Bedwetting, ideas for keeping duvet dry?

[TheBreastmilksOnMe]

I've got a seven year old son and a five year old daughter who both wet the bed most nights. They both wee gallons and up until now we've kept them in pullups but they haven't been very effective as a few nights a week they don't manage to keep it all in and leak everywhere. Added to that the cost of them and so we've decided to get some kylie bedsheets after reading about them on here. They're not cheap either but I know we'll recoup the cost in a few weeks!

They work well for our daughter but obviously for a boy the mechanics are a bit different and he's been ending up with a soaking wet duvet. I was wondering what people would recommend to stop his duvet becoming wet and what has worked for them product-wise? I want to stay away from pull-ups and I don't want to be washing and drying a duvet everyday. Neither do I want to be spending much more money than we already have.

You do get duvet protectors but they are probably pricey

You can get duvet protectors but I worry about them sleeping under what comes down to plastic sheeting, however it's coated. I think on Amazon or eric you can buy a wipe clean duvet.

Other ideas: a sleeping bag opened out as a quilt (the old fashioned rectangle sort, obviously, not the mummy type!). Wash the whole thing, not perfect but it's less faff and volume than a duvet. Or have a couple of fleece blankets instead of the duvet, and just wash the bottom one. I have an idea that a fleece blanket under a duvet would be ideal, but it seems too hot even with just a 4 tog. I've yet to find a solution that the kids like as much as a duvet though.

Why do you want to stay away from pull ups? My ds was a bedwetter ( had advice from eneuris clinic) I only stopped using pull-ups once he had a few dry nights. Then I used a opened up caravan sleeping bag with a funky fleece blanket on top. Its tough at the time but they all get there eventually. The clinic was amazing, won't be interested in 5 year old but will take referral for the 7 year old.

Waterproof duvet. Search around the net they vary in price a bit.

Mudandmayhem- I don't want to keep buying the pullups as they're expensive with the amount we get through having two bedwetters plus more often then not the damn things leak and the bed ends up soaking anyway! I can't seem to win. Do you think I should take him to the doctors seeing as he's still wetting at 7? I thought it was normal-ish for boys.

I first got help for ds at 7, it was useful reassured him, checked nothing physically wrong, lots of useful tips, drink more in the day, two wees before bed, no red drinks. Also got medication which he uses for sleepovers. He is now 10, it has been a long slow process but he is very nearly consistently dry, hasn't wet for the last 10 days, two weeks before that. I understand about the expense of pull ups ( ridiculously over priced), the extra washing and drying is bloody expensive too. I used the larger size dry nites ( 8 to 15yrs) they rarely leaked and I reused them if he had a dry night. I also found the fact that Sainsburys sold nappies that went to age 15 reassured me about how common the problem is.

I'll make an appointment with the gp next week and see what they say. Thanks for your advice, and everyone else too. I am sticking with the kylie bedmats I've just bought for now (£80+) for four! But I've no doubt we'll make it back in a few weeks! Our two year old is actually dry at night funnily enough!

I think it might be worth raising at 7. It wasn't that I needed them to be dry straight away, but I wanted to make sure we were doing everything we could to support them in getting dry. And through the clinic, once you have all the right stuff in place - loads of daytime drinks, double void at bedtime etc - you might be able to try something like desmopressin or an alarm.

You're right, it's not uncommon at 7, but that doesn't mean you can't do anything to treat/help.

What about washable 'nappies'. We had some for DS 1 & 2. Not enough to contain everything but saves duvet.

We used display nappies not pyjama pants when needed as they worked better.

Desmopressin has changed everything for us.

I put a low tog cot duvet on DD's bed. I can have it washed and tumble tried same day, don't even bother taking the duvet cover off. I put a fleece on top in the winter or warmer pj's. Problem is staying at other folks houses/hotels as we do frequently and had to pay for the dry clean of a feather duvet recently.

I stopped using the duvet with DD (8 then, now 9) while she was doing this, we stopped using the pull-ups and tried just pants, then a bed wetting alarm but she still soaked the bed for a few months.

I used blankets/fleece instead of a duvet as they are easier to wash, I just kept a couple of spares in her room so it was easier to change them in the night if they got wet. I also used bed pads and double sheeted (ie sheet, bedpad, sheet) so I could just strip off the top layer and not have to change the whole bed at 3 in the morning.

I recently bought a waterproof duvet from Amazon. Came with a mattress protector and waterproof pillow for £25. However my dd is used to a flatter pillow so won't use it, and finds the duvet too bulky. It does feel quite a bit bigger than her usual one (despite Amazon reviews to the contrary) and she doesn't like it. Fortunately now she is just having the occasional accident (she is 6) so I haven't pushed it too much.

My DD (almost 8) just came out of pullups again a few weeks back and is doing really well. She sleeps with a fleece blanket between her and the duvet, so it takes the hit, rather than the duvet

I've just bought a waterproof sheet, pillow protector and duvet cover from argos for them both and I've made a gp appointment for my son (4 weeks) I'm going to persevere with the Kylie's for now and see what happens. Thanks for all your words of advice :-)

My 9 year old was like this and every morning I'd have at least one duvet hanging on the line. He started on desmopressin last week and it's been like a miracle. For the first time in years I have a stack of duvets in the airing cupboard and none on the line.

My 8 yr old still wets but I'm resisting going to the doctors. Isn't it just something they grow out of? Not sure I'm comfortable with medication for this but am interested to hear that it works for some. Are there any side effects though? I too have duvets on the line most days. Like the idea of using low tog and not even removing duvet cover - bloody genius horispondle

Looly medication is only one of the options the doctor will discuss with you.Yes children do grow out of bedwetting but there are lots of things that can speed the process up. I think getting some help before the age that sleepovers and school residentials, cub camps become regular occurrences is a really good idea. I agree the duvet tip is genius!

are your dc drinking enough during the day?
my dc had wet (really) heavy pull ups until we started to fill dc up with drink during the day, last drink an hour or so before bedtime with dinner.

I just have two 4 tog duvets which fit in my washing machine and I cycle through them. I used pull ups but then discovered he wet less when naked as the pull up was rubbing his willy at night and that sensation meant he would always wee. He is dry now about 5 nights out of 7 so I still have a bit of washing to do.

Thanks mudandmayhem01 perhaps I will book that appt after all. And funnily enough he's been on some sleepovers already and I always let the mum know what the situation is. He wears a pull-up and they show him where the bin is so that he can dispose of it discreetly in the morning without any of his friends knowing. No-one as far as I can tell has batted an eyelid at that. However, most times he stays out he doesn't wet at all which suggests that he is too comfortable in his own bed!