Combating Bedwetting

 It's been almost two months since we first started training Amsyhar not to bedwet at night. Slowly but progressively his bladder is coping with the training and he hasn't wet the bed for five successful consecutive nights now.

I decided to stop Amsyhar's diaper-depending-nights sometime in mid-January 2010 particularly due to the reason of my soon-to-be-arrived baby in May 2010. I thought, it's about time for Amsyhar to stop depending on diapers as he's going to be four on 1st April this year. If he doesn't stop using disposable diapers when he sleeps at night, Bard and I will have to bear double cost for diapers after my little baby arrives in May later. Call me stingy or whatever, but dealing with unneccessary expenses like extra cost for Amsyhar's diapers is totally unacceptable to me.

So, before I started the training, I did some research on the Net to find if there are tips and tricks to treat bedwetting children, possibly with fast and most effective result. If possible I don't want to repeat the same mistake I used when I trained Nadia, which mainly involves severe scoldings and unreserved anger displays (I am so NOT proud of this ok *sigh*). However, what I got from the Net about tips on treating nocturnal enuresis (scientific name for bedwetting disorder) is not as I expected it to be. There are many articles on how to stop bedwetting amongst children and adults, which some involve simple methods that cost nothing and some involve serious medication measures. But all of the techniques listed do not guarantee fast and effiective result in combating bedwet problem.

There is ONE similar constant in all approaches listed in these articles however. As a parent, one must be PATIENT while treating a child's bed wetting problem. As a nocturnal enuresis patient, one still have to have patience in treating oneself's disorder.

Based on the various tips available on the Net, I chose and used these approaches instead:

a. Use plastic sheeting underneath the kid's bedsheet:

I used the excess plastic sheets I bought for Nadia's text book covers to make the plastic sheeting. I cut and bind it with other sheets using cellotape until it became a sensible-sized 'plastic bedsheet'. I put the the sheet in between Amsyhar's bed matress and bed cover. The plastic sheeting acts as a protective layer so that the matress won't get wet when the child accidentally peed in his sleep.

Benefit: Cheap and effective. Cost incurred: Not even RM5.00. It is also hassle-free. When Amsyhar wet the bed, we just strip the wet bed cover, wipe the wet plastic sheet and replace the bed cover with a  clean fresh one. The matress stays dry. No hassle, no frustration, no stinky smell throughout the night.

Drawback: The bed will give out annoying crunching sound on every movement due to the cheap plastic sheeting underneath. And goodness, the plastic somehow made the bed feels warmer too! Both Amsyhar and I were restlless on that bed the first night we tried it on. Besides that, the plastic cover does not last long as it is made of cheap material and binded with cheap cello. This is a non-robust stuff and when the time comes, you really need to replace it with a new one.

b. Make the kid help when changing the wet bed cover:

Instead of scolding the poor kid, ask him to help change the wet bed cover. In my case, I did the stripping and the wiping but Amsyhar helped me with putting the wet stuff into our laundry basket. I also asked him to arrange the pillows on the bed after I'm done putting on clean bed cover on his matress. Sometimes he got cranky, but most of the time he's being such a huge sport and helped me without any complaint.

Benefit: Children won't feel upset and embarassed when you don't scold them for wetting the bed. Some reasearch found that upsetting the kids for his bedwet problem will only prolong the problem and won't treat it in anyway. Patience is the key and do not scold them for the things they could not control.

Drawback: Being an impatient mommy, I find it very very hard for me to refrain myself from scolding Amsyhar when he wet the bed. The patience level just wears off when Amsyhar still wet the bed AFTER visiting the toilet half an hour before! It's very challenging to maintain your sanity level too when your son keeps on wetting his bed, his pyjamas and YOUR pyjamas almost EVERYNIGHT. It is easier said than done, but hey, I did it. So can you! :)

c. Scheduled toilet time:

Wake the kid up every 1 hour or one and a half hour to visit the toilet. Gradually, increase the gap time to two hours, two and a half, three and so on.

Benefit: Cheaper than buying bedwetting alarm. Bedwetting alarm works totally different from this approach as it only wakes the bedwetter when it senses wetness on the bed of in bedwetter's pants (depends on the sensor-site). Using this solution, you just have to set your alarm clock and wake up at any chosen hour to bring your child to the toilet.

Drawback: Very tiring. This can be quite frustrating especially when your child still wet the bed after visiting the toilet half an hour before. Need tonnes of tolerance level and high dosage of patience.

d. No-drinking before bedtime:

If possible refrain your kid from drinking any liquids approximately two hours before bedtime. Also, encourage your kid to visit the loo before hitting the bed.

Benefit: Sometimes this tactic works. Needs high discipline. 

Drawback: Chapped lips and dehydration are some of the things that will be suffered by your children if you control their liquid intake, especially during hot weather / season. Take Amsyhar for example. He likes to drink, and to a reason only God knows why, he particularly prefers to drink a lot at night. He drinks tea, Ribena and plain water, with huge quantity at night. When I practiced this approach to him, his lips became chapped and he always complained about feeling parched at night. In my opinion, refraining your kids from drinking 2 hours before bedtime doesn't really guarantee anything. Maybe you can practice the no-drink rule at the early stage of the treatment. Gradually, give some flexibility and allow your child to drink whenever he or she wants at night.

All of the above must be practiced with so much patience and do not guarantee fast result. Some kids have bladders that 'learn' quickly and thus able to stop bedwetting problem in such short duration. Some kids (like Amsyhar) take longer time to stretch their bladders' ability to control and store their urine at a longer period at night. Slowly, but definitely these children will be able to stop wetting the bed one day. If the problem persists after a child reaches 7 years old, then the parents should be seeking medical help as the severity of the problem might be slightly complicated than a common one.

Whatever it is PATIENCE is the key. Do not give up and keep on training your kids! ;)