Is your child having trouble holding it in? That can be frustrating and make them feel insecure, especially when they regularly have wet pants or a wet bed. Fortunately, bedwetting is common among children, and there are several ways to deal with it.
In this blog, you'll learn why you sometimes can't hold your urine, what you can do about it, and what tools can help with potty training.
Why can't you hold your pee?
Inability to hold your urine can have various causes. In children, urinary incontinence is often related to bladder development and learning to manage the urge to urinate.
There are different types of urinary incontinence. With bedwetting, a child wets the bed while sleeping, whereas with daytime wetting, urinary incontinence occurs during the day. Some children experience urinary incontinence both during the day and at night.
Deep sleep often plays a role in bedwetting. While sleeping, your child doesn’t always notice that their bladder is full and therefore doesn’t wake up to go to the bathroom. During the day, for example, urinary incontinence can occur because a child delays going to the bathroom for too long. Constipation, an overactive bladder, or a urinary tract infection can, of course, also be factors.
What can you do if your child can't hold it in?
Setting specific times to use the bathroom can help establish a more regular urination schedule. For example, have your child go to the bathroom at set times and not wait until the urge becomes very strong.
Staying well-hydrated remains important. Drinking less to prevent accidents is usually not a good solution. Instead, it’s important to drink enough throughout the day.
Also be aware of constipation; a full bowel can put pressure on the bladder and cause urinary incontinence. If your child continues to have frequent urinary incontinence, or if they start wetting their pants again after having been dry for a while, discuss this with your family doctor.
What helps with bedwetting?
When it comes to bedwetting, it’s especially important to stay calm. Your child isn’t wetting the bed on purpose, so getting angry or punishing them won’t help. A positive approach can actually help reduce feelings of shame and stress.
A bedwetting alarm can help if your child doesn’t wake up at night when their bladder is full. The alarm detects the first drop of urine and wakes your child up. This helps your child learn to recognize the signal of a full bladder more and more effectively.
So the purpose of a bedwetting alarm isn't just to keep the bed dry. Your child will eventually learn to wake up on their own when they need to use the bathroom.
What helps with daytime wetting?
A vibration watch can be helpful if your child regularly forgets to use the bathroom during the day. The watch emits a discreet signal at preset times to let your child know it’s time to go to the bathroom. This helps your child stay mindful of using the bathroom.
This makes using the restroom a regular part of the day. This can be especially helpful for children who don’t pay close attention to their bladder signals while playing or at school. A pee watch works a little differently than a pee alarm. The bedwetting alarm is primarily designed to address bedwetting, while the potty watch helps establish regular toilet breaks during the day.
Absorbent underwear for extra support
Does your child have trouble holding it in? If so, absorbent underwear can help prevent accidents. The absorbent layer soaks up urine, so your child is less likely to walk around with wet pants.
This underwear doesn't directly prevent urine leakage, but it does provide extra peace of mind. That can be helpful at school, on an outing, or at other times when an accident could be embarrassing.
What can you do to prevent accidents?
It's not always possible to prevent accidents entirely. But you can help your child deal with them as calmly as possible.
A few practical tips:
- Make sure your child has easy access to the bathroom
- Have your child use the bathroom at set times
- Bring a change of clothes when you'll be away from home for an extended period of time
- Be sure to drink enough fluids throughout the day
- Stay calm if an accident happens
- Reward good habits and efforts, not just dry days
If your child wets the bed, a waterproof molton sheet can help protect the bed. That way, an accident remains a minor issue and doesn't have to become a big deal.
Why is it a good idea to seek help?
Bedwetting in children isn't always a reason to seek help. Still, it's a good idea to contact your family doctor if you start to worry or if bedwetting occurs suddenly.
Be on the lookout for symptoms such as pain when urinating, needing to urinate very frequently, a fever, or an unusually strong thirst. It’s also a good idea to discuss this if your child starts wetting the bed or their pants regularly again after a long period of being dry.
Your primary care physician can determine whether further testing is needed and work with you to find an appropriate course of action.
Inability to hold in urine—which solution is right for your child?
There isn’t just one solution that works for every child. For bedwetting, a bedwetting alarm can help a child learn to respond to a full bladder. For problems with sticking to a set toilet schedule during the day, a toilet watch can provide practical support by vibrating, letting the child know it’s time to go to the bathroom.
Dryly offers both of these tools: the bedwetting alarm to help prevent bedwetting and the potty watch to help children learn to use the toilet at set times during the day.
Would you like to know which device is best for your child? Then check out the information about the bedwetting alarm and the alarm watch.
Frequently Asked Questions About Inability to Hold Urine
Why can't my child hold his or her urine?
Your child may have trouble holding their urine for various reasons. With bedwetting, for example, not waking up when the bladder is full plays a role, while during the day, habits, constipation, or a full bladder can also be factors.
What can you do if you can't hold your urine?
That depends on the cause and when the urine leakage occurs. Setting regular bathroom breaks during the day can help, while a bedwetting alarm provides support for bedwetting.
Is it normal for a child to wet the bed?
Bedwetting is common among children and does not mean that a child is lazy or doing something wrong. If you're concerned about bedwetting, you can always discuss it with your family doctor.
What is the difference between a bedwetting alarm and a bedwetting watch?
A bedwetting alarm is designed to address bedwetting and reacts to urine during the night. A urination reminder watch emits a discreet signal at set times during the day to remind you to go to the bathroom.
When should I take my child to the family doctor?
Contact your family doctor if your child experiences pain when urinating, has a fever, suddenly starts urinating much more frequently, or starts urinating regularly again after a long period of being dry. The family doctor can determine what the problem is.
