For nine months, I planned and prepped for my baby boy. I took newborn baby classes, stocked up on the latest products, and read the most highly regarded books. I thought I was ready, or as ready as any first-time mum could be, but those first few weeks after my son, Gabriel, was born shook the very foundation I had carefully crafted. It started fairly innocuously. "Huh, he doesn't really like to be swaddled, does he?" I remember saying to my husband around the three-day mark. "What is this rash on his cheek?" My husband pointed out when Gabe was 2 weeks old. "Why is he losing all his hair?" I asked my own mum, alarmed.
Suddenly, all of these things were happening that I had never read or heard about. As new parents, we were left confused, concerned, and anxious. Lucky for us, we had a supportive community of friends and family that came to our rescue with tons of product recommendations and insights, all of which were far more valuable than any elusive "tip" I read in a book. Ahead are some of the unexpected baby skincare issues that we faced as newborn parents and the products that saved us from tears and frustration.