Public Service Announcement: E. coli

Two months ago, I started working a med tech job at a clinical laboratory. I trained on the urine bench. I like my job. I find microbiology to be fascinating...and gross...at the same time.

The urine bench is where urine cultures are processed. Patients provide a urine sample (pee in a cup) to their healthcare provider. A quick, dip-stick test can detect the presence of bacteria in the urine sample. If bacteria are present, the urine can be plated for further testing. Plating consists of streaking the urine onto a petri dish that contains the agar that nourishes the bacteria and encourages its growth. The plates are incubated at body temperature for a day, giving the bacteria time to grow.

My job is the next part of the process. I receive urine culture plates and have to screen them for growth. I report if there is no growth at all. I report if the growth on the plate looks like normal flora....the normal bacteria found in the human body, which is typically in low levels and balanced proportions. I report if the plate is contaminated with many different organisms...which is typically caused by not following the collection procedures for a "clean catch." I report the quantity and description of any bacteria I see growing on the plate.

It is important to identify the bacteria that is invading a person's urinary tract, and to also determine which antibiotics will treat it. Thankfully, there is a big, fancy machine that does that part. My job is to set up some colonies, from a pure culture of bacteria, into a tube of broth for the machine to use. When the machine has completed its task, I then double check its work and finalize the report.

It did not take me long to realize that one-third of my job duties can be eliminated by better hygiene practices on the part of the public at large.

So, I would like to make this Public Service Announcement:

Ladies, please wipe from front to back!

It may sound silly, but it is really important. Let's be careful to teach this to our daughters, so that they will follow this instruction too.

One of the most "popular" bacteria growing on the urine culture plates is E. coli (Escherichia coli). E. coli is a common bacteria in our digestive tracts. It is found in feces.

Wiping from back to front brings fecal material toward the opening of the urinary tract. So, it is easy for the bacteria to get into the tract, set up shop, and go to work causing painful infection.

Always wipe from a cleaner area toward a dirtier area.

So, wipe from urinary opening toward fecal opening (vagina toward anus).

Such a simple, hygiene practice would greatly reduce the number of bacterial infections in the urinary tract.

*These images of E. coli growing on petri dish plates were borrowed via the internet from:
Wikipedia and Scienceprofonline.

No-Win Potty Training

I have said it before, and I will say it again...

I stink at potty training!

My current situation involves my 5-year old son. He potty-trained later than his sisters, for sure. He was already 3 before he mastered the skill during the day. But, since he is such a sound sleeper, he required a Pull-up at night.

Jersey #2 was the same way. She wore Pull-Ups at bedtime until she was just past 6 years old. She sleeps hard at night and does not wake up. She still does not wake up, but apparently she reached a point where her bladder grew big enough to hold everything all night long while she slept.

Jersey #3 is in the middle of this growth process, I think. He really wants the privilege of wearing underwear to bed (instead of a Pull-Up), but he does not yet fully have the ability. So, half the time, I am having to launder soiled bed sheets and PJs in the mornings.

The other night, he woke up and was stirring around in his bed. I had just gone to check on the kids before going to bed myself. When I saw him sitting up in bed, looking dazed, I asked him if he needed to go potty. He nodded. So, I walked him to the bathroom. I stood in the doorway while he went through the process, so I could walk him back to bed. He was clearly disoriented from being half-asleep.

That is when I started to question if he really should be trying to wake up and void in the middle of the night. He was still so much asleep, that he did not have much stability or aim while he stood to pee. He overshot at first, and peed on the back of the toilet seat. When he tried to regroup, he peed on the floor.

So, I stood there wondering, is it better to have to wash soiled bed sheets every morning because he didn't wake up to pee....or to have to clean the toilet area every morning because he did???

I can't win.

Reconsidering Potty Training

Jersey #4 has been independently potty trained for a few months now. By independently, I am speaking of her ability to recognize the need to go potty, and her ability to get herself to the bathroom to take care of business....or ask for the help she may need.

With the recent warm weather allowing for more outdoor play, I noticed that Jersey #4 has started wetting herself. This is not a surprise or a concern, because it is so common for kids to get busy playing and not want to break up that fun in order to go potty.

But, it is a matter of training to address.

So after the 3rd underwear change in one day, I gave Jersey #4 my "lecture" about how she needs to starting coming inside to go potty instead of wetting herself. I reminded her that she is a big girl now, and dry underwear are a big girl responsibility. She listened very intently, and nodded in agreement.

I was starting to be impressed with her level of obedience.

She looked up at me and flashed a sweet smile then asked,

"Um....can I just have a diaper?"


I actually lost all level of composure and authority at that point, because I busted out laughing. I laughed through my answer that no she was not going to return to diapers...she was going to be a big girl who remembered to go to the bathroom in time. She laughed at me laughing, said, "Ok", and went outside.

That child is really something. Clearly, I am in over my head trying to raise her.

Pride goeth before a Fall

A certain 2-year old recently taught me a lesson about pride.

