Edit- he hates wearing pull ups and pead suggested not using them.
I have 2 questions if I can please
1). How do I get the pee stain and smell out of a really thick heavy (expensive) mattress? I put the aircon on dry, fan at high and open all windows and it never dries! And we put 2 bed pads and a mattress protector down every night too but still goes through!
2). Any ideas on how to get an almost 11 year old to stop wetting the bed? Seen a doctor, paediatrician, had ultrasound, tested for diabetes, take to the toilet through the night, limit drinks before bed and tried the bed wetting alarm! I’m out of ideas! Please help!
Thankyou
9 Replies
Save all the stress on everyone, especially the child by putting them in pull ups at night time. Use them for as long as you need to
Put the child in pull ups until consistently having dry nights. It won’t be doing anything for their self esteem to be wetting the bed every night. And go back to the GP or paediatrician and ask for medication. It’s not a failure for the child or you to need that assistance. Some kids don’t produce the hormone needed to help them hold on through the night until they are older.
As for the mattress, put it out in the sun for several days and don’t use it until it’s dry. If you have a wet/dry vac you could try sucking any excess moisture out before putting it outside. Or speak to a cleaning company that does lounges, they might also do mattresses and have some advice for you.
You’ll probably need to have the mattress cleaned with a carpet cleaner or bissel spot cleaner. If yiu can’t do that spray the area with white vinegar, to neutralise the urine, then sprinkle with cornstarch or baby powder to soak up the liquid. When the powder is dry, vacuum it up.
While I agree with the others, pull ups would be best, but not always possible (especially if behaviour issues/developmental disorders are involved).
My method for stopping the soak through was and is. Brolly sheet on the bottom, then fabric mattress protector, then rubber backed mattress protector, then sheet, then brolly sheet. And no, pull-ups in our case didn’t work. If your proectors/pads/brolly sheets have been washed too many time# they won’t work any more.
You are the parent, you are also the one dealing with the wet bed. Put your foot down your child is old enough to understand the work it creates. I'd be putting my foot down either he puts the pull up on or he has to sort him self out when he has an accident.
Prehapes looking at a new doctor getting him retested for things. But everyone is different and things will just click one day, maybe until then you could get a cheap mattress
We have a 15 year old who still wets the bed.
You need to replace the mattress. There is no getting that stain or smell out.
We have ‘brolly sheets’ and they protect the mattress. Look online. Yes they are washed daily but she does this herself.
It’s a behaviour some kids can’t control.
Ours was taken out of night time pull ups the year she started high school.
Good luck mum :)
Rather than embarrass or yell at a child, help & teach them to manage it until a reason or solution is found.
Is your child diagnosed with ADHD or ASD? If yes this is contributing to the length of time it will take for the chemicals in his brain to tell him to get up and go. This is by no means a proper diagnosis or the right terms but the simplest way it was explained to me. If your child has not been diagnosed as either having autism or adhd which both have varying attributes it may be worth asking the question to your pead. It can take until his teens to suddenly stop.
My 9yo son wears the largest pull ups and I'm lucky he is thin so do not have sizing issues.
Best way to save the mattress is start with a waterproof mattress protector, then disposable protectors I use 2 in cold weather to cover more area. In summer only need 1. Then sheets then a fabric pee mat. You can double up with the top pee mats so you don't have to keep changing stuff. Just rip off the wet one and back to bed. The water proof pee mats can be purchased in most retailers but the best quality I found is at Pillowtalk. It is bamboo and also comes in king single size which gives great coverage. I have 3 to ease the laundry burden.
In regards to his refusal to wear pullups ask him why? Is it a sensory issue or embrassement? If it's fit maybe look into adult male depend diapers. I also have resigned myself to midnight wake ups to go toilet and change the pullup every night for as long as it takes. It's not a choice to wet the bed it's unfortunately a condition of ASD and ADHD not all have the same issue but it is common.
Goodluck.
We had success after seeing a children's continence nurse at the community health Centre for around 6 months. We got a referral from the GP and had fairly regular sessions with her. Master 11 had never been dry more than 2 nights, and it's now been over 2 months. Also, Conni Bed pads have been absolutely fantastic, they were recommended by the continence clinic and they do not leak through.
My youngest wet the bed until around 12. He's a very heavy sleeper and just would not wake up.
I didn't use pull ups, I think they are a bit degrading for a pre-teen.
I had brolley sheets and they are amazing, we never had any leaking on to the actual mattress.