Bed Wetting - Willow Grove, PA

Could she be getting cold at night? My son did the same thing and I found out that he was getting cold at night and that caused him to wet. We bought him a waterbed and he never had another accident.

Hi,
My second son had the same issue. Doc said when he is physically able, he will stop. We did all the things you mentioned....especially waking him him(well sometimes he never even really woke up) to go to the bathroom before we went to bed. We did that faithfully and it worked. He is seven now and for the past two years, he goes before he goes to bed and we have no problem. Also, if it is happening and not responding to these suggestions, use a pullup........unless you want to change sheets!! Good luck and don't worry.....it won't last forever

I have a question do she drink soda? if so i have found that soda is one of the contributing factors to children bed wetting so if that's the case you may want to stop the soda. I also find that we rush our children to go to the bathroom but be patient. I also had a bed wetter and for way longer than 4 yrs of age. Continue to be encouraging and she will stop don't let it frustrate you.

Dear Jill,
I also have a 4 year old who, up until the past 2 weeks, wet the bed consistently every single night! My two year old has had an easier time at night than my four year old! Washing sheets every single morning was such a hassle! I have to say that she kind of just grew out of it. From what I understand about bedwetting, there is a hormone that allows kids to get the sensation of having to pee at night (go to www.goodnites.com for more information on bedwetting). Sometimes that hormone just isn't present yet. If it's any help to you, keep at it (we limit liquids after 6PM since our kids don't go to bed until 9PM and used Good Nights underwear to bed). You may find that one day your 4 year old will just wake up dry! Best of luck to you!!! B.

You may want to confirm this with your pediatrician, but at my son's three year old well baby the doctor told me not to worry too much about through the night potty training. She indicated that a hormone or chemical (can't remember) needs to develop within the body in order for that function to work. You really need to let nature take its course. She said that typically they do not worry about it untila child reaches somewhere around 7 years of age. I know with my son, he was trained during the day and even for a 3 hour nap stretch, but that it took a good 3-4 months before he was trained through the evening. And still, despite the limited liquid intake and going to the potty before bed time we have our occasional accidents. Good Luck!

Jill -

I've been there! At 4 I expected this to resolve, then a 5 and 6 and so on. The doctors gave me all the suggestions like mentioned on the other post - and they often work - but not for us. They explained that this is common in about 25% of children - but you never would know becuase who wants to talk about it! We had her use pullups every night to minimize the work - some nights she would even need to get up and change the pullup. She really did not want this problem.

At age 8 we purchased a Malem bedwetting alarm (from the bedwetting store online). It was probably around $80 and worth EVERY PENNY! Yes, it was annoying to hear that awful alarm in the middle of the night, and after a few weeks my hubby said it's just not working, then out of the blue, the problem was resolved! After 8 1/2 years in a mear 2 months it was the best $$ ever spent! Now, over a year later - no problems!

We did get the vibrating/lights/alarm - and it had the wire (not the wireless version). I was worried about that w/ her sleeping having the wire, but it was no problem, she could hook it up herself and ran it under her PJs. We also used a pull up OVER the undies initially (I don't think we were suppose to, but I don't like to do laundry!).

Good luck!

One of my boys had the same problem and we finally figured out it was the multivitamin we were giving him. It was high in sodium and he retained water. So at night he released it. It sounds strange but we changed vitamins and no problems since. I also heard this can happen if kids are drinking certain sport drinks.

It sounds like a couple things could be going on, both very normal. 1)Her little body just hasn't developed all the way and sometimes doesn't have the strength to hold it in yet, or 2)Pay attention to changes in routine or weather or even general health. I have a son who took years to finally stop wetting at night. Like your daughter, it was only periodically, but it became traumatizing for him. His issue was definitely a combination of the two scenarios I mentioned. I recommend not making a big deal out of it and doing what you can to help your family cope, like using the waterproof crib pads with a towel on top at night. That way if she does have an accident you won't necessarily have to strip the ENTIRE bed and pillows and blankets to wash and be ready for that evening, we're busy enough as it is. Also, I did try to remember to wake up at night to help him to the bathroom (which only sometimes prevented and accident) and most importantly, be patient with them and you and shee do your best to understand that she'll stop when her body is ready to and until then she is perfectly normal and in a learning phase. Good luck!

