To consider using a bed wetting alarm with my 3.5 year old

[Jumpingovaries1]

My dd has been dry thru the day since 23 months. For the past 6 months never has an accident daytime. 4 months ago had a few dry nappies at night so we took the plunge and took them off at night and since then we have had 3 or 4 dry nights then 3 or 4 wet nights she never wakes up I only discover she is wet at her normal wake up time. Iv tried lifting her before I go to bed but she is still wet more or less 50% of the time. She is a very deep sleeper. I'm considering the alarm as I know she is physically capable due to number of dry nights we have had. But concerned she is too young I should add that she would understand an explanation of how the alarm works. Would value anyone's thoughts or experience with this one. Thanks.

How does a bed-wetting alarm work? I imagine it senses the wetness then wakes you up, how is that going to help your 3yr old? And, indeed you? By the time it rings the bed is wet and will need changing as your DD will be awake and won't want to sleep in a wet bed. It sounds like a nightmare! Much easier to stick to nappies at night I would have thought.

Another voice of experience here.

I was told by my doctor that this isn't considered a problem until a child reaches the age of 7 and is a lot more common than anyone realises. People don't like to talk about it so it becomes a taboo topic almost.

If your dd is still bed wetting when she's 7, go to your doctor who will be able to refer her to a paediatrician who will be able to assess the best route to help you both. It may be medication, it may be an alarm. We tried medication, it didn't work. The alarm worked almost overnight though. DD was about 9 by this point.

Either way, put her back in pull ups or nappies and don't worry about it for another few years.

Oh and your HV is wrong. Pullups are fine in young children and won't set her back at this age.

Hv is wrong on this one. We put dd1 back in pull ups at night at this age. I edited until we had a good few weeks of being dry.

Ds2 is 9 and has just been given an alarm, he has been dry in the day since 2.

I agree about the alarm not being the right thing for her. As an aside, have you heard them? Ds' makes a right racket, flashes and vibrates, wakes us all up but he still manages to sleep through it I would think it could be quite frightening for a little one.

larks The alarm we had worked by sounding a loud (and I mean loud!) shriek at the first sense of moisture. Theoretically, this should wake the child before full release and they should be able to get to the toilet in time.

It worked for us but it wakes the whole household and is a bit of a shock for everyone when it goes off at 3 in the morning!

My DD was toilet trained quite early but wasn't dry at night until she was 5. There are all sorts of physical reasons why some are just not ready which you'd think a HV would be aware of. I tried everything until I found the website below and decided to relax about it all. We went back to pullups and when she was ready it was easy.

www.eric.org.uk/

Dd is 4y3 month. Dry in day since just 2 with just a few accidents. Still not dry at nigh. We are getting 2 dry night a week recently - nice to see some progress. I wouldn't consider using an alarm. We tried going cold turkey a while ago - didn't work. She's not ready and needs more time - I suspect your dd is the same.

Vickles I wasn't until HV made it clear she thought reverting back to pull ups was a bad idea and that I should speak to the doctor as she has been dry through the day for so long. Now reading everyone's posts I think she has given me incorrect advice. Should have put about HV in original post. Sidge thanks for the free advice :) would you say to put her in pull ups at night and would you then lift her before you went to bed?

OP.. Just read what your Health Visitor said about not putting your little one back in nappies. Crikes. I could understand if she said that about daytime... not wanting it to be a 'step back' or 'confusing' little one.

Question marks aside.... I wouldn't take the Health Visitor's advice on this one.

But, if you choose too... I can recommend a really great mattress protector.
It's by Hippychick... and it's made out of the softest brushed cotton... and you can just put it over little one's fitted sheet. So, when she wets it.. you only have to 'fold' it over and change her clothes.. so, not bed stripping in the middle of the night. I think amazon do it the cheapest.

www.amazon.co.uk/Hippychick-Mattress-Protector-Flat-Sheet/dp/B000F474X2/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1328128673&sr=8-7

Hope that helps.
x

No advice but I sympathise. DD has been dry in the day since 2.5 but not a single a dry night since & she is 4. We just put the pull ups on & keep hoping that at some point she will suddenly become dry.

Jumping- we still use pull-ups with Ds (when not using the alarm) our enuresis nurse has said this is fine.

My own thoughts are that he is going to wet regardless of the pull-ups and I hate the thought of him sleeping in soaked,cold sheets. It also lessens his embarrassment about the wet bed - different as he is older than your dd.

Don't use the alarm, pull-ups. She can use them as normal pants just before bed and first thing in the morning. It won't set her back, it'll just remove the embarrassment and washing hassle. 3.5 is very young, her muscles probably aren't quite developed enough. Honestly, the HV is wrong.

