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Original poster

Collecting urine sample from baby

42 replies

sestius · 06/04/2005 21:13

Dd (two months old) going to hospital for a clinic next week, and the letter says "Bring a sample of urine". I've read that you can tape a special plastic bag to the baby but the thought of walking into my local Boots and saying "Hello do you have the special bags for collecting baby wee?"...

Anyone got any tips or shall I just hold her over a bowl and hope she wees before my arms drop off? Or maybe the special plastic bags do exist and no-one at Boots will laugh at me. The world of babies is full of wonders I'd never dreamt of before.

OP posts:
mummytosteven · 06/04/2005 21:14

yes, special bags do exist, as they used one when they had to get a water sample from DS. I would phone up the hospital and ask them how you should get the sample/where to get the bag from.

Merlin · 06/04/2005 21:14

The hospital gave us the bag when we attended and we waited until he wee-ed in it!!

Newbarnsleygirl · 06/04/2005 21:17

I had to do this. You get the bags and put a slit in your dd's nappy and pull the bag through. The top has like a funnel shape on it so when baby wee's it just goes in to the bag. You can even put your dd down and leave her to it but just keep checking to make sure she's filled it.

NannyJo · 06/04/2005 21:17

Could have got tons with DS he peed every time you took off his nappy. Not so easy with girl though sorry thats no help at all.
This reminded me of a friend who once asked for advice on how to collect a sample from her dog????? god knows how she did it in the end!

If she does often wee on change mat then the bowl thing might not take so long???
good luck

Lonelymum · 06/04/2005 21:35

I have had experience of the bags but I didn't think they were obtainable from Boots - I got mine from the hospital at the time that the urine smaple was requested. GP may have them?

Boys are easier to collect from: a small jar held in their vicinity would easily do the trick. Babies are supposed to wee every 20 minutes at the most so perhaps it would not take too long if you sat her in a bowl. Also, I was advised to try about 20 minutes after feeding the baby, if that is any help to you.

Hope your baby is OK?

Original poster
sestius · 06/04/2005 21:37

NannyJo you've reminded me of the time we had to collect sample from our cat. Horrible. The utility room floor was never the same, and neither was the cat.

OP posts:
Branster · 06/04/2005 21:41

God help you!

I rememebr what a hassle it used to be when DD was a baby!

The bags were rather useless in our case, or I just never worked out the best way of using them.

One succesfull solution was to put some cotton wool inside the nappy and collect the urine this way, all you'd have to do is squeeze the liquid from cotton wool into the sample pot.

Of course, your baby will have a poo just after having had a wee in teh cotton wool and so on, but you do get some result in the end. Don't use a lot of cotton wool at once though as it would eb difficult to collect anthing if it's only a small wee-wee.

SoupDragon · 06/04/2005 21:42

PMSL at the thought of collecting a sample from a cat

Used the little bags with DS at the hospital too. It just kind of stuck all round his bits - maybe you could rig something up with a freezer bag and duck tape? (only joking!)

Lonelymum · 06/04/2005 21:45

Actually, that's not a bad idea Soupdragon. The baby is only 2 months old so would easily slip into a good size plastic bag (up to her waist only, before anyone starts!) I think if it were me, I might try that. Better than sitting her in a bowl.

Original poster
sestius · 06/04/2005 21:45

Thansk for all your advice folks - LonelyMum, dd is fine but has a little cyst just inside her tummy button. It makes her tummy button a bit gunky. Gosh, the stuff that comes out of our babies. Anyway, doc says it comes under the category of "get it checked out but don't worry about it".

OP posts:
SoupDragon · 06/04/2005 21:46

PMSL at the thought of a half naked baby feet down in a plastic bag...

Original poster
sestius · 06/04/2005 21:54

When Iwas pregnant I couldn't even collect my own sample without making a pig's ear of it, maybe I should have tried the cotton-wool idea or stood in a bin-liner. Must stop laughing and go to bed before someone tells us off for irresponsible promotion of plastic bags.

OP posts:
SoupDragon · 06/04/2005 21:56

Seriously though, you could probably get away with holding her on a potty for a while.

I know what you mean about pregnancy samples. I was handed a thin tube once and was expected to be able to fill it. This was with my second child and my aim was never the same after DS1...

NannyJo · 06/04/2005 21:59

PMSL. can't say i've noticed a change in my aim since ds. it was never any good anyway. I used to hate handing a soggy urine tube to the midwife each time ( soggy cos i rinsed the outside but then it made paper wash off so i'm sure she thought it was wee))

SoupDragon · 06/04/2005 22:00

I got wise and used a plastic cup and decanted it. Used to go to appointments with a plastic cup in my bag just in case

NannyJo · 06/04/2005 22:02

good thinking i'll have to remember that for next one, whenever that will be!

KathH · 06/04/2005 22:15

we had to get a sample from ds for the hospital but they gave us a bag. i imagine it was easier to do with a ds than a dd! (Had to laugh tho - had to put his bits thru a hole with big cardboard bits at the side, reminded me of an elephant )

ghosty · 06/04/2005 22:19

DD needed a wee bag at 2 months ... we just got one from the doctor ... (well, we got a couple just in case the baby pooed and the poo contaminated the wee) ...
I would ask your doctor or the hospital for a couple of bags if I were you ... TBH I think it is ridiculous that they have asked you to get a urine sample WITHOUT giving you the necessary equipment!

kelb6180 · 06/04/2005 22:29

I had to get many samples off my daughter when she was a baby, probably the same age... MISSION IMPOSSIBLE .. i got so stressed out.. its trial and error, make sure you have plenty of bags.. and you could get them from a nurses clinic maybe.. every practice is different.

TIP: If you tear open a bag and lay your daughter on it and basically wait till she does her business.. then with a sterile syringe ie: like ya get wid medicines.. syringe it up and place it in a sample bottle. when you need to give a urine sample from a child they generally only need a bit.

hope this helps.

sallycinnamon · 06/04/2005 22:57

My dd had regular urine infections. As far as the bags are concerned your gp practice should have some. They are certainly easier to use when they are little. Last one I had to attach to dd was done while she was wailing like a banshee and screaming 'away mummy away!' at the top of her voice. The relief when you see the bag inflate like a little yellow banana out the side of the nappy! Oh the joys of motherhood!

irishbird · 06/04/2005 23:04

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

sallycinnamon · 06/04/2005 23:07

Thats very impressive Irishbird!
I love the way HV,GP etc say 'oh by the way bring in a sample' as if its the easiest thing in the world.

irishbird · 06/04/2005 23:12

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

bambi06 · 06/04/2005 23:14

my dd always use to wee when she was waiting for the bath so you could try running the tap and hope for the best

PotPourri · 06/04/2005 23:22

We took a sample at 4 days from DD. Similar to irish bird. We jsut fed her with no nappy on, and ice cream tub between DH's legs. No spillage due to hte size of hte tub, so I would definately recommend a bigger tub in case it is a power wee.