Not too much of suggestions for you. I had two of my children that wet the bed up till about age 11-12. The only suggestion I can give is to use the pullups they have for kids. This is something that can happen and does alot with kids. I even took my daughter to doctors for this and they told me that it is really a part of the brain that has not yet developed and there is not much that you can do about it just have to be patient and wait till that part matures. My brother-in-law was the same way up till age 13. this is very common. Waking them to go to bathroom before you go to bed does not work. I have been through this with two of my kids. They are now 17 and 19 and no problems at all. Sorry can't be much more help you just have to really wait it out get those pullups they are great. Saves alot on changing the sheets all the time. The children do become shy about it especially with a sleep over. Sometimes at sleep overs they won't do it but it does happen other times.

I have to agree with Mara. Some children just take longer for the overnight to catch up... Have you talked w/your pediatrician? They do give a nasal medicine that helps some children to stop wetting the bed. Although, it didn't work for my son. There are also alarms (enuresis alarms) that wake kids up as soon as they start to wet the bed. (again, my son slept right through this, but it really does help some....we use it at my work for children). I wouldn't get to panicked yet and just make sure you don't let your child see you get frustrated when you have to wash all their bedding again....they can't help it...but it is frustrating....I know. My son just finally stopped the overnight bed wetting and he is 9! (He was done potty training by 3 1/2 years old).

I wish you plenty of patience and luck!!!

T.

37 y.o. mom of 3 boys 12, 9, and 4. Married to my best friend for 13+ years. Work full time in health care, am a free lance photographer, and sell southern living at home products for fun!

My 61/2 yo daughter still has occasional accidents at night. Up until she was 5 or 5 1/2, I still made her wear a pull-up at night. Now, I layer her bed so the clean up is faster. (ie. Mattress cover, sheet, mattress pad, sheet.) This way when she does have an accident, we take the top sheet and mattress pad off the bed. The sheet below is dry and ready to go.

Don't get discourage. Some kids just can't wake up. The doctor told me that it will come in time. He said once she is six, we could invest in an alarm that would go off, when her bed became wet. BUT not until at least six!

At almost 7, her accidents are fewer and farther apart...and they are continuing that way. She has even woke up on her own when she has started to go in her sleep. It doesn't seem worth the alarm for the "once a month" accident.

Good Luck!

Make sure she gets to bed at the same time every night and gets enough sleep. She is probably overtired. Don't wake her to go, this can make the problem worse. It is better to get rubber sheets or a mattress that is plastic coated(like a hospital bed) until the problem goes away. It's probably not a good idea to stop liquids. She should drink lots of water. It actually works the opposite. She may go more for a while, but then it should slow. She needs her kidneys, bladder, and other organs to be flushed out. She should drink normally, not less. You should avoid drinks with loads of sugars and colorings. It is not her fault. Make sure she knows that. It happens to a lot of children, esp. these days, when the food system is all messed up with chemicals and hormones. I will give you a couple sites to look over, you should make sure you feed her the best diet possible.
http://www.pcrm.org/health/index.html
http://www.vegansociety.com/html/

It's is sometimes typical of a child that young to wet the bed. and when you wake them up to go pee, they do not release or empty all of the urine in their tiny bladders. If it continues for a long period of time have her seen by a urologist to see if maybe she has a weak bladder. I know my 2 boys did and they were and still are treated with a medication called DDAVP. AND IT WORKS WONDERFULLY!! THEY HAVE THEIR SELF CONFIDENCE AND SELF ESTEEM BACK. ITS JUST GREAT TO SEE THEM HAPPY AGAIN!! AND MY BOYS DO NOT SUFFER FROM ANY SIDE EFFECTS!!
GOOD LUCK TO YOU AND JUST BE PATIENT

Hi Jill,

I have responded in this way to another mom whose post was similar to your's:
Unfortunately, I wet the bed until I was 11 or 12 yo. I think in some children, it takes longer for the sensor to develop that wakes us up to pee. I got so used to wetting the bed that I learned to just grab a clean blanket and lay it over the wet spot in the bed, change my bottom half and go back to sleep. My Mom would help me clean the bedding in the morning. My wetting was sporadic, too. Sometimes I'd go a week or two with no wetting. You are doing the right thing by limiting your daughter's liquids before bed. That can only help. There are just some things we cannot control in life :0)
I remember my poor parents hanging my sleeping bag over the line in the morning when we'd go camping and I'd wet the sleeping bag. My brothers still tease me. Try to have a sense of humor about it - that may be all that helps! (I have a three year old who keeps pooping in his pants if it makes you feel any better!)

