Bed Wetting Problems - Tyler,TX

My son who is now 7 still wets the bed and we just make sure he has a pull-up on before bedtime. I also bought a plastic mattress cover for his bed that can be wiped down with lysol or bleach. We limit drinks after around 7PM and he uses the bathroom before he goes to bed. The only thing we don't do is wake him up through the night but I think he needs his sleep and I need mine so pull-ups typically work for us.We took him to the Dr. and a specialist to make sure he didn't have a bowel obstruction or some other urogenital problem but everything was fine and they said it was just something he was going to have to grow out of. Since you just got your niece and nephew maybe the change is what's triggering the bed wetting as a stress response to being in a different situation....you could always talk to your pediatrician if it continues to be a problem. I know how frustrating it can be to constantly have to wash bed linens but I know for my son it's as embarrassing for him as it is a hassle for me so we try to minimize the fuss of the ooops moments. I hope things get better for you!

When my niece would not stop wetting the bed my sister had to set her alarm at a certain time during the night and get her up to go. After a while, my niece started waking up on her own at that time to go by herself. No fun getting up in the middle of the night but it might work for them.

Hi T.,

Our kids had that trouble too. We put our kids to bed around 8pm and we usually go to bed around 10:30pm. What worked for us was to do all the things you are doing but also to walk them to the potty right before we went to bed. After that they were able to make it til morning. Another thing I noticed was if it got too cold in the house, they were more likely to have an accident. So we kept the a/c around 77. Comfortable but not super chilly. I also think it's genetic. I had trouble til I was 10. It was only after my mom took me to a chiropractor for an adjustment did my situation get better. My dad and uncle had trouble up into their teens. It helped to know how to help them since I had been through it too.

If we waited too long it was too late (accident). Usually after an hour, but before two. We have to help them steer to the bathroom, but they always settle right back down since they wernt' really awake when we took them. We instruct grandparents to do the same when they spend the night. If they "forget" (cause they don't believe our method) then our kids were prone to an accident.

So it's really worth the effort. I should say, now they're 11 & 7 we don't have to do it anymore unless we observe they were extra thirsty at dinner. Good luck!

S.

First of all I applaud you for opening your home and hearts to these children! I would first suggest taking them to their pediatritian to rule out any physical reasons for the bed wetting. There can be a multitude of reasons why children wet there bed. Until then they should wear disposable pull ups at night to eliminate all the washing as well as the embarassment the children face daily. We have a nephew who is 10 and he wets the bed nightly. When he spends the night, he wears a pull up and we wake him up at 10:30 and take him to the rest room. This helps, but does not always prevent the wetting. There are a multitude of resources on the internet including information on bed wetting and alarm devices to wake the children when they start to wet themselves. It is usually not a training habit or something that they can control. Just keep on loving them and providing a safe place for them to call home. Hang in there!!

T.,

I'm no expert but have had experience and advice about bed wetting. First, please don't think that children under the age of 12 don't wet the bed! I know it sounds amazing and I think that people don't talk about it but it is fairly common. My nephew wet the bed until age 12. Now, another thing to consider is that bed wetting can be an emotional thing OR a physiological thing. Boys especially cannot "feel" their need to go potty as easily as girls - and some kids sleep much heavier at night not feeling this sensation at all in their sleep. As for the emotional part, well, it is just that. Children that have been thorugh emotional challenges feel fear. Remember that their security is completely on us, the adults (the parents). If these precious ones have been through any family disruptions, they most likely some emotional pains that can effect their lives. Give them support, security, love and let them know it is okay - not to be embarassed. Then, talk to your doctor or get some professional advice to learn ways you can help this end.

Hope this helps.
God Bless.
B.

Have you taken them to their doctor to make sure there are no medical probs.If the reason you ended up taken them in was tramadic that may have something to do with it also. They maybe having a problem adjusting to a new situation.A therpist may help?

