to think my child should not be wetting herself in year 1

[user1480243135]

Just putting this in a busier area. My daughter is 5 and in year 1. She wets herself all the time. I'm honestly at a loss, have tried so many different things including the doctor and I'm paranoid what the teachers must think of us. She doesn't seem at all bothered. Has anyone any experience of this?

Reading this with interest as my daughter has the same problem.

ElfingHeck - would you mind sharing the name of your paediatric urologist please?

I'm a year 1 teacher and children have accidents all the time so don't worry too much. Ask teacher to remind her to go to the toilet at break times etc.

Dd used to do this, also disgnosed with overactive bladder. Please look into this as everything you say points to that I think.

from what I've read it's very common for the child to appear not to be bothered by the wetting. Usually it's a self defence mechanism: they actually have no control over it, but they know they should, and they try to pretend it's not happening, it's not a problem.

I used to think she was being lazy, but when I realised, I felt awful about it.

Please contact Eric they will be able to advise!

Single most common cause is not drinking enough:

Concentrated urine irritates the bladder, making it spasm more easily
Concentrated urine irritates the urethra, making it harder to hold onto urine
Sitting in wet knickers irritates the vulva, and the urethral opening, making it harder to hold onto urine
Children who are worried about accidents drink less...making accidents more likely

If infection ruled out (which sounds like it is):
Step 1 - drink enough, and encourage to pass urine regularly
Step 2 - no fizzy drinks, no citrus drinks, no caffeinated drinks
Step 3 - check wiping properly, changing promptly, ban bubble bath, and no sitting in bathwater with shampoo in it
Step 4 - make certain not constipated - if constipated make sure to treat for long enough for the cut to recover
Step 5 - if above all done, and urine now nice and watery, but problems persist, then practice "count of 5" (holding on for a count of 5 when desperate to go but already in the toilet)
Step 6 - once a week, measure urine volume when desperate, to see bladder capacity increasing

A number of these steps can helpfully supported by a star chart, though one at a time: to encourage drinking enough, then to for going for a wee first time told, then for going spontaneously, then for dry knickers for portion of the day... And if the above doesn't do the job, then referral onwards might be useful.

Is this a new thing? has something changed, or has it always been a problem? Does she have to ask to go to the toilet and is too shy to do so? Is she having clothing issues? (tights and winter trousers? ) is she too involved in the work to remember she needs the loo? Does she dislike the school toilets and is avoiding going?

It's good that her teacher isn't making a big issue of it, but ask if you can make a plan together to cope- reminding your dd to go at breaktime and lunchtime and when she arrives at school/ before she leaves home, having easy to cope with clothes.

Single most common cause is not drinking enough

this was actually the case for my DD. the incontinence nurse put her onto a drinking schedule and it sorted her (bed)wetting within 2 months.

I vaguely remember having quite a lot of accidents as a reception/Y1 child, usually when I got excited anticipating something or running around playing tag.

Ask her if the urge to go comes on suddenly, lasts for a short while then goes away again. I have a condition called urge incontinence (or irritable bladder). The urge to go comes on suddenly, completely randomly and is very intense (imagine how it is when you are so desperate to go you feel you might wet yourself if you move). It last 20-30 seconds then goes off again as my bladder isn't actually full. It can be controlled with medication.