7 Week Old Son Constantly Peeing Through Clothes

Updated on May 16, 2008
A.Z. asks from Valhalla, NY
31 answers

For a while, Alex's clothes would only be wet once in a while, however for the past few days, it's pretty often that his clothes are wet with urine. I'm not sure if it is the diapers we're using (Pampers Newborn - next size up is still too big), our diapering technique, the increased intake in breast milk and formula or something else.

When he was born, Alex was 6 pounds, 4 ounces. He didn't regain that weight for over 2 weeks because I was having trouble nursing him. Now, I pump and we give him bottles of breast milk all day and formula during his night time feedings. He started out taking between 1.5 and 2 ounces at each feeding. Now, he's up to 3 to 5 ounces and his total intake is between 25 and 30 ounces a day. I'm happy he's eating so well (too much?) But concerned that this adds to the constant saturated diapers.

I'd like to make any change I can to avoid having to constantly change his clothes - especially in the middle of the night! The laundry is getting out of control! Anyone else ever dealt with this type of issue?

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So What Happened?

Wow! Tons of responses! And it was all so simple - all Alex needed to stop soaking his clothes was a bigger diaper. I was worried about how the bigger, somewhat looser diapers would handled being soiled but Alex tested them thoroughly and we've had no problems! Thank you for all of your responses.

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I.S.

answers from New York on

Hi A.,
We were having similar problems, but once we went up a size in diapers, he's no longer wetting his clothing. Perhaps give it a try and see if that solves the problem? Also try several different brands of diapers until you find the right one for you!

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E.S.

answers from Richmond on

A., i had this problem with the pampers newborn diapers as well, ithink it has to do with the outside of the diaper being a cloth material instead of the same material the larger diapers are made out of. i switch to huggies newborns and this seemed helped.

good luck

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M.C.

answers from New York on

I have grown children and 8 grands...When my boys were babies I had the same problem. I solved it, and don't laugh because it really works...by putting their diapers on them BACKWARDS. The padding inthe back is more absorbant or thicker or to tell the truth, I really do not know why it worked...but it did. Maybe its just the way the back hugged around thier front, but it worked. try it!

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A.G.

answers from Syracuse on

A.-

I totally understand the frustration. When my son was born two years ago we were given the pampers swaddlers as a gift. I kept using them and everynight it seemed like he was wetting through everything. Not just once a night, but every time I got up to feed him, and actually now that I'm thinking about it a few times when he didn't need feeding. I finally decided those diapers weren't working. I recommend Huggies. I have had zero problems with them.

Although if this isn't occuring that often then maybe it's just the amount of fluids he's drinking. Keep in mind he is on an entirely liquid diet. If all I did was drink all day I'd have to urinate a lot too:)Now if you find that switching diapers is the key great, but keep in min also that he is just a baby and there will be times when he does urinate through his clothes, especially idf his fluid intake is increasing.

P.S. I don't think your feeding him too much. If they are hungry feed them. You definitely don't want to decrease his food intake just to save yurself some laundry. It won't help, he'll be crying because he wants food and you'll be up anyway.

I hope this helps,
A.

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M.V.

answers from New York on

believe it or not...it probably is the diaper. I went through the same thing with both of my boys. go to the next size up. I think it's a 1. World of difference.

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S.B.

answers from New York on

You may actually need the next size of diapers even though your they seem to big according to the weights on the package. My son has always needed to use the next size up (from his actual weight) to keep him dry. You can also just try the bigger ones at night. Best of luck!

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D.S.

answers from New York on

I found out the hard way (after having 2 girls first) that "aiming down" is not a myth!! You literally have to kinda' take your finger and aim him down and that worked for us!! No more wet clothes!!
Also, I never found success with HUGGIES for any of my kids-LUVS are priced right and hold a whole lotta' stuff! They even took on the challenge of the pool when we ran out of swimmie diapers-but I don't recommend that!!

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D.M.

answers from Sacramento on

Hi, A.~

Congratulations on being a new mommy!! :)

We found that if our son was wetting or pooping thru it was time to move up to the next size. Although there's a range of weights listed on the package, they really don't fit into them until the end and the next size up actually starts at a lower weight than the top range of the smaller size. (Does that make sense?) My son was 9 pouds at birth and already fit into size 1s at that time.

Good luck!
D.

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K.S.

answers from New York on

I had to change my daughter to the next size of diapers, even though she doesn't fit in the weight category at all (she's 20 pounds, and her diaper size now is for 28-37 pounds!)

I thought it couldn't be the diaper size at all because she was right in the middle of the weight group, but another mom swore it would be fixed if I changed it. AND SURE ENOUGH IT WAS!!

Her doctor said sometimes it is HOW the fit the baby. So maybe give it a shot? If not, you will always have the bigger diapers for use in a couple of months!

