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Children's health

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Bedwetting at 8

13 replies

Settingsuns · 21/06/2021 16:48

Hi,

DS (8) has, over the last year, started wetting the bed after a few years of being dry. I think it started around July or August last year. He's been referred to a paediatrician, who can't find anything obviously medically wrong, and we're waiting for our next appointment next month.

He was dry at night reliably from about 5. And then at 7.5 it went wrong. We've tried limiting fluids later in the day and taking him to the toilet when we go to bed. These two things helped for a while, but it's getting worse now, it's nearly every night. We've moved him from the top bunk to the bottom bunk to make it easier for him in the night. We always have a light on so that the kids can find the bathroom in the night. We make sure he's filling up with fluids earlier in the day rather than later, on the advice of the doctor. We've asked over and over if there's something making him unhappy, but he says not. His teacher says there's nothing going on at school as far as she can tell.

I know it's awful for him, but it's also really beginning to affect us. I'm exhausted. Every night at 2.30am we're woken up by him. I can't keep up with the constant washing. Me and DH are taking the middle of the night wake-ups in turn, but we're still both being woken up, and I'm terrible at getting back to sleep once disturbed, so I'm only getting a few hours sleep most nights of the week. My next step is setting an alarm for 2am to take him to the loo each night. But we can't do that forever. We're very conscious of not getting upset in front of him, not showing any frustration when he's around, but the lack of sleep is like having a baby again, only I was on maternity leave when he was a non-sleeping baby, now I have to do a day's work after it.

Anybody had this situation of being dry and then constantly wet? What did you do? Any advice or tips, or things we can bring up to the doctor next month? How did it resolve?

Thank you.

OP posts:
Settingsuns · 22/06/2021 15:14

And now he's been invited to an overnight trip with school. Obviously, he can't go. They're not asking for parent volunteers, or I might have considered him going with me there so I could take him to the loo during the night.

Poor little guy is devastated. Anybody have any tips or thoughts or insight?

OP posts:
titchy · 22/06/2021 15:26

Pull ups.
A bed wetting alarm so HE gets up to go to the loo - not you to remind him!
Mattress pad under sheet and another sheet under that - child wets, removes wet sheet and mattress pad themselves, then still has sheet on bed so goes straight back to sleep.

Seems odd after being dry for two years though.

omgthepain · 22/06/2021 15:57

@titchy

I agree, get some pull ups and stop stressing yourselves out, you'll feel worse if you're exhausted and your sleep is disturbed aswell.

Is everything ok at school? I know sometimes bullying can affect children or has there been a change in routine or a family bereavement or have you moved house?

It can be brought on by all sorts of things but hopefully with the pull ups it'll make life easier and he'll grow out of it.

Id avoid any over night trips until it's resolved personally it could be embarrassing for him

Settingsuns · 22/06/2021 16:25

He doesn't want pull-ups. I understand why, he's been out of them for years, so it's something he'd rather not go back to. I can see how they'd make life easier, but I think he'll get upset if we try to put him back in them. An alarm could be an idea. We've done some brief research into them, but as he shares a room, trying to find one that won't disturb his brother.

I've checked regularly that there's no bullying or anything happening, and he assures me there isn't. He has friends who he sees regularly out of school, so I know he's not lonely. There's been no family upheaval, nothing like that. It didn't start at a time that's notable for anything in particular.

He won't be going on the trip, but he's been sobbing about it this afternoon. He seems to understand why, but is still very upset.

OP posts:
AdriannaP · 22/06/2021 16:27

Can’t he wear pull ups on the trip? Discreetly. Seems very upsetting for him to not be able to go.

4PawsGood · 22/06/2021 16:28

When is the trip? Night time wetting is very easily and commonly medicated for. I’d go back to the GP and ask to try Desmopressin. Even if just for trips or a bit of a break.

4PawsGood · 22/06/2021 16:29

@AdriannaP

Can’t he wear pull ups on the trip? Discreetly. Seems very upsetting for him to not be able to go.
Yes. We had to buy a onesie so no danger of seeing it, but it worked fine on a Cubs trip. We spoke to the leaders who arranged for him to get ready for bed in the bathroom.
omgthepain · 22/06/2021 18:00

I understand he might not want to wear pull ups but to be honest they could mean he goes on the trip and I'm sure he'd rather go??
And as for at home just tell him that he needs to wear them until things get better because it's tiring for everyone getting up in the night and he needs to get sleep to have fun in the day

budgiegirl · 27/06/2021 20:01

Perhaps talk to the teachers? Bedwetting shouldn't really be a reason that he can't go on a residential.

My DS was still bed wetting when he went on a school residential at the age of 9. We just packed lots of extra towels and sheets in his suitcase, and made sure he knew how to sort himself out discreetly if he wet the bed.

I'm also a cub leader, and you'd be surprised how many children at aged 8 still wet the bed, but of course, no one likes to talk about it. We have at least one or two on every camp. Extra pyjamas and sleeping bags help, asking the leaders to make sure they go to restrict drinks etc, access to a private area to change etc all help.

yikesanotherbooboo · 27/06/2021 20:07

It is more unusual to be dry for a length of time and then wet again but he must be reassured that it is not his fault in any way. After all he is asleep when it happens. Both my DSes were still bed wetting at 8 and they were far from the only ones in the class. I think he should wear pull ups for trips or you could se GP and give medication a go for the trip. It would be such a shame if he missed out on social occasions for this which after all, is entirely normal at his age.

chickenyhead · 27/06/2021 20:08

One of mine reverted just before being diagnosed as type 1 diabetic.

Is he extra thirsty too?

buttercupsanddaisiez · 27/10/2021 04:00

Hi OP, I was just looking up this issue as I am now experiencing the same with my 7.5 year old son. How have things progressed for yours?

GiantHaystacks2021 · 27/10/2021 04:15

I wouldn't let him go on the trip either, seeing as he will wet the bed when he's away.
He's going to have to wear pull ups, I'm afraid.

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