7 year old bedwetting

[wineusuallyhelps]

My DS3 is 7.5 and isn't dry at night. This doesn't bother me, except he got upset and said he hates having to wear pull-ups. So I got some advice from the ERIC continence charity, who said we should try a couple of weeks without pull-ups to see what happened.

We're 3 or 4 weeks in and we have about a 50-60% success rate (in pull-ups they were soaked every single night). So this is great, but he gets disappointed on the nights he doesn't manage it. So I guess I'm looking for any success stories or otherwise about persevering with this or what I should do next? It makes sense to carry on, am I right?! It seems a backward step to go back to pull-ups (despite all the extra washing!). Anyone else's child got there slowly? I want to give him some hope!

P.S. he is a really deep sleeper and will sleep through lying in a wet bed! Doesn't get up for a wee!

I'm afraid we are nowhere near this stage yet; DD 2.5 so only just dry in day... But, so you try lifting him before you go to bed, and getting him to wee then? Just thought this might help if you've not tried already.

Good luck, I'm sure others will be more helpful with advice, and you'll get there.

Just to say my DS is 7 and he is still wet at night. I spoke to the GP and he said they wouldn't take it further until he was at least 8. I know of people who got referred. I've tried without pull ups a few times, have given up just now as fed up washing sheets and pyjamas! He has only been dry a few times in his life. Maybe I should be trying harder, have tried getting him up late at night but he just gets upset and won't do anything anyway. So would be grateful for any advice too. You are not alone! X

As Judd says, you are not alone. We are in the same boat with DS (nearly 7). He doesn't want to wear pull ups either. I think it is best to carry on despite the washing - our DS wants to stop wearing pull ups and I don't want to turn it into a big issue for him by pressuring him to go back to pull ups, he has obviously decided he doesn't want to wear nappies any more as he is too old now that he is in year 2. My consolation is that I know from MIL that DH took until he was about 7 to be dry at night so I am guessing DS takes after him. I have no useful tips though, I think it just takes time.

Night dryness is down to the production of a particular hormone.
No drinks before bed. (Mine never have one after dinner.) Lift them to toilet before you go to bed. If they are still wet at night they are simply not ready yet.

Dd is 6 still in night pants. Tonight we have started with alarm so will see how that goes.

My GP reassured me by pointing out that not many 16 year olds wet the bed.
He was right - your DSs will grow out if it eventually.

My Son had this until a similar age to yours. We attended a clinic at our local hospital. I remember the two things that helped him were nothing brown or fizzy to drink after 7pm and being lifted onto the toilet at about midnight. We were also supplied with stickers and charts, which really helped to reinforce the dry nights. Wet ones weren't mentioned by us at all.

My DD wasn't dry at night till she was 10 or 11. I think her father was the same. Younger DD is 7 and regularly wets the bed. I lift her onto the toilet before I go to bed but sometimes I'm too late. I try to wake her slightly by saying her name and "time to do a wee" each time so I'm not just encouraging to wee in her sleep.

If it doesn't bother you, the washing, then keep going. DD sometimes notices changed bed linen but sometimes she is not even aware it's happened.

Keep reassuring him that it's nothing wrong with him and nothing he can control.

Have you looked into an alarm? My DS was soaking every night and it stank as he would leak most nights. We got a Malem wireless alarm and tried him at 6.7years. He just wasn't ready and it was a disaster with lots of tears and grumpiness so we abandoned it after 4 nights.

We decided to have another go at 7.3 in half term holidays and after only a week he improved to less, smaller wets and then a dry night really spurred him on and he had been completely dry since May. We do restrict drinks after 5:30 in the week and lift him at 11pm when we go to bed as the once when we didn't he did wet.

My dd was wet at night until 7. We got desmomelts. Used them for about 6months then we got caught short one weekend and she went cold turkey and she was dry. We thought it was a fluke but she just kept being dry. In the last year she'a had a handful of accidents but usually when she was unwell.

Now this was a girl who had never been dry at all. She would be wet as early as 10pm and wouldn't even feel it. She was such a wetter. I thought we'd never get there but we did.

Keep your chin up.

Thank you so much for your helpful replies. I'm having trouble mentioning you by name as I'm on my phone and it won't let me see everything properly...apologies! Not a regular user of mumsnet either!

About the alarm - great to hear experiences. I'm going to use this as a last resort because I was told the child needs to be involved in getting to the toilet/changing the sheets when the alarm goes off. Ds is like a zombie in the night so this would be hard for him at the moment!

Lifting - i know this works for some, but I've learned that DS wets in the last part of the night (past 3am) so even if he's up late and has a wee, he can still wet iYSWIM. Also I was told by a couple of health professionals that they need to learn to wake themselves up, not you doing it for them. But I will keep it in mind!

Also to say we don't have brown or fizzy drinks and I make sure his last drink is at least 2 hours before bed. Also his school are working with me to make sure he drinks lots in the day (to improve bladder capacity).

I'm sure there was more I wanted to say - but for now, thanks again and good luck to those still trying....if only DS3 was like DS2 who was dry at 2.5, the instant he was dry in the day! They're all different eh

Good luck Op

Just thought I'd let you know how first night of alarm went....we were all prepared with spare knickers and sheets etc....alarm went off twice, first time around midnight got up expecting everything soaked but No!!literally one tiny drop!!!just helped her to bathroom and she finished her wee.
2nd time about 6 this morning Dp went to help her and she was already on the loo and clipped it back on herself!! Bless her.
So no sheet changing or anything it's a well sensitive alarm and I'm really hopeful now.
Sorry for harping on but I'm so chuffed.
She loved wearing it last night especially not having to wear night pants.
Only one night In though but fingers crossed.

That's brilliant news Only1scoop - hope the success continues!

Other threads on this topic have mentioned success with Alicia Eaton programme, something to do with listening to a CD. There are reviews on Amazon, some found it worked a treat, others less so. I'm swithering. If DS doesn't buy into a thing it's usually a waste of time trying.

The alarm worked like magic in my house too. As I understand it, It goes off and wakes them up just at the point when there is a tiny bit of dampness, before the bladder gets emptied. That helps them recognise the sensation of a full bladder while asleep. We went from never having had a dry night to being consistently dry within a week.

Swamp ....I'm over the moon here it seems to be doing exactly that....last night just one alarm and straight to loo, she's so chuffed With herself and so are we....don't want to speak to soon though so only third night in but so far so good

Ps sorry for thread hi jack Op

Not at all scoop - it's interesting for me to read! If no progress after a couple more months I might go for an alarm!