nighttime wetness

[houseelf]

Our 4.5 y.o. son still wets the bed at night. I haven't made a big deal about it because it is not that uncommon. Lately, however, he has been bothered by his inability to stay dry and asks me not to tell his friends that he still wears a pull up at night. I want to help him achieve dryness at night, but I'm not even sure that he is physically ready. (Remember, he is very small for his size, the growth plates in his wrists show that he is 6 months to a year behind his chronological age). He is wet almost every morning. Do I just continue to affirm that he is still growing and that he will learn how to do this when his body is ready or do I take a more aggressive approach since it is starting to bother him?

Advice?

Kelly

[PrincessFiona]

Poor Cade!

Does he go to the bathroom right before he jumps into bed? Is it possible to...wake him up and walk him to the potty before you guys go to bed?

Maybe you should mention this to your pediatrician and see what she says. I had a friend who wet the bed until she was 8 and then it finally stopped. She was mortified (we had to put rubber sheets on my bed when she came to spend the night). She went to all kinds of specialists who couldn't find anything wrong with her....and at some point that year it just stopped.

kris

[mommax3]

My boys are all three still intermittently wet at night. They come by it honestly from DH's side and it is just NOT a big deal around here. We have tried the nose spray stuff, and it works, so when it is necessary that someone is dry for a sleep-over or something, we use it. I am not sure that Cade is old enough for that, though.

If he would like you to wake him up when you guys go to bed, then try that, but mostly I would just keep telling him that it will happen when his body is ready.

Sally

[PrincessFiona]

Sally,

What is the nose spray stuff?

kris

[mommax3]

It is called desmopressin......it is not to be used on a regular basis, and it does not teach their bodies to "hold it", but it is a short-term solution when necessary.

It seems like there was an age restriction for it.....both of my older boys (6 & 9) have a prescription, but the younger one won't take it because he doesn't like the idea of sniffing it. Ask your pediatrician.

Sally

[SueC]

Our almost 5 year old (also very small for her age) is just now starting to make it through the night about 80% of the time. We don't make a big deal about it here either, although I know she is a little bothered by the fact that her little sister (3yo) has a bladder of steel and never wets the bed. I try to serve dinner by 6pm or so each night and then she doesn't drink much after that. We make sure she hits the toilet before going to bed, and that usually does the trick. She's aware enough to restrict her own fluids, so we don't battle that. I notice on the nights that we eat a late dinner, she pretty much always wets the bed. A good friend of mine bought chux online (those reusable hospital pads) to put in her son's bed, which actually holds the urine if he does wet the bed so she at least doesn't have to strip the bed each time he has an accident. I haven't bought any yet, but it does seem like a good idea. Good luck, Kelly!