Embarassing problem in reguards to 9 yr.old ds--urologists out there?

[MEM]

My ds was 8 when he finally stopped. The Malem Alarms are wonderful! We got the one that vibrated and made noise. The vibration was enough to wake him without the noise. It only took 2 weeks, but we left it on for 5 or 6 weeks. Good Luck!

We used this for DS who was still wetting the bed at age 10. Worked like a charm! We also used GoodNights over top of his undies so he would still feel the wetness but not wet his bedding.

 

[brymolmom]

I am a poster who said I had JUST purchased a Malem alarm minutes before reading this thread for the first time. It was just delivered TODAY and ds7 has it on right now for the first time. I am going upstairs in a few minutes to sleep in the guest room (we have a first floor master and I want to be closer to him to ensure that I hear it and that I can get him up quickly). I want to be sure I'm right there the first time it goes off. So I'll be surfing the Net up in the guestroom until I go to sleep up there.

Anyway - Here goes night #1....Keep your fingers crossed for us. My biggest fear at this point isn't even that it won't work...it's that he'll be so anxious about it that he'll sleep so poorly that he won't want to put it on tomorrow night. Now, I will softly encourage it but I will NOT force it. I let HIM decide that he wanted to try it so even tho I shelled out the cash - he is allowed to back out if he feels strongly about it. And, obviously I would LOVE it to work but at least if we try it for the suggested amount of time I will feel like we tried everything we could. And I will be more content waiting longer if that happens.

I'll write back tomorrow with results.

 

[LaceyLace]

Thank you for this thread!

My DS is 12 (will be 13 in May). He wets the bed nightly. Never has had a dry night no matter what we've done - waking him (he must urinate multiple times during night), pills don't work, goodnights leak like crazy. His sheets are sopping wet. My apartment reeks terribly, especially in winter when I can't open windows. I launder his sheets every single day. He's never been to a sleepover because of this. I feel so badly for him, but I'm getting so weary of this.

 

[MsLeFever]

Misery loves company doesn't it? It feels good to read this thread. My DD is 8 and wet at least 3-4 times a week until this month - in another week she will actually be a month dry! At this point she may have damp undies but the bed is dry and I'll take it.

Just a hard thing to be patient with isn't it?

 

[brymolmom]

Night #1 with Malem alarm and the results are.....DRY!

No alarms all night....Dry in the morning...woke himself at 6:10 and got up to go to the bathroom. He usually wakes about 6:30 - 6:45 so this is a tad earlier than usual but no big deal.

Now, for the down side - I didn't sleep well AT ALL. Every little noise had me wide awake and listening to try to hear if it was the alarm! Oh well - it might be worth it in the end.

At this point I think it was just that he was so conscious of it because of the alarm it made him actually not go. In another couple of nights when he's more used to wearing the alarm is when I expect we will likely get alarms going off.

I'll keep you posted. I'm TRYING not to get my hopes up!

 

[Bill and Jen]

My son too was a bed wetter. He day potty trained very early...not quite 2 1/2. At 3 I told the Dr but he wasn't concerned, at 4 same thing, 5 the same. However I was getting concerned so I borrowed an Alarm from a friend. It was so loud it terrified him so after a week with no results I gave up. At age 6 the Dr still wasn't concerned but my son was beginning to be embarassed wearing Good Nights. I found a green (his favorite color) alarm called Wet Stop 3 (brand new on Ebay for $40 it was $79 at the bedwetting store on-line) that vibrated and played music...3 different songs so kids don't become immune to it. We put it under his pillow b/c he didn't like it to touch his belly. After 2 weeks he getting up on his own to use the bathroom everynight. A year and a half later he's accident free!

 

[52plan4]

Nothing worked for us until we tried the potty pager which someone has linked to at the top of page 2. It worked wonders for us!!! I never even had to get up with my son. I think you owe it to yourself and your child to check this out, I was skeptical that it would be effective,thought my son would sleep through anything, but desperate to find something that would help so we gave it a try-best darn 75 bucks I ever spent! Good luck to all-been there done that!
~Thougt I'd also mention, when my son asked how the potty pager worked, I told him it would vibrate at the first sign of wetness and he needed to get up right away and head to the bathroom. Told him it would vibrate a few seconds and if he didn't respond quickly, the vibration would increase to an electrical shock and increase in intensity until the offending organ was completely electrocuted and rendered useless. Wonder if that had much to do with our immediate success with this device.
(yes I did actually say this to my son, but he was 12, a huge practical joker, and gets his mom's sick sense of humor)

 

[brymolmom]

using Malem alarm....Results - SLIGHTLY WET. I'm actually happy the pager went off last night - I think it's better to 'learn' how to wake yourself that way. Anyway - around midnight, ds got up - whining cuz the alarm was going off - he DID wake up and get out of bed before I got in there. I brought him to the bathroom - and he WAS able to go the rest of the way - which I was very happy about. I did not think he would 'stop' going when he heard the alarm. His underwear and PJ pants were went but the sheets were fine. So I am thrilled so far. Fingers crossed.....

