Question about Pull Ups

[litanyagainstfear]

Loving all the potty threads going on, as my two year old has been demonstrating lots of signs of readiness, and we've been spending the last two days really stepping up the potty learning. I only have one close mama friend with a similar parenting style offline who can share her experiences with me, so this has really helped.

We've had a potty chair in the house now since DS was about a year and a half (a gift, also known as a hint, from my mother), and we've always talked about what it's for, but he never wanted to sit in it. He shows a lot more interest in the real toilet (child versions of stuff like that never appeal to him), so we got him a seat that fits on top the seat. He was still very resistant to sitting on it, but warmed up to it when I let him draw all over my arms with an old eyeliner pencil, read some books, etc. Getting on the toilet he usually complains about, but once we're doing something fun, he's okay for a couple of minutes at least. Still no elimination into the toilet, but I'm not excessively worried about that on our second day.

I 50/50, pretty much, between bare bottoming (with gym shorts on, usually, since we have rambunctious kittens and I'm paranoid ) and using a pull up (at night especially, since we co-sleep frequently, although he wakes up with a dry diaper most of the time). He'll wet the shorts--usually right after we've tried the potty, since I have a fairly decent idea about when he needs to go--and he'll comment on it, but if I'm not right in front of him when it happens, he's happy to run around soaked in pee. Furthermore, he loathes putting on the pull ups; he articulated pretty clearly that "the sides are wrong," but once one it's on he's just fine. Should I give him a chance to get used to the pull ups, so we can get to the point where he's willing to pull them up and down, or let him go bare bottomed as much as possible? Am I just doing this totally wrong?

[nelson]

I really am not a fan of pull ups- I think your LO would learn much better with actual underwear on with a cover over the top if you are worried about accidents or totally naked on the bottom. Kids still feel like they are wearing a diaper with pull ups because they wick away wetness, with undies they FEEL that they are wet and when they don't have anything on, they can SEE that they are wet, who cares if they can pull it up or down (which I actually think is still kinda hard to do with pull ups) if they don't even know they went? We have been doing potty learning for about 3 weeks now and whether or not he can pull his own pants down is really the least of my concern. I think that can come later, since I am always with him when he goes anyway. And about the nighttime, I was quite surprised that my DS was waking up mostly dry too, and so for the fun of it, when we started potty learning, he went to bed with only underpants on and has NEVER had an accident, and we don't take him to the potty at night! I am still kinda shocked over that one, especially because he still nurses a lot at night, but you might as well give it a try and who knows, you might be pleasantly shocked as well. Also remember to sit him on the potty first thing in the morning- that is when everyone has to go. Good Luck!

[nextcommercial]

I have potty trained literally over 100 kids in my daycare. I haven't had a single child learn while wearing pullups. They've only finally learned when... #1. they are ready. #2. they are in either undies or naked.

Pullups are great for bedtime though. I also love them for traveling.

Fifteen years ago, most kids learned BY age two. Diapers weren't so comfortable back then, and they were bulkier. So, it was a pretty fast transition. Now, most kids are a little closer to three. *That's just a generalization... some kids learn at 16 months, some kids don't learn til age four.

I like the "Pee on that rock" trick. Boys especially LOVE to go out in the backyard and pee on a rock or a tree. (Well, I can understand why it's not as appealing to girls.)

[knee_deep_with_1]

My daughter is 7 and is nowhere close to being dry at night and I hate the pull ups. They always leak and it seems to make her more lazy when she is wearing one. She will simply pee in the pull up if she is wearing it rather then getting up to go if she has to. I still end up washing sheets weather she wears one or not. Not to mention they are so expensive to go through 2-3 a night sometimes. Would anyone have any advice or suggestions for an older child that just doesnt care that she sitll wets the bed? She is the least bit motivated to want to help herself stop as she sneaks drinks all the time and wont go potty before bed like she is supposed to. She always doesnt have to go when I tell her to try. Thank you everyone.

Mary

[Nicole730]

Our son is more likely to pee in underwear than a pull up, so we use those when we don't want his pee getting on stuff. He was cloth diapered, so I'm not sure if he thinks the underwear are cloth, he's getting way better though.

Anyway, we ended using pullups overnight because he does wake up asking to use the potty and it was a pain to have diapers on him. The Target brand pullups have velcro on the side, so you can put it on and take it off like a regular diaper if you wish.

[Nicole730]

Originally Posted by knee_deep_with_1

My daughter is 7 and is nowhere close to being dry at night and I hate the pull ups. They always leak and it seems to make her more lazy when she is wearing one. She will simply pee in the pull up if she is wearing it rather then getting up to go if she has to. I still end up washing sheets weather she wears one or not. Not to mention they are so expensive to go through 2-3 a night sometimes. Would anyone have any advice or suggestions for an older child that just doesnt care that she sitll wets the bed? She is the least bit motivated to want to help herself stop as she sneaks drinks all the time and wont go potty before bed like she is supposed to. She always doesnt have to go when I tell her to try. Thank you everyone.

Mary

Do you have her take off the sheets, put them in the washer, get new sheets on the bed? (Cuz my 2 year old helps clean up all his messes, including doing the laundry) If you think she really just doesn't care, and it's not medical, then maybe that would help? Also, remind her to tell herself to wake up if she has to pee. Do you have nightlights so she can see to get out of bed, down the hall, and to the toilet? I hope you find a solution that works!

