Bowel movements during sleep

[loving_life]

Well...this is a funny and odd one. I've been wanting to post something for ages but just felt weird posting it and where to post it. It may be TMI...but this is the way it is and sorry but I don't know how to say it politely. My ds poos allllll the time. I put him to sleep and guaranteed, he'll poo when I put him down before he drifts off or as he goes from one sleep cycle to the next therefore he won't sleep more than one sleep cycle cos he's got a dity nappy (who can blame the poor munchkin, I wouldn't be able to fall asleep again either!) ;). He could go 5 times a day some days. So, I'm just wondering if anyone else's bub did this when they were put in their cot? Did you find it was something you were feeding them or the time of day you were feeding them? I tried keeping a diary and someone even suggested talking to him to tell him "it's time to go poo poo" (made no difference) but figured it may just be the way his digestive system works. I thought there's no harm in asking others too see if anyone else experienced this (except for being laughed at) :laughing:

[purtig]

I don't think I can help but thought I'd let you know my boys have always been big 'pooers' too! DS2 was doing 5 poos a day and it was getting quite depressing for a while there - I felt all I was doing was changing nappies. He still poos a lot. I limit his fruit intake and will not give him sultanas and grapes on the same day. My boys both love their fruit and I'm sure this is a big part of it.
No laughing here - I know what it's like - can't really help though.... sorry!

[loving_life]

Thanks purtig. Nice to know I'm not alone in this poo world. Oh boy, I haven't even started on sultanas and grapes yet! What did you do if they did one before or during sleep time. Just change them then back to bed or get them up?

[UmmInayah]

Oh I can relate to this. DD used to do it between sleep cycles in her morning nap. Drove me up the wall because it used to take me 20 mins of rocking to get her to sleep, and she would wake after 45 mins only to have her nappy changed and another 20 mins of rocking for another 45 min nap.

Thankfully it has past. I think it was just a phase for her.

It's weird that someone has told you that if you say its time to poo poo bub will go.. because usually when bub is due for a poo, I kinda look at her and make a straining expression and sound (I know, I know :rolleyes:) And she will do a poo.

Could you maybe wait before bub does a poo before putting him to bed? Not sure if he will get over tired.. but you could try?

[purtig]

I always check on my kids before I go to bed at night. If I realised they had done a poo I would get DH and we would do a team nappy change. Did it with lights off if possible, or with light coming in from the passage, as quick and quiet as possible. DS1 never woke and actually I'm not sure if DS2 ever did either, despite him being a light sleeper. If they pooed in the early hours they would get nappy changed with very minimum of fuss and interaction then straight back to bed. Sometimes this worked and sometimes it didn't. DS1 poos less now but spends about 15min in the toilet when he does!

[Leez]

I can totally relate - 9 out of 10 of my DD's poos will be done while she's asleep. She's 21 months now and has been like this for as long as I can remember! I have no idea how you TT a child who poos while asleep but anyway we'll cross that bridge when we come to it!!

If she's done a poo during her day sleep I won't wake her - especially if she's been asleep for an hour or two. I figure if it doesn't wake her, then its cool..often I don't know anyway because I don't go in her room that often when she's alseep, its only when she's called out to me and I go in to get her that I realise.

If I go into her room at night and she's stunk it out (sometimes they're so huge the smell wafts out of her room into the hallway!! Sorry TMI) - well then I will get her out of bed and change her, I wouldn't want her lying in it all night.

She can do 3 or 4 huge ones a day so you're not alone! I don't think its any particular food or timing - my DD has a wide variety of food and her bowel habits are fairly constant.

Sometimes I open her nappy and its like 'ugh! not another one!' but then I always remember my girlfriend who has 3 kids, and with two of them she had absolutely shocking probems with them being constipated - and that went on for years as well. I just think of that and I thank my lucky stars, I'd rather have my DD's bowel habits any day!!:yes:

[loving_life]

Thanks for the responses and the giggles. I might give the straining thing a go UmmInayah. Anything is worth a go. But it's funny, sometimes I won't even know he's done a poo until morning if he does do one at night (no smell and he won't wake) and they seem to be rare, the day ones...well...that's almost every day :hair:

[MrsTiggyWinkle]

Not sure if this will be any use but... I'm assuming your DS is still being fully breastfed as you say there is no smell lol!
Have you tried Feed Play Sleep? You feed as soon as they wake, offering 2-3 feeds for up to 45 minutes (or less if they don't want any more) then play/activity until they are ready for back to bed. After the 45 mins don't offer any more feed until at least 3 hours have passed (ideally following the next sleep).

The idea is that the play gets all the wind up and poo down before bedtime. I try to "exercise" DD by cycling her legs and pushing them up to her abdomen etc, and also (sorry if TMI) pushing gently on her anus with a wipe or piece of cotton wool... if there is a poo pending this hurries it along.

DD is a prolific poo-er, she doesn't poo in her sleep so much but often won't sleep because of it... She even poo-ed in the womb, at the time we were worried but now we know its just her! :laughing:

Interesting your DS poos in his sleep, is it something to do with relaxing? Maybe a massage... 5 times a day!!!
Anyway, just a thought, maybe it will help,
Anna.

[Mummy2R&K]

DS has turned into a mega poo-er the last couple of weeks. Ever since i introduced a third solid and yogurt.

He's averaging 4-5 a day atm.

A couple of times this week, he's done one at 4am! and changing a nappy at that time makes him wide awake and won't go back to sleep! That day he did 6!!

He's a Lean Mean Pooing Machine!

[loving_life]

Hi annnamac, ds is bottlefed but thankfully after everyone warning me once we started solids, the smells and dry retching may start...his poo smells like rose petals, ok not quite, but it's not smelly. I do push on the anus especially when he gets constipated (and he was quite bad for a while there) but the massage might be a good idea. I've followed feed/play/sleep from day one but i guess since starting solids it's a little more all over the place. Feed then play then feed again then play again until bedtime. Thanks for advice.

Mum2Riley Lean Mean Pooing Machine! Too funny!!!! :laughing: