The Messy Side of Motherhood: Blowouts, Pee Attacks & Spit-Up Galore

Is it just me, or are there other mamas out there dealing with nonstop pee catastrophes, blowouts, and spit-up?Sometimes I wonder if this is a boy thing or if it’s just my little man, because the amount of laundry and stain remover I go through should honestly be illegal. Jokes aside, I wanted to share what has helped me survive these messy moments as I navigate life with a baby who seems to spit up, poop, and pee all day long.

In One End, Out the Other

No one truly prepares you for that first blowout. When it happens, there’s poop everywhere—down their legs, up their back, and if you’re really lucky, all over you too (unfortunately, I fall into this category). My little man especially loves to save his biggest poops for feeding time. I guess for him it really is “in one end, out the other.”

I’ll never forget the first time it happened. George and I were cozy on the couch while I fed him, about halfway through the feed, when I felt his little body tense up. He grunted, pushed, and then came the toots. I knew immediately we were in trouble. As I went to move him, my hand landed right in the poop that had made its way up his back. It was on me, on him, and all over the breastfeeding pillow. And of course, I was home alone. It took me a solid 15 minutes just to get George cleaned up—never mind myself or the pillow.

I wish I could say that was the only time, but nope. It’s happened dozens of times since. At this point, if I hear him tooting during a feed, all I can do is hope it’s contained.

Peed on Nana's Curtains 

You hear a lot about poop from other parents, but not nearly enough about pee. Maybe this really is a boy thing, because I’ve never heard my brother or sister-in-law talk about pee going everywhere with their girls. With boys, it’s like a tiny sprinkler system—unpredictable and powerful.

George loves to pee on whoever is changing him. For a while, we fully expected it every single time. One time, while I was sliding a clean diaper under him, he chose that exact moment to let loose. Poor little guy ended up with pee up his body, on his face, and even in his hair. But the real kicker? The stream shot straight onto his Nana’s curtains. It was like he aimed. Thankfully, this doesn’t happen as often anymore.

Pooping in Mama's Car

A blowout at home is one thing, but a blowout while out and about is a whole different story. I’m so grateful my mom was with me for this one.

I was feeding George in my car when he started tooting, and I knew immediately what was happening. Before I could even react, he was literally pooping into my hand. There wasn’t much to do except let him finish eating.

We weren’t anywhere near a bathroom, so once he was done, we set up his changing mat in the back seat. My mom—being the pro she is—had him cleaned up in no time. Thankfully, I had packed a clean outfit for him, plus a bag for dirty clothes and the diaper.

I definitely learned my lesson after the time he went through his outfits at my brother’s house and ended up wearing his girl cousin’s pink onesie. That’s when I officially understood the importance of packing multiple backups.

Spit up 

Spit-up is one of those things that varies so much from baby to baby. For us, it’s a daily event—sometimes multiple times a day. There hasn’t been a single day where we haven’t dealt with at least one spit-up. Sometimes we don’t even notice until we find a random spot on the floor.

Most of the time, he spits up right after eating while I’m burping him, so I always have a blanket over my shoulder. He also wears a bib all day because his clothes get soaked otherwise.

One time, at a friend’s engagement party, Brandon was holding George facing outward when George let loose the biggest spit-up ever. It went all over Brandon’s shoes and all over the floor. George thought it was hilarious, but we were shocked at how much came out. I didn’t have an extra bib that day, but thankfully I did have a clean outfit for him.

My Tips for Handling the Messes

1. Soak stains immediately.
   I keep a bucket of water in the laundry room for soaking clothes sprayed with stain remover. It prevents stubborn stains from setting—shout-out to my sister-in-law for this tip.
2. Bring extras of everything.
   I’ve run out of bibs and outfits before, so now I pack multiple changes of clothes and several bibs whenever we go out.
3. Use pee-pee tents or wipes.
   These help contain surprise pee fountains during diaper changes. Even placing a wipe over your baby can save you.
4. Carry plastic bags for diapers.
   When you’re not near a garbage, these keep the smell and mess contained.
5. Have a separate bag for dirty clothes.
   By the end of an outing, we sometimes have several items in there. It keeps everything else clean and organized.

Adjusting to the Messy Side of Motherhood

I don’t think anything could have truly prepared me for all the bodily fluids motherhood brings—and the chaos that comes with them. But these messy moments have also given me some of my funniest memories and hardest-learned lessons. I’m still learning as I go, but I feel like I’ve gotten the hang of things for the most part and I’m as prepared as I can be.

I’m sure more surprises are coming, but this is what I’ve learned in my first five months of motherhood—and honestly, I wouldn’t trade it for anything.