Considering the high frequency of your baby peeing, pooping, and spitting up much more than he/she takes in, it is quite natural for moms to feel concerned and think that their baby is not getting any nourishment at all. This is not the case though, and anyone who has ever been a parent will confirm that. You should not worry and know that your baby is not going to die from malnutrition just because he/she spits up a lot. However, there is another group of parents who are worried because their babies are not peeing or spitting up enough. Is it normal? Should you worry for your baby not peeing a lot? Let's find out more about it.

How Often Should Baby Pee?

It is obvious to feel concerned about the frequency of your baby peeing daily, but what is considered normal may vary greatly. Here are certain guidelines to help you get an idea about how much your baby should be urinating.

• Newborn Babies: Generally, your newborn should be producing at least 6-8 heavy diapers every 24 hours. Understand that your newborn baby has a very small bladder, so he/she is going to pee a lot during the first few months after birth.
• Older Babies: With their bladders becoming larger, older babies are less likely to pee that often. They may have already started eating sold foods that also affect the urination frequency. Still, you should expect them to urinate once every 4-6 hours.

It is important to bear in mind that most babies gain control over their bladder as they grow old and this considerably reduces urination frequency. Moreover, do not expect your baby to pee a lot in hot weather. Overall, you should expect your baby to urinate every 3 hours depending on age and overall health. Be sure to talk to your doctor if your baby is not peeing that much and is passing urine that is pale yellow in color and has a strong smell.

What If Your Baby Is Not Peeing a Lot?

You should feel concerned for a baby not peeing a lot if he/she does not urinate for more than six hours and it becomes more like a pattern. Most children urinate at intervals of 2-3 hours, so it is important to call your doctor if your baby is not peeing enough and have other symptoms, such as fatigue, fever, concentrated urine, edema, dry mouth, and general discomfort and fussiness.

A number of factors may go into determining how much your baby urinates throughout the day. For instance:

• Fluids: Your baby is less likely to pee that often when he/she is not getting enough fluids. Giving him/her more water or milk may help improve things.
• Fever: Your baby is going to sweat a lot when he/she has a high fever, and it means that he/she is less likely to urinate as per his/her old schedule.
• Hot Weather: Your baby will pee less during hot months because they usually sweat more just like adults.
• Diarrhea: Your baby is not going to pee that often when he/she has diarrhea. Watery depositions decrease the overall level of liquid in the body and this may result in baby not peeing a lot.
• Urinary Tract Infection: If your baby is getting enough liquids but is still peeing very little, it could be because he/she has a urinary tract infection. It is rare but is still a possibility.
• Kidney Failure: Just like adults, babies may not urinate that often due to kidney problems. It means your baby's kidneys are not functioning properly and fail to remove wastes through urine. You may also notice other symptoms such as a fever, rash, diarrhea, bloody urine, and edema.
• Nappy Absorption: Sometimes, there is nothing wrong with your baby. The only thing is that you are using diapers that soak up the urine super fast, which makes you think that your baby is not urinating that often.

What to Do

Should you be worried about your baby not peeing a lot? Is it necessary to do something about it? The best thing is to determine his/her urination frequency first and compare it to what is considered normal. Do not just rely on the appearance of the nappies used. You should check his/her dirty nappies closely and notice if there are any signs of pee. If there are, your baby is doing just fine. You may consider wrapping your baby in a swaddling cloth for a couple of hours to be absolutely sure of how often he/she pees.

If, after your initial inspection, it becomes clear that your baby is not peeing regularly, you should consider increasing the frequency of breastfeeding first. You can also give him/her mineral water or natural fruit juice if he/she is older than 6 months. Just increasing the fluids usually resolves the issue completely. Be sure to seek medical attention if your baby is peeing less and also has other symptoms such as diarrhea and fever. These symptoms usually indicate something else than a need to have more fluids.