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The middle-of-the night poop dilemma
Filed under: Toddlers Preschoolers
I usually turn in sometime after 11:30, when the street lights cast silent yellow on pebbled ashvault and no one is moving but the skunks and raccoons. I pile my hair on top of my head, change into pink-striped pyjamas. if I am feeling motivated, I wash the leftover makeup off my face. I double check the screen door that backs on to our little yard, and fill Nolan's sippy cup for the morning. And the last thing I do before I go to bed every night is to creep into Nolan's room to kiss his warm-peach cheek.
"Night, night, baby," I say and sometimes he stirs, thrillingly, and mumbles in his half sleep:
"Ni, night, mommy."
Last night, he did not stir.
"Uh-oh," I thought, leaning in close to his tufts of hair,"He is stinky."
Nolan had pooped his PJs, and evidently, it was a fresh job. I wavered above him for moment. He was sound asleep, and if I woke him to change his diaper, he might not go back to sleep for hours. On the other hand, could I possibly let him slumber away in a sea of grody, grody toddler poop?
I crept to the bathroom for the necessary tools, and tried not to wake him as I pulled his legs around to face sideways, prayed he would not wake as I unsnapped the buttons around his legs. And then I prayed that he would not start kicking, or we would both be covered very rapidly in the grody, grody toddler poop.
In the end, he woke. He woke, and protested vaguely, and went back to sleep about twenty minutes later. I got lucky.
But it was a dilemma -- I seriously considered leaving it till morning rather than risk a night's worth of wide-awake hell. What do you do with a middle-of-the night, sleeping poop dilemma?
"Night, night, baby," I say and sometimes he stirs, thrillingly, and mumbles in his half sleep:
"Ni, night, mommy."
Last night, he did not stir.
"Uh-oh," I thought, leaning in close to his tufts of hair,"He is stinky."
Nolan had pooped his PJs, and evidently, it was a fresh job. I wavered above him for moment. He was sound asleep, and if I woke him to change his diaper, he might not go back to sleep for hours. On the other hand, could I possibly let him slumber away in a sea of grody, grody toddler poop?
I crept to the bathroom for the necessary tools, and tried not to wake him as I pulled his legs around to face sideways, prayed he would not wake as I unsnapped the buttons around his legs. And then I prayed that he would not start kicking, or we would both be covered very rapidly in the grody, grody toddler poop.
In the end, he woke. He woke, and protested vaguely, and went back to sleep about twenty minutes later. I got lucky.
But it was a dilemma -- I seriously considered leaving it till morning rather than risk a night's worth of wide-awake hell. What do you do with a middle-of-the night, sleeping poop dilemma?
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ReaderComments (Page 1 of 1)
9-08-2007 @ 11:06AM
Kellie said...I always changed my son. It would totally gross me out to not do it. Plus, he would probably get a rash.
Reply
9-08-2007 @ 12:59PM
Uly said...I agree with Kelly. If you don't suck it up and change it now, you'll be dealing with a hellish diaper rash for far longer than one night.
Reply
9-08-2007 @ 12:27PM
Messed Up Mama said...I changed it as well, but my son always slept through it. Once that boy is asleep he's out until morning.
Reply
9-08-2007 @ 12:31PM
Croft said...Change it otherwise the diaper rash will be horrible!
Reply
9-08-2007 @ 3:06PM
KC said...You did the right thing. The rash he could get from letting him sleep in it could be far worse than him waking up for a while, and could lead to even more sleepless nights.
Reply
9-08-2007 @ 1:19PM
J said...Change his diaper very carefully or risck diaper rash!!! Plus use one of those (unused...lol...) baby wipes to remove your leftover makeup....they work just as well as expensive makeup wipes. And it is very bad for you leave your makeup on overnight!
Reply
9-08-2007 @ 1:23PM
J said...risk...sorry for the typo!
Reply
9-08-2007 @ 1:43PM
Ann Adams said...Not only a diaper rash but think what it would be like to change him after he's rolled around in it all night.
Reply
9-08-2007 @ 1:48PM
Karen Miller said...Always change poop.
Reply
9-08-2007 @ 9:08PM
mere said...Why is this even an issue? EEWW, gross! Reverse the situation. Think of yourself in a nursing home...would you want that disgusting mess left on you all nite, only to wake up with it caked on and burning? You're a parent! Deal with it! If the child wakes up, they wake up. You know the deal!!!
Reply
9-08-2007 @ 3:08PM
Lisa J. said...I've totally been there! Of course, it's better to change, which you did, for all the reasons others have stated, but I know what it's like to feel as though you'd do nearly anything for a good night's sleep!
Reply
9-08-2007 @ 3:22PM
smdryad said...I agree with the others, he would get a horrendous diaper rash if you didn't change him. Besides, his bottom would likely start getting sore in the middle of the night and he would wake up screaming at 3am anyway.
Jen
http://www.squidoo.com/safecleaning
Reply
9-09-2007 @ 3:47AM
SKL said...To add one more horrid thought to the pain and rash warnings. When kids his age wake up in the night and notice poo, it is not uncommon for them to play in the poo, making you wish not only that you had changed him last night, but possibly that you had never been born.
Reply
9-09-2007 @ 9:27AM
nicolebarber said...Not only a diaper rash but germs and possibly bum worms. When I was nanny working days the parents refused to change the baby at night and let him sit in poop. The mom wasn't happy when she found out he got worms and sat on her bed. I was washing laundry for weeks daily.
Reply
9-09-2007 @ 9:03PM
Jenna said...Our son doesn't wake for middle of the night changes (22 months). Always change poop.
Reply
9-11-2007 @ 4:34PM
BigGUM said...I know it's tempting to leave him rather than risk waking him up, but ALWAYS change a poop.
It's just, you know, one of those things. :o)
Reply
9-12-2007 @ 10:18AM
Julia Jensen said...Yes, grasshopper. Always deal with poo.
THough you might luxuriously entertain the thought of leaving it for about 5 seconds. Then de-poop.
My husband's coworker was *very* late one day because he woke up to his toddler daughter giggling maniacally, diaper in one hand and poop in another, with new brown artwork on the walls. And in the carpet.
Reply
9-12-2007 @ 5:38PM
Jan Bay said...Oh yes, I'd have done exactly what you did. The decision is simple for me. I know I have to get rid of the poop quickly and clean baby's bottom or there will be several days of discomfort from diaper rash!
You did the right thing in my opinion and I'm very glad the baby showed his appreciation by letting you get some rest afterwards!
Jan from
Unique Baby Gear, Nursery Themes and Decorating Ideas
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