Comments on: Older Kids and Bedwetting

By: Momo Fali

Momo Fali — Sat, 07 Feb 2009 17:00:47 +0000

Just another reason why I love this site! It makes us realize our kids aren’t “different”.

My son will be seven in May and he still wets the bed sometimes. It’s not every night, like it was a year ago, but it’s a couple of times a week. He says he doesn’t know he needs to go, and I’m pretty sure he just sleeps right through it. I’m not pressing it. It’s not a big deal, other than paying for Pull-Ups. In the big scheme of things, this is the least of my worries!

By: Julie

Julie — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 17:19:32 +0000

Aw. My brother was a bedwetter, and it was really hard for him. But he grew up into a great person and a great father, and he makes tons of money programming computers. So take heart!

I think it’s important to make sure the siblings also are on board with the emotional support. Kids can be mean. I don’t think I was ever mean to my brother about the bedwetting, which is funny, since I was not the nicest sister about a lot of other stuff.

By: Estherar

Estherar — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 14:08:43 +0000

I had a bedwetter at that age (not quite as bad as the letter writer’s, though). We used to semi-wake him at 11:00 PM to pee, and this helped him to stay dry, though the neurological maturation had to happen on its own. We did notice he tended to wet more when he was troubled by something, though.

It’s very important to get the ‘all clear’ from the pedi, as Dr. Heather mentioned, and especially if he also dribbles urine during the day. If the problem is developmental, he need not abstain from sleepovers – desmopressin (Minirin) pills are very effective and safe (the nasal spray was banned due to accidental overuse causing electrolyte disturbance, but this is not likely with a single pill).

By: Smalltowngirl

Smalltowngirl — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 05:41:00 +0000

Hello Dr Heather! I am going to send this to a friend of mine- I think this will help her- she has a 7 year old going through the same thing!!! Hope you are well!

By: Dr. Heather

Dr. Heather — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 18:40:30 +0000

I love the Dr. Greene site. There is a ton of good info there. He strikes a nice balance; he puts forward “alternative” suggestions that actually have evidence…yet stays firmly grounded in standard pediatric practice (in the articles I’ve read, at least).

I’m really fascinated by his suggestions about night terrors and bedwetting too, for anyone who’s interested …follow the link in my post and I think it’s referenced in that one.

By: LeAnn

LeAnn — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 02:47:25 +0000

Thanks so much for the link to the Dr. Greene article. It described my 4.5 yo daughter to a T. My husband or I often wake during the night to hear her wandering around the house. We quickly realized that if we took her by the hand and led her to the bathroom, she did her business and went right back to bed without realizing she’d been up. We’ve even not made it in time, cleaned her up, changed her clothes, and put her back to bed, all without her knowing she’d had an accident (until morning when she wanted to know why she had on different pjs). Glad to know we’ve been handling this newest parenting challenge in the least traumatic way possible.