Potty Training - Phoenix, AZ

This can be do to the fact that she is drinking to much before bed. I would not worry to much sense she is not that old. But later if it is still happening maybe the docotor can see if she has any issues that need to be resolved physicaly.

Hi S.-

I have a child that after he was potty trained for about a year started having accidents at night. We were told by his pediatrician to stop drinks approximately 2 hours prior to bedtime. Another thing we were told was to get the child up in the middle of the night and have them go to the bathroom also. So basically if the stopping the drinks doesn't work, then try the other. Hope this works. Because I know how expensive the pull-ups and night time underwear are!!! Good luck!

I kept my older 4 in pull-up/diaper at night untill they were dry for a month straight. It may have cost more initially, but I didn't have to wash bedding everyday, which saved my sanity. It sounds like your little one is comprehending when she needs to go potty, but if she's taking off a wet one and puting a dry one on, maybe she isn't waking up quite in time. I would just keep her in the pull-ups at night, I'm sure she'll tell you that she got up and went potty by herself...they love to share their accomplishments at that age :)

Sometimes changing sheets is something that has to be done. This is what we did when we thought he was almost ready. We bought an Allergy cover from the linen store(bed bath & Beyond, linens n Things etc), it fits over the mattress like a bag for allergy sufferers but it works to keep the urine off the mattress too. We also bought a couple of cheap fitted sheets and put them by his bed(keep a can of disinfectant or wipes nearby to wipe off the allergy bag before you put on the new sheet). If he peed then hubby and I both got up. one would rinse him off and the other would change the sheets and we would go back to bed, this moved the process along really fast. He consciously started calling for us or going to the bathroom on his own after a little bit. we did this for a couple of nights to test first and see how ready he actually was but it really worked out. Sometimes they have to feel wet to know it's not right.
We also took him to the bathroom before we went to bed too.
We are almost ready to start my 2yo and will be buying the allergy cover for his bed soon.
I wish potty training was as easy as my 4 yo thinks. He woke up the other morning toook his brothers diaper off and put underwear on him. they both walked proudly into our room and my 4 yo said look mommy Dylan is potty trained.

I will tell you that I think pullups were the worst decision tha twe made for our daughter. I took her out of them during the day and within 3 days she was daytime potty trained. i held on to the pullups at night. When I finally realized that she was not going to stop wetting the bed unless we stoped. I took her out of the pullups and had 1 week of washing the sheets before she stoped. She is now 4 1/2 and she has not wet the bed in over a year. I think that your little one is definately ready for underwear. Try putting a plastic under the sheets. That will stop the leakage onto the mattress. Good luck.

HI S.,
I think as long as she is wetting her pull-up at night she isn't ready to wear panties. My son is in the same boat. He is totally potty trained, but still wears pull-ups at night and for naps. I know they're expensive and not "Earth Friendly", but it's a small price to pay for my sanity. I don't want to be up every night changing bed sheets and doing laundry daily. This too shall pass!
Good luck!

When my daughter was 3 1/2 was about the age we started to go without pull-ups at night. We would take her potty before her bedtime and again before we went to bed (about 10:30). I do not/did not want to stop liquids... if my kids are thirsty, I want them to drink.

The first couple nights I double folded about 5 beach towels and put them on her bed, so if she did pee during the night, I could just take those off and not have to change the sheets. The wet never went all the way through. She only had 2 accidents that first week and none after that. We kept taking her potty for about the next 6 months before we went to bed.

Now, she's 4 1/2 and gets up on her own if she needs to go potty. If your daughter doesn't stay dry all night after 2 weeks of this, I'd say she still sleeps too soundly to go without a pull-up. Lots of kids aren't nighttime trained until much older.

Hi S.,
I agree with all the other Moms who say, "she's MORE than ready."

Don't buy another pack of pull-ups! Go for the gusto! Hooray!!!

T

My oldest was day trained at 27 months. She was well past her fourth birthday before she was completely and consistently dry at night. Here's not much you can do to "train" kids at night. You are waiting on physiological development that doesn't happen for many kids until around 5. Not that for some it doesn't happen earlier. My second was trained day AND night at 27 months.

We live in a desert and I've never refused drinks to my kids. If you'd like to stop using pull-ups due to cost, get some reusable, cloth training pants. She'll get immediate feedback as to when she wets and will be uncomfortable. I think taking off her wet pants at night is totally normal and a good thing. For awhile, my daughter didn't even wake up with wet pants b/c she was such a heavy sleeper. Soon, she was taking them off in the middle of the night. Then, she had more and more dry nights.

If she is wet every night, she's not ready for panties at night. Whatever you do, don't make a big deal out of night time and naptime diaper wearing. It's completely normal. Good luck!

Oh....I've read lots saying that waking kids up to pee while they're still essentially asleep isn't a good idea. It teaches them it's OK to pee while sleeping. So I wanted to throw that in for whatever it's worth.

It definitely sounds like she is capable of trying panties. Pull-Ups really just prolong the whole process and they aren't cheap - lol

10pm seems really late to go to bed for her age. But, limiting drinks to 1-2 hours before bed is helpful. Also, try using just a bottom sheet and a light blanket while she's learning. But, if she's capable of changing her own Pull-Up diaper, she can definitely change her underwear ;)

Best,
C.

Hi S.,
It looks like you've received some great choices from the responses I read below. I think your decision lies with the one that seems like the best for you, your family and your child. It didn't seem like any of the suggestions you were given were out of line with the recommendations for potty training. Rest assured, research shows that children achieve full toilet training abilities sometime within the 4th year, early 5th year. If that milestone isn't reached consult your pediatrician.
You're doing a great job!!!

If she's waking to change her WET pull-up, then she's not waking because she has to go, but only because she's wet and uncomfortable. If you put her to bed in underwear now, she's going to have accidents. I wouldn't try it until she's waking up with a dry pull-up in the morning, OR until she's waking up and actually going to the bathroom and using the toilet during the night.

I know people say to restrict fluids in the evening, but I've never done it with any of my children because I hate being thirsty myself, and if one of them claims to be thirsty, I can't bring myself to deny them water. That's just me though; I know everyone else thinks it's okay. But my children managed to night train without water restrictions as long as I made sure that they used the toilet right before going to bed.

I would say she is ready for under wear. You will still have to wash sheets from time to time. Maybe start with naps 1st to see how she does. Make sure you take her potty right before she goes down. I have noticed with my son sometime he will have an accident if he doesn't go right before even if it was 10 minutes or so before. Good Luck!