Experiences of paediatric incontinence/bedwetting clinic?

[Tintarella]

After a wait of more than a year DC (8) is to be seen by the clinic nearest to us in coming weeks. Would love to hear from other Mumsnetters who have been through this process and could give us an idea of what to expect. DC wets every night without fail. Is very stoic. But I am desperate for a solution...

They are lovely. We had a catalogue of things we had already tried so we talked all those through and they prescribed desmopressin which worked extremely well.

I think if you haven't already tried all the usual stuff (extra daytime drinking, limiting blackcurrant and fizzy, ensuring no constipation - all the stuff ERIC suggests) then they might ask you to try that for a few months before going to drugs.

It's really validating for the child, I think, to be in an environment where wetting is so completely normal and treated with empathy and kindness.

Thanks @Blissker that's great to hear. DC is pretty much water only and definitely not constipated. But we keep failing her in terms of upping water during the day- we go through little stints of getting her to drink loads more but then inevitably it falls off again as it is just sooo much more water than she would normally drink and we can't monitor her constantly eg when she's at school. Also she ends up going for about a million wees!

Did the desmo work for your child, then? Brilliant for them and you. Have they now been discharged? (I'm not sure what they do for the kids for whom desmo doesn't work...)

They were brilliant for us, very empathic. It was all done over the phone and they never spoke to my DD which I liked as she'd have been embarrassed. We tried the drugs for a while which worked but I began to worry about side effects so we moved to borrowing an alarmed mat. Worked like a charm, it never went off and she was never wet again, now a teen. All sorted within a few months after years of stressing about it.

Thanks @ConflictofInterest I'm glad it worked out for your DD. What were the side effects of the drug, if you don't mind my asking?

Yes DD had some squash because it's hard drinking so much.

If first/second line doesn't work they can refer onto hospital clinic, which is just as kind but has more options.

All a dim and distant memory for us now. If she does any school residentials etc do talk to staff and get support, it is super common and they will have some DC with these needs every time they run them. DD got privileges like being in a smaller room with her pick of friends as well as practical help.

We had to complete a lot of diaries about both bowel movements, fluid intake and wetting. They basically will be keen to eliminate constipation from the equation first.