Research Question for users who had babies.

[ZetaSonic]

In writing for a fic, I just need to know:

“How common is it for a baby close to potty age to have pooped in their diapers when they wake up in the morning? Does it not come out without them being awake, or can it all slip out while asleep?”

If it sounds strange, it’s because the story opens with a change.

 

[TheGazelle]

My daughter has not gone in her sleep in probably a year and a half (she’s 2). She usually goes right after breakfast

 

[ElPulpo]

“How common is it for a baby close to potty age to have pooped in their diapers when they wake up in the morning? Does it not come out without them being awake, or can it all slip out while asleep?”

Depends on what you mean by "baby". Newborns sleep and poop chaotically, but as @TheGazelle wrote, with increasing age it gets uncommon.

I guess it has to do with the texture - breastfed infants' excretions are liquid and difficult to retain, whereas toddlers' solids may require some effort.

 

[LittleAcorn]

Uncommon over a year, and even that might be too old. It probably depends a lot on how much of their diet is solids vs formula when they’re under a year. Current advice on that is to introduce solids at 4-6 months, and stop formula at a year, but can replace with cow’s milk.

 

[Cottontail]

I have two kids, ages 16 and 19, so diapers were a while ago. I don't think much sleep-pooping happened after the first year.

 

[RojasPuraVida]

It's been nearly 3 years since we finished potty training our youngest, but none of them pooped in their sleep past about 6 months. My middle child though always liked to go straight away after waking up in the morning.

 

[SoggyRunner]

Same here. The first 6 months it happened sometimes, but not most nights. It was rare to nonexistent after that. It’s been about a decade now, but as a toddler, our kid was much more of an after lunch “nap time” pooper (rarely napped, but had quiet time, usually interrupted with a poopy diaper) than an overnight or morning one.

 

[ZetaSonic]

This has helped. I’ve been able to get started writing the story.