Is DD weeing too much?

[ameliarose2012]

I'm starting to get a bit concerned about DD (25 mo). We started potty training at the end of May, and it's still a work in progress. She is mostly reliable, but goes through phases of having accidents (1 or 2 a day). I think this week we've hit the regression, so it's a bit worse than normal.

That's not what I'm worried about though. She seems to go an awful lot e.g. Yesterday we went swimming. We were in the pool for about an hour, and in that time we had to get out 4 times to go to the toilet. She went every time. Then, after we got out, once she was dressed she had a (quite large) accident.

This is standard behaviour - she regularly goes 4/5 times in quick succession. At first I thought it was just the novelty of it all, but 6 weeks on it's starting to really worry me.

Would it be ridiculous to take her to the doctors? Or is this 'normal'? I have quite a lot of experience with young children, and have never come across it before! Thanks

[notnowbernard]

It does sound a lot

Is she still in a nappy at night? If so, is it really heavy in the morning?

V young to be potty training (IME) - worth sticking her back in a nappy for a bit to see if the nappies are unusually wet or not?

[ameliarose2012]

Yes she is in a nappy at night. She wees a lot, and is in no way ready to make the switch!

I don't want to go back to nappies - she 'gets' it, almost always tells me when she needs to go, and is generally pretty reliable.

The training is not the issue. We're pretty much there in that regard, but it's the frequency with which she has to go that worries me. I was worrying about diabetes, but did a bit of reading and pretty sure it's not that.

I want to take her to the doctors, but don't want to get mocked as an overprotective first time mum!

[Piratejones]

As bad as it is a doctor will probably not take you seriously, although if i was you i would push incase she has a UTI.

Other than that giving her more to drink might help, which sounds crazy but it expands the bladder.

[ameliarose2012]

What about the health visitor? I might try to go to the drop in session. Can't make it for another 3 weeks though!

[Piratejones]

Everything is worth a try, Good luck and well done to her, she sounds like she has caught on to the idea really easily.

[catkind]

DS was 3 when we potty trained, and in the early days could easily produce accidents in between half-hourly potty visits.
DD was kind of the opposite, dry for 12 hours overnight from before 1, but when she first potty trained at 2 she'd go much more frequently just for the novelty value of keeping us all on the trot, and always found something to do.
So two possibilities for you there - just because she can, or because she hasn't yet learned to hold longer.
Another one would be if she hasn't learned to fully empty her bladder when she goes. In that case maybe you could try just asking her to check there's no more coming, or reading a book with her to help her relax.
Definitely have a chat with your HV if you're worried - do they have a number you can call between drop-in sessions? Ours aren't usually there but will call you back the same day if you need to ask something.

[Buttercup27]

Could be a novelty factor about using different loos. But if it smells or looks strong could be a urine infection. Might be worth getting her checked out just in case.

[ameliarose2012]

I don't know about novelty - she does it at home on the potty too!

It looks clear - just like wee should and like mine never does

I think I'll take her to the next HV drop in session and see what they say. If they think it's worrying then they'll refer her to the doctor won't they?

[Heartsandspades]

When we first tried potty training DS around that age he was exactly the same. He could go 3 or 4 times very close together and then perhaps nothing for a bit before going again a few more times. I think although he understood going on the toilet he did not yet understand how to hold it until he needed to go and do the whole lot all at once iyswim.
We put nappies back on and tried again at 2 1/2 and he was perfect day and night in about 5 days. When he asks to go to the toilet now he will do one big wee and then won't ask to go again until he needs another big wee.

[Purplelooby]

In my understanding, there is a sphincter muscle that needs to develop in toddlers and until that develops they wee very regularly. Up until recently my DS would tinkle about 2 or 3 times every half hour (I don't think they all wee this much as my 4 mo DD only piddles every 30 mins). We used to leave his nappy off a lot in evenings to save nappies (he always pooed an hour before bath time) and suddenly within the space of a week this totally changed. My friend is an incontinence nurse who potty trains for a living, mostly non-verbal children. She doesn't really believe in needing to 'be ready' with the exception that this muscle needs to be developed to stop them from weeing like a mouse.

Just a waiting game then I guess.