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Warning: Graphic discussions of elimination ahead

Warning: Graphic discussions of elimination ahead

Don’t read this if you are eating or have a weak stomach.

Recently I feel like I’m a contestant on some bizarre mom-themed reality show. Iron Mom, maybe? This week’s challenge: diaper management.

Contestant M has been given three children with various diaper challenges, can she juggle three diets to prevent poop catastrophe?

Child 1: Baby B. is nursing and has been having up to 20 poopy diapers a day. Can mom change her diet to limit the frequency? (Will mom have to give up her favorite foods: broccoli and blueberries in the height of berry season?) Also what diaper cream/wipes combo will work best to limit rash and heal that poor chafed bum?

Child 2: Following a bout of diarrhea Toddler S. has red, oozy, sores and rash. She doesn’t like to tell mom when her diaper is dirty. Can mom implement early detection routines? Also what diet changes can limit frequent wet stools? Can mom tempt the toddler who has recently become jaded with cheese into eating just a few more bites of cheddar? Can mom limit fruit intake, especially when older sibling can eat all the fruit she wants?

Child 3: Pre-schooler B. is almost potty trained; but is getting stopped up and has to be coaxed to sit on the toilet. She frequently gets distracted during meals and mom has to hover to make sure a balanced meal gets consumed. Sometimes she even has to be spoon-fed. Can mom tickle the fancy of this picky eater, convincing her to eat more fruits while limiting baby sister’s fruit intake? And how to convince her that a pull-up is not a diaper and that if she’s awake she really does need to go use the potty because what is ok for the babies doesn’t work for her?

Hey, sometimes you have to laugh about it or else you may just cry.

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9 comments
  • Thanks for posting this.  It makes perfect sense but (even after having three children!) I never made the connection before. 
    I am due with our fourth around the new year and this is something I will keep in mind—even if interrupted sleep is unavoidable, I think it helps to know what may be contributing to how you are feeling.

  • My brother suffers from sleep problems (sleep apnea) and difficulties and a history of depression. I’ve forwarded the article to my parents and my brothers. Thanks for the link!

  • I definitely notice differences in my moods and attitudes when I don’t get enough sleep. I just didn’t know if it was a common reaction to less sleep.

  • I’m with Kate!  I read this through her FB link.

    And briwsing around… I have to say it’s crazy that I also have a Sophie, Isabella, and Benedict.  Love your taste in baby names. wink Baby Lucy joined us 2 months ago.  smile

  • I have found that on the nights that I have struggled with a baby during the night I have woken up tired and frustrated. However, when I have approached the time in the middle of the night as a time to keep vigil and pray as I calm the baby, I have woken up refreshed. I guess that is to say that even trials can bring fruit if they are approached prayerfully. Then we can give thanks in all circumstances. Even sleepless nights. smile

  • As a mother of four, and pregnant again, I have been very prone to post partum depression, the worst being after the birth of my third child, born only 14 months after my second.  When my fourth came, he was not a sleeper.  He actually did not sleep well until recently, and he’s two and a half now.  It’s taken me forever, but I now know that sleep deprevation is what causes me to be weepy, horrible, and just plain awful.  This article and post was very intertesting.  Thanks for posting.  Now, to just realize this when the next one comes….and know it’s not forever.

  • My 4-month-old has taken to waking up every two hours for the past two weeks. I’d never really caught on sleep and now I’ve got a growing deficit. Sometimes I wonder why I don’t feel like myself anymore or why I’m quick to snap. Just the other day I called myself Eeyore to a friend and wondered why I was in such a funk.

    Why do I ALWAYS forget that a dearth of shut-eye is a BIG deal?

    Even Jesus needed sleep. If he was able to sleep through a storm, then surely I can realize I am human and need to go to bed earlier.

    Thanks for the reminder and reminding me that I’m not the only mom pining for sleep!

    God bless!

  • “I have found that on the nights that I have struggled with a baby during the night I have woken up tired and frustrated. However, when I have approached the time in the middle of the night as a time to keep vigil and pray as I calm the baby, I have woken up refreshed.”

    Katherine,

    A timely reminder. Thank you.

    Last night I did indeed remember to pray as I bounced my sleepless Ben. (I also managed to get him swaddled tightly and it did seem to help.) I am certain that my prayerful attitude helped make today a calm and pleasant day all round. I was able to stay centered in Christ and to turn to prayer constantly throughout the day. Such rich fruit to harvest from such a small sacrifice as a few Hail Marys whispered in the night!

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