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3.6yo has gone back to having accidents and wetting the bed

9 replies

YippeeKiYayMakkaPakka · 25/09/2013 09:03

DD1 has been potty trained for over a year now, and dry at night for months. In the past week or so she's had wet clothes a few times, and the past 3 nights she's wet the bed. She also sometimes ends up peeing on the potty and floor as she leaves it till the last minute and then starts peeing before she's fully sat down. I think the problem during the day is just that she leaves it until the last minute; she'll be squirming and dancing around but will be adamant, when asked, that she doesn't need to go. There's no convincing her to try, she'll only go whe she wants to.

There are a few factors which might be at play. She started nursery 2 weeks ago, but she seems to have settled well. She had an accident on her 2nd day there (needed a change of clothes), in fact that was the first accident she had in a long time. She's also dropped her afternoon naps (because of nursery). And her baby sister has recently started walking and is obviously getting a bit of fuss made of her over that.

So I don't know what to do. I can't help being disappointed and angry when she wets the bed especially, but if it's attention thing I obviously don't want to make a big deal of it. I've been trying to really praise her when she uses the potty.

Has anyone else had similar problems? What should I do?

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Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
londonmum14 · 25/09/2013 20:46

Does she get engrossed in what she's doing so she's not registering the symptoms?
Is she generally well? Occasionally my DD had an accident or 2 when she had a cold for some reason.

CreatureRetorts · 25/09/2013 20:50

My ds leaves it until the last minute - he just wants to carry on playing. I don't ask him, I tell him to go to the potty in a cheery voice which usually works.
I wouldn't pay much attention to wetting at nursery - its a new environment so fair enough.

Night wetting - again that's unlikely to be for attention. Maybe she's drinking more, or she's so tired from nursery she's actually sleeping very heavily so cannot wake up to go. So put extra sheets on and just swap them when it happens.

Go easy on her!

negrilbaby · 25/09/2013 21:04

This happened to DD when she had a urinary infection.

Might be worth a trip to the GP.

YippeeKiYayMakkaPakka · 27/09/2013 09:23

Thanks for the replies. During the day I think it's just that she doesn't want to stop what she's doing. She has had a cold as well, that's interesting that it could be related to that.

It is the bedwetting that I'm a bit more concerned about. Last night I went through at 5am (she was coughing) and she was fast asleep in soaking wet pyjamas :( So that's 5 nights in a row now. I'm never outwardly angry with her, but I'm just not sure whether the best approach is to make sure she knows it's not good, or to be breezy about the accidents and then give lots of positive praise for dry sheets and using the potty. It could aslo be that she's just sleeping heavily; she dropped her nap when she started nursery, so that would make sense. I've been using disposable bed mats under the sheet; would putting her back in nappies be a bad idea? I don't want her to think it's a punishment.

I had wondered about that too negril. If it continues I'll take her to the GP. She hasn't had any other symptoms of a UTI though.

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tumbletumble · 27/09/2013 13:19

This happened to my DD when she started playgroup. She was nearly 3 and had been dry for about 9 months, suddenly she was having lots of accidents and wetting the bed. Try not to get cross, my guess is that in a week or two she'll be back to normal.

CreatureRetorts · 27/09/2013 13:28

No I wouldn't put her in nappies. Honestly - just get a waterproof sheet and put the sheet on as normal over the top. Then have a disposable waterproof sheet and another normal sheet over the top then when she wets you strip the top layer off.
Or try lifting her when you go to bed. Just gently wake her, stick her on the potty in her room, then back to bed. We do this with ds (he is dry at night but sometimes we do this eg if he's not done a big wee before bed).

She's not doing it on purpose, poor girl. She was fast asleep in wet PJs - if she wanted attention, she'd have called you through! I really think she's knackered. My ds has dropped his nap and since being back at preschool he's been exhausted (he's nearly 4).

YippeeKiYayMakkaPakka · 27/09/2013 17:17

I really, honestly don't get cross; maybe I've worded it badly. I just mean that it's frustrating when she's been dry for a long time now.

That's interesting tumble; I hope this is just a short-lived phase too :)

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YippeeKiYayMakkaPakka · 01/10/2013 13:52

Just a quick update, in case anyone is having similar problems. We've started putting DDon the potty before we go to bed (so 11pm/midnightish), and the bedwetting has stopped. I don't know how long we'll have to keep putting her on the potty though! But it's nice not to have to wash sheets every day.

We've also been praising a lot for dry sheets and using the potty and she's had no daytime accidents for a few days now.

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MaMattoo · 02/12/2013 22:30

This is comforting to read.nothing has changed at home or nursery apart from the no nap in the day. And I have had 4 wet beds in 5 days from ds 3.6 yo. He has been dry since the summer and has no accidents in the day. He used to previously wake up and come to my bedroom just when he needed to pee at 6am or so, but I guess the heavy sleep is not helping the poor guy. Apart from wee-proofing the beds and a last go to the loo at 11 is there anything else I should do?
How long does this last? If indeed it is a phase??
Washing and drying large sheets and duvets is a pain!! But I don't fuss, I change bed, put him back in, pat and kiss and he is snoring again..

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