How to know if there's pee on a soiled diaper?

[MrBriggs]

Hey people, first time dad here. I'm trying to count the times my 4-day-old pees, but sometimes she poops and I don't know if there's also pee in it, since the stool is so soft that the yellow coloring all around it may be from the poop itself. Is there a way to do it? Thanks!

[gh05t]

Most disposable diapers these days tend to bulk up and get heavier as the amount of liquid gets absorbed into it. Most of this liquid I imagine would be from urine rather than stool as water is reabsorbed in the colon before the stool passes on.

I am not sure if its a gel or what inside but the diapers do get heavy and tend to lower off the waist of the child.

I am not sure what is your concern but if she is drinking mainly milk formula mixed properly she should be getting fluids in her system and if she weren't urinating I am sure it would have manifested in some way already. Hope this helps.

[Kanchi]

First time dad here too.
The easiest way to tell is to take a sniff.
Next time your kid just pees, take a sniff. It's got that ammonia smell to it.
Poo does not.
Not sure about your doc/midwife but ours had certain minimum pees they wanted to see. My daughter was already over those minimums counting just her pee only diapers.
In that case, it wasn't really a big deal that we didnt note if there was pee in her poo diaper.

Congrats, get as much sleep as you can.

[pimom]

If you want to get really serious about it, you can weigh the diapers like they do in the hospital.

[MrBriggs]

She's still so young that the diaper won't get much heavy... the sniff method seems to be better. She took lots of antibiotics on her 1st and 2nd days, so the pee would smell strongly of that, but now that that is gone I'll try to identify the ammonia smell.

Thanks guys.

[cinnamontwist]

Yep, by sniffing. Diapers now absorb very well and don't bulk up if they don't pee much.

[mmhassa2]

Pampers newborn swaddlers have a strip on the front that turns blue once the baby pees. But the whole thing doesnt turn blue until they pee a few times, so that might be helpful.

[HiThere1]

A lacatation consultant once told me that newborns don't have the sphincter control to NOT pee when they poo. So, if you're counting diapers (wet or otherwise) you can assume that there is pee in the diaper if the baby has pooped. Hope that makes sense.

Also, I always tell by feel. They feel 'spongier' if wet.

[MrBriggs]

It's been hard to identify ammonia smell as well... it seems that the poop smell is so strong that I can't differentiate a poop with pee from just a poop.
I got some of those diapers that show when there's pee in it at the hospital, but the ones I have don't have this "detection strip", so I'm gonna just assume there's pee in it.
Thanks again for all your help.

[Kanchi]

It's been hard to identify ammonia smell as well... it seems that the poop smell is so strong that I can't differentiate a poop with pee from just a poop.
I got some of those diapers that show when there's pee in it at the hospital, but the ones I have don't have this "detection strip", so I'm gonna just assume there's pee in it.
Thanks again for all your help.

That's a surprise. Maybe not all baby pee smells the same! I can definitely smell the pee, even when there is poo. There is almost no smell to my daughter's poo. Just out of curiosity: are you guys doing formula? We are only breastfeeding.

[MrBriggs]

That's a surprise. Maybe not all baby pee smells the same! I can definitely smell the pee, even when there is poo. There is almost no smell to my daughter's poo. Just out of curiosity: are you guys doing formula? We are only breastfeeding.
Only breastfeeding as well... on the bright side I discovered that the next box of diapers I have are the ones with the pee detection system, that's great.
Will also discuss it with the pediatrician.

[bubble.tea]

I miss the days of newborn poopies.

Ours looked like tar sometimes LOL., Dijon at others., but had zero smell. I could change diapers all day long., Once they hit actual foods...LOOK OUT!!!:twisted::razz:

[L_Mo]

I miss the days of newborn poopies.

Ours looked like tar sometimes LOL., Dijon at others., but had zero smell. I could change diapers all day long., Once they hit actual foods...LOOK OUT!!!:twisted::razz:

LOL!

By child #3 I finally figured out how to detect the presence of pee... Lay a thin layer of tissue (Kleenex) or toilet paper from front to back in the middle of the diaper. Voila! You'll see the wet spot if they pee!

[canadiankorean]

This may go against the grain but maybe try being diaper free?

We have our 3.5 month old on a pee and poo schedule. It's not hardcore or regiment.
Every time he eats or wakes up from sleep, we sit him in a baby potty.
He usually pees and poos during that time.
He hardly poos in his diaper. Only when we're out a long time and he's stuck in a diaper for 2-3 hours.
Otherwise, he likes to poo in the potty. He probably enjoys not pooing on himself.

Also cloth is a good alternative. You'll find out when he/she pees right away.