She'll outgrow it eventually! I know it's hard, but I've been through this. My middle daughter, who was potty trained by 2 yrs old, continued to wet the bed until she was 11 yrs old! We put pull ups on her EVERY NIGHT and she wet the bed EVERY NIGHT! The Ped and family doc went through all the regular steps. Alarm, limiting liquids, etc. nothing helped. The doc said, she'll outgrow it when she hits puberty! And that is exactly what happened. On a camping trip, she wet her pull up and it leaked. Her urine ran down the air mattress and SOAKED all of her clothing which was in her knapsack at the foot of her bed! We had 2 days in the wilderness to go and she had urine soaked clothing. That was the last time she ever wet the bed! At 11 yrs old! My 3rd daughter had continued to wet the bed sporadically- much like your child- until she was 5. She would go for a month or even 2 being dry at night (potty trained since 2yrs), but then she'd wet the bed every night for 3 weeks! YUCK! We kept her in the toddler bed because the mattress was plastic and easily cleaned! About 6 months ago, she just stopped wetting the bed. She's had no accidents since- not one! So, I guess I'm just trying to say that she WILL outgrow it. The docs have all the bells and whistles, but they don't always work. Just keep on with the pull ups and eventually she'll stop!

I had the same problem with my son who is now 8. I don't believe that stopping liquids earlier in the evening helps. I believe the child just isn't able to wake up enough to recognize the need to go to the bathroom. While it gets tiring changing the bed in the middle of the night, I just was sure to always have a waterproof pad under his sheets to protect in mattress. I took 2 crib mattress pads and put them on side by side on top of the regular mattress pad--he has a twin bed. When he'd have an accident, it usually woke him up and then I'd just strip the bed (crib pads and all) and put on fresh sheets and he could go back to bed. The next morning, I'd wash the sheets and the pads and put them back on. I tried not to get upset because I really believed he could not help it. As I said, he is now 8 and it hasn't happened in over 6 months. But it did happen occasionally (maybe 1x every 3 or 4 months over the past several years). I always make him go to the bathroom just before bedtime even if he had gone 30 minutes prior. I have a friend (a pediatrician) who had the same problem with her child until he was about 8. She used to have him wear pull up type underwear at night. I never did this cause I was concerned he'd feel like a baby- but her child outgrew it too. My daughter, on the other hand, was potty trained at 3 and never had an accident in bed--she is now 6. Every child is different. Good Luck!!

Hi Jill!

How is your daughter will her bowel movements? My step daughter would start wetting the bed at night when she got constipated. Once she got regular again it stopped. We just fed her prune juice. She hated it but it did the trick and stopped the bed wetting. Good luck!

Jill,

Sorry to read about your daughter. If you remember the human anatomy from school, (well it's been a long time for me) the spinal cord branches out to many areas along the body. It also can affect the bladder. My suggestion to you would be a consultation with a chiropractor that you trust. There could be an impingement in the spine that is not allowing your daughter to function properly. By removing the mal-alignment, your daughter's nervous system will work at an optimal level. This does not always help the child 100% but I have seen it help many and in some cases goes away. I would check into chiropractors if I were you, but since every profession has good and not so good, I would go to a recommended source. You would be surprised how much more chiros know about the human anatomy. Good luck!

Honestly Jill,

My Daughter is 7 ansd potty trainted but still wets the bed every night. I know they grow out of it at some time. I just don't bug her about it and hope that it will stop eventually.
Were her father or your self bed wetters? I know I was and that my mom said that it is a German trait. If that means anything to you.

GL
J.