 

[RangerPooh]

DD5 still wears a pullup to bed nightly as she wets the bed, and having to change/wash the bedding daily is starting to wear on me. We've had some success wiht dry nights here and there but not too much. She is a very sound sleeper. She often has "accidents" in the car as well. She'll try to hold it but isn't always successful. I am really hoping that she outgrows it soon as I know that it's hard on her that her younger sister is always dry and has been for years.

So now my interest is piqued. What is the MAelm alarm and how is it used? Is it a traditional alarm clock?

 

[brymolmom]

Update...Night #3 Malem alarm - Results: DRY!!!!

DS again got up about 6:00am to use the bathroom but the alarm did not sound and he was dry all night. At this point I am just trying NOT to get my hopes up too far....

For the poster who asked - Malem alarm (and potty pager and lots of other brands) are specifically made to aid in nighttime wetness. There is an actual alarm device (in mine about 1 inch square) connected to a wire that has a sensor device on the end. The alarm is pinned to the child's PJ's near the top (close to the ear) and then the wire is threaded down (we put it between an undershirt and his PJ top) to the underwear where the sensor device (small about the size of a thumbnail) is attached to the OUTSIDE of the underwear in a spot most likely to get wet first. When the sensor detects wetness - the alarm sounds, waking the child and, hopefully, stopping the child from completely emptying their bladder - where they will now to go the bathroom to 'finish'. For those who it does work for - it tends to work to 'teach' the child to stay dry within the first month or 6 weeks....Per the instructions you are supposed to keep using it for 14 days after dryness begins - then you can get rid of it and the child HOPEFULLY is 'cured'. Not in all cases but I've read very good reviews and I had to try it just to see if it would work for us. So far....So good.

 

[brymolmom]

Update - night #4....Results - WET!

Trying not to be discouraged...If any of you used the alarm successfully and had nights like this during the first week or two please give me some encouragement.

Alarm went off about 1am....He did not jump right out of bed but called for me whining cuz the alarm was bugging him. He was unable to go any more in the bathroom - had emptied. Got him back in dry stuff and took off wet layers of sheets and then it happened AGAIN at 6;15am. UGH - one time I would have been OK with, but two times - almost seems like he's 'given up' on it. I will talk to him today about having to 'follow the rules' and get right up as SOON as he hears the alarm.

I guess we'll see.

 

[AllesonWonderland]

I found a green (his favorite color) alarm called Wet Stop 3 (brand new on Ebay for $40 it was $79 at the bedwetting store on-line) that vibrated and played music...3 different songs so kids don't become immune to it. We put it under his pillow b/c he didn't like it to touch his belly. After 2 weeks he getting up on his own to use the bathroom everynight. A year and a half later he's accident free!

That's the alarm I was looking at on Amazon. Glad to hear from someone who has it!

 

[Caitsmama]

Hi, i haven't read the whole thread, but my dd just turned 9 on Monday.. and up until several months ago would constantly wet the bed..
We went to the DR.. (after assessing this for several years) and before this year, the DR would just tell us she would grow out of it, and to limit drinks.. etc.. well, that all didn't work..
So, this year (believe it's been about 6 mo. now) we put her on a med. She was able to take b/w 1-3 tablets each night before bed - the dose is flexible.. we started her on 1 pill and she still wet, so we went up to 2 pills each night -- the wetting stopped right away.
The DR said this med "tricks" her body into holding it -- I can't remember the med name, but i can look it up when i get home..

Anyway, about 3 weeks ago, we tried to see if we could now start to ween her off - we now dropped to 1 tablet per night, and she has been fine.. So, i am thinking next month i may take her off and see what happens..

Either way, this med has been a lifesaver for all of us. We didn't by any means rush to put her on the med, as we tried everything else, and we were all getting frustrated.. it was a last resort.. But, my dd is so happy now, and she takes those little pills with NO problem what so ever!!

Good luck to you! Just know you are not alone!

 

[The Iron Giant]

My son too was a bed wetter. He day potty trained very early...not quite 2 1/2. At 3 I told the Dr but he wasn't concerned, at 4 same thing, 5 the same. However I was getting concerned so I borrowed an Alarm from a friend. It was so loud it terrified him so after a week with no results I gave up. At age 6 the Dr still wasn't concerned but my son was beginning to be embarassed wearing Good Nights. I found a green (his favorite color) alarm called Wet Stop 3 (brand new on Ebay for $40 it was $79 at the bedwetting store on-line) that vibrated and played music...3 different songs so kids don't become immune to it. We put it under his pillow b/c he didn't like it to touch his belly. After 2 weeks he getting up on his own to use the bathroom everynight. A year and a half later he's accident free!

Just an update... THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!

On your recommendation we picked up the Wet Stop 3 from Amazon for $40 - best $40 we ever spent.

My six year old was having a problem staying dry at night due to being a heavy sleeper. If we didn't wake him to go to the bathroom he would have an accident just about every night.

