Getting concerned now..

[lovecorrie]

DD is 5 and a half almost and still soaking at night . She is developmentally right up there in every other way and has no problem with the loo during the day - but overnight is a nightmare. She goes for a wee last thing at night, has her last drink a good hour before bed and still is soaked through by morning. She's in pull ups still and even she is aware that this is not totally usual for her age - although we never mention it in a negative way. This morning was horrific. Her pull up was soaked through, her night clothes dripping wet the sheet and protective sheet soaked through and the mattress as well! What can we do???

Has she seen the GP about this? There might be something medically wrong that they can do something about.

My daughter is also nearly 5.5 years and she was like this until about 4.5 years. I was carrying on with pull ups hoping that I could stop with the pull ups when they were dry in the mornings, but they never ever were. In the end we decided to try lifting her around midnight and putting her on the toilet. I know some think this is not a good idea as then children don't learn when to get up themselves, but we tried it and it worked for us. We probably continued to lift her for 3 or 4 months though, but eventually she did get the idea. I think that if we hadn't tried the lifting, she would still be in pull ups now.

Whilst not the usual for her age this is not unusual either. It is more common in boys but obviously happens to girls too. Dr's are unlikely to do anything before the age of seven as it normally sorts it's self by then (it did with my nephew). I would tell her that this happens to lots of boys and girls and not to worry. You are right not to make a fuss. I would check with your GP just to rule out medical causes but if she is otherwise healthy and as she has never been dry it is not likely. Are you using pull-ups for older children (pyjama pants) as they may be less likely to leak.

My ds3 4.8y still wears nappy pants at night and I am not worried. I would get a good waterproof mattress cover!

I think my sister did this till she was about 8! It never woke her or bothered her (she had waterproof sheets) but it wasn't that great for me when we were sleeping over at my grandparents house and I had to share a bed with her! In the end my parents started getting her up in the night (before she weed) and putting her on the toilet. After about a week or so she started getting herself up in the night to go to the loo and stopped wetting the bed.

very common

children remain wet at night until their bodies mature and start producing a hormone that concentrates urine and so the child becomes dry at night

you cannot train in the way that you did for day time dryness

lifting at night is not recommended, it reinforces the wee-asleep thing

don't restrict drinks in an attempt to stop the wetness at night - in fact the child needs to be drinking more, to increase the holding capacity of their bladder, milk and water are best

double or triple dress the bed at night, with waterproof and fresh sheets in layers so that you can strip the bed easily

wee/teeth/wee before bed

not considered a medical problem til age 7 so don't feel bad

oh, shower in the mornings so she doesn't smell at school

she will not be the only one in her class still wet at night

My daughter is 4, same problem. My friend's son is 8, same problem. She goes to a clinic that advised getting him to drink lots (8 glassses) fluid in the day. If the don't drink a lot, their bladders never get used to filling up, so they can't hold very much at night. I am doing a sticker chart with my daughter to get her to drink more and her night time nappy is getting a bit lighter!