4.5 yr old pooping in diaper every night

[megan sacha]

DS has been out of diapers and without any accidents during the day for 18 months, but he still wears a diaper at night.  While I was pg with his sister (15 months today) she started pooping in his night diaper after we put him to bed and either we didn't catch it and he had a very sore bottom in the am or we caught it and changed him when we came to bed.  I feel like maybe he started the pooping every night after we put him to bed as a result of stress from me being pg, but I'm not sure.  Late in my pg with DD and around the time he got out of daytime diapers, we switched him to primarily sposies for night time because I just couldn't take cleaning off the stinky preschooler poop at night any more.

The diaper we change him into after his poopy one is usually dry in the morning so he's staying dry for most of the night.  We're feeling like he's not going to outgrow this lovely poop at night habit and are a bit at a loss for what to do next.  We bed share with him and DD so are scared of a huge mess at night.   But, we think this needs to end.  I think he's close to being about to stay dry all night.

For the record, he poops on the potty during the day just fine and has even just started wiping himself.  So, he's not afraid of the potty or anything like that.  I'm not sure what the motivation is but he IS continent and we're done.  We and my parents have talked to him about it A LOT and he doesn't want to stop.  He says he's "potty trained during the day but just turns it off at night".  Arrrgh.

Any one else go through something similar or have any suggestions?  

I feel like I just want to put him in underwear but I'm scared of what will happen and the mess and waking the sister, etc.  How do we prepare the bed to address these fears?

Ack!

[Boot]

If you're sure this is something he could control I might try some bribery. A special candy in the morning if he didn't poop or a sticker working up to a big treat. My ds was doing the same thing in the mornings for ever and I sympathize. It's gross. Sounds like he needs motivation to change his habit as its working fine for him. Also, you might need to take him to the toilet at night as he'll still need to go. Good luck! 

[megan sacha]

no one else in this situation?  Ack!

[treehugginhippie]

I want to say my DD1 did that around that age a couple times at night. Can't remember what I did to change it if anything. Only suggestion I'd say is to move dinner and/or bedtime snack to earlier?? Wake him before you go to bed or set the alarm to have him go potty after 11pm or the like to give him a chance to poop on the potty??

[megan sacha]

Thanks for the reply treehugginhippie.  Well, it's not a matter of needing to wake him.  We do goodnight routine and then leave and he goes to sleep on his own.  On the nights he poops, I think he's doing it right before he falls asleep.  And, he often poops after dinner, right before bed, and then poops again in bed.  I guess perhaps there isn't a solution other than to just put him in underwear, cross our fingers and hope he chooses NOT to poop in his underwear because otherwise it's going to be a huge mess.