I am at my whit's end---6yo still wetting bed

[EweSheep]

My 6 year old DD still wets her bed. Yes I do get frustrated but had to refrain myself from getting mad at her. Its not her fault either.

I would refrain her from liquids up to three hours before bedtime and she still wets bed. We took her to doc and there was nothing there that would be the problem. No UTI either.

My father told me that he wet his bed until he was around eight years old and it stopped for no reason or rhyme to it. he told me not to get mad at DD for it and it is heredity because his father and grandfather had that problem as well. Making fun or getting mad at them didn't help and he remembers many times he would try to stay away to keep dry but sleep won out, therefore, peed in bed. Even his brothers that sleep alongside with him would get mad at him as well.

Whenever I get mad or frustrated in her peeing in bed, her refusal to take a shower before school, before getting dressed for the day, I have to stop and think about my Dad.

Yes she does sleep soundly, even with the TV blaring loud or midnight walks by us going to the bathroom at nights.

In the meantime, we bought a new mattress for her, left the plastic on it as well. They are better than the ones we buy from the store because they would rip within the month of use. Need a very heavy plastic type.

 

[TaLani]

My husband had this problem when he was growing up and our daughter who just turned 10yrs old just stopped. She still has an accident once in a great while, but the sad truth is that it's a developmental thing that they'll just have to "grow out of" (not what you want to hear, I know, I've been in your shoes re this problem). It, unfortunately, can be hereditary too. Part of her problem is that she's an extremely sound sleeper as well. She transitioned from diapers to big girl underwear during the day, but wore Pull-ups at night for years - this surely didn't make her feel very grown up, but that's the way it had to be. I'd never get mad at her for wetting and she certainly never liked wearing the Pull-ups, but it just wasn't something that we felt we could change very easily.

The Pull-ups website gives a LOT of helpful info and tips. When she was having the wetting problems we'd really limit what she drank from supper time to bedtime and made sure she went potty before getting into bed, but she'd still wet a lot of nights. We've always had a plastic cover on her mattress due to this issue (less than $10 at Wmart). The Pull-ups are a bit costly, but soooo worth your time in not having to change sheets several times a week. If you sign up on the Pull-ups website, they'll send you periodic emails with coupons. Good luck to you, I know it's not an easy thing to deal with.

 

[Three Cedars Silkies]

I was a bedwetter until I was about 11. My mom did everything...mostly embarrassing me and calling me names...and nothing worked. I wish they had the alarms back then. Eventually I "outgrew" it but I am very sympathetic with kids that are bedwetters.

Do you think he WANTS to wet the bed??? Of course not...

Have him wear the pull-up thingys at night. One thing I did that I think helped was suggested by my doctor. Have him wait to urinate during the day until he absolutely cannot hold it anymore. Even have him stand in the bathroom, but continue to hold off urinating until he cannot wait any longer. This helps to expand the bladder and if done regularly, he will be able to hold more urine for a longer time.

 

[MandyH]

It's supposed to run in the family. My grandad wet the bed until he was 16, and my sister wet it until she was like 13. My DD will be 5 next week and she wets the bed 5 nights out of 7. SHe is a sound sleeper and has the family history so God knows when she will stop. She gets NO caffeine whatsoever, and we stop liquids at 7pm unless we've been outside and it's 95 degrees and then we only let her have milk (which is what she wants anyway). I never scold her or make fun of her because she cannot help it, and I know one of these days when she's grown I will miss having to wash her sheets.

 

[EweSheep]

Well they dont make diapers for big bed wetters. My daughter is 4 and 2 1/2 inches tall, wears size 10-12 pants....now where can I find those diapers? None will fit her wide hips. She is not obese by any means but pretty tall among her class mates.

Those WalMart plastic bed covers did not work for us, it ended up tearing with a month up to two months of use. Just a slit in the middle and it would be no good. We bought same item three times and all of them are that way. So I had to resort using those heavy plastic window sheets to be effective on her old mattress. Finally her old mattress got smelly, we decided to get her a new mattress and left the plastic cover on it, labels and all! It held up very well for three months now, no punctures and no tears either.

If and when it goes out, I will be buying more of those plastic window wraps covers from Lowe's or Menards.

 

[sparkles2307]

I phrased that wrong. I dont get mad AT him, I dont yell or belittle him, I just get mad and hold it in. I was NOT a bedwetter, and as far as I know, his bio-dad didnt have that issue either. Both of us are/were light sleepers so I dont know what heredity could have to do with it. He wears the pull ups, and he begs and begs for one chance to go without them, and I feel bad so I let him and then he pees! Its so odd that he can stay dry EVERY night that he has on a pull up, and then never fails to wet the bed on the one and only night he goes without a pull up....

 

[Hollywood Chickens]

my father wet the bed until he was 11 and my sister now wets the bed almost every night, she is 7.
It is not his fault at all, and you can buy a waterproof mattress pad to put over the sheet to make the cleanup easier.

http://www.bizrate.com/mattress-pads/oid1554144968.html

It could also be an allergy, when I was little my mother found that apple juice made me wet the bed, try eliminating 1 thing a week and see if it helps.

 

[EweSheep]

I know its frustrating. Strange whenever you have pullups, they dont go. Not sure why. Happened more to my daughter that way too. With her Pullups, I had to tear the sides out so she can fit in them and put her underwear on the outside of her pullups to hold them in. She would go dry. However she hates wearing diapers and throws a hissy fit about wearing them and if we are not careful, she would tear them off from her in the middle of the night (dry diapers) and sleep in her undies. Lo and behold, she still pees......

We have to stick together on this.....hopefully this will pass!

 

[Sunny Side Up]

http://www.goodnites.com/NA/Bedwetting/ is a good website to start with. I would definitely discuss it with the doctor and maybe they can include a physical exam about the issue while your DS is already there for a routine check-up. That way he's not embarrassed by being at the doctor's just because of his bedwetting.

I wish some famous celebraties or sports stars who were once bedwetters would step up and admit it, and encourage kids who are going through it right now. No kid should be made to feel ashamed about it, but should be encouraged that this will eventually pass.

 

[6chickens in St. Charles]

Quote:
Or til we just dont care anymore!

I have so many, many, many stories about this subject from so many many many people! Google it, there's zillions of ads about products for bedwetting! Bless you, you sound like a caring and generous mom. I wish every kid had a sensitive mom like you on their side. One house I bought, I found dozens of soiled undies hidden in the ceiling tiles, and then a neighbor told me the kid who lived there would get beaten for wetting.........Wouldn't it be great if every parent of a wet one could approach it humanely and scientifically? Maybe ask the kid what he thinks is happening? And try to fix the problem together, with love and understanding? Sounds like your little wet one got lucky with a mom like you.

I even heard of a culture who overnites their kids in hammocks, and they just move the hammock to a new (dry) spot every now and then. But I think they live in yurts, or in a jungle.....
at any rate, its a subject shared around the world by lots and lots of people. I've heard its more common in boys than girls, too. Good luck.

I want to see the post about what finally fixed it for you guys! I know 2 families with preteens still in overnites', we want to hear about something that works!