When's best to take away the nightime nappy?

[Bobbaz]

I took my Son out of nappies when he was 2 and he picked it up in a couple of weeks, he's now 3.5 and I thought it would be a good time to take away his bedtime pull up nappy as I know he treats it as completely legitimate to wee in his nappy as soon as it goes on, (regardless of the fact that he goes to the toilet at all other times). I started to remove it about 5 weeks ago and I am still having to change his sheets every day. I make sure he goes to the loo before bed and if he happens to wake up in the night I will also make him go to the loo but even then he's still wet. I know he understands he needs to go to the loo but I think he's just naturally wee'ing whilst he sleeps and wetting himself also doesn't wake him up. Am I doing this too early? Does anyone have any tips?

[BeccaL]

Hi Bobbaz

This might sound really horrible, but our daughter did exactly the same until we had "stern" words about how she really knew better and needed to try a bit harder to make it to the loo on time - this worked. Not sure why or if that's any help, but it worked for us. She was about the same age as your son. Is he OK about leaving his room and getting to the loo in the dark - a long shot? I think our daughter had got used to waking up with a full bladder and when she had a nappy on just weeing, and so she carried on doing that even with no nappies, but I'm not 100% sure about that.

Good luck - I remember the hideous shock of going back to having to get up in the middle of the night again to change sheets when we'd been really lucky with a good sleeper - I think that helped instigate the talking to!!

BeccaL

[Natalie Doula]

Hello,

I have been here and like many things with children - they go one step forward 2 steps back! If the toilet isn't on the same floor as his bedroom, you could try putting a potty in his room and then he may feel happier getting up at night knowing the potty is right there. You could also try rewarding him for staying dry all night with a... STICKER CHART. I found these two things really helped my daughter get use to staying dry at night/ using the toilet (potty :))

Good luck and feel free to PM if you wanted to know anything else

Natalie

[ladywotlunches]

I found the sticker chart approach worked really well with my 3.5 year old too. And just as an added 'boost' at the beginning, there was a (very mini) chocolate finger to be had, straight after breakfast, for days he was dry. :))

[Bobbaz]

Thanks for your responses I will keep persevering. At least know I know it's possible at his age.

I've tried the rewards method, a good talking to, the bathroom is right next to his bedroom and the landing light is always kept on so he's got no issues on that front. He seems happy enough to agree to going to the bathroom but my biggest problem seems to be that he's such a sound sleeper he doesn't wake up when he needs to go or when he's wet, just gets up in the morning, pops on a new pair of PJ trousers and climbs into my bed! Looks like I've got lots more washing ahead of me in the meantime!

[Fuschia]

I think it varies hugely between children. Something to do with a hormone that stops the bladder emptying itself while they're asleep. If he's not waking at all, I think it's too early in his case. Save yourself the washing and use pullups a bit longer!?

http://www.eric.org.uk/whyme/downloads/WhyMe-ContinenceTheFacts.pdf

http://www.eric.org.uk/Portals/0/Bedwetting.Guide%207.08%20red%20pdf.pdf

[Sqiggles]

My daughter was in nighttime nappies until she was 4 - used to lie in bed in the morning and fill a dry nappy, lazy tike. In the end it was discovering that a younger sibling of her friend of hers was not wearing one that made her give it up - just like that!

In my view, I would leave the nappy on as long as you need to - much better than changing sheets. When the time is right he will ditch them.

[prdarling]

My son will be 4 next month and has been out of nappies for 18 months but is still in pull-ups at night. He has no bedtime milk and has a wee before the pull up goes on and yet he is nowhere near dry. I still haven't established whether he is staying dry and then doing a lazy morning wee or whether he really is weeing overnight but I am not going to get rid of the pull ups until he's staying dry. I TOTALLY agree with Fuschia - don't stress about it. If he's not ready, he's not ready, he will get there in the end. My son took ages to do his poos on the loo - months and months after sorting the wees out but one day he just said, I'm going to do a poo on the loo and that was it. I couldn't believe it. I had got a referral from the GP to a constipation clinic as it was becoming such an issue (holding it in for days, refusing to poo anywhere except a nappy etc) but I think the simple answer was that he needed to be ready himself.

Good luck with whatever you decide!

[lilysmummy2007]

My daughter will be 3 in april and she doesnt have a nightime nappy. potty training happened almost by itself, i just kept her out of the nappies and she went to the potty. at nights she has a wee just before bad, and the first night i didnt put a nappy on her, i told her that she is a big girl and doesnt need a nappy any more. she did wet about 3 times the first week and has stopped since. I think just going cold turkey is the best way.

[gwod]

You can also use a mixed approach - reward and praise for any wees that he can do in the potty in his room during the night, but leave him in a pull-up to help contain any accidents...I think it helps them to understand the concept that a nappy is just for accidents - not for pre-meditated wees!! Also put the pull-up on before the bedtime story - as they sometimes wee in it straight away, while they're wide awake, and its a good opportunty to have a little chat with them about weeing in a potty or loo if you can manage it. I really think night lifting can help too....if only to help achieve some dry nappy nights which gives you the chance to give him lots of positive praise.

Good luck!!

[Fuschia]

As a person who wet the bed for many years due to kidney problems and some deficiency in the hormone, I am convinced that there is a time when each child is PHYSICALLY ready to go through the nught and until they are producing vasopressin then it will not be possible for them to go through the night. If this applies to your child, then trying to force them into being dry will be incredibly stressful.

Have a read here:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A1081207

and the link I posted earlier from the ERIC website.

[gwod]

yes - I would agree with you Fuschia, one of my daughters suffered from a kidney condition (she has 4!) and there was no way she could be dry at night until we had resolved some of her health issues so there's no use getting stressy with them about weeing.

Using the mixed approach I described in my last post worked very well for my other 3 children and helped us quickly understand that all night time wees (and some daytime) were accidental for my daughter with 4 kidneys, and that therefore her issue was different, which led to early diagnosis, support for her condition and eventual happiness and dryness all around. I guess, in the end, its always about listening to each child.