Night time touching and leaking nappies.

[Writerwannabe83]

A very sleep deprived mother here who is at the end of her tether.

Over the last few weeks DS (aged 2.5) has become obsessed with his penis and he never stops playing with it. Day or night one of his hands is usually in his nappy.

The problem we have is that every night, sometimes twice a night, he is waking up because his hand down his nappy has caused the nappy to leak and his pyjamas and bedding are wet. Because he's constantly moving his arm around inside the nappy it's loosening the sticky-tapes so the nappy is effectively just falling off.

We have tried putting a pull-up over his nappy so see if that would help soak up any free flowing urine but it didn't.

We have tried putting his nappy on backwards so that his constant rubbing around in his nappy from the front won't have any affect on the tapes as they were now at the back but that hasn't helped either.

We bought some one-sie pyjamas so he couldn't access the nappy but he just pulled down the zip and stuck his hands down his nappy again.

I just don't see a solution but DS, DH and I are exhausted because of the constant wakings. By the time I've changed DS's pyjamas and bedsheets he's so awake that it's hard to settle him off again. Last night he woke at 01.15 because he was wet and was awake until 3am.

Does anyone have any suggestions or reassurances that this is just a passing phase?

[geradine]

Have you ruled out stuff like thrush and urine infection to make sure he's not playing to soothe an itch or pain?

Can you put a bit of duct tape over the top bit of the zip on his onsie to stop him pulling it down during the night?

DS2 wears special clothes for eczema, which is leggings, with a long sleeve vest over the top which poppers between his legs over the leggings - he cant get out of that even when awake. Maybe a similar get up might help you?

[Getnakedorgohome]

I would put the zip up onesie on back to front so he couldn't reach the zip. Failing that, he will grow out of it (or nappies!) Eventually!

[Phillipa12]

Same problem here but a back to front onsie works wonders as does a long sleeve top over a onsie. Toilet training is commencing just after xmas!

[Writerwannabe83]

Some great suggestions, thank you.

Where do you get those outfits from geradine?

I tried the onesie on backwards but it seemed really tight around his neck so I was reluctant to leave it that way.

I have often wished I could buy popper baby vests in toddler sizes.

I hadn't considered there might be a physical reason for it - he doesn't look like he's got thrush though as his skin looks perfectly normal. Sometimes I think his penis looks a little bit red but I always put it down to the fact that he's playing with it constantly!

[dementedpixie]

I thought you could get popper vests up to age 3

[drinkyourmilk]

H&M do large poppered vests.

[dementedpixie]

up to age 8!

[Writerwannabe83]

Oh my god!!!!

I could cry with relief!!

Now I just have to find out where there is a H&M near me....

[chocolatecakemakesmefat]

M&s do popper vests for special needs up to age 8 also :) they might be helpful - have you tried potty training ?

[Writerwannabe83]

We have tried potty training and when we are home and we leave his nappy off he will use the potty every time he's had a wee but he refuses to wear pants. If we do put pants on him he just uses them like a nappy and wees/poos in them.

[claraschu]

I second what Geradine says. Have you checked for thrush/irritation?

[Writerwannabe83]

Admittedly I did think the other day that his urine smelt a bit off when I changed his nappy. He's not having any temperatures though.

[uhoh2016]

Put some cotton wool in his nappy to soak up the wee then squeeze it out into a sample bottle and ask your GP to check it for any signs of infection.

[Writerwannabe83]

I've got a sterile container ready song waiting to catch his wee

We have got a doctor's appointment at 3pm.

[geradine]

http://www.dermasilk.co.uk/onlineshop

Those are the suits we use but they are obscenely expensive specifically to treat eczema. The vest has hand covers though which stop them scratching eczema and keeps little fingers from undoing the clothes!

You'd do just as well to get some normal vests I'd imagine, and get the GP to check him out. I have thrush at the moment and I have to stop myself from shoving my hands down there too!

[ElspethFlashman]

Also if the sleepsuit is too tight back to front just cut a notch in the neck.

I think Next do everything up to 3 as well but they just don't stock those sizes in store.

[dementedpixie]

I linked to the M&S ones earlier as they go up to age 8

[BertieBotts]

Baby sleeping bag might help too?

Hope everything is ok at docs

[BabyStone]

Both M&S and F&F Tesco online do bigger sizes in the vests/bodysuits

[IamChipmunk]

My ds kept taking his nappy off so he is currently in 'onesie' pyjamas with poppers on the top bit. He is also 2 and can't undo the poppers.

You could try that?
Ours are from debenhams & m&s

[Writerwannabe83]

The GP thought DS's behaviour could be due to 3 things so has started him on a 5 day course of antibiotics to cover for any possible infection.

DS is now wearing an all-in-one poppered pyjama suit designed for 18-24 months and it fits him wonderfully. Whilst in his cot I saw him on the monitor trying to force his hand down the front of the outfit to reach his nappy but he eventually realised it wasn't possible so fell asleep just holding his collarbone instead

Here's hoping for a better night!!

[geradine]

Fantastic, hope you get more sleep tonight and that the antibiotics solve it.

[claraschu]

Just be aware that antibiotics can cause thrush too..

Hope all is well though.

[Writerwannabe83]

For the last two nights, since wearing all-in-one pyjamas he's slept through!!

He's still playing with himself frequently during the day but the GP said that it's a very normal developmental stage. Since starting the antibiotics and giving regular(ish) pain relief he is urinating much better in the day and things seem to have returned to normal again.

Thank you everyone for all your advice and tips