My DB was not dry at night until he was 10. He was under a paediatric urology clinic I think and was not offered a bed wetting alarm until he was about 8. It was not very effective; as a deep sleeper he dreamed he had made it to the toilet and there was a funny noise (the alarm going off.) By that point it was too late.

She's too young. So YABU, sorry.

Gingerroots... My oldest was in nappy pants at night, even when she started school when she was 4 3/4. I didn't like the thought of her in nappy pants at night, but, he nappies were still sooo sodden in the morning.
We obviously began reducing her fluid intake... drink with her dinner at 5pm - and then nothing apart from a few sips of water... and eventually, her nappies began to lighten a bit.
So, we went cold turkey.... great mattress protector (hippychick) and lifted her at 10pm. Some nights she would be fine... and do a little wee.. but, other nights, she didn't and got a bit distressed in her half-sleep. And, it was quite upsetting sometimes... and then, she'd be wet in the morning.
But, after sometime, it got better. And, she soon adapted to a 'lift' - my husband actually wakes her.. and helps her walk to the loo... and she does a wee - every night... then, walks back to bed and goes back to sleep.
She is 7 yrs now (and in yr2) and we still 'lift' her... and she hasn't wet the bed for ages.
So, we are winning.
And, I joke with my husband that we are going to be lifting her when she's 18 yrs old!!!!
I'm also potty training my 3.5 yr old.. and she's about 60% dry - (no2's are a NIGHTMARE!!!!)... so I feel that some days I'm surrounded by wee and poo! (Have a teething 11 month old boy, with the most awful nappies - bless him)

But, patience and positive vibes... we're winning. And, it does get better... and it something just does 'click'.

x

I don't know if anyone else has said this, but she might be a bit young for that.

:o

Jumpingovaries yes I would go back to pullups, but not to lifting. The thing about lifting is that whilst it can achieve a dry bed, it doesn't actually help the child to learn to be dry as you are perpetuating the "wee whilst you're asleep" message to the brain.

Better to encourage plenty of fluids from waking until about 2 hours before bedtime, then gradually taper off drinks. Plenty of drinks and toileting every 2 hours or so will encourage a strong toned bladder due to regular filling and emptying. At bedtime encourage double voiding - toilet, teeth, toilet to ensure every last drop is squeezed out.

If she's still regularly wet at night when she's about 6 then see someone - your school nurse or GP. IME health visitors know little about nocturnal enuresis as they deal primarily with under 5s, who shouldn't be expected to be regularly dry anyway!

My DS has been dry in the day since just after he turned 2. he is just about to turn 5 and is only just coming out of night nappies.

It takes time - don't rush her - she can't help it

i have incontinence even now (i am 40) and we had the bed alarm for me but it did not work all it did was to frighten the hell out of me. i became dry at night when i was ready and i knew what was causing my bedwetting (a lack of sphincter muscles). your lo is far too young to be dry at night and at this age it is far more important that children have good quality sleep and not be worried about having a wet bed .so please do not push her to be dry and stick with pull ups

Your HV is talking rubbish!

My DD is the same age and has never been dry at night although is very reliable during the day. I am not really doing anything beyond making sure she does a wee before she goes asleep and when she wakes up. I think at sone stage with a persistant wetter you have to get rid of the pull ups and just do the plastic sheets. I think alarms are for older 6/7 yr olds

All 3 of mine are still wet at night. They are 7, 5 and 2.11. The youngest has absolutely no interest in being dry during the day so I'm not holding my breath for a dry night from her any time soon. The two eldest ones were out of day nappies by 2.5 but still wear night pants now. All 3 have sopping wet pants in the morning. As an ex bedwetter myself I still remember how angry my Mum would get (back then - no night pants) so I pass no comment and deal with them in the morning as part of their routine. I'm not gonna lie. I do find it hard work (my eldest leaks a lot and requires another shower, bed stripping, room aired etc most mornings) but I won't let him know that. My GP says that alarms don't work (in her opinion - mine too actually. I had one and it didn't work) and even at this age (7) not to worry.

And don't limit drinks- if you do it makes the pee more concentrated and more irritating qnd they are mor likely to wet than not. Back to pull ups and wait til she's easy. She'll get there.

I think she's done very well but it would be best to put her back into pull ups at night.

Those alarms are normally for much older children aren't they? It seems like using a sledgehammer to crack a nut. Some kids would only just be dry during the day at her age. The HV is against her going back into night nappies? I'd send your washing round to the HV then!

Have you tried the potty chair in her bedroom if you think she might wake when she needs a wee but hasn't quite got the energy to get up and go to the toilet?