One of my older children still wets at night. Sometimes only a little and sometimes he *soaks*. He actually had a "dry spell" a while back and i was hoping we were over the hump, so to speak. We aren't, though. <sigh>

I cloth diapered this child for 3.5+ years to keep the chemicals off his bum and then Amina made me some really great night-time pants and we used those for a long while - but he started to get something called "meatitis" (infection of the meatus/tip of penis) and I had to switch over to "Good-nites" and we have been using them almost constantly since. But then I tried the cloth ones again and he wasn't getting that infection. But now...he is 8 yrs. old and has outgrown those cloth pull-ups. Plus they are very old and very used.

Please help me! Tell me what works. I could make a super-absorbent cloth pull-up, but I'd rather have the covers be separate for drying purposes. The cover has to be really good/waterproof. And I really am not a good cover maker.

What is the most absorbent fabric out there? is it hemp fleece? Also, where can I buy large size pull-on covers that don't cost an arm and a leg?

Any help with this will be greatly appreciated.

Thank you.

Hey, Kristin!

No big help here since I use Goodnights for my 8 yr old. Just wanted to empathize with you!

Hey Sue! :)

I've had a bedwetter before, so that part is not a big deal. It is just finding the appropriate night-wear for him. also, the Good-nites are expensive, IMO. I'd rather not pay for those when I still wash diapers anyway.

Also, I was wondering...does anyone know if fleece PJ bottoms would be effective in as "added insurance" against leaks. I don't use much fleece on my children b/c it is polyester and I hate polyester. Just wondering what the experiences are with this.

thanks again!

Kristin

Well, my dd is not as old as your son, but I've been informed by her that "I don't wear diapers. My little baby brother wears diapers. I'm a big girl and I wear panties to bed." So, we are trying to find a "big girl" solution to bedtime diapering.

She is dry 3-4 night a week, so I am thinking about making sort of a wetter pad for her bed. I am going to take some PUL and serge 2 towels with a top layer of something -- maybe flannel or some sherpa or hemp fleece (gotta see what i have). It will be about the size of a long bath towel. She's in a twin bed, so I will be able to tuck the ends in btwn the mattress & boxspring on either side, am I making sense?

Then, I plan on giving her just a small blanket (she doesn't really use blankets anyway, this is Florida, lol). Hopefully, when she has an accident, the only things I will have to wash will be the wetter pad, her clothes and blanket.

Don't know if that helps much, but that's what I've been thinking about.

**edited to clarify idea**

pul makes great mattress protectors BTW, if you put it plastic side up you don't have to wash it each time.

I second the fleece pjs

How about a pocket style pull up? I made one diaper style for my son when he was younger (he is dry now but wasn't in Kindy) with velcro. He was ok with that because Rolies diapers were snaps.

Linda's company makes trainers http://www.happyheinys.com/trainers.htm not sure if they are big enough but if not maybe you could do something similar??

My 7 yr. old has no bowel/bladder function due to medical issues and we use pull ups. I will be watching this thread also, as pull ups get really expensive. We go to Costco, but they do not carry the 4-5T in our Costco(which are actually a little big for my 7 yr. old), but the 3-4T's fit and they are 19.99 for 60 of them. I don't know how old your son is, but that works for us.-MOST nights we never have leakage, but once in awhile we will.

I have always wondered about a cloth alternative, so like I said I will be watching this thread.

Edited to add: Those plastic matress covers have been a life saver here.

Thank you for the ideas! :)


Shelly, that's a lot of PUL, isn't it? Like 2 yards or so to be able to tuck in at either side of the bed. I had thought of that...in fact, I made what you described *exactly* with flannel on top, towels in the middle - but I put flannel on the botom, too so that the pad wouldn't shift around so much at night. I did not, however, make it long enough to tuck in at either side. It is about the size of a chux pad. And it does shift around.

I guess my point is...I would love to make a pul one, but PUL is so expensive that I might as well just buy something like this:

twin mattress pad at top of page:
http://www.aunaturelbaby.com/shopdisplayproducts.asp?id=135&cat=Waterproof+Pads#

Do you know where I can get PUL inexpensively? I definitely want to/need to employ a couple of different methods of keeping DS's bed dry.

I am thinking of making some pocket style pull-ups for him. I really want him to be comfortable and *not* have leaks.

He stays dry some nights if I remind him to sleep on his back. Isn't that weird? Why would that make a difference? Maybe he realizes that he has to go? I don't know.

I am open to any other suggestions, too.

Thanks again!

