Incessant wiping

[Ontheflipside]

My DD (3, nearly 4), has recently taken to obsessively wiping her vagina after a wee. It's making it really sore. We've really tried to explain to her it's making it sore. We will wipe for her so it's dry but she still insists it's 'wet' and gets very upset.

When we tell her no more wiping, it's dry, it's hurting her etc (pre school have also picked up on this) she goes into full meltdown and it's really hard to watch. It's clearly a sensory thing but it seems to have come from nowhere.

Any tips? Is this common?

Just to add, she's extremely strong minded and distraction and bribery don't work easily!

Would a baby wipe make her feel cleaner?

I'm going to try this today! Due to the wiping because it's 'wet' this one hadn't really crossed my mind yet. Thank you

Has she been ill lately? This is a classic symptom of PANDAS.

Suggesting dabbing rather than wiping may help a bit

Not really. Maybe a cough about a month ago/end of April. The only other thing I can think is that her baby sister arrived mid January, and I've noticed in the last few weeks she's struggling more emotionally with the change. The new addition didn't seem to affect her for 2 months or so, but more recently she's struggling to share me

Yeah, we've been doing dabbing for ages. She toilet trained at 2 years 3 months and we've pretty much dabbed since then 😂

Have you had a sample checked for UTI?

Is she feeling wet when she pulls her pants up? If this is the case then a little panty liner might help as even if she is slightly wet it will soak in and make her feel dry. The cotton feel ones are brill but I'm not sure if you will get any small enough with her being young.

No, but I have contacted the GP this morning as she has been weeing more frequently in the day

Yes, that's what she says. That's a good idea, I'll see if I can get any small enough

Maybe it feels ‘weird’ but she hasn’t got the language to express that so she goes with ‘wet’. Sounds like she needs to see the dr

Just an update, I'm pretty certain it's a UTI. I noticed a couple of days ago she was weeing more frequently but now it's pretty much a constant need for a wee which stings when she goes and only a little comes out. We have sent a urine sample to the DR

I’m sorry OP, I hope the dr will give some answers and help.

With regard to the change of a newborn arriving in the family, it can take up to 12 weeks for the brain to process change and maybe this is why she is showing struggles now? Sending love

I went through this around a similar age with my DD, we went to the doctor as she was also saying it still felt wet after she had wiped, and sometimes she would be dry and then a dribble would come out once she was moving again! She was given medicine for a UTI and we also got some cream for thrush like symptoms for when it would get red and sore and it helped a lot! Now she sometimes gets redness and she will tell me right away if it feels sore and we will pop some cream on before bed and usually find by morning it has cleared up again. Hope you get something for her as it really is awful!

Always do some tiny ones in individual green wraps in a little box, they’re paper thin

Hi everyone! The results came back and she doesn't have a UTI, so Dr is treating it as Vulvovaginitis. We are managing it at home with a wet wipe to clean, then dabbing with tissue to dry. No bubbles in the bath for a while and no knickers at night (even though we do this anyways) a little sudocrem if it feels really sore too

Perhaps try bamboo knickers from the likes of Boody. They are reported to be better than cotton

Oh great idea! Thank you

I know this is an old post but did it ever stop? My daughter is 4 and is doing this as well

Hey! Yes it did stop. It took a while though, 2 months at least!! The wiping did cut down massively but the constant needing a wee went on for a while. Weirdly enough she said she had a stingy vagina again last night, and I've witnessed her not wiping a few times, so I think she is forgetting and that's what's caused the issue!