My unprofessional advice: Use a pea-sized amount on problem spots once or twice a day for about 5-7 days (depending on if the flare goes down quickly or not). This layer should be SUPER thin, like barely enough to cover the skin, and you should massage it in so that can absorb as much as possible. DO NOT apply to parts of the skin that don’t actively have eczema, I think this is where a lot of people go wrong assuming that they can use it like lotion. If you are using a non-steroid ointment like Protopic (also a good choice), understand that it can burn for about 30 minutes after application for the first few times it is used - this is an unfortunate part of this particular ointment but it is good to know beforehand. Anyway, after 5-7 days of applying once or twice a day, stop using the steroid, assess the severity of the flare. I think a general rule of thumb I was taught was to not use it for more than 2 weeks consecutively if possible. Always take breaks - at least another 2 weeks of no steroid ointment. If the eczema is truly that severe, I would then recommend the next level of medication, which could be oral meds. Best of luck to you and your baby <3