Bedwetting
Bedwetting is a common problem for many toddlers. Though children are trained for “pee” and “poo-poo” by the age of three - four, bedwetting continues to happen many kids.
Why does bedwetting happen? Bedwetting happens as a child is having small bladder capacity, which means it cannot hold much urine, not telling when he/she wants to go for a pee or during stressful times.
Some kids mature out of this bedwetting problem, while it continues for some kids till many years. To increase number of dry nights and less of bedwetting, here are few suggestions:
Tell your child that this is normal for kids for their age. It is not his/her fault and he / she is not doing it on purpose.
Do not punish your child for wetting his / her bed. Inform other family members not to tease your child about it.
Do not allow your child to drink water or any liquid in large doses near bedtime.
Make it a habit for your child to use the toilet just before going to bed.
Put a plastic sheet in between covers or cover and mattress, lest your child passes urine in the night.
If your child is willing to help clean the soiled sheets, let him / her help. Your child will feel better knowing that he / she has helped out.
Get your child to do bladder-stretching exercises. With these exercises, your child learns how to increase the time between urinating during daytime. This will help him / her to hold more urine at a stretch at night.
If your child continues wetting at night, consider awaking him / her every two or three hours to urinate.
This is a frustrating problem for both the parents and child, so you have to be patient. This problem usually resolves once the child gets older.
You can speak to your child’s doctor if you come across any signs of another medical condition. The doctor can check for UTI, constipation, bladder problem, or any burning sensation while passing urine.
