nearly 4yo wetting the bed after being dry at night for almost a year

[lighteningmcmama]

Hi

In the last week he's wet the bed I think 5 out of 7 nights. I have been getting him to sleep in his own bed and putting him back in his bed if he wakes at night now, he used to always wake about midnight and come into our bed but now I'm trying to stop that. I think maybe the two are related? Although there are no other indications he's distressed by this change of routine and he's loving the praise he gets inb the morning for being a big boy sleeping in his own bed.

What can I do? Am reluctant to go back to pull ups after a year of no nappies day and night. I'm trying to up daytime fluids although he's never drunk much fluids generally, he's always been like that. Andd also some days I've told him to go toilet after stories one last time-but I'm not sure if this is a good idea.I've always limited pre bedtime drinks, although if he's thirsty don't stop him having a small drink of water.

I know about night dryness being a product of the hormone being produced in the body. But he's been dry most nights for a year so he's obviously not short of this hormone I would have thought?

Also when he wakes up at night I've told him to go toilet by himself before he comes up which he's taken really well to. But he's still wetting the bed.

Any help would be appreciated.

[Quoteunquote]

Just use pull ups and bed protectors, don't make any fuss, it takes as long as it takes, any stress just makes it longer.

Some children just don't respond to the signals in their sleep, there is nothing they can do about it, and asking them to do so just adds anxieties to the mix.

Just make it so the bed can be changed instantly and easily, give him big packs of pull ups, and the more relaxed he becomes the faster the issue will disappear.

Eventually as they get older it gets easier, but there is no way of controlling it for anyone involved.

[lighteningmcmama]

Thanks for replying! I know a lot of what you say makes sense, the thing that is confusing me is that he was dry for so long and then to have such a major setback, I just don't understand it...if I put him in pull ups is there a risk of prolonging the bedwetting? As opposed to just riding it out maybe for a few more days?

[Theyaremysunshine]

May be worth excluding a urine infection, just in case.

[SpottyTeacakes]

Dd does this when she's coming down with something. Definitely get a sample into the drs for them to dip to rule out uti.

[PirateJones]

It happens, Even the slightest change can upset things and cause them to wet after being Dry.

My daughter wet the bed on and off until she was 10, she would sometimes go a whole year then suddenly start wetting nightly for a month.

If you don't want to use nappies again you can get the bed matts instead and have him help with cleaning up, or put underpants on under the pullup so there's little mess but he still feels wet.

[lighteningmcmama]

Thanks everyone for your replies. I asked dh who is a pharmacist about the possibility of a uti, he said it's rare for boys/men to get utis without any other symptoms (unlike with girls where there can be no other symptoms), it's linked to the differences in the urinary tract anatomically.

Think well hold out for a little while longer to see if it continues or hopefully resolves itself

[gamerchick]

I would check for an infection first really then go from there.

I never bothered with special pads or put them back in nappies. I just used an old cot quilt which is big enough to fit under them, then pop it in the washing machine in the morning. It's thick enough to absorb any pee and washes fine.

or give him his own pack of pull ups, so he can sort himself out with no fuss involved.

[Theyaremysunshine]

It's unusual but not rare. Being unusual doesn't mean it can't happen to you. So simple to check for a uti and can cause long term problems if it goes ignored. Why on earth not just take a sample in OP? You're right it's likely to be another issue but I agree it is the thing to exclude.

[greensnail]

I have the same problem. My almost four year old had always been dry at night, from even before she was toilet trained and we gave up the night nappies the same time as potty training when she was just two. She was ill a few months ago and started wetting the bed then and it has continued from there. I'm really reluctant to put her into pullups having been dry at night for so long so we just have a mattress protector and make no fuss about changing the bed whenever we need to. Trouble is that it is showing no signs of improving and we're going on holiday soon so I'm starting to think I might need to give in and get her some pullups.

[lighteningmcmama]

Theyaremysunshine thanks for your post, yes it is not impossible, dh wasn't saying that, he was just saying it's unlikely because there are no other symptoms-at all-that he is unwell and medically you would expect other symptoms. Given that, and the fact that I'm really struggling with morning sickness, and that getting to my doctor's is a bit of a pain, I can't really do it on the off chance right now.

Thanks all.

[SpottyTeacakes]

Where I work you can just drop a sample in anytime in the morning and the nurses dip it at lunch time.

I wonder if he's incubating something. Chicken pox or similar?

[ShatnersBassoon]

Has he been pooing normally? Constipation can put pressure on the bladder.

[Theyaremysunshine]

If a small child has a uti it starts damaging the kidneys within days.

I'm sorry you're not well, I've had shitty pgs so I do understand, but could you maybe speak to them on the phone and have your DH drop in a sample. Or since your DH is a pharmacist, just ask him to bring home some dipsticks. This isn't a great test in a child but better than nothing.

It is unlikely. Absolutely. But in my (medical) opinion, not worth the risk of not testing.

[lighteningmcmama]

Ok thanks, I'll speak again to dh and call the Dr in the morning.

On the positive side, we've now had 3 consecutive dry nights

[SpottyTeacakes]

Oh maybe he's over whatever it was. I sometimes wonder if a developmental leap can it.

[lighteningmcmama]

thanks all for your help on this one. spoke to gp on monday who said that as we now had some consecutive dry nights (5 nights now, here's hoping for another one tonight as dh is away for work!) it was probably psychological. i can see from my OP that without those dry nights the UTI check would have been worth it, but by the time we were realistically thinking about it the problem was already going, thankfully.

should there be a next time (please no!), what would be the protocol for taking in a sample, just so i know what to do? i mean we don't all have urine sample pots sitting at home, would they accept it in any container? and if so what is best to avoid any cross contamination iyswim, would it need to be just an empty water bottle?

thanks

[SpottyTeacakes]

It just needs to be sterile, but you can always go and get a silver topped pot from the drs for a 'just in case'.

[lighteningmcmama]

Ok thanks, maybe I'll pick up a spare pot to keep at home when I go to hospital this week for my scan.

Thanks :)

[SpottyTeacakes]

I've taken a sample in in one of those avent weaning pots before just stuck it in the steriliser first. Finally enough the sample was because dd had been wetting the bed!

[lighteningmcmama]

Lol! I have some of those, no steriliser but I know from making jam how to microwave sterilize :)