# Do you let baby sleep in a poopy diaper?



## artgirl (May 17, 2002)

Okay, here's the thing... my dd 98% of the time does NOT poop at night. Her little body is really smart and holds it until it can't hold it any longer (usually 6-6:30 a.m.). BUT there is the rare occasion (usually when she's teething) that she'll poop in the middle of the night. I have always gotten up to change her. The pooping itself wakes her up so I change her and then usually nurse her right back to sleep. I imagine that there are some babies that can sleep through pooping?? Are there? And if your babe is one of them do you just let them sleep with a poopy diaper?
I have let dd take a nap in a poopy diaper before because it seemed the lesser of two evils. She was soooo exhausted (me too!) and as I was winning the struggle to get her to sleep, she pooped. I thought "no way, I'm not going through this whole routine again... she can sleep in a dirty diaper for an hour and the world won't end".
I just wondered about longer periods of night sleep?? What do people do?


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## mama_kass (Jan 11, 2003)

I wouldn't let babe sleep in poop. It could cause discomfort and maybe even rash. I wouldn't want to sleep in poop so I wouldn't let ds lay in it either.


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## Kaya's Mama (Jan 13, 2002)

Quote:

_Originally posted by mama_kass_
*I wouldn't let babe sleep in poop. It could cause discomfort and maybe even rash. I wouldn't want to sleep in poop so I wouldn't let ds lay in it either.*

When Kaya was in dipes, I never let her sleep a wink in a pooper dipe. TOo worried about a rash and the stench! LOL


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## MamaJones (Aug 24, 2002)

It has happened a few times. Either it was as you described, just as I was winning the sleep battle and I didn't want to fuss with it, or I wasn't aware of the poopies until after they woke up. Not the end of the world, but my babies rash easily and that makes them really grimpy.


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## Piglet68 (Apr 5, 2002)

I change her. She gets rashy otherwise. And she won't sleep in one anyway!


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## WickidaWitch (Feb 16, 2002)

Quote:

_Originally posted by artgirl_
*I have let dd take a nap in a poopy diaper before because it seemed the lesser of two evils. She was soooo exhausted (me too!) and as I was winning the struggle to get her to sleep, she pooped. I thought "no way, I'm not going through this whole routine again... she can sleep in a dirty diaper for an hour and the world won't end".
I just wondered about longer periods of night sleep?? What do people do?*
I have a couple of times only because he would fall asleep on the way home from somewhere and I knew at that time if I changed it the very needed nap would be over. Thats just a short time compared to all night in bed though. I wouldn't leave him in a dirty diaper for that long.
A couple of months ago he pooped in his diaper and I had no ideait actually didnt smell. My poor baby had such a rash I wanted to cry. He did too.


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## jessikate (Jul 19, 2002)

I always change Gracie when she poops. Luckily, she doesn't poop more than once or twice at night now, but I have to get up & change her anyhow when she's wet. She will not sleep in a wet diaper, but there have been times when I haven't heard her poop at night & she's slept in it. Her poor little tushie was so red after that!


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## FreeRangeMama (Nov 22, 2001)

During the first few months sleep was a rare thing. If ds was disturbed AT ALL at night it lead to a 3 hour screaming session until he slept again. There was no way to minimize this (keeping room dark, etc). After trying anything and everything suggested and imagined (and after many days where he would cry for up to 14 hours straight during wakeful times too) we decided to follow some less-then-ideal advice and just slather his bum with a thick, thick layer of a barrier cream and leave him be at night. He would roll over and nurse and go right back to sleep. The cream prevented rash and discomfort and we all got a little break, which was necessary for my sanity (dealing with 14 hour crying sessions requires a little bit of sleep now and again!). Not a solution I would recommend, but definately the better option. I hope is a little more mellow









Laurie


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## Clarity (Nov 19, 2001)

Like Laurie, with a brand new newborn still pooping at every feeding I sometimes skipped change out of desperation and exhaustion...but I knew she'd be awake in another hour or two anyway. I'd never let her go all night, but sometimes mama and baby both do better with a little sleep when you're on that every 1-2 hour eating schedule. Once recently she fell asleep after pooping and I didn't know it, until I changed her after her nap. Rash of course, but a bath and some cream and she was fine. but not something I would do on purpose!


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## Mary-Beth (Nov 20, 2001)

Every once in a while dd wakes up in the morning with a poopy diaper so then I guess I have to answer yes...she slept for some length of time or another in a poopy diaper...but if she doesn't make a peep how am I to know? So....I would say if I know she needs a diaper change I do it but sometimes I just don't know until she wakes up. No rashes ever.


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## BusyMommy (Nov 20, 2001)

No longer an issue for us, but back then







I used to keep a diaper, wipes (special occasion) and a spare set of clothes right next to my pillow. I'd flip on the little pocket flashlight and change that diaper before he even realized what was going on. Then, a quick nurse and back to







...

Good luck!


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## mcimom (Jun 8, 2002)

Nope. Though I should say if my child was asleep and didn't alert me to the situation, they did sleep in it. Though my girls have all been the type to wake up when they poop.
So I guess I should change my answer to maybe a couple times when I didn't notice the smell I may have done it unwittingly, but otherwise the ensuing diaper rash is just not worth it - especially w/disposable diapers.

When I used sposies, I always changed right away w/poop. Obviously I do the same now w/cloth, but I can't believe how many moms just "let it go" w/disposables - napping, sleeping or awake. Yuck. My one friend that does this "can just not figure out what she's eating that's causing this rash" - ummm,







maybe the 2 hours of playing her poop-ridden diaper that you KNOW about but are just too lazy to change? Maybe it's not food. I don't know, just a guess...some people! My motto shall be...

I can't let it go if I know!


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