Can nighttime diapers cause confusion?

[lactatinggirl]

DD (27 months) has been potty training for about 2 months. She does really well when she's not wearing bottoms, but when I put bottoms on her it's hit and miss. I've been wondering about nighttime diapers and how they could be contributing to this confusion.

I put the diaper on her when she's going to fall asleep soon and sometimes she doesn't fall asleep for a little while after. If she tells met that she needs to potty when she has a diaper on during this time, I tell her it's okay to go in her diaper because she's wearing a diaper. Then in the morning she generally pees and poos in the diaper before I get her out of it (mostly because she's up before us and we're kind of in and out of it and she's trying to wake us up).

Could this cause her to be confused about whether or not she's allowed to go when she has something on her bottom? Could it just be residual confusion because in the past she's been allowed to go with pants on? And on a separate note, how do you know when a child is ready for nighttime undies? She wakes up with pee and poo, but it's obviously just the stuff that she did right when she woke up. I don't think she goes in the middle of the night so much anymore. 

[Birdie B.]

I don't know how to tell when they're ready for overnight undies; we're not there yet! But my 31 month old is in the same place as your daughter. She wears undies all day and hasn't had an accident in weeks.  I put a diaper on her right before bed, but if she tells me she has to pee, even with a diaper on, I take her to the potty. I do think telling her to go in her diaper is confusing. 

I know what you mean about the morning - I have the hardest time dragging myself out of bed to take her to the potty! I am usually trying to get her to cuddle with me and go back to sleep!  I haven't tried this, but maybe a small potty chair by the bed is a good morning option, that way you don't have to go all the way into the bathroom.

Good luck!