! My child’s eczema was persistent and awful, though, beginning at 5 weeks. She was covered head to toe in patches of eczema, she would scratch her skin in her sleep, despite the baby mittens, and leave little flecks of blood on the cribsheet–it was horrible. I can’t believe the pictures when I look back. I switched to frangrance free detergent and soaps, gave her oatmeal baths, used calendula cream and acquaphor, dressed her only in natural fibers, etc. No change. This was 10 years ago, and the 2 ped practices we saw both said just to use steroid cream (! On a tiny baby! All over!) and wait until she was old enough to do allergy testing. I tried an elimination diet on my own, and it was very very hard. I’m also a vegetarian, working at BigLaw at the time with tons of lunch meetings, and lactating–I needed a lot of calories and didn’t have the time to track everything and prepare everything well enough to figure out what the elimination diet was telling us. Her skin would get a little better, then worse, then better. Finally we found a pediatric allergist who would test her that young, and the test showed the list of foods she was allergic to (severely allergic to wheat, eggs, nuts, stone fruit, on and on). I stopped eating those things on the list and her skin was clear in maybe 3-4 days? It was wonderful. BUT a self-managed elimination diet, esp for a lactating vegetarian with a stressful job is a big, inefficient, disruptive method to find out what’s bothering your baby’s skin.
FWIW, her allergies lessened as she grew older. She outgrew the wheat allergy by the time she was 2, the stone fruit allergy by 3-ish, and many tree nuts by 6. Her egg allergy was gone by 10. It’s a bit of a nuisance, but not awful. We are accustomed to carrying the epi pen and Benadryl around. It’s become much easier as she gets older and more responsible.
As a further note, I first had eliminated soy and dairy–common eczema triggers–but she wasn’t at all allergic to those things, so I had endured 2 weeks of hunger and frustration for nothing. It’s just not a productive way to find out what’s bothering the skin.
If your baby’s skin isn’t terrible and can be resolved by other measures, do them. If the eczema gets worse or really bothers him, take him to an allergist!
Good luck.
CapHillAnon says
A further final note: aquaphor contains bisphenol, which can irritate super sensitive skin or people with an odd set of contact allergens (ask me how I know). Vaseline is a good alternative, and Cetaphil soap with the blue cap is the gold standard in our house for all baby-washing now. Burts Bees was the very worst for triggering skin reactions.
Anonymous says
My twins are three. My husband is planning a party for his work friends on a Saturday. He’s asking me about timing. He clearly has NO IDEA what time our kids nap. Or how they nap. Or when they fall asleep. Or what it means if they do/don’t nap. Now if I say “sure have your friends show up right when the kids are going down” and the kids don’t nap and are crabby, he’ll ask why I didn’t say something. If I say “no, that’s the beginning of nap” he’ll say I’m being inflexible. But WHY DOESN’T HE KNOW WHEN THEY NAP?! Why is this my call? Why can’t he be responsible for figuring out his own damn kids’ nap?! (Coming off a long weekend of potty training where he also told me I hadn’t been clear enough with him about the kids’ potty training. Uh, when did I become the designated expert? I’m just googling. You can google, too, unless your fingers miraculously broke without my knowing it.)
Anonymous says
tell him to read this: http://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/home/interiors/the-mental-load-is-burning-women-out/news-story/3ba7224a3a7db39a61fbdf096fff7465
and this: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/may/26/gender-wars-household-chores-comic?CMP=fb_gu
I made DH read them last weekend and I feel like it finally got through to him that I don’t know about potty training or how to register for soccer camp or how to plan a 4 year old’s party better than he does, but he just assumes that I’ll take care of it all.
SC says
LOL. I feel this frustration with the in-town grandparents. We see them every weekend, and every weekend, they ask what time Kiddo naps. It hasn’t changed in the last year. They also plan events that start in the middle of nap time, say it’s OK for us to come after nap, and then text us in the middle of it. If I’m frustrated with the grandparents, I would be infuriated with my husband if he did the same thing.
ANon says
Ugh. This is my husband, too. He asks me everything. “This bottle has been sitting out for 3 hours by the sink. Do you think it’s okay to give it to Baby?” Ugh. What kind of stupid question is that?
I’ve started answering these types of questions by asking the question back to him in a non-snarky way. For example, I’ll say, “Um, I don’t know. How long has it been out?”
“Three hours.”
“I don’t know. Do you think it’s okay to give it to him?”
He’ll think about it and then say, “I don’t think so. I’ll make him a new bottle”
It hasn’t solved the problem of him defaulting to asking me, but at least it forces him to think about the issue and come up with the solution on his own. I see it as good practice for when Baby gets older.
Jen says
My kid had eczema (mild/medium- got patches that wouldn’t go away but nothing super itchy) and in parallel, had bowl issues that indicated a dietary issue. I did full on elimination diet for 2 weeks with no improvement. Her diaper issues were so bad our ped had me switch to Nutramigen. I pumped and dumped for 2 weeks and the second day she was on formula she was fine. After 2 weeks I went back to BF with nondairy or soy and it was fine.
So, if you can’t solve via other suggestions and really need to explore dietary allergies, you might want to do a formula trial to see if it’s even worth the time to try eliminating. If she’s on formula and skin doesn’t improve, no need to cut.