Getting dry at night - Is there ANYTHING that I can do?

**Funky Mum** · 18-02-2012, 10:22am

I was advised by the school nurse NOT to lift, because if you lift and they empty their bladder when it's not quite full, the brain never gets the message 'full bladder = need to wake up to wee'.

Restricting drinks after 6pm and getting the child to drink A LOT more during the day is a way train their bladder to hold more.

I was also advised by the school nurse to get rid of nighttime pull ups, but since she's not the one having to cope with the washing everyday during the winter, I chose not to take her advice on that point.

Sleepovers - my daughter has slept over at a friend's house once and I sent pull ups with her. She got ready for bed in the bathroom, and put the pull ups on, put her PJs on, and none of her friends ever noticed. In the morning she went into the bathroom to get dressed and have a wash, and put the nappy in a plastic bag, which the friend's mum discarded without mentioning (I spoke to her about it before the sleepover).

My daughter is nearly 8 and I'm waiting for a call from the school nurse to talk about bed alarms. That's the next step for us so will see how that goes. They wouldn't do ANYTHING before the age of 7, though.

**Dr Spouse** · 18-02-2012, 06:09pm

Ditto on the sleepovers, we get Brownies and even the occasional Guide who isn't dry at night and most adults are understanding and the other kids need not know.
On the washing issue, can't you get those mats for the bed instead of pull ups?

**Anne** · 18-02-2012, 06:38pm

Thats what we did, I took DS2 out of pull ups and restricted the fluid from 5.30. If he wet the bed he got the idea that he needed to get up and go himself. It took about two weeks and he seems to have sorted himself out without much help from us. PITA oin the washing front, but I got a mat from mothercare and he slept on that to start with, then we put it under the sheet when he had go the hang of things.

**flipflop** · 18-02-2012, 09:04pm

E is 7 and a half and still not dry at night (although she did have a dry pull up last night, an event I can count on two or three fingers).

I took her to the GP before Christmas who was fairly unconcerned and suggested lifting as a solution. We've tried this in the past and it doesn't work. She didn't suggest anything else.

I'm going to try going cold turkey once it warms up a bit, and I can brace myself for the wet bedding and being woken in the early hours. E has been on a couple of sleepovers and I just pack her a pull up and a plastic bag for her to bring it home in, having told the other mum that she might prefer to change for bed in the bathroom so her friend isn't aware. One of her little friends has a sister of 8 and a half who's still not dry.

I think she may have a very small, sensitive bladder as she wees a LOT during the day, especially after fruity drinks. She wet her trousers yesterday when we were out shopping; she'd had a carton of Ribena when out for lunch, we went home to drop things off and do a wee, then 20 mins later she was bursting again but didn't tell me

. I use the loo a lot, especially if I drink tea, alcohol, or if it's very cold. It is a real nuisance!

Anyway, back to the wet nights, it's just a case of keeping on trying until it clicks, I think. I'm really hoping it doesn't persist into teenage hood, for her sake

.

**mrsdunny207** · 18-02-2012, 09:26pm

Lifting when we went to bed worked for DD, she was pretty upset that DS was dry at night and she wasn't (last summer ish) so we lifted her for a wee every night until Nov time when she just said she didn't need us to and fingers crossed we've had maybe 2 accidents since. She was much happier going to bed in pants and being lifted than having to wear a nappy / pull-up. We are still lifting Sam but might stop that soon too as he has always been dryer at night anyway.

**Chickpea** · 18-02-2012, 11:44pm

I think kids are so different with this (like most things) I suggest you try lifting her, and limiting drinks after 5pm. Do you give her squash? As I gather it can have a diuretic effect for some. But whatever you do, don't expect immediate results.

**Chell** · 19-02-2012, 07:46am

Flipflop, try cutting out Ribena/black currant. We we told by the bed wetting clinic that black currant irritates the bladder of some children. DS didn't drink it but DD2 did. She was getting caught short a lot in the day and having dribbling before she could get to be loo. From that moment we stopped her having the black currant, the difference was amazing. She stopped having the accidents. I'll not stop her from having bc if we're at toddler group and there is no choice. I won't buy it. The odd half beaker full doesn't seem to affect her.

**Faith** · 19-02-2012, 07:57am

Originally Posted by mrsdunny207

She was much happier going to bed in pants and being lifted than having to wear a nappy / pull-up.

The other thing I was told was to leave bottom halves as naked as possible, so they are aware they aren't wearing a nappy. We don't wear pants at night anyway, but apparently replacing a pull up with pants still gives the feeling that they are wearing something, iyswim, so subconsciously dont realise that they are unprotected and will wet.

**Chickpea** · 19-02-2012, 09:31am

Originally Posted by Faith

The other thing I was told was to leave bottom halves as naked as possible, so they are aware they aren't wearing a nappy. We don't wear pants at night anyway, but apparently replacing a pull up with pants still gives the feeling that they are wearing something, iyswim, so subconsciously dont realise that they are unprotected and will wet.

And it also makes it a darn sight easier if you DO need to pop them on the loo whilst they're asleep.

**flipflop** · 19-02-2012, 07:16pm

Originally Posted by Chell

Flipflop, try cutting out Ribena/black currant. We we told by the bed wetting clinic that black currant irritates the bladder of some children. DS didn't drink it but DD2 did. She was getting caught short a lot in the day and having dribbling before she could get to be loo. From that moment we stopped her having the black currant, the difference was amazing. She stopped having the accidents. I'll not stop her from having bc if we're at toddler group and there is no choice. I won't buy it. The odd half beaker full doesn't seem to affect her.

She hardly ever drinks blackcurrant, it was only that we were in a cafe and the only cartons of drink were Ribena. I don't buy it, and only give water to drink apart from at breakfast, or if we have friends over.
Any fruity drink seems to have the same effect - I'm not sure if it's because they're so delicious when compared to water that she'll guzzle as quickly and as much as possible, or if all fruit-flavoured drinks trigger the need to wee copiously. Either way, I now monitor, and minimise her intake of fruit juice/squash.

Faith/ Chickpea, good advice we leaving the bottom half uncovered, I'll remember that for when we do try again.