[nelson]

Originally Posted by knee_deep_with_1

My daughter is 7 and is nowhere close to being dry at night and I hate the pull ups. They always leak and it seems to make her more lazy when she is wearing one. She will simply pee in the pull up if she is wearing it rather then getting up to go if she has to. I still end up washing sheets weather she wears one or not. Not to mention they are so expensive to go through 2-3 a night sometimes. Would anyone have any advice or suggestions for an older child that just doesnt care that she sitll wets the bed? She is the least bit motivated to want to help herself stop as she sneaks drinks all the time and wont go potty before bed like she is supposed to. She always doesnt have to go when I tell her to try. Thank you everyone.

Mary

Okay this is long, but makes sense and maybe will help to realize that it could be as simple as a hormone and not have anything to do with anything else- I found it very interesting, especially because I know a lot of parents who feel like they have tried "everything" for nighttime bedwetting and maybe it's just more genetic than anything else and will just have to work itself out.

This is copied and pasted from Wikipedia...

Normal processes of staying dry

Two physical functions prevent bedwetting. The first is a hormone that reduces urine production at night. The second is the ability to wake up when the bladder is full. Children usually achieve nighttime dryness by developing one or both of these abilities. There appear to be some hereditary factors in how and when these develop.

The first ability is a hormone cycle that reduces the body's urine production. At about sunset each day, the body releases a minute burst of antidiuretic hormone (also known as arginine vasopressin or AVP). This hormone burst reduces the kidney's urine output well into the night so that the bladder does not get full until morning. This hormone cycle is not present at birth. Many children develop it between the ages of two and six years old, others between six and the end of puberty, and some not at all.

The second ability that helps people stay dry is waking when the bladder is full. This ability develops in the same age range as the vasopressin hormone, but is separate from that hormone cycle.

Most children develop the ability to stay dry as they grow older. The typical development process begins with one- and two-year-old children developing larger bladders and beginning to sense bladder fullness. Two- and three-year-old children begin to stay dry during the day. Four- and five-year-olds develop an adult pattern of urinary control and begin to stay dry at night.[3]

[knee_deep_with_1]

Thanks, she knows she has to go because I will sometimes catch her doing the dance and she will still deny she has to go. This happens during the day and when she is in bed. She is too comfortable wearing a pull up and would "forget" to change out of them in the morning and I would find her wandering the house still in a soaking wet-pee soaked pull up without a care in the world! To her, pull ups are padded underwear that she can put on and take off by herself.

I do try to have her take care of her sheets and things but it never gets done and it usually turns into a fight so I end up doing it myself. I have left them on her bed a couple times until I couldnt stand the smell anymore after 2 nights. I just dont know how to motivate her to try harder! Its like I have a 2 year old here not a 7 year old geeze. Thank you again for all your help!

Mary

[sapphire_chan]

Originally Posted by knee_deep_with_1

My daughter is 7 and is nowhere close to being dry at night and I hate the pull ups. They always leak and it seems to make her more lazy when she is wearing one. She will simply pee in the pull up if she is wearing it rather then getting up to go if she has to. I still end up washing sheets weather she wears one or not. Not to mention they are so expensive to go through 2-3 a night sometimes. Would anyone have any advice or suggestions for an older child that just doesnt care that she sitll wets the bed? She is the least bit motivated to want to help herself stop as she sneaks drinks all the time and wont go potty before bed like she is supposed to. She always doesnt have to go when I tell her to try. Thank you everyone.

Mary

Have you tried getting her up to go pee right before you go to bed? I wet the bed as a kid and that would've helped me a TON.

[knee_deep_with_1]

I have yes, more times then I can count. She just wont get out of bed and I even carry her to the bathroom to try and she fights me the whole time. We were both losing sleep over it and it wasnt working so I stopped trying that.

Mary

[sapphire_chan]

Originally Posted by knee_deep_with_1

I have yes, more times then I can count. She just wont get out of bed and I even carry her to the bathroom to try and she fights me the whole time. We were both losing sleep over it and it wasnt working so I stopped trying that.

Mary

Well, bother.

Then I recommend a waterproof pad (e.g. ones by Priva) for the bed and not using anything on her at all. They wash easily in regular laundry and are quite cheap compared to package after package of pull-ups.

Right now her choice is between leaving her warm comfy bed to pee or staying put. Without a pull-up, there will no longer be an option to pee in bed and still have a comfortable bed.

[litanyagainstfear]

Thank you all for your perspectives! I think we'll probably finish up this pack of pull ups (I don't want to waste them) and use regular underwear.

[just_lily]

I really hate pull-ups.

Personally, I don't see the point of paying more for a diaper that holds less. I too run a home daycare, and every time I have put a kid in a pull-up, that pull-up has gotten peed in. Every time.

I currently have three kids in full time diapers and I will often just pull their pants down, but not off, in order to change pee diapers. But with pull-ups you have to take the pants all the way off, and that is a pain. Even when the older kids were still wearing diapers for naps, I preferred regular diapers because we could pull their pants and undies down (not off), put on the diaper and then pull the underwear and pants back up over top. Then when they woke up they could take off the diaper themselves and put it in the diaper pail independently. In pull ups they had to take everything off and then on again, which required assistance.

And poop in a pull up? Ugh!! The worst!! Yes you can rip the sides but then you can't make a 'poop burrito' out of the dirty diaper and it is just all open and gross. I end up having to put them in plastic bags before throwing them out.

Yuck. So no pull ups here.

[blizzard_babe]

We use pull-ups for nighttime. We'd just keep using diapers, but DS decided that "babies wear diapers, and Isaac is a BIG BOY," so we use pull-ups at night.

During the day... no. A world of no. I'd rather clean up a hundred "misses."

Exceptions: car trips longer than two hours and airplane rides.