I really love the Pampers Swaddlers, and now the Cruisers, BUT the fit is different for all babies. My friend had boy/girl twins- one needed Pampers and the other Huggies to prevent constant leaks!

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A.H.

answers from New York on

My daughter had a similar issue where her diapers would constantly leak... and pee was not the only issue! I tried every diaper on the market and the ones that worked for her were Pampers Swaddlers. Also, after diapering her, I make it a point to pull the gathers of the diaper down as low around her bum as I can (kind of like what a person does to keep there undies from being a wedgie) and make sure that the waist is as comfortably tight as possible (we had leaks from the top and the bottom). She has now out grown all the Swaddlers sizes and I find that Pampers Cruisers have a similar fit. Huggies leaked on her little butt every single time and it was the same with other brands. In my opinion, the issue is not with him eating too much, just that you have to find the diaper that fits him best.

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K.M.

answers from Syracuse on

You didn't mention how often you change him, but at his age he should be going through at least 8 diapers a day. I always changed mine right before every bottle. At 7 weeks though, you should consider cutting his feedings back to just 3 oz. Five ounces is a bit much for his tiny belly right now. He may just still feel like he needs to suck, but is not hungry. Therefore finishing such a large bottle only because it's there. So if you cut back on the amount at feeding time then he shouldn't be leaking through his diapers so much. It's still bound to happen once in a while though.

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M.D.

answers from New York on

I had the same problem. What helped was putting the diaper a bit higher in the front. I would secure the tabs about 1 inch apart. I also found that he wet himself less when i dressed him in clothes/PJs that had an elastic waist bottom. I think that it just gave some extra compression on the diaper so he wouldnt pee straight out. When he got a little older I would put a pair of training underwear over the diaper at night. Maybe the diapers arent absorbant enough? You can try calling Pampers & tell them your situation. Could be that the newborn diapers have less absorbancy.

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J.S.

answers from New York on

I have a little girl - not a boy - but I notice you're using Pampers. Have you tried other brands? I found that Pampers and Luvs worked best on my daughter, but a lot of moms of boys have told me that Huggies are better for boys. My daughter leaked with Huggies! I don't know if it's necessarily a gender thing or just a body shape issue - but maybe a brand switch is in order!

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M.F.

answers from New York on

are you putting his willy down before you close his diaper??
if not he will be soaked and it will go all up his little back :(
good luck , M.

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S.C.

answers from New York on

My son did the same thing. We were constantly changing his clothes. He use to do it in both Huggies and Pampers newborn diapers. Until he was about 2 1/2 months he stopped wetting his clothes. I just dealt with changing his clothes all the time and doing tons of laundry because I did not know what to do. Good luck.

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D.R.

answers from New York on

Try the larger sized diapers and add a diaper doubler to it. Babies R Us sells them. They look like maxi pads, but they really do work. Good luck!

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G.M.

answers from New York on

Hi A.,

With all three of my kids, I found that when they were leaking thru to their clothes, they needed the next size up in the diaper. That seemed to work for me. It is one of those things you need to experiment with. It may also be a brand thing. Huggies seem to have a more snug fit, you may want to try those also. Good luck!

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M.B.

answers from Utica on

My first son was like that, until I changed diapers to LUVS. They are awesome.

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B.B.

answers from New York on

Hi A.,
This was and still is a problem with my son, now 22 mos; only the problem became worse when he started rolling over and sleeping on his stomach, especially when he sleeps with his rear end up in the air and the urine naturally rolls forward and soaks him and his pajamas and bedding. The only solution we have found has been to affix a maxipad (one without the mesh layer that seems to be less absorbant works best) across the front edge of the diaper, with the absorbant side resting against his belly. He pretty much never leaks anymore. You'll notice that you will never hear of girls having consistent leaking problems, only boys because of the anatomical differences placing the pee higher with little guys. With your guys being only 7 weeks, a smaller pad would be more appropriate, as long as it is cottony and absorbant. And btw, i don't think the amount of milk your guys is getting is excessive. it is very variable. my older son drank that amount, and my younger son, far less. good luck!!

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K.W.

answers from Glens Falls on

Try cloth. On the rare occasion that we used disposables, we always had leak problems. Once we switched full time to cloth we've never had a problem again.

Here's a good place to get info...

www.greenmountaindiapers.com

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D.R.

answers from New York on

i dont know why, but pampers always leaked for me too in the smallest sizes. huggies were better, at least until they get bigger, after size 3 or so, then it doesnt seem to matter. you can also try the next size up, even if it seems too big. it works for us, i have my 10 month old in 4 during the day, but he was waking up soaked every morning, so now i put one of my daughters 6 on him before bed. its almost up to his nipples, but he has such a fat budda belly, it works! ....and i would certainly feed him as much as he wants. by the way, dont know if you know this trick, but a great thing to do is to layer your sheets/mattress pads in the crib, then you just take off the wet and have nice new underneath, you dont have to put on a new sheet in the middle of the night, it works great, just be absolutely sure that the sheets are all on snug and tight all the way around... btw, the laundry only gets worse, just wait till he starts eating solids!! :) ....and congratulations!!!

