Q + A: Pooping in Nap/Night Diaper

QUESTION: My child is doing great during the day but is pooping in their diaper during nap or nighttime. How do I get them to stop? Or another version of this question is the child won’t pee or poop during the day and they wait until they have a diaper for naptime or bedtime to do so.

Short answer: It’s time to night train and ditch the diapers.

The long answer however is: It depends.

1. Is your child consciously holding during the day and waiting for the night diaper? Is your child asking to go to bed solely to get a diaper? Is your child peeing/pooping immediately upon putting on the diaper?

2. Or does it seem like your child is just naturally going at nighttime and/or releasing in their sleep?

For starters if your child seems happy and not like they’re holding/withholding when they’re awake but they’re going in their sleep, this will usually resolve by itself. Your child is just getting used to and comfortable with the whole potty-training thing. Especially when it comes to pooping.

However, if your child is noticeably waiting for the diaper, then your only solution is to night time train.

I know this seems daunting because you’re probably thinking but if I take away their diaper for sleeping then I’ll have a huge mess to clean up in their beds! I promise you that once your child realizes that they don’t have the option of a diaper at all anymore they will start releasing when they are awake.

For a lot of kids this is a great fix, and they will just start going during the day; it’s almost like they were waiting for there to be no other option but the potty. On the flipside there will be kids that will still try to make a big deal out of using the potty. For this I suggest that briefly bedtime is a bit earlier than normal in order to adjust for any stalling tactics or struggles they might have with releasing in the potty.

As Jamie often says: as long as you keep offering the option of a diaper, we can’t expect the child not to use it.  In the book, she uses the analogy of a security blanket.  Upon being born, most kids are diapered before they even nurse! Therefore, it’s helpful to remember that pooping and peeing in a diaper is the only thing they have known, literally from birth. It’s safe, it’s comfortable and if it’s on, they will prefer it. We can’t fault them for that. We also have to remember that using the potty is not second nature. They are learning and having to think about it. At night, since they are fully relaxed it means their poop is coming out.

In spite of this, if you’re not ready to night train, then it’s okay! You don’t need to stress over this issue for now. I’m honestly willing to bet that this will clear up on its own, and you shouldn’t stress about it until you are ready to night train.

On the other hand, if your child’s behaviour is off during waking hours and it seems it’s because they are holding it in then you’ll have to jump right into night training.

I want to make this last part very clear since this can happen with a night pooper. DO NOT PUT A DIAPER ON YOUR CHILD IF THEY REQUEST ONE TO POOP IN. You’re probably thinking but what’s the harm? At least they’re pooping. I’m sorry to say but this will just lead to a whole new nightmare and will create a problem like no other. I work closely with Jamie, and she can work with and around almost any circumstance, but not this one. Putting a diaper on a child just to poop in is the one thing, in all of our combined experience that is true - NEVER do this. I can’t stress about this enough DON’T DO IT.

If you are struggling with poop issues, please reach out and ask me for help with this before it gets too crazy!