2 1/2 yr. old wanted alot to drink bfr bed, wet thru diaper during the night.
You shouldn't dilute the milk- give it to her straight and it'll fill up her tummy so she can't have anything else. She may be hungry, diluting the milk really isn't a good idea.
Dear C.,
I'm so sorry, I have no ideas for behavior modification on this on. What I did want to suggest in the meantime, is to use a diaper doubler or sticking a (menstrual) pad in her diaper at night to save you the headache of the pee-through.
Good luck!
B.
This is going to sound weird, but I have a cat with diabetes insipidus. He does not produce whatever hormone it is in our brain that tells us we're not thirsty anymore. He is on medication, but without it, he would drink water almost constantly!
Not trying to be an alarmist, but it might be worth a call to the pediatrician. Our cat was diagnosed with a urine test.
Hi C.,
I don't want to be negative - but excesive thirst can be a sign of medical conditions like diabetis. I just thought I would mention it just in case. You might want to keep that in mind as you move forward. There probably is nothing wrong - but I would get her checked just to play it safe.
G.
Is this new? I don't want to alarm you, but increased thirst and urination are signs of diabetes. If your daughter also is eating more, becoming sleepy, losing weight, vomiting or complaining of tummy or back pain please go see your pediatrician immediately.
On the off chance that it is diabetes, please feel free to contact me again. My daughter was diagnosed seven years ago when she was six. It is manageable and not the end of the world.
It sounds like you hit the nail on the head. It does sound like a 'security' thing with the bottles. My 2 1/2 year old daughter also asks for a drink of water before bed every night, but I give it to her in a straw type of cup and leave it in her room at night. I feel for you having to change diapers during the night at this stage. Maybe it would help to wean her from the bottle onto a sippy cup or something similar. Good luck!
Juice and milk are not good for her before bed (teeth). And she doesn't need either throughout the night. Get her some new cups, and let her have water while you are reading to her and leave the cup there if she wakes thirsty later. My kids drink water before bed and if they wanted water during the night I wouldn't object. Your daughter will be upset at first, but if it isn't there for her to have then you won't cave in and give it to her. You shouldn't have to change her diapers at night anymore either. I'd say yes on the form of it becoming a security blanket or more of a comfort - same reason why both of mine nursed throughout the night until the age of 2.
She is old enough to understand what you are saying. Just start by giving her a heads up early in the day, "tonight when we go to bed, we are going to brush our teeth, have a drink of water (maybe use a cup w/a straw), read books then go to sleep" stay consistent on this and it won't take her long.
Best wishes,
M.
High/low blood sugar? Once that is ruled out, look at the situation around why she wants so much liquid/attention. Has this been a long-time problem? If so, consult your child's M.D., psychologist(PhD)/psychiatrist(MD, family, and friends. Get information from a variety of sources because every child is different.
LAM(little about me)-55 mother of 3 (36,33,19 2G-1B) Special Ed secondary teacher for 16 years, SpEd teacher elementary for 2 years with a focus on (severe learning disabilities) SLD AND ED (emotionally disturbed). ED is a catch-all for anything from moderate depression to schizophrenia.
Any behaviors that are not normal for your child and are interfering with daily life should always be checked by professionals AND your research (internet?).
Happy hunting for a solution/reason to the problem.
If she's that thirsty thoughout the day, you may want to ask your pediatrician about diabetes.
If she's just doing it before bedtime, it's probably just a security thing. If she's drinking from a bottle, try changing to a sippy cup because she may just want the sucking action from the bottle. Also, just cut back to almost nothing so that she'll forget that she ever got that much liquid before bed. It will be a problem when you're potty training if she's drinking that much before bed. Good luck!
Dear C.,
You are one lucky lady to have a helpful husband!
A question in my mind was this: has she been so busy during the day she forgets to drink enough and then feels thirsty at night? Perhaps you can go out of your way to give her plenty of fluids during the day - especially in this heat - then there's no chance she could be dehydrated, and you could safely have a cut off time for drinking. If it is just a bad 'habit' you might try turning it into a game, explaining she can't have the bottles at night, because it will keep her from sleeping well, but that she will get a sticker in the morning after she sleeps through the night, and stickers on a chart for drinking during the day instead. For some great ideas for sticker charts and behavior tips you can go to: gomommygo.com
My mother cured me of sucking my thumb when I was 4 by giving me a small doll that I could hold in my hand close to my cheek. She explained that whenever I wanted to suck my thumb I should hold the doll close to my cheek and pretend. It worked, and eventually I became attached to the doll instead. But it was better than sucking my thumb to go to sleep!
Maybe transferring the feelings to something else might work. It's worth a try.
I think if your daughter was using this as a security blanket, she would hold the bottle in her mouth, but not necessarily drink. The fact that she is asking for such large quantities of fluid suggests she is thirsty. Not to freak you out, but if I were you I would mention this to your pediatrician. Excessive thirst could be an indicator of diabetes. Also, that much liquid is really filling up her belly. If she is hungry, you don't want her filling up on liquids -- it might mean her missing nutrients that she would be getting from food. It is probably nothing -- but I would mention it to the pediatrician anyway. Always better to be safe than sorry. You know how we moms are!!! Good luck!
Maybe try giving her more fluids during the day and then you may be able to stop her later on as it gets closer to bedtime. Also, try giving her some snack instead during book reading, maybe just crackers. Maybe that will keep her belly full and keep her from waking up. I sympathize, my kids sleep hard and don't tend to wake up to go to the bathroom. Good Luck!