Kristin :)

We've had good luck with the bedwetter tablets from hylands, if you are looking for another alternative.

we sort of have this problem, even though Liam is stil diaper age, he is outgrowing everything, and I mean everything. I am thinking a pull on pr of fleece "shorts" with a double layer through the main wetting area might work. Also making the legs pretty fitted, so the pee doesnt have a chance to run out. Then just a pair of cloth trainers with a hemp fleece soaker, and maybe have the ability to attach a doubler? Since he doesnt poop in them you dont have to worry abt them snapping or anything. I would think you could just make them like a Gerber trainer, but instead of the yucko poly/rayon inner, use hemp fleece, OR microfiber I have heard lots of great things about. If you think he wets more than a soaker in it could take, make have a velcro/snap in doubler that can be removed. For Liam it would need to be fleece topped--- he gets really red if the pee stays on his behind, but I am sure that you could do just an extra thick doubler. Other alternative would be to make just regular underwea that you could snap a thick doubler into for night (or velcro? I would put the snaps or velcro on the edges, close to the waistband, and use the recieveing (female??) end on the Undies, so there isnt realy anything to poke or itch much.

Ok, off to get ready to head out to the hospital to see my dad. I would be interested to see what you come up with :) We are really struggling with Liam right now-- everything is getting too tight, and he got blisters the other night, which makes me feel like a TERRIBLE mom. I dont see him training anythime soon, esp not at night, so I need to find something that will work for at least the next year, and he is already 42ish in, and 43-4 lbs I would guess.

heather

have you checked with your doctor that there aren't other issues? Encopresis is fairly common and that was what was causing our bedwetting. Once we started sorting that out we had far less problems.

Gracie uses good nights. She was using the luvs brand, but they are gone now. She wets every night and often leaks through the pull-up. She doesn't wake up to even change her pull-up, she sleeps right through the night, no waking at all. No fleece PJ bottoms don't work to keep her blankets dry but the ones she has were made from cheap Joann's fleece, maybe a 300 weight would work. I don't have any here, so I can test it, but it is an idea.

Yes, we check in with our dr. on a regular basis. Enuresis runs pretty strongly in both sides of our family. One family member wasn't always dry up until 13 years of age. There were a few in my family with encopresis also, but it didn't affect the children at night-time.

Allison ~ I think I have tried those tablets for him before. I should try them again since he is older now.

Thanks again for all the responses. :)

Kristin

I want bed protection that I do not have to wash every day. Maybe something I could wipe off? I don't feel like stripping the bed and remaking it (which is what I do now).

I was going to make a wool liner, but never found a wool blanket to felt.

Kathy

Also if your son needs briefs for a medical reason you can get them paid for. Although adult diapers are terrible. When he was little they did pay for huggies/pampers. Shawn is not a heavy wetter. I can't predict why some nights then not others. Probably related to his GI system?

Kathy

My son is 7 and still bedwets every night. We bought him a all vinyl covered mattress, easy to clean every day and A Mama here made him some pocket style bed pants.

Im getting these when he outgrows those http://www.drymids.com/drymidfiles/products.asp

I know this doesn't answer everyone's questions on larger sized diapering/undergarments products but Wee Bees sells covers that fit up to 70 lbs. I have used these and felt that they worked really well. I had to get them for Lauren when she hit 40 lbs and was still in diapers.

http://www.weebees.com/products.asp?dept=29

There are also Trickle Pants (made by Mother of Eden) the largest size is a 6/8 (says the sizes go along with clothing sizes). I haven't tried these myself. MOE also makes a product called Overnight Undies. The Overnight Undies go up to a size 10/12 but are more expensive. Go to the Training Pants & Youth Diapers section.

http://www.kellyscloset.com/store.htm

There are also youth sized Bumkin AIO's. These run big. There is a big jump between these and their XL size. They actually aren't that bad with a Joey Bunz thrown in for extra absorbancy but these would be better for those who need them for day time use.

We have use the youth size bumkins, but DS outgrew those a *long* time ago. ;)

The MOE night-time pants look good, but they are way too expensive. I bought some Nikky's for my ds a long time ago and we still use one, but I had to alter it to fit growing ds. That was very expensive, too.

I'd like to be able to make a pr. for $10. or less. I know I won't be able to buy any for that price. :(

Kristin

I tried a couple of washable bed wetter pants for Grace, but they didn't work well on her. What ones absorbed the most? Like I Said before she will leak through even a disposable good night. She doesn't wake up at all at night and pees multiple times.