My dd wants to drop night time nappies, but ...

[WigWamBam]

... she has never had a dry nappy overnight yet. She's just turned 4, has been dry in the day for 18 months, but doesn't wake up when she needs a wee at night and her nappies are always full to bursting (and frequently leaking everywhere) in the morning.

Over the last couple of days, she has decided that she doesn't want to wear nappies at night anymore because they're horrible and nasty, and she wants to try getting rid of them. And I have this nasty sinking feeling because I know she's not ready physically to go without them.

What do I do? I know that if we try, it'll just mean a wet bed three or four times a night, every night.

WWB, I don't have any experience of this (my dd is only 1) but why not stick her on a plastic sheet for a night and tell her if she's dry in the morning, no more nappies, but if wet then back to them? Maybe not having a nappy would teach her to wake up??

Our DS1 said the same thing last September (interestingly when he turned 4). We DID try last September for a whole month, but gave up as he was getting upset and I was getting stressed. Thankfully (?) he didn't wake up and tell me when he'd wee'ed so it was only one sheet change (and duvet cover and pillowcase) a day.

He's now 4 3/4 and 'doesn't want nappies anymore'...........but like you DD still has SOAKING , often leaking nappies..........

Interested to hear other people's thoughts on it.

Ds1 decided he was ready far before I thought he was, so we make sure he goes to the loo before he goes to bed, and then lift him onto the toilet before we go - 11ish. This sees him through most nights, although there are still the occassional 4am cries of 'mummy my beds wet'. Every now and then we leave him to see if he's ready but he doesn't seem to be yet (he's 3.5 now).

zubb that's what we tried with DS1 for a whole month

He'd do a wee before bed, lift him before we slept (around 1am - when he was 'usually' dry), but he'd still wake up in the morning drenced [frown] as he wouldn't wake up (or at least wouldn't tell us not sure which) when he'd wet

Have you tried it again since September?

No - he's only just started saying he wants to wear pants again - but his nappies are wetter than ever.....

dd always has a wee before she goes to bed, and sometimes again 20 minutes later, but we've never lifted her. To be honest, her nappies are so full in the mornings that I don't think it would make that much difference.

Ds1 (nearly 5) is still in night-time nappies and always has a soggy nappy by the morning. I'm starting to wonder though whether he's weeing in the nappy simply because it's there. He was like this with daytime nappies too though so this may not necessarily be the same for your dd. I'm thinking of trying ds1 without night-time nappies during the summer holidays so fingers crossed that my theory is correct.

When dd (3) told us she was a big girl and didn't wear nappies to bed anymore, we just went for it, and it was fine! First night she didn't wake up, but was found in a wet bed in the morning. Second night she woke and told us the bed was wet, third night she was dry, and barring a week when I think she must have had a UTI (but no symptoms)she has been dry for 6 months.

I thoroughly recommend the bed protectors made by the Hippychick people, sold by Twinkle Twinkle. They are 2 layers of brushed cotton, with PUL sandwiched in the middle. protects the mattress, but not sweaty or crackly.

I apparently announced that I didn't want a nappy at night, my mum said I'd wet the bed - I didn't - nappies done away with.......

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ct, I did wonder whether she wees in the nappy just because it's there, but she tells me that she wees when she's asleep and doesn't wake up, so I'm not sure.

The bed protector sounds really nice, we've got an Ikea one that's just one layer but it's small and gets scrunched up underneath the sheet so isn't as good as it will need to be when we finally let her try. I'll have a look at that one, thanks Tissy.

That's encouraging, Blackduck ... fingers crossed that dd will be the same when I finally pluck up the courage to let her try

we've got the Argos set (duvet, pillow and mattress protector) I 'thought' it was going to be too 'crinkly' and disturb either DS1 sleeping on it, or DS2 sharing his room........but I don't think they've even noticed...

Try a sticker chart.

It did the trick with my son. At the age of 4 my son was still in night nappies so I persuaded him to where big boy pants to bed. He then had his last milk drink at tea-time and then a wee before going to bed. I then lifted him at 10.30pm for a wee more than often he did it his sleep, then after a while he was dry in the morning.
Also I use a protective pad, that you can whip of the bed without changing sheets and throw it in the wash.

Also I use a protective pad,

Does that protect the duvet as well??? DS1 has the amazing ability to make one wee soak the entire bed set (hence the 'full' protection set )

DS announced out of the blue that he didn't want to use a nappy at night anymore - we went for it, and he was fine, occasional wet bed to begin with, but I think that was part of the process, iyswim.

I'd give it a try. Before she goes to sleep, say 'ooh, remember to wake up and go to the toilet if you need a wee!'.

My son only wet the bottom sheet but he does have top sheet that I could take off quickly if it did get wet.

You just have to make it as quick and painless as possible to sort them out without getting them upset. It only makes it worse.

I used to take uptight about the whole thing, but I took the pressure off myself and he did it all by himself.

I agree that changing the bed without making a fuss or getting upset is really important. A little difficult at stupid o'clock in the morning, but important.

My dd doesn't really respond to sticker charts; we tried one to get her pooing in the toilet (we had biiiiig problems with that one) but she still refused point blank for almost a year.

WWB, a friend gave me a brilliant tip when we took our eldest out of night-time nappies - put 2 complete layers of bedding on (waterproof mattress protector, bedsheet, another waterproof protector and then another bedsheet. If there is an accident, you just strip off the top 2 and your dd can go straight back into bed with no fuss. Beats faffing around looking for sheets and putting them on the bed at 2am, believe me!

stick the plastic sheet on mattress is the only other way

Oh, dinosaur, I don't know! She got out of bed this morning with her nappy absolutely dripping wet, puddles of wee all down her legs and on the floor, and was distraught because she was so sure that she hadn't had a wee all night.

I don't know what to do for the best really.

I would try lifting her at night as late as possible, then she might get used to waking up for a wee.

When does she have her last drink? I was told by my health visitor to aim for the last drink about 2hrs before bedtime.

I also purchased a book called Dry All Night, The Picture Book Technique That Stops Bedwetting. by Alison Mack.

As my son is only 4 he couldn't read it himself but we sat and looked at the pictures together, and there is lots of info on bedwetting.

I haven't seen that book, Andrea, I'll have to have a look for it.

She has a drink with her tea at about 4.30, then another small drink with supper at 7pm before bed at 7.30 - I was pretty sure I'd read somewhere not to withhold drinks to stop bedwetting, but I'm not sure.