Odd question...

[AlenasMom]

What do you do if your baby doesn't have 6 wet diapers in a day? Alena's at
4 and it's 10:30pm... Should I be worried?

--
Lina
Alena born July 1st, 2003
www.maternalinstinctscanada.com
validate the email address before sending.

[Rob & Laura]

I would not be worried. Why do you say she has not had 6? Where does 6 come
from? Is that a certain amount that they are suppose to have. Izabella
usually has around 4 if not 5 in a run of a day. She has been doing this for
months now. I do not worry about it.

--
Laura
Mommy to Izabella **Feb 10th, 2003**
And 2 felines *Ashes(2) & George (4)*
http://www.babiesonline.com/babies/i/izabellawelburn/

"AlenasMom" > wrote in message
able.rogers.com...
> What do you do if your baby doesn't have 6 wet diapers in a day? Alena's
at
> 4 and it's 10:30pm... Should I be worried?
>
> --
> Lina
> Alena born July 1st, 2003
> www.maternalinstinctscanada.com
> validate the email address before sending.
>
>

[Chookie]

In article . rogers.com>,
"AlenasMom" > wrote:

> What do you do if your baby doesn't have 6 wet diapers in a day? Alena's at
> 4 and it's 10:30pm... Should I be worried?

Day as in 24 hours -- when did you start counting? If it has been a hot day,
you might cop more bfs tonight. I wouldn't worry if the baby doesn't appear
lethargic/sunken whatchamacallit*/sunken eyes etc.

* What's the name of the soft spot on a baby's head again?

--
Chookie -- Sydney, Australia
(Replace "foulspambegone" with "optushome" to reply)

"Jeez; if only those Ancient Greek storytellers had known about the astonishing
creature that is the *Usenet hydra*: you cut off one head, and *a stupider one*
grows back..." -- MJ, cam.misc

[iphigenia]

Chookie wrote:
>
> * What's the name of the soft spot on a baby's head again?

Fontanel : ) And I agree, I wouldn't worry overmuch about a slowing in
diapers without additional signs of dehydration.

--
iphigenia
www.tristyn.net
"i have heard the mermaids singing, each to each.
i do not think that they will sing to me."

[KC]

At her age and with 4 diapers I would probably watch another day
before I thought of doing anything drastic. Feed her alot. Maybe go
to bed with her and let her have lots of access. Both my babies had
low diaper counts in the first weeks after birth, and I had to
supplement both of them with formula.


KC -
Buy or rent Whittlestone Breast Expressers at:
http://www.alittlestore.com

"AlenasMom" > wrote in message . rogers.com>...
> What do you do if your baby doesn't have 6 wet diapers in a day? Alena's at
> 4 and it's 10:30pm... Should I be worried?

[AlenasMom]

"AlenasMom" > wrote in message
able.rogers.com...
> What do you do if your baby doesn't have 6 wet diapers in a day? Alena's
at
> 4 and it's 10:30pm... Should I be worried?
>
Update: She made it to 7 before 6:30 am. :D
But what does one do when the diaper count is low? Do you call the
pediatrician? Or go to the hospital?

[Sara]

AlenasMom wrote:

> Update: She made it to 7 before 6:30 am. :D
> But what does one do when the diaper count is low? Do you call the
> pediatrician? Or go to the hospital?
>
Hijacking the thread -- I never counted the diapers Ollie went through
as a newborn, and I still don't know what officially is a "wet" (as
opposed to, say, "damp") diaper. Am I a Bad Mom?

--
Sara, accompanied by the baby barnacle

[AlenasMom]

"Sue" > wrote in message
...
> AlenasMom > wrote in message
> > Update: She made it to 7 before 6:30 am. :D
> > But what does one do when the diaper count is low? Do you call the
> > pediatrician? Or go to the hospital?
>
> Nothing. Keep an eye on it and keep feeding the baby. Watch for sunken
> fontanels and no tears when she is crying as for signs of dehydration.
Are
> you using disposable diapers or cloth diapers? Disposable diapers are
really
> good at keeping the wetness away so sometimes it is hard to tell if it is
> actually wet or not. Keep an eye on your daughter's behavior. Does she
seem
> extremely sleepy? Any change in her behavior at all? I personally would
just
> keep an eye out for dehydration.
>

I'm using cloth. So I KNOW when they're wet. :D LOL

[Michelle Podnar]

are you using disposable or cloth diapers....disposable diapers are so
absorbent that you can't always tell when the pee, until it become a
significant amount. If it is 4 heavy diapers, then that is fine. Also, if
she seems perfectly happy, alert, showing no signs of dehydration, I
wouldn't worry at all