Start to train and transition by brushing teeth. Tell the child that it is not good to drink after brushing. You are in a total transition period from diaper to underwear. Just ease into it. Know that there may be difficult times. You will forget them though. I have 9,8 and 6 year old. Sleepless nights cease.
Have you had her tested for Diabetes?
Take your child to your Pediatrician and have her tested for Juvenile Diabetes. with this they want to drink A LOT, urinate a lot, and eat a lot.
Do this ASAP!!
Does she drink an unusual amount during the day? This can be a sign of juvenile diabetes. Assuming she's fine -just say no! There is nothing wrong with a small cup of water, small 3 oz total, but unless you want mega cavities, you should not permit any milk of juice after they brush their teeth. Also, during a quiet moment I'd explain to your child that you will not be changing her diaper during the middle of the night, and that one way to help keep it dry is to drink less water. Unless your child has a major anxiety issue this does not sound like a security blanket thing, it sounds like she has you really well trained!
you didn't mention if you are using night time diapers, they are more absorbent than daytime diapers. huggies makes them and we used them when my kids would be too saturated overnight. (also, fyi: larger diapers will leak more than regular size since they aren't so snug)
I have a daughter who will be 3 at end of july and since she is 99% toilet trained, i don't give her anything to drink after dinner (by ~6:30 or 7:00pm)except maybe a dixie cup of water after she brushes her teeth. good luck!
Okay, no offense, but be the mom and tell her no!! You wouldn't let her eat unlimited snacks---drinks are the same. Make sure she's getting enough to drink throughout the day and then nicely but firmly tell her no. She's going to cry, because it's a learned habit and she seems to be using it for comfort. Try Richard Ferber's book--he has a lot of helpful advice. I used it for both my boys.
If I were you, I would cut out all fluids one to one and a half hours before bed. If she gets up set then oh well. I promise she will get over it. I used to think that when my son wanted something to dring at night it was becuse he was so thirsty and I felt bad not giving it to him. I have sense then realized that he would be just as fine with out it and that I had no more accidents at night
Hi C.,
First off, is she drinking a lot during the day? Push the amount of fluids you give her during the day. You can push gently down with the first inch of your finger on her forearm. If the skin tone quickly comes back when you remove your finger then she is getting enough liquids. I think if her skin tone is fine then she has just started a bad habbit. It takes 21 days to make or break a habbit. Start with no more juice or milk after an hour and a half before bedtime. The only thing she should have after that is water. If she sleeps with her mouth open her mouth could be drying out. You don't want the juice and milk sitting on her teeth all night or she will get a lot of cavities. Never let her take a bottle of juice to bed. If she continually sucks on it ,her permanant teeth that are under the gums in waiting will be rotten when they come in. I have seen many bed bottle babies who had silver front teeth caps from sleeping with a bottle. Good luck. D.
that is a lot of fluid - my little one also loves to drink and will take 8 oz of milk at bedtime and them take water to bed with her (about 4 oz). She uses a sippy cup, and is potty trained in the day. She is 22 months old. I would not worry too much about the night time potty training just about the day time for now. Yes it could be form of a security blanket, but right now I would just get yourself some full nights of sleep!! My daughter drinks so much ALL day I call her the pee pee queen but I use diaper doublers at night http://www.epinions.com/reviews/Diaper_Doublers check out this link, they are really cheap - $2.,99 for 30 at babies or toys r us and they really are very absorbent. You just place one in side of the diaper you usually put on.
It may seem cruel but kids are hunger at night becuase they are tired and thirsty to keep from going to sleep. No drinks are night. It is bad for there teeth and ears. They potty before bed. Nothing two hours before bed. She will scream and cry but you must stick for yours guns. She will get over it. She is manipulating you. Kids are very smart.
How much does she drink during the day? I think you need to figure out how much your daughter drinks throughout 24 hours and then consult your Pediatrician. Abnormal thirst can be a sign of diabetes.
http://diabetes.about.com/od/symptomsdiagnosis/p/Symptoms...
Take Care!
~N.
I know we all do what is easiest a lot of the time particularly when it deals with our children and sleep--but I have to say, come on: you are the parent. You are the one in charge. Drinking 8+ oz. before bed is a really bad idea, as you know b/c you have to change diapers at night. It is def. a security/control issue and the longer you let this go the harder it gets to change it--though by 2.5 it is already well-established and is going to be hard to break anyhow. I would start by decreasing the amount in the bottle 1 oz each week so she won't notice it right away. If she wakes up "thirsty" let her know she can have a few sips of water from a cup not a bottle--she is a "big girl now" and that is what big girls do. HOLD YOUR GROUND. I am telling you it may effect your sleep for WEEKS but overall it is what you need to do to get out of this pattern of behavior. Once she really gets that she won't get her way she will eventually stop. Doing the hard things is often what parenting is about--I think sometimes b/c it is so hard anyway we try to avoid anything that is additionally hard--but that is how we create really demanding kids who are indulged.
C.,
Oh I hate to say this, but think you should take her to her ped. Being that thirsty can (not always, but CAN) be a symptom of diabetes. I am saying this as I know this so well from my own self. I want water at night, well, I did and still do if my medication if off kilter...so, do please ASAP take her in for a check up...
Good luck, and let us know.
C.
It could be a security thing. is it just at night? or all day that she drinks like that?
if it is all day you might want to have her blood sugar checked. diabetes makes a person drink like that.
take care
