My son has always waited til the last minute to go pp but recently he's started wetting the bed some nights, and been unable to hold it during the day. Could this be stress related or something else, and how should I handle it?
Good news: No incidents since I posted. We're careful to make sure he goes pp right before lights out. He's encouraged to go pp when there's an opportunity at school. He does not have extreme thirst, so I'm not worried it's diabetes. His bms are normal, so I'm not worried about impaction. I suppose it's just something that he'll get better at controlling as he gets older. I think regular sleep is important, too. Thanks for all the advice.
I would take him to a doctor. There may be a medical issue. I hate to gross anyone out, but this can be a symptom of pinworms. Is he fidgety and itching a lot? Those are easy enough to get rid of with meds.
Take a look at the environment of your bathroom first. Then, take time to work with your son to find out if there are any issues he needs to deal with. Of course, take him to a doctor to make sure there are no infections that need medication. Then look at any issues that might lead to a fear of the bathroom. Is it light and airy? Is it dark and forboding? In the case of my oldest granddaughter, is it clean and accessable? Stand back and carefully evaluate the situation and you will find the answers..
For my son, that was a symptom of a bowel impaction. It could also be a urinary tract infection. Both are easy and painless to test for so it is probably worth the trip to the pediatrician before you try behavior modification. I felt terrible about spending a few days reminding my son to go and getting frustrated with accidents when the problem was physical.
This may sound extreme, but you may want to have him checked for Type 1 diabetes. Sudden bedwetting and extreme thirst were the only clues that my sister had that something was wrong with her 5-year old son and it turns out he's diabetic.
This is probably extreme and it is probably a long shot, but I asked my mother once how she figured out that there was something wrong with my brother who has type 1 diabetes, and she said he drank a lot and was peeing constantly. It is worth a check. Your ped can clue you in on if it is perhaps a UTI or just stress also.
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You should check out the possible medical causes, but in the meantime you might also try putting in place a schedule that ensures he goes to the toilet to try, every two hours while he is awake, whether he needs to or not. Let his teacher know that he needs to get opportunities and to help him get there discretely if need be.
Please also be sure to avoid shaming him about this, telling him that big boys don't have accidents might send him over the edge if it's stress related. Good luck figuring this out.
maybe bladder infection ( if this is case he will complain it hurts when he pees) other than that I would check him for allergies.
I don't have a son that old yet (mine just turned 2), but a woman in my church has a son just a little older than yours and said he went through the same thing around 6, give or take. She said the pediatrician called it a spastic bladder (I think). Anyway, it was really nothing but developmental. Boys can apparently go through this phase as they (and their bladders) grow. They have to pee all the time. And I guess if your little guy waits until the last minute anyway, it makes it harder to hold it.
I'd check with your dr. anyway, just to be sure it isn't anything more serious, but it could be something as simple and harmless as this.
B.
I too went straight in my mind to suggest you should test for diabetes. I think you may want to call your doctor for an appointment to see what he or she says. We wish you luck and what ever the cause remember that with todays knowledge and technology almost anything is learnable and able to be incorporated into your life. Good luck!
Make sure he does not have a urinary infection. AF
