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Potty training

Is your child ready for potty training at nursery? Here's the place for all your toilet training questions.

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Original poster

4 year old still in pull-ups at night - what to do

20 replies

RooTwo · 31/05/2010 21:25

I don't know whether/how to get my DD out of pull-ups at night. She has been out of day nappies since 2.5 but somehow the night ones have stayed on, because she is always wet in the morning - I thought they needed to be dry for a while before you consider taking them off. Also she is not particularly showing any interest in getting out of them, though we do take her for a wee before she goes to sleep. However now I am thinking that if I wait till she is dry we will still be here when she is 6 ...

Does she need a bit of encouragement - should we just go for it and take the pull ups off - get some bed mats under her sheet - lift her before we go to bed - see how she does? I seem to read so much conflicting stuff - people saying no rush, wait till they are ready; others declaring they got their kids out of pull ups when they were barely two, making me feel like a bit of a negligent parent. Help!

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Original poster

RooTwo · 31/05/2010 21:25

btw she has only just turned four

OP posts:

FabIsGoingToGetFit · 31/05/2010 21:28

You do nothing.

You can't train someone to be dry at night.

My daughter was dry in the day at 17-20 months and dry at night at 6.

my son was dry in the day at 3 and dry at night at 7.

My other son was dry at 2 1/2 and is still in pull ups at just short of 5.

misdee · 31/05/2010 21:29

you do nothing.

nighttime wetting or not-wetting is down to a hormone, you cant train them to be dry.

luciemule · 31/05/2010 21:30

Dependng on when their hormone kicks in to tell them when to not urinate at night, will make a difference to when your dd stops needing them at night.
My DS is 5.3 and still in them at night and has also been dry in the day since 2.
I see it as, if you take the pull ups away, then she'll probably wet the bed and that could upset/stress her. Give it another year or so (she's not at school until september I assume) and then if she still doesn't seem ready, you could get her checked out by GP.
I know a little girl who is 8 and still in them at night.

PussinJimmyChoos · 31/05/2010 21:31

Don't do anything....I'd just carry on until you have a run of dry night nappies and then try no nappies at night, bed mats etc

DS - also just turned 4, is in pants in the day but night time pull ups for bed and I'm fine with it. Some days he has a dry nappy, others he doesn't - regardless of whether we lift him or not. He needs his sleep, I don't want him all disturbed at night with wet pants, having to have a sheet change etc - not worth it imo

DanJARMouse · 31/05/2010 21:33

My DD2 is 5 in October and still in pull ups at night.

Im waiting until she is ready. Im not going to be sending her off on sleep-overs with friends or anything in the near future so she has no reason to be embarrassed by it.

DD1 was dry at just turned 4, but all kids are different!

luciemule · 31/05/2010 21:34

Before the invention of pull ups, kids would still wet the bed, it's just less stressful if they use pull ups.

HurleySatOnMe · 31/05/2010 21:36

My dd1 used pull ups til about 4.5. She was dry much before that but needed the security of them I htink, plus dd2 was born just before she turned 4, and I htink a bit of it was her wanting to be my baby too iyswim. I think it's more common than you realise for kids to wear them at night at 4, a lot of people just won't talk about it

hellymelly · 31/05/2010 21:41

My dd was dry at night before turning two,but that was just luck,I know that the majority of the other children I know her age (she has just turned three) are still in nappies at night and I know several four year olds and a few five/six year olds who are too still in nappies at night.It seems very common,so not down to anything you are or aren't doing.

CaptainUnderpants · 31/05/2010 21:45

Dont do anything - not a problem.

if still going on when they reach junior school (yr 3)the have a word with your GP.

GlastonburyGoddess · 31/05/2010 21:52

wouldnt worry about it. ds1 is 6.3 and still in drynites,shows no signs whatsoever of being ready, regulary wakes up in the morning with soaking pullup and wet pjs. ds2 4.6 however still in pullups but seems to be having some nrly dry ones recently, so i think he'll be first to be dry.

Original poster

RooTwo · 31/05/2010 22:16

Wow that is all really heartening and helpful - thank you everyone - glad to hear we are not/have not been doing anything wrong ... I'll hold on then till she shows signs of being dry. Is it worth always encouraging her to wee before bed/lifting her to pee at our bedtime in the meantime, though?

OP posts:

luciemule · 01/06/2010 09:34

I would say yes, always good to do a wee before sleep.

DanJARMouse · 01/06/2010 09:41

Always get them to wee before going to bed. We tried the lifting thing when we went to bed but it made no difference other than disturbing DD2's sleep pattern.

Nothing to worry about in the slightest, my only bug-bear is the cost of Drynites..... luckily Tesco have had them on offer at 2 for £8 but even that is £8 for 20 pullups!!!

luciemule · 01/06/2010 09:59

pampers pull ups 5.99 for 20 at the co-op but often have deals on.
I would have tescos own if I lived closer.

negrilbaby · 01/06/2010 10:03

I would just check that she is actually going during the night and not just using the nappy when she wakes. Double check whether the nappy is warm in the morning. If it is, I'd try removing it. If it's cold, she's going during the night and it's better to give her more time.

luciemule · 01/06/2010 10:05

Also, if she has a bedtime drink, try giving it to her earlier rather than at bedtime.

Original poster

RooTwo · 01/06/2010 20:58

Thanks again everyone for most helpful advice. negrilbaby that is a good idea to check on the wetness of the pull up - I'm pretty sure she just wees in her sleep, cos I think she would ask to get up to wee if she was awake (as she does if she needs to wee once in bed before she is asleep). It's worth talking to her about it I guess and saying that if she does wake and need to wee she can call for us and we will put her on the loo/potty?

OP posts:

DanJARMouse · 01/06/2010 21:01

Pampers and the likes only go up to a size 6. My chunky 4yr old is too big for them hence needing Drynites.

Pancakeflipper · 01/06/2010 21:09

My ES was 5 when he stopped wetting at night. Prior to that he had a mat thingy under his bedding and we lifted him, then he began getting up himself for a wee so we stopped lifting him....

Most kids sort themselves out. It feels like they never will - but the majority do. I'd leave it a while and not stress about it.

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