My baby boy has started having nappy leaks during the night. His nappy has become so heavy, and the area where it’s leaking has become very sore. He’s been using disposable nappies for about 6 weeks, and we’ve just started training him to use a potty.
I’m so worried that he’s wetting his bed, and I don’t know what to do about it. What should I do?
Here’s what I’ve done so far. I’ve changed nappies every 3 hours (sometimes even sooner) during the day and night, and I’ve given him lots of encouragement. But it doesn’t seem to be making a difference. We’re still waking up several times during the night to change his nappy, and it’s been about 2 weeks now.
He’s only 9 months old. Is this normal? Is there anything I can do to make this better?
I hope you can help me!
Dear Mum,
Thank you for writing to us.
Yes, it is normal for babies to leak at night. They are growing and developing so fast, and their nappy isn’t ready to contain all of their bodily fluids overnight.
Your little one is very young so the time that he has been using a nappy will be limited. Most babies only stay on disposables until approximately 12-18 months old. After this time, they will be ready for their first fitted nappy or diaper. It may take up to 3-6 months after this stage to get them trained to use a potty.
It’s not uncommon for parents to worry about their baby’s wetness at night. However, you mustn’t panic. If your baby is waking up in the middle of the night, it could mean that they are just hungry. You can give them a bottle or breastfeed them to settle them back to sleep.
You can also try using a diaper doubler to absorb the wetness overnight. The advantage of this method is that you can keep the rest of the nappy or diaper doubler dry along with ensuring the baby goes the night without a diaper change. The disadvantage is that you will need to wash the liner once daily.
If your little one wakes up during the night but is still sleeping well and happy, there’s no reason to be concerned.
Thank you for your question. Please remember to come back and visit our website if you need any further help.
