getting DD up to pee in the night - WWYD?

[desamom]

My DD is 28 months old and has been out of diapers since 19 months. Shortly after I took her out of diapers during the day, I also stopped putting them on her at night since she was always waking up dry. We went on like this for months and she never once wet the bed. Then a few months ago, she started peeing at night and since then it's been a regular occurrence. Once I realized that it wasn't just a phase, I started bringing her potty into the room (she sleeps with me) and putting her on it in the middle of the night to pee. This has worked well, with a few misses here and there.

I am 31 weeks pregnant and my DH is slowly taking over bedtime. He has asked about just staying in bed with her for the night (he currently sleeps in another room for the comfort of everyone!) but does not want to wake up to take her to pee. When he asked what other people do, I said they probably still put diapers on at night. I imagine it will be quite some time before DD is able to get up and take herself to pee. I am also imagining taking her to pee in the middle of the night while I'm also dealing with another baby.

What should I do? I really don't want to put her back in diapers at night, but does that make the most sense? Is there a downside? I am already anticipating a potty learning regression when the new baby comes. Will this affect that at all? Meaning she'll want to start wearing diapers all the time!

Any insight would be appreciated.

[greenmansions]

If my dd were wetting every night I'd probably put her in a diaper for the night, at that age. Especially with a new baby on the way, I would not want to deal with the pottying at night. But I am one who really really needs my sleep and I would be doing everything I could to maximize it, and changing up things that don't support my sleep.

My ds is still in a night diaper and it does not affect his pottying during the day - he always pees on the toilet by himself, tho he is several years older than your little one.

[mamaclukey]

Agreed, my 4 1/2 yr old (who sadly, only recently became able to go thru the day without diapers) still needs them at night.. not every night but enough so that I don't chance it.

She gets up in the am, goes potty and grabs a pair of panties and she's good the rest of the day!

[Red Pajama]

My daughter is about the same age. she day trained at a bit before two on her own, and started staying dry at night soon after. At some point, she started waking up in the night, and one of the things we do when she wakes up is go potty. But I take her because she wakes up. In your situation, I'd probably put her in a pull-up at night, since she's not waking up on her own.

[sapphire_chan]

I've been taking my dd at night since she was less than 4 months old, so I have no idea how one handles nighttime diapers. My guess though is, if you don't already have diapers that will handle a toddler's nighttime peeing, you'll end up having to change the diaper anyway to avoid puddles.

I find it a LOT harder to be aware of DD's need to pee when she's gone to sleep in a diaper from traveling. That doesn't happen often though as she'll usually stir a bit as I transfer her from carseat to bed and try to pull her diaper off. Likely with a 28month old, the diaper'd be right off with or without your help.

I think it'd be ridiculous to put her into diapers at nearly 2.5 years old. Especially since you'd probably have to duck tape them on so she wouldn't take them off and that'd make getting her to the potty (when dh is more awake) or changing them (when dh is more sleepy) a total PITA.

Does your dh go to sleep with your dd or does he go later? Rather than waiting for her to need to pee, could he just take her before he goes to bed? My dd tends to be able to go about midnight and that holds her for the rest of the night.

[lifeguard]

Could he try pottying her just before he goes to sleep for the night (assuming of course he is going to bed a couple hours after her) - maybe that will be far enough into the night for her to make it the rest of the night.

Otherwise, honestly, I'd just do a diaper. Sleep is too precious in this house to purposely disturb it, for me or dc.

[amberskyfire]

Does she go to bed at the same time you do? I usually put my 28 month old to bed and then stay awake for a few hours. Then I take her to the potty right before I go to bed myself. She doesn't wet at night if I do that, so we don't use diapers anymore.

I don't have to wake her up for it. I just pick her up and carry her into the bathroom. I hold her against my chest with her legs dangling down and use my other arm to pull down her pants. I sit her on the potty and cradle her sleepy head in my hands and ask her to go and she does. Then I can take her right back to bed and lay her down and she drops right off to sleep.

[desamom]

Really appreciate all the responses. I think the issue is that we are trying to transition to my DH putting her to bed before the baby comes and he doesn't wake up in the night. If he was to sleep the night with her, I can see him going to bed when she does because he gets up very early. He doesn't think he'll wake up in the night. I really don't want to put her back in diapers at night. I have been going to bed later than her and just putting her on the potty when I go to bed. Or if I happen to fall asleep with her, I inevitably have to get up to pee, so get her to go then (we keep a potty right beside the bed for this).

I am getting a lot of pressure from DH to put her back in diapers at night, so I guess I'm trying to figure out whether or not to give in. We've also been having some regressions during the day, which I'm fine with, but he says it's more work having to clean up the messes (even though I am the one that does it!). He hasn't been on board with "early" potty learning since the outset so that makes it all even more hard! He recently suggested putting her back in diapers full time (we were on vacation and she had four accidents in one day) and I flipped out.

Anyway, still not sure what to do, but maybe I could suggest that he if he doesn't go to sleep at the same time as her then to take her to go before he goes to bed. Or alternatively, if he does go to bed early with her, then I can go and take her to the potty right before I go to bed.

I'm rambling! Thanks again, everyone.

[Mama2Rio]

we put dd in diaper at night and naps (some times i don't get to her soon enough from when she wakes up from a nap). but we do have her sit on the potty at night when she wakes and put the diaper back on, every one sleeps a little better. some nights she protests the pottty and just wants to nurse back to sleep and we end up having to get a clean diaper. but i don't see the harm in putting a diaper on for night just incase there's a miss or hubby doesn't wake up in time, then there's not a big mess of blanks to change, ect.

[lifeguard]

Honestly, I think it is great that your dh is taking over night time parenting for your older dc & I think I'd be a little more willing to make adjustments that will work for him. We all have different thresholds for how much mess we are willing to deal with. For example, I let ds wander around naked sometimes & just clean up as we go but dh cannot handle him peeing on the floor so we never do nakey time when dh is around. I don't think either way is right or wrong or doing any harm so it's really not worth making an issue over.

[LCBMAX]

If he's going to go to bed at the same time as she is, he could drink a big glass of water himself, and take her to pee when he needs to go too. Just a tactical suggestion in case he decided he wants to help her stay on her diaperless big girl track.

[healthy momma]

There is a middle ground depending on how heavy a wetter your DC is. My 26 month old DS sleeps in night training pants, specifically Potty Scotty. He pees before he goes to sleep, again when I go to sleep a couple of hours later (and as PP said he doesn't wake up), and then usually he thrashes around and whimpers sometime in the night and I take him again (little potty right by the bed). Most nights he stays dry with this routine. Occasionally, he doesn't and the Potty Scotty "underwear" holds the pee and I just quickly change him into a new pair. If he had a lot to drink late in the day I've on a rare occasion had a little bit of leakage on the bed but that is very rare.