Bedwetting - Wahiawa, HI

My daughter had the same problem until at 7 years old we heard about The Bedwetting Store from a pediatric urologist. We used a nightime alarm (I think it was made by Malem)- they recomend that you use underwear only, but I did not want to change the sheets in the middle of the night, so I had her wear underwear inside of a pull up. The alarm clips on to their underwear and at the first drop of urine sets off. Most children who are bedwetters are very sound sleepers, so initially, the parents have to get up and get them to the bathroom once the alarm goes off. You use star charts and prizes at different milestones for motivation. After about 2 weeks, my daughter was waking up on her own and going to the bathroom (I still had to help change her underwear and pull up. After about six weeks, she was completely dry and sleeping through the night. She has not had a relapse in 4 1/2 years. The link to the bedwetting store is www.bedwettingstore.com -I can honestly say that it works!! By the way, bedwetting is typically hereditary. Good luck!!!

Oh boy do I have experience here. I have 2 kids 12 and 9 and they both wet for years. Family history on both sides was also a factor. Plus we have asthma and allergy issues where the meds made them real thirsty and I'd feel bad and cave at bedtime for a sip of water, bad idea. My kids are major sleepers so they wouldn't wake up for anything. I knew this to be true the night I was walking my son to the bathroom and he slipped from my grip and I landed his head right on the edge of the door. He didn't do a thing and the next morning I touched the sore spot and he had no clue where it came from.

I approached the dr and they of course wanted to do drugs (at this point I was desperate, my son was too old for this). I filled the Rx and then read the side effects. No way- my son could pee for years- as long as he stops by his honeymoon we'd be fine.

We bought the night time pull ups for while and found they actually were an excuse to be "lazy" and pee as he got older we found this out (he admitted to it). So we stopped buying them and made him responsible for cleaning up the sheets. It wasn't a punishment it just gives him ownership of what he has done. Just like if you spill something- its no big deal- just clean it up. Make sure you aren't crushing their spirit in the process. This is embarrasing and makes them feel like they aren't "normal".

Now granted there are times when he was exhausted and I knew he'd wet so he got to wear one. Or spending the night somewhere. He learned how to be discreet with them.

We may have an accident on occasion from one of them but that is when we have slacked off from the "rules".
No drinks after dinner- if "dying" can suck on an ice cube.
Go pee when just getting ready for bed, then again just before climbing in bed.
No dairy in the late part of the day, milk at dinner or ice cream for dessert. For some reason milk takes longer to get through- this may or may not be a myth. We actually completely gave up dairy and ironically thats when most of the wetting has stopped and when we stopped the allergy pills too.

So if you can, do an inventory on your routine and diet and meds and see if anything can be causing this so you just aren't putting a bandaid on it, but actually fixing it. But it to can be an underdeveloped bladder that just needs time. Just know that this will eventually end. He will stop by his honeymoon- I promise!!!

Hi S. - My daughter was having the same problem. My advice is to make a cut off time for liquids at least an hour before bedtime, continue to try to go potty before bedtime and set your alarm for about four hours after he falls asleep to get him out of bed to go to the potty. It will become a pattern for him and he will start to naturally get up. Also you should take off the pull-up. He is not waking up because he is not uncomfortable, the pull-up keeps his skin dry so he has no idea that he has gone until the morning. This method means about a week of lots of laudry and long nights, but it worked for me. Hope this helps.