When should I stop using pull up pants at night time

[mummyoftwinsage4]

One of my twins (age 4 and 4 months) and is still wearing pulls at night. They are nearly almost always wet in the morning. I would add that she had a very low birthweight and is still wearing clothing for age 2. Tiny but perfectly formed. She has had a problem with severe constipation since birth and has been on medication for this condition, again since birth. Currently she is on Movacol. Bowel movements are once a week and long and hard.
We have had pediatric care for the constipation since birth but my GP says that the "wet nights" will stop when she is ready. This really doesn't bother me but several mums at groups we attend say that I should be withdrawing the use of nappies and force my child to go without.
Advice please

[NeoMaxiZoomDweebie]

Oh I would stop now...I stopped when DD was 3...and I lift her out of bed at night and take her to the loo...she just does it asleep while I hold her.

Looking at her bowel problems...have you had her tested for intolerances?

As for "forcing" her to go without pull ups...she's not particularly attached to them surely? Wet nights can take ages to stop....until around 5 or 6...I would try lifting her...it's not stressful for them, I did it with both of my DDs.

[IwishIwasmoreorganised]

Ds2 is 4.10 and been out of pull ups for about 6 months.

Ds1 is 7.7 and still in pull ups - they're wet most mornings.

Lifting isn't recommended as a long term way of achieving dry nights. The child has to have enough of a particular hormone (ADH?) to achieve dry nights regularly.

I wood keep her in pull ups until her body is ready to go without.

[Ilovemydogandmydoglovesme]

Yes definitely do not lift at night. All you are doing is interrupting sleep and encouraging the child to wee in the middle of the night.

Don't worry about it. When they start to produce the Anti Diuretic Hormone and learn to switch their bladder off at night, you'll find dry nappies in the morning. Doctors usually say they won't even look at a child that still wets at night until they are at least seven years old. My dd1 was five and a half before she regularly went through the night. Dd2 was three so it just goes to show how different they all are.

[AngiBolen]

Ignore the mums at groups. Wet nights will stop when she is ready.

One of my DC was dry at night at 3, one at (2 nearly 3) the other was still wetting every night aged 7, and occasionally at 10. Keep in pullups untill they are ready....I would say 14 dry nights, and you can throw away the pull ups.

[Dawnielou]

My DS is nearly 8 and still in pull ups as he is wetting at night about two-thirds of the time. I also have 5 year old twin girls who have both been dry at night for ages - and did this by just being left until they were ready.

They are all so different and I don't feel the need to rush them to be dry. They tend to do it in their own time.

[fcknits]

Ordinarily, I'd say most kids are "dry" between 2-4 y/o but every child is different. We are not clones!

I never found pull-ups to be a hinderance in toilet training - just treat them like pants and keep 'em dry/clean all day!

"Lifting" a child for a midnight toilet visit depends on the child - it works for some but not all, depending on their sleeping habits. You could try it for a couple of nights, to see if it suits your child? And, of course, toilet last thing before bed and first thing in the morning - which you probably already do!

Was she a premie, by any chance? They are often slightly behind with many things but catch up later on (till you can't tell the difference). Even if she wasn't, being on Movacol shouts that she obviously has toilet problems that are more important than how frequently she wakes up to use the toilet! Those other moms are just being mean. We know it and, deep down, you know it!

Finally, if none of the above suggestions are enough... how long does she sleep at night? Sometimes simply putting them to bed a bit later and waking them up a bit earlier is enough - their bladders can only hold so much and a couple of hours can make the difference between holding on till morning and weeing in their sleep.

[NeoMaxiZoomDweebie]

Interrupting sleep? Nah...my DD isn't even awake when I lift her! She remains unaware and just pees with her eyes shut leaning on me. I think it's rubbish that it teaches them to pee at night...if they want a pee they want a pee! It's a whole lot cheaper than pullups too! My older DD was dry by 4 but this one isn't..she'll get there.

[Kiriwawa]

What's the point in that then NeoMaxi? Apart from the cost issue

[fcknits]

Kiriwawa, I think the point is that some kids don't like having wet nappies/pull-ups/pants and, if they sleep for very long stretches of time, they can't hold it all night. There are some bouncy bears who get away with a miserably short 8 hour stretch and can hold it all night. And there are some sleepy sweethearts who want a 12+ hour marathon and need to empty their bladders part-way through.

As a matter of fact, my mom used to "lift" me when I was a toddler. I could sleep for Britain! (Wish I still had the opportunity... lol) However, my kids always wake up at night if they need the toilet. I don't think I've slept properly since I had my first baby!

I reckon it is a very lucky mommy who has a young child that sleeps-through all night AND is totally "dry". :p lol

[DGMommy]

Don't let the judgement of other mums get you feeling pressured. She will stay dry when she's ready, and you can help her along!

My 2nd (girl) wore night pull-ups until around age 4, I forget when exactly she stopped. I limited her drinks after dinner and finally started getting her up to use the toilet when I went to bed. She had no problem falling back to sleep after a quick snuggle.

Also, I switched from Night-time Pull-Ups back to days... that way she was protected, but she would feel the wet and that would wake her. Try the training ones that get cold when they pee.

Bottom line - she won't wear them forever, so let nature take its course for her. Stop talking to the mums at playgroup about it and find more supportive voices to listen to!

Hugs!

[Dillytante]

Ignore ignore ignore! Don't listen to the ones telling you to withdraw pull ups. She'll be ready when she is ready, you can't force it. Dd1 is nearly 6 and shows no sign of being dry. The GP isn't worried at all, you'd be surprised how common it is. I spend my time worrying it is lazy parenting on my part, but in reality there is not much I can do and to make a big deal about it might cause more problems.

[mumsmakelists2]

We just started - DD 3 and a half - completely by accident because I forgot to put her pants on and then because she hates them was no chance of getting them back on next night.

We're managing dry 6 out of 7 nights although now I've written this will obviously instantly go down hill ...

As complete novice no pearls of wisdom but we have struggled with constipation as well and bladder control definitely goes out of the window when blocked up ... think moving pressure of the compacted bowel on the bladder causes unexpected wees even when not very full. So might need to resolve constipation before going ahead.

[WeightWars]

Like others have said, lifting at night teaches the bladder that it can eliminate while the child is asleep which is probably not what you are aiming for!

I would just keep using them till she's ready. Mine was 5.5 years and he was early term and well. We stopped using the pull ups when he was around 5 because he'd only wet once a week at most.

Parenting isn't the competition that some make it out to be, or if it is it's a crappy one with no medal in which everyone loses.