Sporadic bedwetting completely out of the blue

[Anonymous]

My daughter is 12, was potty trained by 3 with never any accidents, and whilst never what I’d call a “bedwetter” has a history of sporadic Bedwetting accidents reducing from a handful of times a year when younger to perhaps every 6-12 months the past couple of years.

It has been a little over a year since the last time, the longest she’d ever gone, and we all thought it was just something she’d grown out of. Then, completely out of the blue a couple of weekends back she had an accident - at a sleepover no less, so she’s understandably mortified and so scared it’ll happen again. She now won’t have sleepovers as she’s so afraid.

There are no other symptoms, and it’s so sporadic with no pattern or obvious triggers that I don’t see how it can be medical and I’m just not sure if there’s anything we can do to help and how best to support her.

[Anonymous]

It was just once at a sleepover. I wou don’t do anything about it.

[Anonymous]

It only happened once at the sleepover—did it happen again after that? If it was just that one time, she may have simply had too much soda or other drinks while hanging out with friends. I wouldn’t be too worried about it. If she has more sleepovers in the future, she could bring some pull-ups just in case—no one would have to know or notice. If she feels the need to explain, she could also say she has them because of her period.

[Anonymous]

My daughter hasn’t had an accident since last year—almost a full year now. Before she completely stopped, from ages 13 to 16 she would sometimes go months without having one.

[Anonymous]

Offer her nighttime pull-ups she can wear if she has a sleepover. Seems like this was just a one time incident.

[Anonymous]

You could talk to her pediatrician to see if Desmopressin would make sense. She can take for a couple of days before the sleepover and then stop after.

[Anonymous]

It’s probably not medical but FYI a kid in early stages of type 1 diabetes might consume more soda/candy/carbs at a sleepover than their body can process — so the body would need to release the excess glucose as urine. That’s why new onset bedwetting can be an early symptom.

Just keep an eye out for excess hunger (especially for simple carbs) and thirst, or weight loss — if you observe these things call your ped immediately; most cases come out of the blue with no family history.

I bet it is a one time incident though — and I’m really sorry she’s mortified. I’m sure it’s no comfort right now, but it will almost certainly help her become kinder and more empathetic long-term.

[Anonymous]

Thanks everyone, much appreciated.

I’m really not sure she’d go for something like pull ups, nor that they’re really warranted given this seems to be a “once a year at the worse possible moment” kinda thing. But I may explore and subtly suggest some kind of washable pants or pjs for sleepovers to see if that would give her the confidence to sleepover again.

I’m as sure as I can be it’s not something like diabetes as it’s been a sporadic thing all through growing up. But will of course ask the doctor to check her next time.

Hopefully at worst she’ll have another year or so before it happens again, and at best that really was the last time!

[Anonymous]

I think they also make incontinence underwear now like period underwear that looks like normal underwear (cloth).

[Anonymous]

Ask her about her bowel movements. Constipation can cause night accidents.

Also, talk her through doing multiple bathroom trips before bed. One pee right before she washes her face, brushes her teeth, gets in pajamas, reads. Then another right before she turns out the light. She might not think she’ll have more pee because she hadn’t had anything to drink between, but explain to her that it’s accumulated from the liquid throughout the day and she will probably squeeze out a little more pee. Don’t let her do a lot of just in case pee trips because that may cause anxiety, but just the two before the routine and then right before lights out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You could talk to her pediatrician to see if Desmopressin would make sense. She can take for a couple of days before the sleepover and then stop after.

This was my recommendation. But you take 30 min before bed the day of!

[Anonymous]

sometimes they have accidents, my ds had one last night, it only happens a few times a year.

[Anonymous]

My daughter had been potty trained and started having occasional accidents again at 5. She was also very hard to wake up at kindergarten nap time. The pediatrician put these two things together right away and looked at her tonsils. We went to an ENT and she had her adenoids and tonsils out. It turned out after they go in there that the adenoids were completely blocking her breathing and which caused problems with sleeping and bedwetting. She never had a problem after that and she is a teenager.

[Anonymous]

Does he tell you if it happens?