Sort of OT: day and night potty accident

iVillage Member
Registered: 02-17-2002
Sort of OT: day and night potty accident
1
Fri, 08-24-2007 - 10:59am

Sorry guys, I posted this in the "question of the week" section by mistake - ignore that one. I had less than 2 hours of sleep last night and only 5 the night before due to a work crisis so my brain is barely functioning

Aidan is 4.5 and has yet to be completely potty trained. He was doing pretty well last spring and even over the summer and would stay try part of the time and would usually go when I took him, but has never volunteered when he has to go and pooping in the potty has only happened a couple of times. Anyway, his preschool asked us to start using underwear last spring. We did it all except at night for a while, but he actually got worse about keeping dry than when he was in diapers and I couldn't take him out anywhere in them so we gradually ended up back in diapers except for school (I know, really bad). So school started back up on Monday and I put him back in his underwear for school. He has all new teachers this year (room teach, special ed, para) and he's at a new facility (same school, different building). He's also going 5 afternoons rather than 3 mornings and had to give up naps. This week has been awful! Out of the past 5 nights, he has woken up soaked 3 mornings. It's not unusual for him to be wet in the morning, but it's not very often that it soaks through his night diaper and completely soak his bed and PJs like it has these past several mornings. On top of that, yesterday was the first day this week that he came home from school in the same pants I sent him in. But every day he has come home on the bus with wet pants. His diapers are wet every time I take him to the bathroom. He fights me like a wild animal to go to the bathroom (not new this week) and often gets on the potty and claims he doesn't need to go and has a meltdown. I sent his teacher a note yesterday letting her know he's still adjusting to giving up his naps and has been getting up early (due to waking up soaked) and has been cranky and difficult at home. She wrote back and said they've had some issues too and he's been in time out and bathroom time has been the worst.

So here's my question - do you think he's just stressed about all the changes this week and this is how it's manifesting itself? Or is he just being a stinker and deciding he doesn't feel like trying to hold it? Or is it possible something medical has developed that would cause him to have all these accidents this week? We did limit his liquids before bed last night and he still work up soaked, but DH can't remember if he actually pottied at bedtime or not. I'm just trying to figure out if I need to just give him time, be more forceful with him about going or if I should haul him to the doctor. Any insights?

Thanks!

Trish

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-07-2003
Fri, 08-24-2007 - 11:48am

Okay, my bathroom expertise is more poop related than pee, but I think I still know a little about wetting problems, too. My answer is YES, YES, YES, YES, YES it's VERY likely the change, stress and exhaustion. It absolutely can trigger the problems.

Even if the pee-ing is not the caused by the stress, trying to address the pee issues while he's under stress will still make it hard to fix the wetting.

My ds often doesn't know he needs to use the toilet, and it's hard to force him to go when he doesn't believe the need exists. If he were in mid-meltdown at the same time I was trying to compel him to use the toilet, I'm know I'd get NO cooperation whatsoever. He just couldn't focus, let alone have the sensory awareness of body signals to compel him to pee.

Also, if pooping is a problem, an over-full colon can put pressure on the bladder, increasing the wetting problems.

I'd give it more time first, and then if it's still a problem, go from there.

What a rough transition for your little guy!