Bedwetting and What I Learned

Did you know that the ability to sleep through the night without wetting the bed is not a learned activity, but a hormone that your body develops? And that it is genetic?

Neither did I.

Sadly I have two very potty trained kids who have yet to go through the night without a soaking wet pull up in the morning. We have tried having them go potty right before bed and it has made no difference. We have tried waking them up in the middle of the night and it has made no difference.

So last week when I took my 7 year old for his well child check up, I learned a great deal. The medication that they put kids on to keep them from wetting the bed simulates the hormone that your body naturally develops. If a child develops that hormone at age 10, and you put them on the medication at age 7, they will still need that medication at age 9. If you take them off, they will start wetting the bed again.

So, no use bribing a kid - if the hormone ain't there, it ain't there.

As neither our pediatrician nor I believe in putting kids on long term medication, we discussed the options. Other than the monthly cost, I have no problem keeping the kids in pullups at night. However, when we go and stay with other kids, my son has been teased a little bit. So our solution is to put him on the medication when necessary to avoid embarrassing situations, but under normal circumstances, we just will continue on with the pullups.

The next step is to train the kid to ALWAYS throw away his pullup in the morning.

Our thought is to have him pay us if we go into his room and have to throw it away ourselves. That ought to do it.

3 comments:

  1. What hormone is it and where is it produced in the body?

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  2. My pediatrician told me the same thing.
    My daughter wore pull ups until 7. My son is still wearing them at 8 1/2. Oh well.

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  3. Found it. Anitdiuretic made in the pituitary gland. I need to listen to dr. Hill's hormone webinars. I know there are some oils for hormones and for the pituitary gland. They have some listed in Modern Easentials. Time to put a protocol together. :) Alma

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