Continual small wees in pants - medical issue??

[MTB1]

DD1, 2.10m, has been out of nappies since she was 2. Poo's not a problem but we have never had more than 3 days in a row of completely dry pants (and the 3 days in a row are only when she is reminded and taken for a wee after 2 hours). What happens is a small amount of wee in her pants (about the size of a fist I guess) which she seems oblivious to. She can then hold in a large wee until I take her to the toilet which is when I discover the accident. Tried all the usual tricks, rewards, being cross/sad etc but nothing making a difference. A friend mentioned that girls have 2 'valves' and it could be that one is weak which is why she gets a small leakage? Not sure if I am clutching at straws here though?! Any thoughts? Worth a trip to the docs? It is annoying but what is really concerning me is that I am getting cross when its actually something she can't help. Thanks

I think that given DD's age, she is not going to the loo when she needs to; instead she waits until her bladder is at it's utmost capacity and as she wonders whether she needs a wee or not starts to leak. However, she has enough control to stop herself before she does the whole wee.

Your friend has the right idea about sphincters which are closed unless relaxed to empty, I'm not sure about any weakness because surely then DD would be dribbling all the time, and she clearly isn't when you take her to the loo before she's bursting, as you say she stays dry then.

The thing I would check is for any infection which can cause a loss of control and frequency, and smelly or cloudy urine which can hurt to pass but not always. Withholding doesn't help this, and not drinking enough fluids which makes the urine concentrated and more irritant. It wouldn't hurt to mention to the DR at the same time in case they think there is something that needs investigation.

I would start a toilet routine where she goes at least every two hours, you can use a timer to remind you both and this way she won't feel as if you are nagging all the time. For every wee, she must have a water based drink. Go back to having a potty close by if necessary, especially if the toilet is upstairs or a long way from where she plays. I think she will grow out of this assuming there is no infection, her bladder will stretch to hold a larger amount and she will be able to wait for longer between wees. Lots of DC get engrossed in play and don't want to leave it to do a wee, they just ignore it and hope it will go away! Getting cross is pointless and won't make the situation better, you just have to find ways of managing it until it gets better. At least if you are totally emotionless about wet pants you can be utterly thrilled about dry ones, even if the toilet visits are timed!

Thanks girlywhirly. Sound advice. She occasionally does say her bottom hurts when she wees so I will attempt a urine sample and then at least I can rule an infection out.