Hi Dianne, one of the trickiest things for parents when it comes to managing our children’s bedwetting is ensuring that it does not impact adversely on their self-esteem. The best way to do this is to reassure her that what is happening is perfectly normal, encourage her to visit the DryNites website so that she can read the stories about other children her age and even older who wet the bed. Ensure that her bedwetting does not impact on her social life and friendships by organizing sleepovers at your house, an environment where she feels safe and supported. Use DryNites rather than Pull-Ups as these are more absorbent and therefore less inclined to leak. Given her age and her desire to become dry, I would certainly start thinking about your treatment options. Bedwetting alarms are generally your best option. Bedwetting alarms work by helping children learn to recognise the need to pass urine and either wake-up and go to the toilet or learn to hold on until morning. Bedwetting alarms come in two main forms. One is a body alarm with a small sensor that can be worn inside her DryNites. The second type of alarm is a bell and pad alarm that is placed like a mat over the bottom bed sheet. With respect to her pubertal development, there are huge variations in the age at which children start going through puberty – generally the age range for girls is between 7 and 13. If you are at all concerned about her development and wellbeing you should certainly discuss this with your GP.

Regards,
Dr Cathrine

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