Congratulations on becoming a mother again T.! Please don't lose your mind or your patience over bedwetting. You have entered the confusing world of bedwetters! I have a 7 year old who wets the bed now only occassionally. I did, too as a child. I have taken her to her pediatrician who tried medication (until I studied what the meds did and were for,antidepressants,then I took her off of them!) We took her to a urologist who cleared her of anything being "wrong" with her, and we also talked to a therapist, who assured us that our child is perfectly happy and whole. We were told, by the various professionals, that we should never wake our child in the middle of the night, to use the restroom, as this disrupts the healthy sleep patterns. We were also told that even though you should limit bedtime drinks (especially caffeine) that this is NOT a cause of bed wetting. I even tried the reward system, that I thought worked really well for a while-gave a sticker for every dry night, after 15 nights, she received a certificate for a special prize (movie rental, or fav restaurant, etc) Each time she achieved a certificate, I upped the goal to 20 nights, 30 nights, etc. I thought this was the key as they dry nights were more frequent, but I can't be sure she is just not beginning to outgrow her problem. She does not wet as frequently, almost rarely now. We use no system anymore to encourage her not to wet, as we know that she has no idea that she does it in the first place until she wakes up with wet pullups. I felt as if we were recognizing her for a dry night, then she might think we were punishing her for a wet night, since she had no idea how to control herself, this hardly seemed fair. (Of course, if any child knew how to control their bladder and keep from wetting the bed, they certainly would not wet the bed!) But we do let her know that her wearing pullups is perfectly acceptable and we do not chastise her in any way for wetting. She does not go to the bathroom every night before bed, unless she has the urge then. I was also told that if you let the child wait until they feel the urge, then they are more able to recognize the feeling and know to go to the restroom. I do believe my daughter has sleep patterns very similair to me, very deep sleep patterns that often miss the REM portion of sleep. *We fall asleep very deeply, very quickly. We rarely dream. I think that is why she misses that urge or feeling sometimes. But we will deal with it, and one day she won't have to wear the pullups any more. And she will be accepted for who she is and for what she does, and we are proud of her for all she is. Hang in there, give the kids a chance, even if it takes some time. Don't expect overnight miracles. Pullups are the perfect solution for now, and when they begin to feel comfortable and develop routines and sleep habits, you might just see some improvements! Good Luck.

I know you've gotten a lot of responses already and you're on your way, but I wanted to say that some kids just have a problem with bladder control. I have several nephews that are older than your two who still wet the bed. Their dad did until he was about 13. But there's a nasal spray out there that you can give them before they go to bed and somehow it works. I don't know if it's a prescription or not, but it's worth finding out about.

Wetting the bed is something your neice and nephew cannot help. It is not a habit because it is not something they can control. Most likely they don't realize they are doing it. Trust me. I did it as a young child and so did my husband. We were both 11 yrs of age before we grew out of it. I have three children (twins age 4 and one age 7) that do it and I put a pull up on them so I don't have to change sheets daily. It is a burden for you and I, Tahneshaus, but we should not fuss or degrade them. Soon enough they will be embarrassed by it especailly if their friends know.

It sounds like you have a lot of fun at your house with four kids two years apart! Have a great day!

I have taken in children at one time also. It is life changing experience for them. Even if they knew you before, they are now living under your roof and something disturbing has happened in order for them to need to be there. I repeat what other people have said. The kids will need a lot of time and help adjusting. They may seem fine, but you will be surprised at things that will pop as long as a year after you have had them! Things they never in their lives told anyone else and tried to forget.

There could be many reasons for bed wetting. One little boy would go to the corner of his room every night. He had not been allowed to leave the room at night! My suggestion would be to do two things.

First remind them they are special and you love having them there. Then tell them that because you love them you want to help them learn some skills they will need for life when they are an adult. One of those skills is to learn how to now wet the bed. Tell them you like them to think about it and how 'we' can do that. Then just wait. Do nothing. Let them think about it. In a few days or a week ask them if they have come up with any ideas. The key is to let them be in on it some way.

If you choose to wake them up (what I do) then you could do several things. Set an alarm in their room as well as yours. So they are actively having to participate and it is not really you waking them up (less resentment or struggles that way), then have everyone go potty and get back in bed.

Do a reward system (I would only try this for a short time as we don't want to discourage them and damage them anymore than they already have experienced). You could reward them for waking up with the alarm, for going potty, for having a good attitude about it all, for being dry. Work it however you want. For reward I would do things like have a special breakfast food, buy special underwear (whatever theme they like) since everyone can use another pair of underwear, go on a walk. Notice all these are group activities that include any or all children. Because I realize it will be hard to single out one child and your own children will have their own 'sharing mom' issues.

You could also make sure there are adequate night lights for them. Get up with them a few times at least to make sure shadows, noises, etc. are not part of what keeps them in their bed. ;-)

It will take awhile and frankly I would not even tackle the problem until they have lived with you for several weeks. Think of washing bed pads as nothing different than washing for twin babies who spit up on everything. ;-)

Good luck,
ts

Sometimes children lack or do not produce enough of the hormone that concentrates our urine at night. There is a medication for children called DDAVP that is great. I used it for my son when he was younger and very seldom did he have an accident when he took it ( he was 4 ) now almost 16.
Also it could be traumatic. What was the reason for them living with you?If that is not getting too personal!
L. Guy
email: ____@____.com

Hi and more grease to your elbows! God will continue to give you more grace and strength.

I used to think i was too tired to go wake up my kids to use the bath during the night. Now, WHEN i need to go, instead of using our private bathroom in our room, i take a 'night-walk' to use their shared bathroom. When i am done, i wake them up too to go potty. We also watched together a DVD from the library called 'Potty-power'! The nights 'we' are all dry, we all celebrate potty-power -Yes! they love the boost.

Don't let this be another stressor in your lives. As people said earlier, keep loving them. This too, shall pass someday.