Help me to help my dd5

[EmmaNZ]

She has never had a dry night and still wears nappies (diapers!) to bed. The few times we have tried her without a nappy she sleeps soundly all night only to wake up in the morning finding that she is damp and it didn't even disturb her.

 

I don't really care that she is still in nappies at night, especially as she has been dry in the day since she turned 2. The problem has arisen because her 3 year old brother is now completely dry, day and night, and she has realised she is older and therefore 'should' be dry as well. She is getting upset,and keeps telling me things like"I just can't wake up".

 

What can I do to help her?

[lorrainejmc]

I have one child who wet at night longer than the other 2. I lifted him at my bedtime and early morning too, if I woke up. Gradually, he was able to go longer and has been going through from my bedtime till morning for a few years (he's 8 now).

 

I would also take a look at diet. I discovered that apples/apple juice are a diuretic and every time he has apples/apple juice later in the day, he will wet the bed a few hours after falling asleep. None of my other kids are affected by apples this way. I solved that by not serving apples after lunch.

[EmmaNZ]

Thanks for your thoughts. I have considered lifting her, but had heard it wasn't helpful. It clearly works for you, so probably I need to revisit the idea.

 

She is not drinking a lot in the evening, so can't really cut back on that, and she doesn't like apples!!

[amo_mea_filiis.]

I would honestly leave her alone. Let her wear diapers at night, teach her to be responsible for it (throwing away the diaper, letting you know if the bed is wet), and that's the end of it.

 

My ds is still in diapers evey night and only rarely wakes up dry. Without a diaper he'll SOAK the bed and not wake up.

 

Mine saw a urologist who did a visual check and said his anatomy on the outside is normal, but he isn't going to do any tests for quite a few more years.

 

Have her checked out if it'll make you feel better, but don't make too big a deal out of it.

[Dolphin]

I would just reiterate that there is nothing wrong with still being wet at night. Our bodies all develop at different rates. Find things that she achieved at a younger age than her brother.

 

My dd is also a deep sleeper, she is still in pull up at night. I don't see that changing anytime soon. Her cousin, who is a boy, and the same age was also dry at night at age 2. She felt bad for awhile, but I just kept reminding her that there was nothing wrong with her, nothing wrong with wetting at night and that she would be dry when her body was ready to be dry at night.

[amo_mea_filiis.]

I didn't read the younger sibling part, sorry.

 

The Goodnites website has some information to help kids not feel so bad.

 

Just tell her that her brother's bladder is all set for holding it all night and her's isn't. It is not something she can control in any way.

[lorrainejmc]

Thanks for your thoughts. I have considered lifting her, but had heard it wasn't helpful. It clearly works for you, so probably I need to revisit the idea.

 

She is not drinking a lot in the evening, so can't really cut back on that, and she doesn't like apples!!

 

I've only seen your reply now.:blush:

 

I had heard lifting wasn't helpful but I also heard to try it as a last resort. He was 4 when I started, so not exactly last resort but he was removing his pull up every night so the bed was going to be wet if I didn't try lifting. I have another ds who was dry day and night at 2.5yrs and they share a room so there was that issue too. A friend also successfully trained her dd by lifting, then reducing the number of times she lifted. I never had to do it more than twice a night when he was sleeping 12 hours.