Bed wetting advice

[bizzybeing]

I'm after some advice please. DS2 is 8.5yo and still wets the bed about once a week. This has reduced a lot from six months ago but has been fairly constant for the last couple of months.

DS1 was also late to be dry at night (a bit over 7) and DS3 (5yo) still wears pull-ups at night so likely a genetic component.

We've tried keeping a record of what he eats/drinks to see if there are any particular triggers but there doesn't seem to be.

DS has a school residential coming up in the autumn and I'm concerned he'll be upset if he wets the bed while he's away so have suggested it might be time to visit the GP for help. DS is extremely resistant to this idea.

Does anyone know what, if any, support the GP is likely to offer at this age? I don't want to upset DS and force the issue for the GP to just say wait and see what happens. Equally if they would actively help then it would be worth the argument.

I was prescribed Imipramine as a child as I was still not dry at 9 despite lots of the usual interventions. It worked quite quickly and I never had a problem after that.

The GP or an enuresis clinic can prescribe Desmopressin melts which help to prevent bedwetting. The ERIC website may be useful too.

Check out the ERIC.org.uk website loads of useful information to get your started.
Ask GP for referral to enuresis team if you've done the bladder training stuff before you get to clinic you're already half way there
Hopefully the bladder training will work without the need for meds as it doesn't sound like you've got a massive problem if he only wets every so often

Sorry to your last comment, children from age 5 should be dry/almost dry
After this age it would be reasonable to be referred for help

Does he drink anything with berries in? We had this issue and a lot of it was drinking juice with blackberries, it irritates the bladder.
Although my SS is 11 and wets the bed nightly, even on desmomelts

As mentioned above the advice is to seek help from age 5. I would definitely read the ERIC website they have very good info.
You could try a bed wetting alarm.
Consider whether constipation could be a factor, it’s a very common cause and isn’t always obvious.
As mentioned above cut out any blackcurrant type drinks.
Make sure he’s drinking enough water based drinks each day so that the bladder is getting stretched and can then hold enough at night.
Teachers are well used to dealing with this, so don’t let it stop you sending him on his residential. There are also padded waterproof boxers he could wear in bed.

I spoke with our GP about DS bed wetting at just turned 9. The GP looked up the guidelines for referral to the enuresis clinic and said we had to try an alarm for six weeks first. I was very, very sceptical for several reasons but it absolutely worked. By the end of four weeks DS was dry at night. Had a few accidents since but maybe once every few months. The alarms aren't cheap but we got a wireless one second hand which saved a bit, then sold it on after.

I used to run a brownie unit and we had several kids over the years who wore pull-ups at night (aged 7-10).

As long as you tell the teachers who are going on the residential they'll be able to discretely help your son deal with wet pull ups, pyjamas, bedding etc.
It's not telling them that makes it more difficult for everyone.

My son consistently wet the bed 2-3 nights (sometimes more) a week from age 5-7. Then it gradually reduced from 7-9 after we contacted the GP who referred us to our local enuresis team.

The enuresis team were fantastic. They gave us lots of advise, like limiting drinks after 5:30 (he had a bedtime then at 7:30) making sure he had water throughout the day and every hour (1 litre was his target). I ensured the school were on board with this too and the enuresis team sent a letter to them just to confirm it all and to to ensure his water bottle was readily available etc.

I soon noticed he wasn’t drinking enough in the day and after doing this, he did not need to drink too much after 5:30. We were also encouraged to make sure he used the toilet often during the day. Again the school were told this and he was going every hour.

We also advised an alarm which did work. It clipped to his pants and it did teach him to get up and go to the toilet as soon as he heard it go. It wasn’t cheap (if I remember it was about £80/90 from the ERIC website brand new) but it was also worth it.

We kept a diary which the enuresis team emailed which we used to monitor his wet and dry nights and rewarded him when he got up to use the alarm.
They encouraged us also to make sure son changed the bedding when there was accidents (with help of course).

The whole process was hard especially when the alarm would go off at 2am and then sometimes again in the night and the whole house had work and school the next day. Despite this we kept at it. Looking back now I don’t know how!

We decided to act from 7 as it was beginning to impact him. We noticed old smelly wet pjs were being hidden under mattresses, his confidence was going and he felt embarrassed. It was a hard time and we had to reassure him, letting him know it wasn’t his fault.

To start the enuresis team called weekly for check ins and monitoring. Then a year after we started the process as progress was being made and wetting had reduced from age 8 they checked in every 3 months. From 9, every 6 months. From 10 he was discharged and now at 11 we haven’t had a single accident in over a year.

Like you we had school residentials and cub and beaver camps so I was worried for him but his confidence grew after we started the process and all the teachers and leaders reassured him and us. We were told it’s very very common in boys and most times they just grow out of it.

Good luck! Wish you all the best in whatever you decide to do.

To add my son was also reluctant especially once he knew the school knew!
But they were discreet and supportive. He himself was part of the process and spoke to the GP and enuresis team at the start which put his mind at ease.
He soon realised we were all working together to make him happier and to help manage his condition.

This was the alarm we were advised to buy, with the clip on. Can probably buy online or elsewhere for cheaper. We even named it just to normalise the situation. Sorry for soo many messages, just trying to be helpful. I hope it helps!

Just solidarity here. My three boys are grown up now, but the older two weren't reliably dry at night until 8 and 9. If it helps at all, they were both dry overnight when staying away from home.

Funnily enough, their younger brother was dry at night as soon as he was dry in the day, at 2.5. Like you, OP, I strongly suspect a genetic thing going on.