I've been waiting a few weeks to write this post because I didn't want to jinx myself, or Lana really. I tend to be superstitious that way. In fact, I'm fairly certain that the good thing that has been happening will not happen tonight just by me writing about it. Yes, this is my crazy side. Welcome! Don't pretend like you don't have one too. Anyway, the "thing" I'm referring to here is Lana no longer wearing a pull up to bed at night.
Almost two years ago I wrote this. At the time I wasn't sure how long Lana would have to wear a pull up at night and I was worried we weren't doing enough to help her out of it. At one point I would even wake her up before I went to bed to make her pee thinking it would help. It didn't. She would pee around five in the morning whether she had the 11pm potty break or not. Limiting her liquids before bed made no difference either. Then I asked her pediatrician if it was something we needed to work on or be concerned about. He assured me there was nothing we could do about her peeing in the middle of the night. She couldn't control it anymore than someone can control their snoring, and that most kids grow out of it by 6, sometimes 7. Once I heard this, I felt comfortable and totally let it go. Andy took a bit more convincing and I had to remind him to not say anything disparaging about her still wearing a pull up. Making her feel bad was not going to solve the problem. It would only make her feel worse.
So every night we would put a pull up on her and never made a big deal about it. Every morning she would wake up and that thing was so heavy with urination it was like she had been swimming in it. Part of the problem is that she never woke up when she peed at night. Even the few times I attempted to have her go sans pull up, I would check her at some point in the night and she would be soaked and completely zonked out. Every once in a very great while she'd wake up dry, but it was such a rare occurrence I never put much stock in it.
Then, about a month ago, she started going more than one day with a dry pull up. Soon it was two, then three, and before I knew it we were at a week and she was asking if she could switch to underwear at night. I wanted her to have the chance to get rid of the pull up, and she had never gone for a week completely dry before. Still I was not looking forward to the middle of the night sheet change if she did have an accident. Plus she sleeps on the top bunk. Do you have any idea what a pain in the ass it is to change sheets on bunk beds? I didn't! Until we got them. Sucks. Especially at 4am. Still, I had to let her try and see if she was ready.
The first night went great. Not one accident! I think we got to about a week in until there was an accident, but no big deal. I had expected a couple. The good news was that she woke up when she had the accident. This was something she hadn't done in the past. Before she would have just slept in pee for who knows how long. So this was progress! She was dry for a night and then had an accident two days after her first one. Hmm. I hoped that didn't mean regression, but still she woke up when it happened.
The next night she called me from her bed and I got up and shuffled groggily down the hallway. I was fully expecting her to tell me she had peed again and prepared myself to change sheets. I was thinking it was a good thing I hadn't claimed victory over the bed wetting issue, because here she was back to peeing every night. I walked in the room and asked what she needed.
"Mommy, I have to go potty."
"You didn't pee the bed?" I asked surprised.
"No, but I have to go," she told me.
FAN-FREAKING-TASTIC! She woke herself up BEFORE she went this time. She didn't tell me then, but I found out the next morning, that she had started to pee a little in her underwear, but then woke up and stopped. That was when she called for me. I guess her underwear were wet unbeknownst to me, but the sheets were dry.
That was over a week ago. Since then she has stayed dry all night long. She's called me a couple times to get up and go to the bathroom. One more time where she peed a little in her pants and we did change them, but so much easier than changing top bunk sheets. All in all major progress! NOW I am ready to claim victory over the bed wetting problem which is why I decided to write this today. I will not be surprised, however, if I find myself changing sheets in the middle of the night tonight. The Universe likes to laugh at me.
Almost two years ago I wrote this. At the time I wasn't sure how long Lana would have to wear a pull up at night and I was worried we weren't doing enough to help her out of it. At one point I would even wake her up before I went to bed to make her pee thinking it would help. It didn't. She would pee around five in the morning whether she had the 11pm potty break or not. Limiting her liquids before bed made no difference either. Then I asked her pediatrician if it was something we needed to work on or be concerned about. He assured me there was nothing we could do about her peeing in the middle of the night. She couldn't control it anymore than someone can control their snoring, and that most kids grow out of it by 6, sometimes 7. Once I heard this, I felt comfortable and totally let it go. Andy took a bit more convincing and I had to remind him to not say anything disparaging about her still wearing a pull up. Making her feel bad was not going to solve the problem. It would only make her feel worse.
So every night we would put a pull up on her and never made a big deal about it. Every morning she would wake up and that thing was so heavy with urination it was like she had been swimming in it. Part of the problem is that she never woke up when she peed at night. Even the few times I attempted to have her go sans pull up, I would check her at some point in the night and she would be soaked and completely zonked out. Every once in a very great while she'd wake up dry, but it was such a rare occurrence I never put much stock in it.
Then, about a month ago, she started going more than one day with a dry pull up. Soon it was two, then three, and before I knew it we were at a week and she was asking if she could switch to underwear at night. I wanted her to have the chance to get rid of the pull up, and she had never gone for a week completely dry before. Still I was not looking forward to the middle of the night sheet change if she did have an accident. Plus she sleeps on the top bunk. Do you have any idea what a pain in the ass it is to change sheets on bunk beds? I didn't! Until we got them. Sucks. Especially at 4am. Still, I had to let her try and see if she was ready.
The first night went great. Not one accident! I think we got to about a week in until there was an accident, but no big deal. I had expected a couple. The good news was that she woke up when she had the accident. This was something she hadn't done in the past. Before she would have just slept in pee for who knows how long. So this was progress! She was dry for a night and then had an accident two days after her first one. Hmm. I hoped that didn't mean regression, but still she woke up when it happened.
The next night she called me from her bed and I got up and shuffled groggily down the hallway. I was fully expecting her to tell me she had peed again and prepared myself to change sheets. I was thinking it was a good thing I hadn't claimed victory over the bed wetting issue, because here she was back to peeing every night. I walked in the room and asked what she needed.
"Mommy, I have to go potty."
"You didn't pee the bed?" I asked surprised.
"No, but I have to go," she told me.
FAN-FREAKING-TASTIC! She woke herself up BEFORE she went this time. She didn't tell me then, but I found out the next morning, that she had started to pee a little in her underwear, but then woke up and stopped. That was when she called for me. I guess her underwear were wet unbeknownst to me, but the sheets were dry.
That was over a week ago. Since then she has stayed dry all night long. She's called me a couple times to get up and go to the bathroom. One more time where she peed a little in her pants and we did change them, but so much easier than changing top bunk sheets. All in all major progress! NOW I am ready to claim victory over the bed wetting problem which is why I decided to write this today. I will not be surprised, however, if I find myself changing sheets in the middle of the night tonight. The Universe likes to laugh at me.
Fantastic!!! Every bit of unbroken sleep is a blessing!
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