thread: Almost 5 and wetting pants every night

  1. #1
    Registered User

    Sep 2011
    163

    Almost 5 and wetting pants every night

    DD is 5 in two weeks and has started wetting the bed during the night for the past few months with the odd exception of a night each week where she would stay dry. She usually wets her pants, takes them off and she strolls into our room naked from the waist down and freezing cold.
    At first I just let it go but now its every night and the other night she wet the bed twice in one nights I'm sick of washing wee soaked Pyjamas and sheets. I ended up getting dry night pants the other day and she carries on when I put them on her and cries saying she doesn't want to wear it but I don't know what else to do. She does not have accidents during the day.

    I'm not sure if its a response to her little sisters pending arrival and her now being here or if its a winter thing or what.

    I'm also concerned she does not wee very much during the day. As she wets her pants in the early morning she does not go first thing when she gets up and will go maybe once during the whole day and then does a wee when she gets in the bath or shower. She will make a scene if I try and force her to go the toilet during the day also and I'm noticing when she does go herself she is asking my permission first which I'm assuming is a preschool thing.

    Anyone have any suggestions.

  2. #2
    Registered User

    May 2008
    where the V8's roar
    1,855

    night nappies/pullup pant things? I was a bedwetter until I was 7 (not as regularly as your DD but often enoughI know you said she doesn't want to wear them but I wouldn't give her the choice (she doesn't have a choice with being in a booster seat or wearing a jumper outside on a cold day - I would be explaining it in terms of while ever she is wetting the bed, then she needs to wear them. Not making a big deal out of it but explaining that they wouldn't make those sorts of pants if some kids didn't need them IYKWIM? )
    My nephews regressed when their sister came along so hopefuly it will settle down for you.
    I would be encourage more toilet trips (star charts/bribes whatever works), explain about not needing to ask (DS would ask as well)
    I currently wake DS every night and make him go to the toilet and he goes :shrug: goodluck

  3. #3
    Registered User

    Oct 2006
    Sydney
    4,081

    Hi. MY DD is now 6.5 and still wets at least 3 nights per week. She refuses to wear disposable pants because she finds them very uncomfortable.
    A couple of things to try:
    1. You could try increasing her fluids during the day so that her body becomes more accustomed to the feeling of a full bladder. The "art" of weeing is something your body needs to learn as you develop. Doing this at night can take longer for some kids.
    2. You can buy "brolly sheets" or the like. I have two and they are a god-send. As I mentioned, my DD refuses disposables. These sheets sit on top of the bottom sheet and when she wets we just rip them off, she changes her pants and it's all very quick and easy in the night. She takes her wet sheets down to the laundry in the morning - it's her job.
    3. As kelebek mentioned, you could try waking her to go to the toilet later in the night, before you go to bed. (This doesn't really work for us as I go to bed not too long after my kids fall asleep!)

    It's common to wet more in winter. You sleep more deeply. Do you have a family history of bedwetting? We do. It's kind of hereditary.
    Good luck. It sucks having to deal with it, but you will find a way to manage it and keep yourselves sane! Hang in there.

  4. #4
    Registered User

    Sep 2011
    163

    thanks kelebek and snacks for the replies..

    - yes DD is now wearing the dry night pull up pants. she isn't a fan of them but she is at least letting us put them on her now. she is actually wetting her pants still in these and then takes them off before she gets out of bed. She has been explained that when she stops wetting her pants she can go back to wearing her knickers.

    - we seem to have a "chart" for everything in our house so i guess i'll be starting another one tomorrow. her preschool today ensured they told her to go the bathroom and she went 3 times at school and got a stamp each time for going so i may need to start that at home in conjunction with the chart.

    - she begun staying dry overnight in January and only started wetting again a few months ago so I know she is capable of it but for some reason has stopped. I don't know if it's the fact its winter or the fact she has a new little sister that is causing it. She is also not going the bathroom much during the day so I think it may all be tied together and we have a "toilet" issue as a whole.

    - DD already drinks quite a bit during the day and as mentioned she was staying dry for 3 or 4 months so I know she is capable

    - I've got a brolly sheet already which we use but often DD sleeps on top of her blankets and is in fact wetting through the top sheets and her blankets / doona which means ALOT of washing and not to mention the wet undies & pyjama pants.

    - I'd prefer to avoid having to wake her as I believe she would just refuse to go the toilet anyway, she is doing this during the day and also does this right before going to bed - will refuse to go the bathroom or brush teeth so i don't think waking her would result in her going the bathroom anyway.

  5. #5
    Registered User

    May 2008
    where the V8's roar
    1,855

    argh... sounds like you are doing almost everything you can the only thing I can suggest at the moment is give it some time. Hopefuly as it warms up she and the use of the sticker charts to encourage her to go through the day will help.

  6. #6
    BellyBelly Member

    Dec 2005
    3,130

    Maybe have a chat to her to see how she is feeling. Is anything happening at school she is worried about? Reassure her about the new baby etc etc. since she has been dry and has regressed that can often signal some kind of emotional stress.

  7. #7
    Registered User

    Aug 2013
    23

    When I was a little girl, my dr told my mum that my bladder had (either not grown to catch up, or was too big for my body, I can never remember which one) and because of that, I wet the bed every night. Apparently it's genetic because my aunt did aswell.
    It's kinda embarrassing but I wet the bed and had to wear Nappies until I was like 13! It had slowed down by the time I hit 11 but I didn't completely stop until I was almost a teenager.
    I'm not sayig this is your DD cause, but I'm sharing my experience so others can know that it may not 'go away' when parents want it too. The kid doesn't even know its happening and has no control over it. I know it's frustrating for the parents, but it can be frustrating for the child also, especially when they are older.
    I do hope your DD grows out of it soon though, but in the meantime, re-assure her that wearing a nappy at night doesn't mean your a baby, it just means its easier to go back to sleep and there is no mess for anyone (including DD) to deal with.

    I hope this helps. Good luck. Xxx