--
Michelle P
Ava Marie July 14, 2002
"AlenasMom" > wrote in message
able.rogers.com...
> What do you do if your baby doesn't have 6 wet diapers in a day? Alena's
at
> 4 and it's 10:30pm... Should I be worried?
>
> --
> Lina
> Alena born July 1st, 2003
> www.maternalinstinctscanada.com
> validate the email address before sending.
>
>

[Sue]

AlenasMom > wrote in message
> Update: She made it to 7 before 6:30 am. :D
> But what does one do when the diaper count is low? Do you call the
> pediatrician? Or go to the hospital?

Nothing. Keep an eye on it and keep feeding the baby. Watch for sunken
fontanels and no tears when she is crying as for signs of dehydration. Are
you using disposable diapers or cloth diapers? Disposable diapers are really
good at keeping the wetness away so sometimes it is hard to tell if it is
actually wet or not. Keep an eye on your daughter's behavior. Does she seem
extremely sleepy? Any change in her behavior at all? I personally would just
keep an eye out for dehydration.
--
Sue (mom to three girls)
I'm Just a Raggedy Ann in a Barbie Doll World...

[Akuvikate]

"Sue" > wrote in message >...
> AlenasMom > wrote in message
> > Update: She made it to 7 before 6:30 am. :D
> > But what does one do when the diaper count is low? Do you call the
> > pediatrician? Or go to the hospital?
>
> Nothing. Keep an eye on it and keep feeding the baby. Watch for sunken
> fontanels and no tears when she is crying as for signs of dehydration. Are
> you using disposable diapers or cloth diapers? Disposable diapers are really
> good at keeping the wetness away so sometimes it is hard to tell if it is
> actually wet or not. Keep an eye on your daughter's behavior. Does she seem
> extremely sleepy? Any change in her behavior at all? I personally would just
> keep an eye out for dehydration.

I agree that it sounds like Alena is fine. However sunken fontanel
and lack of tears are both *really* late signs of dehydration (iirc,
babies lose 15-20% of their body weight before those happen). In our
pediatrics rotations amount of pee was definitely emphasized as the
most important thing to follow re: hydration status. The other
physical findings are all either unreliable or indicators of severe
dehydration.

Nonetheless, what's more important than number of wet diapers is the
whole picture of the kid. If fluid's going in the only way to get
dehydrated is that more fluid's coming out -- pee, diarrhea, sweat, or
breathing (ie fast breathing with a fever). If the baby looks fine,
is eating, isn't acting sick, and doesn't seem to be losing fluid by
any weird mechanism, I'm having a hard time thinking of a reason why
the kid wouldn't be fine. If it seems really weird than call the
pediatrician, otherwise just watch the diapers and the kid's behavior
and expect things to normalize soon.

Kate
and the Bug, June 8 2003

[AlenasMom]

"Akuvikate" > wrote in message
om...
> "Sue" > wrote in message
>...
> > AlenasMom > wrote in message
> > > Update: She made it to 7 before 6:30 am. :D
> > > But what does one do when the diaper count is low? Do you call the
> > > pediatrician? Or go to the hospital?
> >
> > Nothing. Keep an eye on it and keep feeding the baby. Watch for sunken
> > fontanels and no tears when she is crying as for signs of dehydration.
Are
> > you using disposable diapers or cloth diapers? Disposable diapers are
really
> > good at keeping the wetness away so sometimes it is hard to tell if it
is
> > actually wet or not. Keep an eye on your daughter's behavior. Does she
seem
> > extremely sleepy? Any change in her behavior at all? I personally would
just
> > keep an eye out for dehydration.
>
> I agree that it sounds like Alena is fine. However sunken fontanel
> and lack of tears are both *really* late signs of dehydration (iirc,
> babies lose 15-20% of their body weight before those happen). In our
> pediatrics rotations amount of pee was definitely emphasized as the
> most important thing to follow re: hydration status. The other
> physical findings are all either unreliable or indicators of severe
> dehydration.
>
> Nonetheless, what's more important than number of wet diapers is the
> whole picture of the kid. If fluid's going in the only way to get
> dehydrated is that more fluid's coming out -- pee, diarrhea, sweat, or
> breathing (ie fast breathing with a fever). If the baby looks fine,
> is eating, isn't acting sick, and doesn't seem to be losing fluid by
> any weird mechanism, I'm having a hard time thinking of a reason why
> the kid wouldn't be fine. If it seems really weird than call the
> pediatrician, otherwise just watch the diapers and the kid's behavior
> and expect things to normalize soon.
>
> Kate
> and the Bug, June 8 2003

Thanks! She seems great, if a little more hungry today! She's already up to
6 diapers today and it's only 7:41pm. (I count from 6:30am until 6:30am)
So she was probably just reaching the end or begining of yet another growth
spurt.

