Management and treatment of bed wetting

It is important that a medical assessment is done to rule out the possibility of the bedwetting occurring due to an infection or a physical problem. 

A small number of children respond to major upheavals in their lives such as death in the family, separation of parents or other major changes by wetting the bed. There are a range of psychological support services to assist children with these problems. Referrals to these services can be made by the family doctor (GP) or a paediatrician. 

In Western Australia there are bedwetting (enuresis) clinics based in the community and some hospitals. The treatment provided by these clinics is the mat and alarm (bell and pad) system, combined with coaching and support from a nurse who has been trained to provide this program. 

Bladder and Bowel Health Australia provides a private billing (fee for service) bed wetting clinic for children from our clinic in Victoria Park. Our qualified continence nurse will coach and support your child to overcome bed wetting using a mat and alarm system. Contact us for more information or to make a booking.

The program consists of using a rubber mat that goes on the child’s bed. The mat is connected to a battery powered box that contains an alarm. The alarm sounds when the child starts to wet and is designed to be loud enough to wake the child up. The aim of using the mat and alarm is to train the child to develop an awareness of bladder fullness when they are asleep, and wake themselves up and go to the toilet. 

A key component of the program is the supervision and support from a health care professional who will coach the child on using the mat and alarm. Advice and support are also given on good bladder and bowel habits, including  diet and fluid intake. 

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Kylie – parent of a child that wets the bed 

Kylie rang our service as she was concerned about her five-year-old daughter, Mia, who was wetting the bed. Kylie had tried limiting Mia’s drinks in the late afternoon and evening and was also getting up at night to wake Mia and take her to the toilet.

Our advisor explained that it may take children until they around 5 ½ years old before they gain bladder control during sleep. Kylie was advised to encourage Mia to drink well throughout the day and was cautioned against cutting out drinks in the afternoon and early evening. Kylie was discouraged from waking Mia at night to take her to the toilet. Kylie was provided with information on obtaining a referral from Mia’s doctor to a bedwetting clinic if Mia continues to wet the bed past 5 ½ years of age.

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Anastasiya’s story

“As a mum of two young children, I have experienced the joys of two pregnancies and postpartum recoveries. I was shocked after the birth of my first child to discover that my pelvic floor muscles had become weak. I sought advice from Bladder and Bowel Health Australia and learnt the importance of exercising these muscles. This knowledge helped, and because I was better informed second time around, I have now fully restored the dignity of my body and truly enjoyed the changes - and my motherhood. Thank you, Bladder and Bowel Health Australia, for informing young families about bladder and bowel health issues.” 

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Doreen – carer of her husband who has dementia 

Doreen was becoming exhausted caring for her husband Tom, who has dementia. Tom was not always making it to the toilet on time and needed his trousers to be changed several times a day. Every day Doreen was also washing bedlinen and the four towels that Tom was laying on at night as he was soaking through his pull-up pants. 

Tom was receiving a high-level Home Care Package, and Doreen was able to arrange with their provider for some of Tom’s package to be allocated to funding continence assessment and management.  

Our advisor went to Tom’s home and conducted a thorough continence assessment. A continence management plan was developed with input from Doreen, and appropriate incontinence aids and linen protection were organised. Doreen is relieved that Tom’s incontinence has reduced, and her washing load has lessened. Doreen is now confident that she can continue caring for Tom in their home. 

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Gary – experiencing leakage after his recent prostate surgery 

Gary met with one of our Bladder and Bowel Health advisors, as he was concerned about his urine leakage that was persisting after his radical prostatectomy five weeks earlier.   

Gary discussed his concerns with the advisor and was reassured that he was making good progress towards regaining bladder control. This reinforced the information he had received from his urologist. Gary was encouraged to switch to a smaller incontinence pad rather than continuing to wear the pull- up incontinence pants he had worn since his surgery. The advisor arranged some smaller pads for him to trial and provided details on where he could buy them close to his home. 

Gary was encouraged to drink plenty of fluid (particularly water) and to increase his fruit and vegetable intake to avoid constipation. Gary was uncertain if his pelvic floor muscles were working properly and he was referred to a pelvic floor physiotherapist. Gary left the clinic in a brighter frame of mind, confident that he was improving and had clear strategies to further support his recovery.