For the past few weeks, I have been celebrating her quick potty training success. It has been rather exciting! I have been ready to dance in the streets in celebration of her strong-willed personality finally working in my favor! I've shared my excitement with all of my friends and family. I did not have to battle her on this one. I caught a lucky break.

Or so I thought.

There is an old saying, Pride goes before a fall.

It is an abridged version of Proverbs 16:18, right out of the Bible, which says, Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.

I am no biblical scholar, but I get this warning that pride leads to a fall.

And I fell.

We have 2 bathrooms in our house. The main bathroom is bigger, and holds kid stuff. It is the bathroom with the step stool, with the potty chair, with the kid sized seats that fit right on top of the toilet seat. It is the best place for the kids to use the potty.

Jersey #4 prefers to use the MY bathroom. It is a smaller bathroom right off the master bedroom.

It just so happened that I was using my bathroom at the exact time that Jersey #4 arrived and said she needed to go potty. I explained to her that I was using this facility, and she needed to go to the other bathroom instead. She argued. I re-explained. She closed the door and left.

So I thought.

Upon exiting the bathroom, I discovered Jersey #4 standing right outside the bathroom door, in a puddle. Instead of going to the other bathroom, she decided to just stand there and wet herself. I asked her why she wet her pants. She answered, "because I wanted this bathroom!"

We engaged in a little "lesson" about obeying Mommy, and cleaned up the mess. It appears I've still got my work cut out for me with this child.

So much for her strong will working in my favor.

Adventures of Potty Training

I am rather excited that Jersey #4 is potty trained now! She had a sudden boost of independence over the past two weeks, and started letting me know when she needed to potty. I like potty training independence! After she had an entire day of remaining dry and using her potty chair on her own, I started to see the light at the end of the potty train tunnel. I started encouraging her to use the toilet last week. As soon as she was comfortable with the toilet at home, I knew we were set to start going out in public (because she could use toilets in public, instead of preferring her potty chair). We both seem to have gained potty training confidence with our public outings over the weekend. Now, I hardly think twice about it. I've got a spare set of pants and underwear in the diaper bag, in case she has an accident. Otherwise, she is diaper-free all day long! Wahoo! (We still put in her in a diaper at night, as our kids sleep hard and do not wake to use the restroom on their own until around ages 4-6)

Jersey #4 had the most entertaining struggle while she was potty training. After she learned the concept, the process, and how to use her potty chair, she started to question if she really wanted to grow up like this. For 3 days in a row, she would use her potty chair once....we would high-5, praise, cheer, and reward with a few chocolate chips.....and then she would request a diaper. She would specifically tell me she wanted a "baby one," meaning a diaper, not a pink Princess Pull-up, like she had previously been using. She would not use her potty chair again for the rest of the day. She even had a couple moments of joking about using one of her brother's pacifiers. She was exploring life as a baby, before she decided it would be more fun to be a big girl. On the 4th day, she refused to use her potty chair at all. On the 5th day of this struggle, she decided she was a big girl, not to be confused with Jersey #5 who was clearly a baby! It was then that she started to use her potty chair every time, even if she was wearing a diaper or a Pull-up. It was then that I saw a glimpse of her strong will working to my advantage!

Here is our Jersey #4, who has decided to use the potty like a big girl...

She gained this independence an entire month earlier in age than her two older sisters (and a full year earlier than her older brother.) She has been our quickest, easiest, and cleanest potty training child by far!

Apparently, she made potty training look like a lot of fun, because Jersey #5 tried out the potty chair a few times himself... (yes, he is sitting on the potty chair while wearing a diaper)

But, I don't think he is quite ready to start potty training just yet....

Potty Training

Guess who’s potty training???

I stink at potty training (no pun intended). It is one of my motherhood jobs that I greatly dislike. I do enjoy the results of potty training. I just do not enjoy the process. That being said, Jersey #4 is clearly my easiest child to potty train. I would like to think it is because I have grown so patient and mature as a mother through the years. But, I am guessing it has more to do with the fact that Jersey #4 is our most meticulous, clean child. She was eager to wear underwear, eager to sit on the potty, and eager to be a big girl. We casually “practiced” a few months ago when she seemed interested. But she did not make that connection to what actually constitutes potty success until last week. I had predicted that as soon as she had that first idea of what I was talking about, she would catch on and run with it. I love it when I am right!

Potty training did not always go so smoothly for me…

Years ago, when Jersey #1 was old enough for potty training, I learned the hard way that potty training success seems to vary depending on how it is defined. I thought a potty trained child was one who could recognize the need, get themselves to the bathroom, accurately use the toilet, and call to me to be wiped and to supervise hand washing. My, was I mistaken! I could not figure out why my Jersey #1 was not “potty trained” like all her friends appeared to be (according to their Moms). It took a couple of those “potty train in 1 day” articles to open my eyes to the fact that a potty trained child (by definition) may actually only be a child who understands what is expected of them, not one that actually does what is expected of them. There is a BIG difference!

