By Guest Blogger, Kathleen Thorell
I knew my
daughter had a small bladder when we potty trained her at age three. All my
friends were telling stories of their children, the “camels” who were going
hours and hours without ever having to go on the potty. This was so foreign to
me. My daughter easily went every 30 minutes. Gradually, her bladder matured and
she can now make it several hours without going.
At her four year old
visit with our pediatrician, I asked about her wearing pull ups at night. She
had mastered the daytime, but night time was another story. She often leaked
through a pull up, too. (until I found a good fit for her- Kroger’s Nite Time
Pull ups, the cheapest ones!) The doctor had no worries. He explained that
eventually her bladder would mature and grow, and she would be able to make it
through the night or become aware of when she had to go. Throughout her 4th
year, my daughter noticed that friends and relatives didn’t wear pull ups at
night…some even younger than her! It started to bother her, but she didn’t like
the idea of leaking either.
At her 5 year check up her doctor was again not concerned that she was still in pull ups. That changed when I told him about her confession. He then stated that this may be one of the rare times that a small reward system may work for bed wetting. He explained that rewards do not work with all kids because they simply sleep too soundly to know when they have to go. He also informed me that bed-wetting can be hereditary. My husband remembers having accidents until he was 7 or 8.
My daughter was actually excited to sleep in panties, but I had to get some supplies before we could start. I found some waterproof mats at Babies R Us for $8.99. They were meant for a crib and about the size of one, but they did not have the elastic sides. I wanted to be able to put the mat directly under her so that when leaks occurred, I could just change the mat instead of the whole sheet set. I bought two and hoped for the best. I also bought a pack of small toys from the Dollar Store and told my daughter she would earn one for every dry night she had.
Night #1
I prepped my daughter by explaining that I would wake her up before I went to bed to take her to the bathroom (she goes to bed around 7:30pm). I encouraged her to go by herself if she felt the urge.
Results: took her to the bathroom 2 ½ hours after her bedtime (she “sleepwalks” through it); leaked at 3am; leaked at 5am
Morning thoughts: My daughter was sad to not earn a treat, but not too discouraged. I am a bit tired.
Night #2
Results: woke her up to go bathroom 3 hours after bedtime…she was already soaked and sleeping right through it! Leaked 3am; leaked 5am
Morning thoughts: Again, she is mildly sad but not too discouraged. I want so badly to give her a treat for being such a trooper through the potty trips and mat, underwear, nightgown changes. I feel like I have a newborn again, getting up every 3 hours! What have I gotten myself into?
Night #3
I tell her that if she gets up to go to the bathroom, I will give her a treat. Risky, but I am sleep deprived and desperate.
Results: took her to the bathroom 2 hours after bedtime (dry!); leaked 12am; leaked 4am. No self-initiated trips to the bathroom.
Morning thoughts: My daughter is exhausted! The interrupted sleep is catching up with her. I am feeling discouraged and suggest that maybe it is too soon and we go back to pull ups. She adamantly refuses and states she wants to keep trying.
Night #4
Results: took her to the bathroom 2 hours after bedtime; leaked 5am.
Morning thoughts: We are both excited that she stayed dry up until 5am (she usually is awake by 6 or 6:30).
Night #5
Results: took her to the bathroom 3 hours after bedtime (trying to stretch out the morning hours); leaked 5 am.
Morning thoughts: She is a tired puppy, but stubborn! I enlist my husband to have a heart to heart with her about HIS bed-wetting so she won’t feel like a failure. He never gets to that because…
Night #6
Results: took her to the bathroom 2 ½ hours after bedtime; NO LEAKING!!! She didn’t get up to go to the bathroom, she just didn’t leak.
Morning thoughts: My daughter was ecstatic! I was incredulous and happy, but skeptical. Surely this was a fluke. Oh well, she loved getting her treat.
Night #7, #8, #9, #10, and #11
Results: 6 straight nights of no leaking!
I still don’t quite believe it. I assumed she would have to start going to the bathroom at night. Somehow, she retrained her bladder. I should have known my stubborn little girl would find a way to do it her way.
I am sure we will have accidents in the future, but for now we are all getting some much-needed sleep and she got a boost of self-confidence. I’d love to hear how others have tackled this issue or if you experiment with our little system.
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Comments
Just like you, my husband was a childhood bed wetter for quite some time. I do believe in our case it has a LOT to do with them (my husband and daughter) sleeping like rocks.
We did the same thing you did, tried with rewards, we let her choose special panties, tried everything you said. That turned out horribly for us though, because my daughter would cry, and be so upset with herself. Not even wetting the bed would wake her! She was feeling like a failure, and she didnt stand a chance against her own body. Important side note is that Leah was completely potty trained at her second birthday- except for nighttime!
Just like your daughter, Leah was peeing so heavily at night she would wet THROUGH her pullup. Finally I took to the internet to read about what our problem could be. Up to this point I was sure she just wasnt trying- because she just didnt care. After reading, I realized she probably did have a tiny, immautre bladder- as evident from having to take her to the bathroom every hour if we were out somewhere- (it never failed if we went OUT to eat to give me a break from the kitchen, I spent half of the time in the restaurant bathroom!)
WIth my new knowledge, I stopped worrying about it, and decided I would check her at different times of the night to see when she wet her pullup first. Sometimes (just like your daughter) she was wetting it by choice- but after we talked about that, she stopped. I now, JUST LIKE YOU, haha get her up out of her sleep and take her to the bathroom. She sleeps so hard that she doesnt know Im taking her, and never remembers all of the crazy things she tells me, the next day. I usually take her at midnight, and around 5.
Shes doing a great job now- and since I have a newborn, its nothing to take her, because Im up already anyway! lol- thats a blessing and a curse!
The only way your story differs from mine?? Your super smart purchase of a crib mat!!! I am doing that today just as a precaution! I cant tell you how many times Ive hit my knuckes, and bumped my head making her bottom bunk! And, now her mattress smells permanantly like Resolve!
Thank you for writing something I can so easily relate to! Im happy to know its not just me, and for that matter, not just her!
? Best of luck!