to consider using a bedpan?

[prawnsword]

It’s winter here & live in a very original style Victorian era house with poor heat insulation. The only bathroom is downstairs, down the opposite end of the house in the most bitterly cold section.

The temperature fell to 6 degrees Celsius & had to take two hot water bottles to bed instead of the usual one.

AIBU to use a bedpan so I don’t have to go downstairs ? Strictly for #1s only of course. It would be emptied 1st thing in the morning no question

My main concerns are 1. Is using a bedpan weird in today’s society ?

1. How would you feel if your housemate used a bedpan? Should this be kept very private ?

When we go camping, we use a little portable loo to save walking to the toilets in cold/dark. Doesn't seem too different? Maybe you could find a vintage commode that looks pretty too. My grandparents had one.

Not sure how private walking through the house to empty will be though!

If you want! But really - it's not that difficult to run to the toilet! My old house was a similar set up and we managed!

Prawn I am also in Australia in a weatherboard house with no heating and single glazing and holes in the floor/gaps in the wall.

YABVU. Don't be a lazy mare It's not THAT cold. I remember ice on the INSIDE of the windows when I was a child in the UK in the 70s.

I'd have got told off if I suggested using a bloody potty! And so I should have been!

Unless you're disabled of course.

Oh god just no!

I have been sleeping in woken jumpers & ski jackets! But yes will admit am lazy in nature.
Not a fan of en-suites but would be grateful for one right now!

I too live in Australia. Where I live it felt like -5 last night. Oddly enough, I still managed to walk to the toilet.
YABVU.

When I lived in Australia in a street of tin-roofed, uninsulated, uncarpeted houses with very steep stairs and outside bathrooms I had neighbours who occasionally did the commode thing.

In their defence, they were very pregnant and getting up multiple times a night, and really struggling to manage the stairs safely as well.

I think in your situation I would just drink less and wrap up warmly because using a commode unless I absolutely had to is not a nice thing.

But I will confirm that I have felt far colder in Australian houses than I ever have in the UK. (Mad PIL's house excluded.)

This is a British website. 6 degrees for us isn’t cold. Get a second duvet and put it on top of you. Two layers will trap extra warmth. Buy a decent fluffy polyester dressing gown and sleep in it.

I would say no from a practical POV. The problem with having floor boards is if you spill the wee you don’t have a fool proof way of preventing it from spilling through the floorboards.... imagine tripping over the wee during the night. This will cause a very bad permanent smell and damage to the ceiling below, perhaps even to the electrics. That would take some explaining to the landlord and your house mates!

Once you are warm in bed, zipping to the loo will not seem as bad.

Not a fan of ensuites but happy to piss in a bowl and leave it next to you...

i will admit I’m lazy in nature
There’s lazy, and then there’s peeing in Tupperware because you won’t walk across your house. That’s beyond laziness.

My nana used to have one so she didn’t have to get up and go out to the dunny down the yard.

Can’t see a problem with it myself. Keep a look out in charity shops. People often use them to put plants in so that’s why they will think your buying it.Maybe buy a cloth to put over it on the way to emptying as your flat mate doesn’t really want to see your pee first thing in the morning. Do you live in Paddington/Glebe? Can’t think were else there would be Victorian houses other than around that area. Gorgeous houses.
Where I live now it once got down to -25C, now that was cold but luckily a previous owner took a chunk off a bedroom and made a bathroom. Otherwise it would have been outside loo in a stone shed. A Po was also called a Gazunder in Victorian times because it “ goesunder” the bed! Good luck with finding one. Try eBay there are some very pretty ones. My friend had a couple as plant pots.

You're sleeping in woollen jumpers and a ski jacket but not socks?

If you learn to wear warm socks, the nightly dash to the bathroom won't seem nearly as bad.

That would seem infinitely preferable to having a pot of pee stewing in your bedroom.

Put a duvet or fleece under your bottom sheet to make your bed warmer.

It's only pee! Just do it. I have moved to NZ and I now think 6 degrees is freezing, but I've just turned into a big wuss I think as it wouldn't have bothered me when I lived in the UK. Anyway, stop drinking tea or coffee in the 4 hours before bed. You'll sleep better and stop needing to wee.

I would not use Tupperware because of its collectible value. Yes it’s a Uk forum but thought maybe as it’s a colder climate people may have suggestions, which you do - rug up better! Don’t wear polyester to bed, isn’t it dangerous to wear polyester pjs ?

En-suites was discussed here in a recent thread & it’s the poo smell in bedroom don’t like. Wee should not smell unless you’ve eaten asparagus !

I'm going to go slightly against the grain here. I can sleep all night without needing the loo BUT if I go anywhere that doesn't have one within easy reach (camping, old house with a downstairs bathroom etc) you can guarantee I need to go. In the night or a mere 5 minutes after my end of night wee. So, maybe having a chamber pot near might make you sleep more soundly? My late night wees are definitely all in the mind!

Re no socks - tuck them under my furry hot water bottle ! They warm up more & feet can breathe. My nan always told me it was bad to wear socks to bed ! Is this a myth?

and yes, stop with the caffeine before bed for goodness sake!

Like don’t wear socks or bras to bed, was always told...

Ewww.....I take it you wouldn’t be washing your hands then.

Dressing gown and slippers and go to the loo.

Put slippers or a pair of sandles by your bed and put them on to go the loo. Drink less before bed, most healthy adults shouldn't need to get up to pee during 7/8 hours sleep. Use a chamber pot if you wish but honestly it just sounds like you are being a bit lazy. Going to the loo is not that much of a hardship. As a housemate I would think it was a bit gross but then to each their own. As a partner I would call you out for being lazy and gross.

I take medication before bed every evening which makes me fall asleep (seroquel) so yep good point I should cut back a bit.

Didn’t know decaf is less of a diuretic than regular caffeinated coffee

No. That's just rank. Just have a bit of self-respect and get up to go to the toilet. Even my dogs don't pee near their kennels, let alone in them. If I were your housemate and knew about this it would really affect the way I saw you and also my willingness to house-share with you.

Yes am single now but good point if I start this behaviour now it wouldn’t be a good look in a partner...wouldn’t want to wee in front of them even in the actual bathroom !

I used to live somewhere without indoor plumbing (in a developing country) and it wasn’t considered safe to trek to the outdoor loo at night. We weed in a bucket (actually a shared one, between a friend and I, which seems more gross now that I think about it than it did then!). It was great actually because no walking around in the dark and cold. Friend and I bonded quite a bit over our shared wee bucket. It’s nearly 20 years later and she’s still a good friend.

Honestly, I think it’s fine, but I don’t have the best bladder so I sympathise with all the running around at night.