We are on week 3 of using the Wet Stop and so far the results have been amazing. Over the last 15 nights he has had only 3 accidents and has been completely dry the other 12 nights. We have not taken him to the bathroom a single time. He has even woken up to go by himself which he had never done before.

The best part of it is he is so proud of himself.

Thank you again for the great advice

 

[AllesonWonderland]

Just an update... THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!

On your recommendation we picked up the Wet Stop 3 from Amazon for $40 - best $40 we ever spent.

My six year old was having a problem staying dry at night due to being a heavy sleeper. If we didn't wake him to go to the bathroom he would have an accident just about every night.

We are on week 3 of using the Wet Stop and so far the results have been amazing. Over the last 15 nights he has had only 3 accidents and has been completely dry the other 12 nights. We have not taken him to the bathroom a single time. He has even woken up to go by himself which he had never done before.

The best part of it is he is so proud of himself.

Thank you again for the great advice

Glad to hear another recommendation! Just took DS to the pediatrician for his 9 year well check and raised the question again. Dr. still isn't concerned, but suggested setting an alarm clock for DS to go off at, say, 2am each night. He said after a week or so his sleep pattern would be reset and his brain would be more receptive to the signals his bladder is sending. I asked about the wet stop type alarm and he said the regular alarm clock method was preferred because it's dealing with it ahead of time instead of after the fact like the wet stop alarm. So, now I'm not sure which we'll do.

 

[MinnieGi]

My DD had this problem until age 8 1/2 and I know how frustrating it can be on the parent and the child. She was like many of your children a very heavy sleeper. It would take a freight train running through her room to wake her out of sleep! Around age 7 DD started getting upset about it and by age 8 it was socially impairing as sleepovers were not an option. Besides that fact her younger brother was already out of pull-ups. The Ped. kept telling us year after year that is would stop and was developmental. At age 8 the Dr. also gave me a book recommendation and I highly give it two thumbs up and so does DD!!

The book is: "Dry All Night"
It is a book that has a section for parents and for the child to read. It uses a picture and story cues to help motivate the child to keep dry. It is an older book, but really helped a child take an ACTIVE approach in doing something. The child is to read or "read" the pictures everynight to help them visualize keeping dry. It also recommends while on the program no nighttime drinking unless they are SUPER thirsty and to try 3 times to use the toilet before going to bed.

My DD felt good about taking an active approach to her problem and so did I. We started seeing improvement in a week and by two weeks she was not having episodes hardly at all. Since then she had been dry as a whistle and we are going on 10 months now!!!!! She has celebrated by having many sleepovers now!!

 

[jayally]

My son was wetting the bed up until he was 14 although not as often as he used to. We tried all kinds of things. He wore pullups, tried homeopathic bed wetting pills, plastic sheets etc but nothing worked. He finally grew out of it and as far as I know he has not wet since our WDW trip in 2007 when he was sick. He is now 16. Getting mad, frustrated or upset never helps because my Son honestly could not help himself, he was a very deep sleeper too.

 

[momejay]

DS is 14. He still wears a pull-up. He is also autistic. He wakes as he wets & runs to the bathroom, but the bed is already wet. His doctor reccomended no liquids after 8PM or 2 hours before bedtime. I wake him at midnight, but he wets the bed about 4 nights a week. The doctor said that this is a common problem that usually stops on it's own.
My brother had a similar problem & he stopped at age 11. He is now working for NASA. He used to sleepwalk & go in dresser drawers & garbage cans in his sleep, but he rarely wet the bed. I would much rather he wet the bed than go in a dresser drawer!

 

[ChrisinNJ]

No Advice but having the same trouble with my B/G twins. They turned 9 in November. They have improved significantly. They no longer wear Goodnights, & they usually stay dry most of the time, but they will still have an accident 1 - 2 times per month, usually when they are really tired & we don't monitor their liquids as well as we should.

I have never made a big deal about it. I do try to limit liquids after dinner, and I remind them all to go to the bathroom before going to bed. I do believe there is a genetic tendency for it. My DH didn't have a problem, but his brother did and so did both his brother's kids. My youngest is the only one who does have this problem.

While clearly no- one wants to deal with this, it certainly isn't something often discussed, and it is good to see from this thread that we are not alone.

My only concern now is for vacation. They were still in Goodnights last time we traveled. I think that I will have to insist on the Goodnights when we go away, unless they have had several months dry by then.

 

[mommycrawford]

My 10 year old ds still wets the bed as well. Our pediatrician said that we should not worry about it. It means he's not developed all the way. The doctor told us that he is positive that it will correct itself once he hits puberty.

I feel bad for my son because it makes him feel very uneasy about going for sleepovers. Being 10 and wearing a Goodnite is not fun! He's learned to hide it pretty well.

I don't know if it's helpful, but there is an episode of "Arthur" about this...a character, Jena, is worried about an upcoming sleepover. Perhaps you could watch it, then watch it together, if you think it's supportive.

...Kids develop at different rates. I don't know about any books about this for boys, but a good children's librarian might have a book he could read for reassurance. BTW, The Care and Keeping of you is excellent for girls growing at their own rate