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D.P.

answers from New York on

If you have a boy, you definitely have to use the Huggies supreme. I don't know why but Pampers seems better for girls and Huggies for boys. My girlfriends thought I was crazy till they themselves had a boy.

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C.R.

answers from Syracuse on

I know this sounds funny but are you pulling the diapers tight enough? It won't hurt him, make sure they are snug. Usually, when they leak(although the next size up may look to big)it's time to move up a size. Don't rely on the weights listed on the package...they are more of a guideline...it's more how baby is built...the bigger the legs, the bigger the diaper...my first son was in a size 5 diaper by 6months(I thought I'd run out of sizes) but once he started crawling he went back to a size 4....my 5th son is 21 months now and still in a size 4...go figure...but as a rule of thumb...if they are wet...move up a size...at least at night when baby is in the diaper for a longer time. Happy Mother's Day!

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K.D.

answers from New York on

My son was the same way, and I believe that it was due to the amount he drank. I started changing him much more frequently, and that helped. You might also want to experiment with different brands to see if there is any difference.

Stay dry and enjoy mother's day.

I am a mom of 3 (14 year old son, 13 and 2 year old daughters)

C.A.

answers from New York on

I have a daughter and I seem to like pampers the best. At 7 weeks old my daughter was in a size 1. She is now 3 months and we are having to go to size 2. I sometimes have that problem with leaking but that is because she is sleeping alot more during the night. When she sleeps I sleep. I didn't care too much for the huggies cause they leaked alot! If you don't get that lining just right they leak all over. But try to go the next size up and pull them tight. Make sure that they go far enough up his back. Don't be afraid to pull them tight. My mother tends to keep them loose and not far enough up her back and we have a mess everytime. Good luck!

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A.G.

answers from New York on

Hi! I have two girls and am told that different diapers work better for boys and girls. My sister swears by Huggies for her boys (she has 5). I have used Luvs until recently and almost never had a problem with them leaking. When my daughter had the stomach bug NOTHING worked but for a typical day I loved Luvs!!! I haven't had boys so is it possibly a problem with the band of the diaper being too loose? Is it leaking one place inparticular? Maybe the "function" of a boy makes it necesary for differnt diaper? A.

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E.G.

answers from New York on

I don't have a son but I did go through something like this with my last child(thank goodness I had a washer and dryewr at home). If your are putting the diaper on incorrectly this can occur or you can purchase a smaller size rubber diaper or training pants to put over the diaper. When they are that little you don't want to deny him food. Let him eat what he wants but when you need to make sure he is dry after feeding because being wet can give him a rash. I didnt use pampers too often I used white cloud(walmart), luvs and huggies. Luvs I think are the least expensive Name brand with the least amount of problems. Good luck and happy hunting.

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M.B.

answers from Rochester on

A.,

He likely needs the food because he's growing! It will get better, I promise! :) The consultant told me, when my son was eating over 300 minutes a day, that babies that eat that much THRIVE. Exhausting, yes, but worth it so much to see those chubby cheeks and that big smile.

You are so lucky you can pump that much for him - I didn't have very much luck at all, and mine didn't take a bottle (hasn't yet).

My suggestion would be to either try the next size up on him, and pad it with a cotton diaper in front (the kind that are reusable, that they call burp cloths now). Gives him a little more leeway, and you a little time between wash loads. If you need to worry about rash, use a piece of FLEECE between the cotton and his skin. It won't stick and will wick things away. My friend Cheryl gave that tip when I was worried about diaper rash with my boy.

The only other suggestion I can make is to start a load of wash AM and PM, and line dry during the day (if you're like me) and use the dryer at night. Small loads are less economical, but this won't last forever. If you are buying next size clothes for him, you can always include them in the wash to get them ready for him to wear too. I usually put my delicates in there, too, just zip the zippers.

Good Luck! Let me know how it goes.

M.

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R.K.

answers from New York on

are you making sure to point "It" down? That can make all the difference!!

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C.P.

answers from New York on

Hi A., My oldest son did this same thing to me and I tried every brand of diapers I could find in stores and on the internet and Huggies worked the best till about size 2 or 3 (when the baby started to crawl) then I switched to Pampers which weren't as good (some accidents here and there) but a little less expensive but I still use Huggies Overnights for nighttime and long trips in the car. I did this for all 3 of my sons and it worked pretty well. Hope this helps!

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A.C.

answers from New York on

A.,

I used cloth diapers with my first many years ago. Reason I'm telling you this is back then I was able to buy diaper liner inserts which would add to the absorbency of the cloth diapers. I'm sure they probably still make them today just for the very reason you need them. I don't remember the name or brand but I found them in my local supermarket in the diaper aisle. Good luck!

Ann Marie

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