Baby girl genital care

WastingTime

Thu, Jan 24 2019, 11:02 am

I have a girl after a few boys and I'm really unclear on how to keep her vulva clean. I've been told conflicting info regarding the labia : it'll get clean in bath, spread open and clean with qtip or cotton daily, clean with washcloth in bath etc.
I understand I shouldn't use wipes in there, although does it make a difference if it's alchohol free?
I always check if any poop gets in which I clean out as best as possible.
Anyway I just changed her and spread her open and noticed a buildup of white gook on one side, stuck in a crevice. She is almost 6 weeks so I don't think it's hormonal discharge but perhaps it's cream that was on the outside? Or do babies get discharge?
I tried to get it out with a wet qtip (was very gentle, she didn't cry at all) but there was so much and it was so deep in I couldn't get it all. I squeezed some water in to try to wash it out as well but there's still a lot there

I don't want to hurt her, such a sensitive area, but I don't want her to get infected and I do think it should be cleaned... help please!!

Saralle

Thu, Jan 24 2019, 11:08 am

You don't need to clean it at all... just wipe when she has a dirty diaper, and wash when you bathe her.
White gook is normal and doesn't hurt anybody. It's not dirt.
Only important thing to know is that you always wipe front to back. That's it.

thunderstorm

Thu, Jan 24 2019, 11:22 am

Lol. My baby is six months old. She is also my first girl after four boys. I had to call my sister to ask her how to wipe her. All she told me at the time was wipe from front to back. Fast forward four weeks and we were at the doctor for her one month checkup. The doctor examined her and opened her and she was all dirty ! White gunk and some poop too! I was mortified . Then I told the doctor that I'm so embarrassed that she's my first girl and I'm clueless. She demonstrated to me how to clean her. Just wrap a wipe around your pointer finger (think of similar to what you do with a bedika cloth) and carefully clean her with the baby wipe there using this method. It works great.
When I bathe her I don't open her to clean her . The water gets there and she cleans naturally. It was just the dirty daipers that I had trouble with. I thought I was the only one!!!! We won't mention that my oldest is going to be 18 and I didn't know how to change my baby's diaper properly!

Last edited by thunderstorm on Thu, Jan 24 2019, 11:26 am; edited 1 time in total

WastingTime

Thu, Jan 24 2019, 11:39 am

Thanks for the advice! Front to back of course I know, (being female myself although it was good I told my husband) but I feel like poop can also get in the folds there,no?
When wiping during diaper changes to you spread the outer lips open?
Also her vaginal opening is understandably tiny so it's hard to see it to be sure no poop got in

pesek zman

Thu, Jan 24 2019, 12:07 pm

No poop got in there because it’s not a vacuum that sucks things up. Clean the surface of poop and you’re good. And females have lots going on there. What makes you think the white goop is bad? You have discharge all the time that changes throughout the month too!

Amarante

Thu, Jan 24 2019, 12:09 pm

I would avoid probing or wiping the v*agina just as you would leave that alone for yourself or older girls because the v*agina is self cleaning and any foreign elements introduced actually make more problems.

WastingTime

Thu, Jan 24 2019, 12:18 pm

pesek zman wrote:

I do find in there though, not because it's a vacuum but because her poop is completely liquidy and she often makes while lying down so it can get on the outside and trickle in. BUT I'm quite relieved if the consensus is I can leave it.

Re the white goop, I know for a woman it's fine just had no clue babies have discharge and it's okay to leave it. Was quite thick so I got worried

Iymnok

Thu, Jan 24 2019, 12:42 pm

There’s still a bit of white until about 2 months. I always check if my baby girls are clean in every crevice. When they move their legs the bm moves around and could go in. The littlest but can cause a rash. I do a general wipe down with the first wipe to keep the mess under control then take a new one to get the girly parts.

Rappel

Thu, Jan 24 2019, 12:59 pm

WastingTime wrote:

I check cursorily. Just gently press back and spread to see if any poop got in her lady bits. If you do need to clean there, clean gently, and don't go up her private part.

And yes! babies not only get white discharge - newborn girls can have a brief period from all the hormones they got from momma. True fact.

Cheiny

Thu, Jan 24 2019, 1:01 pm

WastingTime wrote:

You sound way too concerned about this. Simple mild soap and water. Finished.

ohmygosh

Thu, Jan 24 2019, 1:03 pm

WastingTime wrote:

Yes, I absolutely open the outer labia and gently wipe in there. Of course poop can get inside. I don't understand how you can skip that part. And I wipe her down (quickly, one wipe) after wet diapers too.

Qtip? No way would I put a qtip in there.

Last edited by ohmygosh on Thu, Jan 24 2019, 1:38 pm; edited 1 time in total