Changing a Sleeping Baby

Updated on April 21, 2012
S.L. asks from Chestertown, MD
17 answers

I remember having this dilemna with my first child and now it's back again since I had a baby 12 days ago. I was just curious what other moms do when your baby is sleeping and you hear them poop. Do you wake her up in order to change the diaper or let her sleep, sitting in her own poop? My son never had diaper rash while I was exclusively breastfeeding, so I'm wondering how urgent it is to change my daughter when she's so peacefully sleeping.

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J.B.

answers from Atlanta on

I never had this issue. I've never changed a sleeping baby unless they fell asleep on the ride home wearing an "old" diaper and I was putting them down for the night. When that has happened, they barely awoke.

4 moms found this helpful

X.O.

answers from Chicago on

If it is poop, I always change them asap. Poop left too long against the skin can cause a rash.

Congrats on the new baby!

3 moms found this helpful

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M.P.

answers from Portland on

My motto is never wake a sleeping baby. smile! Of course there are times when you'll need to wake her but this isn't one of them, unless she has severe diaper rash. Let her sleep and change her diaper when she first wakes up.

My granddaughter was left in a poopy diaper every once in awhile even when she was awake. No damage done.

6 moms found this helpful

I.X.

answers from Los Angeles on

never had this problem. My kids wake up if there is poo. However, if yours sleep thorough the poo then I'd apply a moister barrier cream preventatively before naps and let 'em sleep. Only chance a sleeping baby if rash has proven to be a problem.

5 moms found this helpful
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B.G.

answers from Champaign on

My kids were not good sleepers, so I NEVER changed them if they were already sleeping. The only diaper rashes mine ever got were yeast rashes from taking antibiotics. That was before I learned that taking yogurt along with the antibiotics was the answer.

I would let your daughter sleep. She'll be fine. Just change her when she wakes up.

3 moms found this helpful
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M.G.

answers from Chicago on

With my twins, I remember talking to a friend about how I'd nurse them, put them both in their cribs, then, inevitably, one would poop and I'd have to wake him up to change him. She flat out said, "No you don't." Let her sleep! Diapers are so good nowadays. If you're worried, before putting a diaper on just slather the cream on there.

3 moms found this helpful

J.W.

answers from St. Louis on

I changed them but it never woke them up.

3 moms found this helpful
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K.B.

answers from Philadelphia on

If it was time for them to sleep, during the night or whatever, I didn't wake them up. If it bothered them and woke them up crying then I'd change them with a faint night light. I always use corn starch baby powder lightly with each diaper change, on all 5 of my kids and rarely ever had a rash. When I fed at night, depending on the baby and how they wet or pooped, sometimes I'd change their diaper before feeding cuz the bottle would put them back to sleep. But no, I never woke my kids up when they pooped during sleeping unless they cried cuz it woke them. When they woke I changed them and sprinkled a touch of corn starch baby powder on them (or on the diaper) and they'd be set.

K. B
mom to 5 including triplets

3 moms found this helpful
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K.L.

answers from Savannah on

You will earn in some time how sensitive your new baby's skin is. My son never got diaper rashes, so I new there was no rush if he was comfortable. If she has sensitive skin, then you need to change her. If she is one that does not sleep well, I would think twice before waking her up. If you are going to be changing her while she is sleeping (or even when you were sleeping but she woke you up), I would suggest the nightgowns and kimono style side snap gerber undershirts. Together, there is no snapping to jolt your baby awake. Those things make diaper changing so easy!

3 moms found this helpful

M.J.

answers from Milwaukee on

I never left a poo diaper on a sleeping newborn. That stuff burns their skin. I hated when it happened but I did it in a dim room as gently as possible.

2 moms found this helpful
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S.H.

answers from St. Louis on

congrats! & please try to change her. :)

2 moms found this helpful

M.L.

answers from Houston on

If it's a little squirt or a little bit of pee, I usually leave it. But if they fill it up and/or it's leaking than I will change it. It also depends on the baby, my first baby was highly sensitive so any dirty diaper would give him a rash. My second baby could sit in it for a while.

2 moms found this helpful

J.P.

answers from Lakeland on

You can change the diaper without waking them up. I did this with my daughter. I was concerned that the poop would cause a rash or get into her vagina.

2 moms found this helpful
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J.J.

answers from Allentown on

I always changed my kids immediately. I would not want to sit in poo, and I figured it isn't fair to them even if they are babies. Even if I was sleeping I wouldn't want to sleep in poo, I would just go back to sleep when finished, and so did they. I didn't intentionally wake them, just gently changed them as quickly and quietly as I could. Sometimes they didn't wake up, and other times when they did, they went right back to sleep. My son was a good sleeper, my daughter was a terrible sleeper, but still I couldn't let her sleep in her own poo. Now if it was only a little wet, I would wait, but a big wet or a poo of any kind got changed immediately. Yes, I don't like waking up at night to go pee in the toilet, but I do it and go back to sleep. My kids got their diaper changed and honestly always slept better and longer after for the most part, because they were more comfortable. I also think the earlier you start changing them while sleeping they get used to it and don't wake as easily. Especially when you start as newborns, they go back to sleep so much easier then and get used to it. I would just start changing the diapers as they dirty them and they learn to go back to sleep.

2 moms found this helpful
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A.D.

answers from New York on

I changed my first. An essential part of not waking him was using warm wipes so if you can, invest in a wipe warmer :)

Congrats !

2 moms found this helpful

L.A.

answers from Austin on

Amen Adriana.. a wipe warmer is a life saver. Our daughter had pretty sensitive skin, so IF I noticed I did try to change her even if she was asleep..

1 mom found this helpful
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M.T.

answers from Nashville on

Turn her on side or back, lift legs and change diapers.

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