Is your child waking up in the middle of the night due to a diaper leaking from the back or peeing through the side of the diaper?
Diaper leaking issues in the middle of the night results in nighttime wakings due to soaked clothes and it is not always 100% that the baby is going back to sleep soon after waking up. Sometimes, it gets stressful for parents to put the baby back to sleep after they are done changing diapers and sheets, and whatnot.
After all, a crying baby is capable of waking up everyone in the household from their sleep.
Diaper leakage is common among babies and toddlers, especially at night. It is important to have the right strategy to prevent diapers from leaking out through the back at night, so you do not have to wake up every night to changing clothes, sheets, and blankets – while having the other family members sleep peacefully.
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Reasons why diaper leaks at night
First of all, you should figure why is your baby soaking up in pee every night?
What are the reasons your baby is having over-soaked diapers many times a day?
There are so many effective ways you can prevent nappy from leaking at night or throughout the day.
Generally, what goes in the body has to get out of the body. Keep in mind – liquid intake is unavoidable and is the most significant reason your baby is having a leaked diaper blowout. Some parents do not want to limit water intake, so let’s talk about other ways that you can use to prevent diaper leaks for babies and toddlers.
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1. Diaper brand might be the reason for diaper leaks
If you are experiencing diaper leaks more frequently at night, probably there is an issue with the diaper brand. Some diaper brands may not have enough absorbency as compared to the expensive ones.
Luvs diaper brand is not as hugging as pampers cruisers. It is very likely for LUVS to leak at night.
That being said, you have to make sure the diaper you are using has a good fit and is well-hugging all around the bottom, so it doesn’t leak in like 4 hours you put it on.
Read more
A perfect diapering Guide for new parents.
2. Your Child is a heavy wetter
Not every baby or toddler is a heavy wetter. Some toddlers, if not all, love to drink water or juice for what makes the leakage happen. Even if they are showering or bathing, it is very likely for them to drink tons of water, and eventually, it’s about oversoaked diapers leaking too soon.
3. you child needs frequent diaper change
When was the last time you changed the diaper? Is it more than 8 hours or you can touch the diaper and feel an over-soaked diaper. Ideally, you should Immediately change the diaper because chances are it’s going to be leaking all over, next time she pees.
4. Your child sleeps in awkward positions
Nighttime leaks are very common; that could leave the parents worried. Eventually, the baby is going to wake up because of a wet bed and wet clothes. A toddler who loves to sleep on her tummy, or when there is a need to pee, she would most likely twist and turn in her sleep – resulting in a diaper leak.
In such cases, the best way is to use a mattress pad to deal with positional diaper leaks.
Diaper leaks are most obvious in side sleepers. Usually, the baby keeps peeing through the side of the diaper wetting his onesie, and sometimes the diaper is not even soaked.
5. Difference in Baby boys and baby girls
Girls usually pee out from the back of the diaper, whereas boys leak from the side of the diaper. With baby boys, it usually leaks because of the direction of the penis.
Learn more
Potty Training Tips for Girls.
6. Baby is cold at night
Sometimes, a low temperature causes frequent urination. If your baby is leaking at night, the first thing you need to check whether she is cold at night. Touch the baby’s neck with a bare hand and see, if it feels colder than normal.
Tips to prevent diaper leakage for heavy wetters
Heavy wetting is common among toddlers; making it quite stressful for the parents to deal with frequent diaper leaks every now and then, despite using the best diaper brands out there.
Here I tell you simple solutions to prevent diaper leaks significantly and not limiting the water intake – as water is essential for staying hydrated and healthy. Limiting liquids altogether is not at all recommended for babies.
However, parents need to understand; what goes in has to come out. The more liquid your child intakes, the more they would have over soaked diapers.
Learn more
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1. Go one size up for the night time diapering
If your baby drinks too much water or milk, go a size up for diapers to prevent nighttime leaks, or limit water intake one hour before bedtime.
Generally, investing in one size bigger for the nighttime diapering could help you deal with extra absorbance.
Newborns’ diaper leaks are due to oversized diapers, you can add washable nappy cloth covers on top of diapers to prevent wetting. This strategy will also help you prevent poopy diaper blowouts from the back. As soon as your baby starts gaining weight, diaper leaks reduce significantly.
Read a complete diapering guide for new parents.
2. Use booster pads for extra absorbency
For heavy wetter toddlers and babies, you can use booster pads. Just stick a pad in the baby’s regular diaper to increase the absorbency and minimize the nighttime wakings.
Order booster pads now.
You can also use disposable nappy insert liners for small babies for extra absorbency.
3. Use mattress pads
Buy a waterproof washable mattress cover, you need to protect your mattress, regardless. Since diaper leaks could happen any time and anywhere, protecting the mattress is equally essential. You can get a waterproof mattress cover from Walmart, Target, or order online.
4. Change diaper in the middle of the night
Changing a diaper in the middle of the night is the best solution for heavy wetters. While changing the diaper, it is important to note that you are quick and efficient enough to not wake up your child in this entire process.
5. How to prevent pee leaking out from the back of the diaper at night
Diaper leaking at night from the back or side of the diaper is a common problem. For babies, you can use Danni’s diaper extender to prevent leakage from the back or front, however, you prefer to use it.
Danni’s diaper extenders are absorbent pads with a velcro-like strip that allows them to stick to any diaper and be reused over and over again.
These diaper extenders are extremely helpful for side sleeper babies who keep peeing through the side leaking it all the way up to the back or side of the onesie. You can adjust the extender placement on the side to avoid pee leaking all the way on one side.
Helpful Tips for changing a diaper at night
- When you touch your baby’s diaper, you will know if it is full or still has enough room for more wee-wee.
- Most of the good brand diapers have absorbency for 8 to 12 hours. But for some kids, you need to change diapers more often.
- Try not to wake up a sleeping baby, especially if she is a light sleeper. Usually, toddlers get better at sleeping through the night as they grow. Eventually, it becomes relatively less challenging to change a diaper at the night.
- Do not turn on the lights. Instead, use a night light or a flashlight of your phone.
- Do not use warm or cold wipes; that could possibly wake up your child – unless it is a soiled diaper.
- Keep it quick and short. Place a clean diaper under the soaked one. For boys, do not forget to have a dry paper towel to cover the wee area (at all times) to prevent unexpected sprays.
- As a general rule, if your child sleeps around 7 pm until 7 am, you should change the diaper after midnight to prevent her to wake up in the middle of your sleep. Consider changing your child’s diaper once before her bedtime and another one before you go to bed.
70+ Baby Care tips for new parents.
6. Avoid tight Pjs to prevent diaper leakage
When you dress up your kids for the night, make sure that the trousers are not tight around the diaper area. Diapers inflate, and thus there should be enough room for diapers to soak liquids. if the bottom apparel is tight, the diaper is going to leak earlier than it should.
No tight PJ – make sure the trousers or pants are roomy enough to let diapers expand while soaked. It is very likely for a diaper to explode or leak if the trousers are too tight.
If your child wears onesies at bedtime and is a heavy wetter, ideally, you should switch on to outfits that are convenient to change at night without having her wake up. For instance, it is relatively easier to change a wet trousers rather than a onesie.
I hope you find these suggestions helpful in preventing diaper leaks at night. I have learned them on my own, and I have been implementing them successfully so far.
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