S.N. asks from Inver Grove Heights, MN on May 17, 2010
Keeping Diaper on at Night...
Hello Mamas...I could use some of your wonderful advice again!
I have a daughter who is 1 year, 10 months old. (We have not really started potty training yet, just let her sit on potty seat when she requests.) At night she sometimes pulls at her diaper and many times she manages to get it off. She sleeps thru the night on her own, about 11 hours, so we typically don't know that she has taken her diaper off until we go in to wake her up in the morning. As you can imagine, we have issues of her sleeping in wet pajamas and crib sheets, although she doesn't seem to mind. She leaves her diaper alone during the day. I think she starts playing with it when she first lies down for the night, before she falls asleep. The diaper should still be dry at that point, so I don't think it is wetness that is bothering her at that point. We have tried using pajamas that zip from top to bottom, but she already knows how to unzip them and still gets at her diaper.
I am looking for any advice on ways to keep her diaper on. Do you think a pull-up type diaper would work? (I have never used one)
Thanks in advance for all your advice!
So What Happened?™
Thanks for all your suggestions! The first night we tried using a onesie with a pair of capris -- don't ask me how, but she somehow managed to unhook one side of her diaper (with both onesie and capris still intact). The onesie did hold the diaper in place though, so there was not a mess to clean up. Last night we tried a pull up. I bought the Pampers ones because the sides do not open like all the other brands. It was a success! The pull up was still in place this morning. We will be using the pull up again tonight. Hopefully she doesn't find a way to get it off.
Thanks so much for all your help!
Featured Answers
T.C. answers from Minneapolis on May 17, 2010
My son used to do the same thing, but for some reason at that point was terrified of pull-ups. He wanted nothing to do with them, so that never worked for us, so what we used to have to do was litterall tape his diaper. We used some of the thick clear packaging tape and would have to tape over the flaps and all the way into the back. If we didn't go to the back he would pick at the tape untill he got it off. I think we had to do that for a good 3 to 4 months or so before he finally out grew it. Now he is in pull ups and still wears a nite time diaper and leaves it on just fine. Good luck!
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M.M. answers from Chicago on May 17, 2010
Pull Ups were going to be my suggestion. DS is starting to do this now - he'll be 2 next month, and that was my plan. I think they make them for overnights, so I'm guessing they'd be able to stand up to a regular diaper.
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More Answers
M.J. answers from Chicago on May 17, 2010
Pull ups are a great suggestion! My friend had the same issue with her daughter at night and she started to put the pj's that zip on backwards that way her daughter wouldn't be able to unzip them. The pull up however may be just as easy since I think for most of them (never really used them myself) have velcro which may just be as fun for the little one to take off. Good luck! Otherwise you could also try using a onesie too at night if your daughter still using them since it may be hard for her to get the buttons undone. I hope this helps!
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T.C. answers from Minneapolis on May 17, 2010
My son used to do the same thing, but for some reason at that point was terrified of pull-ups. He wanted nothing to do with them, so that never worked for us, so what we used to have to do was litterall tape his diaper. We used some of the thick clear packaging tape and would have to tape over the flaps and all the way into the back. If we didn't go to the back he would pick at the tape untill he got it off. I think we had to do that for a good 3 to 4 months or so before he finally out grew it. Now he is in pull ups and still wears a nite time diaper and leaves it on just fine. Good luck!
1 mom found this helpful
M.M. answers from Chicago on May 17, 2010
Pull Ups were going to be my suggestion. DS is starting to do this now - he'll be 2 next month, and that was my plan. I think they make them for overnights, so I'm guessing they'd be able to stand up to a regular diaper.
1 mom found this helpful
C.S. answers from Minneapolis on May 18, 2010
My mother in law does daycare and has run into the same problem. She will put a pair of tighter underwear over the diaper so the tabs aren't exposed, then put their clothes on top. I have also had friends put the zippered pajamas on backward. I also just saw pajamas with the zipper in the back for that very purpose, but can't remember where I saw it.
M.R. answers from Kansas City on May 17, 2010
onesies that snap underneath jammies. if you have a carters close they sell 5 white ones for $15. Also, some people say, put the diaper on backwards. We use Huggies overnights. They hold a ton, and hardly ever leak. It might be that she doesn't like the wet feeling so a more absorbent diaper may help. Good luck, it is so frustrating. My daughter has had 3 poop episodes where it was smeared all over. I thought I was going to die. I also try to tell my daughter that only mommy and daddy take her diaper off.
J.M. answers from Sheboygan on May 18, 2010
Pull ups have tear away sides, so I wouldn't suggest those. You could try the zippered pj's that don't have feet and put them on her backwards. She won't be able to reach the zipper to take her pj's off, and that may solve the problem. She may just not like the feel of a bulky diaper at night when she lays down. You could also try a cloth diaper with a wetness protector over it - it's a little bit thinner and may be more comfortable for her.
Good luck!
L.H. answers from Milwaukee on May 18, 2010
Our child did that too. We put regulat underware over her diaper and it seemed to work.
T.N. answers from Minneapolis on May 18, 2010
I think you are right on with the full zip pj's. Use a safety pin to keep the zipper from opening by pinning it (through the hole in the pull) to her PJ's. A pull up may work as well - depends on how she is removing them. If she is loosening the diaper with the velcro, and not just sliding it off, a pull up probably would work. Try the safety pin first!
Good luck!
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