First-time parents, especially new moms, have a lot of questions about their newborn. Their babies feel small and fragile so worrying about them is unavoidable. They don’t come with instruction manuals, either, so the smallest things like the absence of wet diapers or not peeing while sleeping can cause a frenzy. What is normal and what is not is a question that’s always asked to pediatricians.
On the first episode of SmartParenting.com.ph’s How Po? titled "How To Protect Your Newborn" a concerned mother asked whether it’s normal that her baby, who is less than 6 months old, does not pee while sleeping. She was troubled that her baby could be dehydrated because of it.
But Dr. Faith Alcazaren-Buenaventura, a pediatric specialist at Stratum Health Partners and one of our guests in the webinar, says that while mommy’s concern is understandable, what parents should be counting is the total urine output of their child.
“Ang ating tinitignan is ‘yung buong 24 hours na output ng bata. Ang bibilangin natin, [kung] less than 6 months, siguro mga four to five diaper changes na wet is [an] adequate amount in 24 hours,” she explains. “So whether or not tulog si baby, ang bibilangin natin is kung ilan ang nilabas niya na wet diapers.”
How do you know whether your baby is peeing enough and the urine is not concentrated? “Kung ang lumalabas na wiwi is around four to five tablespoons of water in a clean diaper, dun mo masassabi na ‘ah, puno ito,’” says Dr. Buenaventura-Alcazaren.
ADVERTISEMENT - CONTINUE READING BELOWHowever, there may be signs of dehydration if “scanty ‘yung urine — kakaunti” says the doctor. “Mga signs na dehydrated yung bata or not getting enough milk [is] makikita mo na darker color ‘yung kulay ng ihi at hindi siya nakakapuno ng diaper.”
When this happens, Dr. Buenaventura-Alcazaren strongly recommends getting further assessment from your pediatrician. However, she wants to emphasize that a baby who does not pee while sleeping is not bothersome.
“What we need to count is how many wet diapers ang meron ang bata within the 24-hour period,” she says.
What other parents are reading
If you have more questions about newborn care, baby development, and the vaccines that your little one needs, you can watch the first episode of our How Po? webinar series below:
To know more about Stratum Health Partners, visit bit.ly/stratumhealth or follow them on Instagram and Facebook @stratumhealthpartners.
Get exclusive access to Smart Parenting’s online webinars, expert talks, and lives! Register here and be the first to know about Smart Parenting Events.
CONTINUE READING BELOWwatch now
