keeping dry at night

amother ↓

Mon, Apr 28 2008, 11:54 pm

At what point should I be concerned about a child not being able to sleep through the night without wetting the bed (or pull-up?) My 7 year old child has some special needs but is mostly developmental delayed. I'm not sure how to gauge my child's age because of it. Waking the child up at night doesn't seem to help and I can't get the child to fall back asleep easily. I already tried the not drinking before bed and reward system. I just think my child's body is not physically ready even though I don't know any other kids this old that still wears pull-ups and I'm worried my child will be made fun of. WWYD? BTW, our doctor is not too concerned but I am.

↑ amother ↓

Tue, Apr 29 2008, 2:11 am

My DD is 6 years old and still wetting her bed every night. She is not developmentally delayed in any way B"H. I have taken her to a paediatrician who said it is a genetic issue (my DH was definitely a big bed-wetter!!) He said it is just something she will grow out of. She is a very skinny kid, so she still fits into toddler sized nappies, but she HATES wearing them. I have tried pull-ups but she won't wear those either.
Problem is, my DS is 3 yrs old and still wearing nappies, but most mornings is dry. She will be really upset if he stops wearing them, but she has to continue..
I have tried waking her up.. it doesn't help; she is in such a deep sleep she will NOT go to the bathroom!!

Dr also mentioned possibility of medication, but said they do not start that until the kids are at least 7 yrs old. Also the bedpad and alarm system, but I don't think it will help with my daughter, because she is such a deep sleeper.

So for now, we just wait it out....

↑ amother ↓

Tue, Apr 29 2008, 2:42 am

OP here

Wow, I'm so glad to hear I'm not the only one with this issue, I don't want to ask my friends because I don't want to embarrass my child. I know the child will grow out of it but that child wants sleepovers sometimes and I know that would start a problem. My brother was a bed wetter until maybe 9 so it is genetic at least on my side. I could start with the alarms and such but really I don't want to pressure my child or make the child feel badly. The child just had a birthday turning 7 and already said, "well, now that I'm 7, I won't have to wear pull ups at night..." going on and on about how life will change - not realizing that it isn't something that changes automatically with a certain age.

justanothermother ↓

Tue, Apr 29 2008, 3:43 am

There is a great product out called Goodnights. They look like pull-ups but they absorb better. I use them for my 5yo. He is 50lbs and uses a size small, so I am sure the large in it would be good for you. (They would not make the size lg if there were not enough children out there big enough to use it.)

Helani ↓

Tue, Apr 29 2008, 5:25 am

Actually now they came out with Goodnights (I believe it's that same brand) that look like boxer shorts. Maybe if he really wants a sleepover you could use those and work out how to discreetly discard them in the morning.

PIP

Tue, Apr 29 2008, 5:45 am

I know One Step Ahead sells a discreet pad type of thing that sticks inside reg underwear. it is supposed to absorb everything w\o anyone knowing. Then you just throw it out in the morning. It might be worth looking into when it comes to sleepover (I think thats what they made it for)

↑ amother ↓

Tue, Apr 29 2008, 5:57 am

my son turned 5 recently and still has a pull up. I tried training him at night the day he turned 5 and for 3 weeks straight he woke up wet even after I have taken him out once or twice so I dont think his body is ready. he is also not too intrested to be trained. I was a bedwetter till teenage yrs and so was most of my siblings.
Does that mean he will have the same problem? so when should I try to train him again? I will give birth in the summer so I would like him to be dry by then or be in pull ups.

↑ amother ↓

Tue, Apr 29 2008, 9:40 pm

my son (almost 7) still wears pullups at night, and my newphews (11, 8 and 5) all wear goodnights - I think there's a genetic factor as well. funny; my 11 yr old ds and 5 yr old ds were dry at night from 3, so who knows?

Mama Bear ↓

Tue, Apr 29 2008, 10:11 pm

does anyone know of a more absorbent overnight diaper? My 2.9 month old wakes up SOAKED in the morning, the size 5 overnight huggies just dont do it anymore for him. he needs a larger size, but the size six regular luvs or pampers are not absorbent enough for overnight. I think the Goodnights would be way too thin - that's for the occasional betwetter, not the SOAKER that my bottle-guzzling toddler is. Anyone have any ideas?

↑ amother ↓

Tue, Apr 29 2008, 10:13 pm

did you try double-diapering him? I did that with one of my ds's when she was 2 and guzzling milk by the gallon. the other solution is to cut back on the guzzling, at least for a few hours before bedtime.

chaylizi ↓

Tue, Apr 29 2008, 10:16 pm

would it help if you took him to the bathroom before you go to bed? we used to do that for my brother. the last one to go to bed would haul him out of bed & carry him to the bathroom to do his thing. the night time accidents really decreased. also with my daughter I restrict liquids after a certain time in the evening. then she is much less likely to wet herself.

↑ Mama Bear ↓

Tue, Apr 29 2008, 10:22 pm

amother, he hates diapers to begin with, so he probably would be very upset to be that bulked up. also, he drinks bottles during the night, I knwo it's a bad habit, but it's only way *I* can sleep, otherwise he just wakes and cries and cries.

e1234

Wed, Apr 30 2008, 1:05 am

mamabear - I have the same thing with my 3 year old.
she soaks right through the pamper everynight and double pamper didn't help as it just comes out the top.
my husband says maybe I should change her before I go to sleep...

I think if I get her off the bottles it will solve the whole problem but she's very attached.

↑ Mama Bear

Wed, Apr 30 2008, 4:55 am

nope, he rejected a pacifier before he was a year old already.

Yeah I wish I had the courage to be up 2 nights in a row denying him his bottles.

stem

Wed, Apr 30 2008, 6:28 am

To all mothers with older night-wetters:

My pediatrician recommended this book called "Dry All Night" and it worked wonders for my 5 year old! It's a story book that you read to the child which empowers them to be able to control their own bladder even while they're sleeping, plus a section for parents explaining how to handle the situation. The book discourages parents from taking the kids to the bathroom in the middle of the night as it just trains the child that he/she is not responsible to wake up on their own. I highly recommend it, it was amazing for us.

↑ Helani

Wed, Apr 30 2008, 9:02 am

When my baby was leaking through his diapers at night I found this things in the supermarket-they basically look like pads that you use when you have your period and you put them inside the diaper. That way it's not as bulky and hot as double diapering, but it absorbs much better.

↑ amother

Wed, Apr 30 2008, 10:38 am

OP here
Thanks for all the feedback, I feel much better knowing this is not a problem that only we have. I started reading some bedwetting sites online to learn as much as I can. I'll speak to the doc when my child goes next time to see what they suggest.