[Larry McMahan]

AlenasMom > writes:
: What do you do if your baby doesn't have 6 wet diapers in a day? Alena's at
: 4 and it's 10:30pm... Should I be worried?

Having read your update too...

First, you know you should be counting for the 24 hour day. I think you
know that (at least now).

Now, what to do if the count is low...

First day, try to nurse more to get the count back up. This is the same
advice as if you have a low count the second day, but no secondary
indications of dehydration. This is a case where co-sleeping and
increased night nursing can make a substantial difference.

If there are mild indications of dehydration, (slightly sunken fontenella,
eyes, but no legarthy) do a nursign holiday. Go to bed with your baby for
all day and nurse as much as possible.

If it get any worse or persists any longer than that, then you will probably
have to supplement with either EBM or formula. You will probably want
your doctor's advice if you get this far.

Good luck,
Larry

[Chookie]

In article >,
Sara > wrote:

> Hijacking the thread -- I never counted the diapers Ollie went through
> as a newborn, and I still don't know what officially is a "wet" (as
> opposed to, say, "damp") diaper. Am I a Bad Mom?

No -- I never counted either. I was never worried that DS wasn't eating
enough, nor did I ever think my supply was low. Without a reason to suspect a
problem, why would you bother to count nappies?

--
Chookie -- Sydney, Australia
(Replace "foulspambegone" with "optushome" to reply)

"Jeez; if only those Ancient Greek storytellers had known about the astonishing
creature that is the *Usenet hydra*: you cut off one head, and *a stupider one*
grows back..." -- MJ, cam.misc

[elizabeth emerald]

"Chookie" > wrote in message
...
> In article >,
> Sara > wrote:
>
> > Hijacking the thread -- I never counted the diapers Ollie went through
> > as a newborn, and I still don't know what officially is a "wet" (as
> > opposed to, say, "damp") diaper. Am I a Bad Mom?
>
> No -- I never counted either. I was never worried that DS wasn't eating
> enough, nor did I ever think my supply was low. Without a reason to
suspect a
> problem, why would you bother to count nappies?
>

i never counted, just made sure that most nappy change was a wet one, which
it pretty much was. surely that would add up to the "count", probably more
as it felt like i was changing DS every 5 mins at the beginning!
--
elizabeth (in australia)
DS - born 20-aug-02

[H Schinske]

wrote:

>I agree that it sounds like Alena is fine. However sunken fontanel
>and lack of tears are both *really* late signs of dehydration (iirc,
>babies lose 15-20% of their body weight before those happen).

Just to mention (I know Kate knows this, I just want to be reassuring), very
young babies, which I think the OP's baby wasn't, don't cry tears anyway, and
fontanels sometimes feel a bit concave no matter what. I'm sure *really* sunken
fontanels look different, but I know I worried over my babies' being concave
when the pediatrician pooh-poohed there being anything wrong.

--Helen

[Akuvikate]

(H Schinske) wrote in message >...
> wrote:
>
> >I agree that it sounds like Alena is fine. However sunken fontanel
> >and lack of tears are both *really* late signs of dehydration (iirc,
> >babies lose 15-20% of their body weight before those happen).
>
> Just to mention (I know Kate knows this, I just want to be reassuring), very
> young babies, which I think the OP's baby wasn't, don't cry tears anyway, and
> fontanels sometimes feel a bit concave no matter what. I'm sure *really* sunken
> fontanels look different, but I know I worried over my babies' being concave
> when the pediatrician pooh-poohed there being anything wrong.
>
> --Helen

Yeah, good point. Dunno how many times I wrote AFOFS (anterior
fontanel open, flat, and soft) on a chart without noticing that they
actually can dip down a little bit. I haven't seen a truly sunken one
in real life, but in pictures it's not just a little dip.

I remember when the Bug first started crying tears. For some reason
it broke my heart so much more to see her little wet eyelashes after
she'd been crying!

Kate
and the Bug, June 8 2003