Jersey #1 understood fully what was expected of her—she simply refused.

Thus began my potty training woes. There was added pressure from the grandparent generation...

"Back in my day, girls were potty trained at 18 months old. We didn't wait like parents do now. Everyone was potty trained by age 2."

There was added pressure from other Moms who claimed their daughters were already potty trained. They offered all of their advice on what worked for them—bribery with candy or stickers, special juice, etc. I had tried all those things, yet Jersey #1 refused to use the potty chair or the toilet. She insisted on Pull-ups.

There was added pressure from the parenting books and websites who listed all the signs your child is ready for potty training. According to those lists, Jersey #1 was ready. [One cool indicator I learned much later, from the gymnastics teacher, is that when a child is able to jump, with both feet off the ground, from the standing position, they have the abdominal muscle control/physical development to begin potty training].

Our family doctor advised to wait until it was her idea. He was in no hurry to reach potty training success by any specific developmental age. He assured me that Jersey #1 would not be in Pull-ups in high school. I liked his idea, but I was leery. So, I kept trying. I grew too frustrated. I started just throwing away the yucky soiled underwear, because I could not stand it. Ick. I finally gave up. I admitted defeat. I announced to The Referee that we had failed as parents. We were unable to potty train our 2 ½ year old, and she would be going off to college in diapers! I hung my head and put her back in Pull-ups, and I didn’t consider underwear again for an entire month.

Then, one day, out of the blue, Jersey #1 insisted that she wanted to wear underwear instead of a Pull-up. I informed her that the only way she was going to be permitted to wear underwear was if she kept them dry. She agreed. She was almost instantly potty trained at that point.

I say “potty trained” loosely. She understood what was expected of her. She tried to be successful. She continued to have accidents, only they became fewer and further apart over time. She was nearly 3 when she was potty trained with the independence that I had originally desired. It was then, that I was informed that some of her peers were still having accidents??? It was then that I learned about the varying definitions of “potty trained”.

I did not recover from that experience quickly. I was so resistant to take on that challenge again, that Jersey #2 had to practically potty train herself. She would follow her sister in to the bathroom and sit on the potty chair at the same time her sister was using the toilet. One day, she accidentally used the potty properly….we cheered and celebrated….and I continued to put her in Pull-ups. She became very successful at using the potty, and keeping her Pull-ups dry, so I eventually gave in to letting her wear underwear. She was also nearly 3 when she was potty trained with great independence.

I won’t even discuss how much patience it takes to potty train a boy. I am still recovering from that trauma of Jersey #3! I didn’t even bother to attempt with him until he was well past age 2. He was not successful until he was past age 3. Even now, at age 4, we are still working on his aim. I shudder to bring up those memories right now. So, that will have to be another post….in the distant future!

Jersey #4 was flushing toilets and asking to use the potty for months before she turned 2. I would let her sit on the toilet whenever she asked. She sat there almost a full second before she proudly announced she was done. I finally bought her a potty chair just after her 2^nd birthday. This time around, I am in no hurry. I am much more casual about the process. I am thankful she has made the connection about what is expected of her. I celebrate the small successes more. I am certain that the number of accidents will decrease over time. [I still throw away those really icky soiled underwear.]

Through the years, I have heard some brilliant potty training ideas from other parents. Some parents embrace the duty and are quite creative with their motivation methods. Here are a few that impress me the most…

• The Potty Train: Choo-Choo together like a train on the way to the bathroom for each potty attempt.

• Gatorade/Soda/Juice: Any form of “special” drink that you don’t normally offer your child can be your special potty training juice. Notice these beverages also encourage frequent urination, to help learn the concept with frequent trips to the potty in a short amount of time.

• Movies/books/toys: A nice distraction to keep the child on the potty longer, so that there is a greater chance of accidentally using the potty properly while being entertained. I have also used a Popsicle for this reason. Jersey #3 is food motivated, and he would sit still long enough to eat a Popsicle on the potty.

• Peer pressure: Kids seem to potty train easier when they observe other kids. Many Moms find it easier to let the group daycare providers do the bulk of the training. Friends, siblings, and cousins can also provide good potty training role models.

• Rewards (aka: Bribery): stickers, candy, special toys, given for every success on the potty. One Mom would let her daughter pick out a sticker for her own body, and also a sticker to decorate the toilet lid with each potty success. Their toilet looked very pretty during those potty training months.

[Rewards are often needed most for bowel movement issues. Find the thing that motivates your child. Jersey #3 loves trains. Letting him pick from a bucket of trains each time he was successful on the potty, created great motivation for him. Stickers and candy did not have the same effect.]

Celebrate the successes and be encouraging with the accidents. Hugs, kisses, and high-fives go a long way! Jersey #4 smiles real big, while I clap and cheer. Once she is wiped and dressed again, she runs to me with arms open wide and says “Me Hug!” She giggles while I give her a big bear hug.