Check out EC
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elimination_communication


Oh and to give you an idea of how effective EC is.
We had our daughter starting EC at 9 months old.
By 1 yr, she rarely pooed in her diaper. I would say from age 1-3yrs old, she pooed maybe 3 times in her diaper. And only because she was stuck in a diaper for a long time.
I'll tell you that her not pooing on herself by 1yr was amazing. I would see others that had kids 2 or 3 yrs old still pooing in their diaper and I was glad that I didn't have to go through that.

[L_Mo]

This may go against the grain but maybe try being diaper free?

We have our 3.5 month old on a pee and poo schedule. It's not hardcore or regiment.
Every time he eats or wakes up from sleep, we sit him in a baby potty.
He usually pees and poos during that time.
He hardly poos in his diaper. Only when we're out a long time and he's stuck in a diaper for 2-3 hours.
Otherwise, he likes to poo in the potty. He probably enjoys not pooing on himself.

Also cloth is a good alternative. You'll find out when he/she pees right away.

Check out EC
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elimination_communication


Oh and to give you an idea of how effective EC is.
We had our daughter starting EC at 9 months old.
By 1 yr, she rarely pooed in her diaper. I would say from age 1-3yrs old, she pooed maybe 3 times in her diaper. And only because she was stuck in a diaper for a long time.
I'll tell you that her not pooing on herself by 1yr was amazing. I would see others that had kids 2 or 3 yrs old still pooing in their diaper and I was glad that I didn't have to go through that.

I've always wondered if anyone really did this... How about pee? Did it help with her being toilet-trained from the peeing aspect?

[canadiankorean]

I've always wondered if anyone really did this... How about pee? Did it help with her being toilet-trained from the peeing aspect?

Her peeing was real good from 1-2yrs. She would generally pee in the mornings and hold it for the pee times. (We had her in just underwear at age 1)
But at 2yrs, she kind of rebelled. She would pee in the mornings but the afternoons were hit and miss.
My wife and I would get upset at times because it felt like she was regressing.
That must've added stress and she didn't do as well.
But as soon as we let go of it.. and didn't get upset. Eg. if she peed in her pants, just told her to tell us earlier so we can take her to the potty.
It was just a few short months and she just didn't pee in her pants unless really really couldn't hold it because we were not paying attention.
Then a few months before 3yrs, she just went to the potty herself. She just said, 'I can do it myself."

[canadiankorean]

As a side note, one EC book had a good comment on diapers.
(paraphrased and butchered)
Babies naturally don't want to excrete on themselves. Animals don't do it. Babies don't like it either.
But since birth, they are trained to pee and poo on themselves. For their entire lives since birth, they were told to pee and poo on themselves.
Then suddenly at age 3 or 4, they are being yelled at to stop pooing in the diaper and go in a toilet.
Imagine the confusion they must go through.

That for me was enough to try EC even if it required more work.

[whiskeykat]

No advice for EC but if you want to know if there's pee in the diaper, squish it around a little.

A dry diaper feels sandy/gritty/crunchy when you squeeze it.

A wet diaper feels squishy like jelly.

Think of those decorative jelly bits people use in their candles and aqua plants. Pretty much the same stuff, once you soak those dry bits in water they puff up.

[LiL L]

As with a previous post, my pediatrician told me that newborns pee when they poop, so you can always assume there is pee in the diaper when they have pooped.

[LiL L]

As a side note, one EC book had a good comment on diapers.
(paraphrased and butchered)
Babies naturally don't want to excrete on themselves. Animals don't do it. Babies don't like it either.
But since birth, they are trained to pee and poo on themselves. For their entire lives since birth, they were told to pee and poo on themselves.
Then suddenly at age 3 or 4, they are being yelled at to stop pooing in the diaper and go in a toilet.
Imagine the confusion they must go through.

That for me was enough to try EC even if it required more work.

Hmmm, interesting argument, but I don't think by the time a kid is ready for potty training they are confused about it (okay, maybe if you "yell" at them, they will not want to do it). Most kids are kids are potty trained by age 3, some as early as 2 1/2 without the EC method.

[pimom]

Hmmm, interesting argument, but I don't think by the time a kid is ready for potty training they are confused about it (okay, maybe if you "yell" at them, they will not want to do it). Most kids are kids are potty trained by age 3, some as early as 2 1/2 without the EC method.

I second this opinion. My first was in cloth diapers as an infant. We started EC when she was 18 months. She was toilet trained at about 2 1/2 years (while still having the occasional accident and still wearing a diaper at night). My second wore mostly disposables from 18 months on and was completely toilet trained at 2 1/2 with no accidents and dry all night. Both just "got the concept" at that age. Had nothing to do with diapers/no diapers/type of diapers.

[kontra]

As with a previous post, my pediatrician told me that newborns pee when they poop, so you can always assume there is pee in the diaper when they have pooped.


just today nurse told me the same.