Still Wetting!

T.,
My son is 9 and is no where close to having a dry night. Thank goodness for larger pull ups. How did families deal with it years ago?!?!

We began asking our pediatrician about it when he was 5yrs. At that time her response was that it is normal for 50% of boys to be bed wetting at that age; 25% at 6yrs and 10% at 7yrs. Well, we ask at every annual check up and she keeps asking the usual questions, i.e. any accidents at day, can hold his urine on long car rides, etc. He passes it all with flying colors. His body just isn't mature enough. No need for a ped. urologist consult. It also doesn't help that he is a VERY sound sleeper. At this point she has prepared us and said that if boys are not trained by now it typically won't happen until pre-adolescence, i.e. 12yrs. She said it not to bum us out but to prepare us for the reality of what might happen.

About 3 months ago, with our ped. prescription, we tried the "bed wetting pills" (they also have nasal spray). We were to try one and up to 3 pills a night to see if it helped. After 2 weeks we were up to 3 pills with no success - not even a little. A little disappointing to say the least.

I have a very confident son and he does have sleepovers with about 6 friends (ironically one firend is in the same situation). They all know about it (as he has volunteered it to them), as do their moms. He is very discreet and it's a non-issue for everyone - even his buddies. While it is becoming more of an issue for him each year, he understand that it's nothing he has control over. He can't beat himself up over it. I guess we all have the attitude that if this is the worst thing we can face we have it pretty lucky!

Good luck!

Hi Trish - I don't know what kind of health insurance you have, ie if you have to go through your pediatrician first, but I think I would have a pediatric urologist take a look at him....At 8, most boys really do want to be dry and the fact he is hiding any evidence of wetting in drawers, etc implies he feels ashamed of this situation...I think a pedi urology eval would really help set both of your minds at ease and also rule out any underlying physical problems that may be contributing to this situation...
Good luck!
Carrie

My son is 10 years old and he still has a problem with wetting the bed. He also doesn't hide any of the evidence and we also don't make jokes about it, sometimes boys take a little longer to potty train if I can use this wording. My son is the one and only boy with two sisters one older and one younger. I have found that It is getting better to awaken him in the middle of the night to empty his bladder. we have had fewer episodes of bed wetting this way. Also we praise him for not wetting the bed even thought we awaken him. Good luck hope this can make it easier for you. A. S.

My oldest is only 6 but I would talk to your sons pediatrician about it. It's probably nothing but it never hurts to ask about it.

I don't know if I will be much help, but my brother had the same problem growing up. I am the oldest girl and have two younger brothers. My brother under me wet the bed until he was about 12 years old. There was nothing wrong with him and he was very smart and active as well as very healthy. The doctor told my mom that some people just wet the bed until they are ready to stop. Come to find out, my father went through the same thing when he was younger. We did our best not to tease him, but kids are mean, and when he got on our nerves that was when he would hear about it. One day he just stopped. My mom didn't do or say anything different and she never punished him for wetting the bed. He stopped one day and just never did it again. As far back as I can remember, he wet the bed.