Wednesday, July 29, 2009

Oh, Poopy!

Sometimes, it feels like all I do is nurse the infant and change diapers. The nursing is something that I worked hard to be able to do to with both the Pumpkin* and now with the Pookie. Even through the early days and weeks of sore nipples and constant wakings, through the fussy 5 week nothing-but-nursing-and-being-with-mommy-will-do phase, and now through the 6 week growth spurt and crying on and off the boob for no reason, breastfeeding the infant is so worth it and rewarding to me.

But all the dirty diapers? That's just something you have to deal with as a parent and/or child caretaker. Both of my kids are in diapers (the Pumpkin in Pull Ups), and they generate a good amount of waste. Unfortunately, the waste doesn't always make it into the diaper. For instance, there was a couple times when the Pumpkin pooped in the tub.

And now we can add another time... last night. That was fun. Luckily, the Pookie had fallen asleep, and I was able to put him in the swing while I helped Londo clean up the tub and the Pumpkin.

Early the next morning, just after Londo left for work, the Pookie had a big poop. I heard the big poopy noise as he lay beside me, nursing himself back to sleep (he'd been grunting and squirming in the way I know means he was about to fart or poop). Well, I knew that noise, and I knew I had to jump out of bed and change him quick before his diaper leaked and poop got all over my bed. So, I quickly got him to the changing table and waiting to see if he had more. Once I opened his diaper, he pooped more. I started wiping him, and he pooped again. All over my hand. Really gross. I was able to get a wipe to clean up my hand without getting the poop everywhere. And then he pooped again, with an explosive shot that would have gone across the room if I hadn't already had my hand right there and was able to use the diaper to stop it.

Ah, good times. But, you know, he's an infant. What can you do. The bright side is that that was the only time he'd pooped all night. Which means that he's going less often and in bigger amounts at once. He's consolidating his poop, like he's starting to consolidate his sleeping in to naps (just starting to lately, but not there yet).

As for the Pumpkin, she is in Pull Ups and does use the potty. In fact, we've been putting her on the potty since she was 10 months old. We've not really done potty "training" with her, but we thought it was a good idea to put her on the potty occasionally to get her used to the idea of using the potty. We found that something about sitting on the potty seemed to make it easier for her to poop, and she poops pretty regularly on the potty. She pees too. But with a no pressure attitude from us, and she still goes in her Pull Ups.

You see, I read an article about elimination communication when she was around 10 months. And while I was not ready to really put in the effort to get her diaper-less so young, I really took away from the article the idea to get her used to using the potty. We (as a society) put our kids in diapers for the first 2-3 years of their lives, basically training them to use the diaper when they have to pee or poop. Then, we suddenly say that we want them to do the opposite. Sit on this brand new thing and go in there, not in your diapers. Do a 180, and try not to make any mistakes.

Instead, Londo and I decided to sit the Pumpkin on the potty at least before baths every night starting at 10 months old. Any time we saw the cues for her needing to poop, we would get her to the potty so she could go (or finish going) in the potty. When we stopped doing baths every night (we do every 2-3 nights, or more often as needed), we made the bedtime routine: sit on potty, wash hands, brush teeth. Around when the Pumpkin turned 2, we made her "morning routine" the same thing. We've now started offering the potty more often. After hanging out with her potty-training cousins last weekend she even told Londo she needed the potty and she peed and pooped on it!

We are going to go full force into potty training this month, I hope. She starts pre-school on August 31st, and they said they will work on potty training if we are doing it at home (but won't do it for us on their own, like I know some places will). I had considered starting potty training sooner, but we were concerned about all the recent changes in her life--especially the baby brother! Also, Londo and the nanny didn't seem ready. But I really want her to go into school with "working on potty training" in her papers. So the nanny is offering the potty more (I hope), and we are as well. Still no pressure from us, but I hope that the kids going at school will help her want to do it to.

Won't it be nice to have only one kid's diaper to change, even if he poops on me while I'm doing it?

*Check out this website! Write up your story and submit it! Let's support each other in our endeavors to breastfeed.

6 comments:

electriclady said...

We're in the same no-pressure potty-training place. BG is naked or pants-free for at least 3 hours a day at home (longer if we can manage it), and does really well pooping and peeing in the potty when naked (we started out offering potty every 15 minutes, and now she doesn't need to be reminded). The problem is that when she wears ANYTHING--including cloth underpants--she forgets to use the potty. Sigh. Eventually, something will click, right? I think our next step will be putting underpants on and offering potty frequently. If it's rainy this weekend I might just do an all-day PT extravaganza.

paola said...

After 4.5 years, we are finally a nappy free zone (well, except for Zoe's night time nappy, that is). And it's wonderful!! Our rubbish is half the size it was, and that is no exageration.

Believe me, when it really doesn't matter whether your kid is trained or not, that's when it's the easiest. I had the added stress of Noah ( first born)starting kindergarten at three when we were training him. I was so worried he wouldn't be ready for kinder ( they wouldn't have taken him with a nappy)and so extra pressure on him to be nappy free. With Zoe, I didn't give a toss. I knew she would be ready for kinder in January, being a girl and a second child and in a week she was out of nappies and into undies. Thank goodness for that stomach virus the week before that got her used to the idea of sitting on the toilet to relieve herself.

Look out for the dry nappy in the morning. That's the clearest sign the child is ready. And seriously it may only take a couple of days of 'training', after that.

Becoming Mommy said...

I'm looking forward to NO changing for a while. We haven't had messed pants except during sleeping in about 4 days. I hope you have that kind of luck!

Anonymous said...

I can't imagine changing dual diapers. But at least it sounds like you're extremely close to being down to ONE diaper!

Looking forward to seeing you on Saturday! We won't be able to stay long (going to my parents in the afternoon) but it's been so long even an hour or two would be nice!

Parisienne Mais Presque said...

@Paola -- Thank you, thank you! I feel lame that I'm so unmotivated about potty training le Petit, and you've made me feel better. He just turned 2 and he won't be going to kindergarten until he's 3 years and 2 months, so I have no near-term deadline. I figure I'll just wait until after we got back from our trip to Seattle this September to start slowly introducing it (since attempting serious potty training before a 10+ hour plane trip with 9 hours of jetlag is undoubtedly a useless exercise). You've also confirmed my MIL's theory about waiting for the dry nighttime diaper -- and we're far from that, alas.

He sits on the potty before bathtime but has only actually peed in it once, and the whole idea still seems a bit foreign to him.

paola said...

@Parisienne


YOu know, I took NOah's nappy off him at 2.5 years thinking 'he should be ready by now' and he ended up peeing like a puppy everywhere. I gave up after a day of it. My ped told me if he wasn't dry in the morning it would be so much more hard work to train him and that's the last thing I was after. At 2 and 9 months he woke up one morning with a dry nappy and I decided the time was right. No exageration, he trained overnight, with only a couple of accidents in the first week. I know a lot of people start popping their kids on potties even in theri first year, but, I think it's just an extra job seeing those children usully train around the same time as the kids that aren't put on the potty regularly. Boys are usually ready a little later than girls though. 2 is really still a baby. Anyway I hope you don't mind having what your MIL told you confirmed ( I know I would!). Good luck

Paola

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