Anyone have success helping a kid to increase bladder awareness?

[davidah]

(Kind of a spin-off of the thread below)

Our younger DD (4 y.o.) has low muscle tone and some developmental delays associated with a chromosome disorder. We are pretty fortunate in the elimination department. She's been out of diapers for more than 1 year.
She has 100% awareness and control of bowel movements (with a slight tendency toward constipation that we can manage by avoiding bananas and making sure she has peaches or pears). She has conscious control of urination and can stay dry all day IF she's brought to the toilet at regular intervals. When we forget, then she can have several accidents a day.

BUT, she has very little awareness of an urge to urinate. On very rare occasions, she'll verbalize a need to use the toilet in advance of going. She also still needs a pull-up or diaper at nap time as well as at night. She is always wet at night and generally wet at naptime if the nap lasts over an hour. She also will have an accident if she gets very scared or upset.

Is there anything we can do to try to facilitate bladder awareness (or nighttime dryness)? I realize 4 years old is still relatively on the young side, but she's been out of daytime diapers for so long, that I had expected her body awareness to have increased by now. I think the low muscle tone is probably interfering.

Thanks,
Davidah

[Bickery]

(Kind of a spin-off of the thread below)

Our younger DD (4 y.o.) has low muscle tone and some developmental delays associated with a chromosome disorder. We are pretty fortunate in the elimination department. She's been out of diapers for more than 1 year.
She has 100% awareness and control of bowel movements (with a slight tendency toward constipation that we can manage by avoiding bananas and making sure she has peaches or pears). She has conscious control of urination and can stay dry all day IF she's brought to the toilet at regular intervals. When we forget, then she can have several accidents a day.

BUT, she has very little awareness of an urge to urinate. On very rare occasions, she'll verbalize a need to use the toilet in advance of going. She also still needs a pull-up or diaper at nap time as well as at night. She is always wet at night and generally wet at naptime if the nap lasts over an hour. She also will have an accident if she gets very scared or upset.

Is there anything we can do to try to facilitate bladder awareness (or nighttime dryness)? I realize 4 years old is still relatively on the young side, but she's been out of daytime diapers for so long, that I had expected her body awareness to have increased by now. I think the low muscle tone is probably interfering.

Thanks,
Davidah

Is wetting mostly a problem at night and nap, i.e. when she's asleep?

One of my kids was out of diapers while awake for a couple of years before he was dry at night, and then it was like a switch was flipped. He was exactly 5.5.

Our experience leads me to say just diaper/pullup at night -- if I had another child who consistently wet while asleep at over 4, I wouldn't worry about it.

[gfrach]

I can't say for sure there was a correlation, but C (who also has low muscle tone) suddenly was able to potty train a little past turning 5 when he did yoga lessons for a couple of months.

The yoga instructor was taught here: http://www.specialyoga.com/ You could look at the licensed practitioners link at the site and see if there is anyone near you who does it.

Good luck!

[aleutsi]

(Kind of a spin-off of the thread below)

Our younger DD (4 y.o.) has low muscle tone and some developmental delays associated with a chromosome disorder. We are pretty fortunate in the elimination department. She's been out of diapers for more than 1 year.
She has 100% awareness and control of bowel movements (with a slight tendency toward constipation that we can manage by avoiding bananas and making sure she has peaches or pears). She has conscious control of urination and can stay dry all day IF she's brought to the toilet at regular intervals. When we forget, then she can have several accidents a day.

BUT, she has very little awareness of an urge to urinate. On very rare occasions, she'll verbalize a need to use the toilet in advance of going. She also still needs a pull-up or diaper at nap time as well as at night. She is always wet at night and generally wet at naptime if the nap lasts over an hour. She also will have an accident if she gets very scared or upset.

Is there anything we can do to try to facilitate bladder awareness (or nighttime dryness)? I realize 4 years old is still relatively on the young side, but she's been out of daytime diapers for so long, that I had expected her body awareness to have increased by now. I think the low muscle tone is probably interfering.

Thanks,
Davidah

I think having them stop and start the urine stream, while on the potty, can help build awareness as well as exercise key muscles.

[davidah]

Is wetting mostly a problem at night and nap, i.e. when she's asleep?

One of my kids was out of diapers while awake for a couple of years before he was dry at night, and then it was like a switch was flipped. He was exactly 5.5.

Our experience leads me to say just diaper/pullup at night -- if I had another child who consistently wet while asleep at over 4, I wouldn't worry about it.

Thanks -- the issue (not really a huge problem) is that she has multiple accidents a day unless an adult takes charge of taking her to the toilet at regular intervals. I've been hoping to help her build a little more independence in this area, which can only happen if she has some awareness of the need to pee during the day.

I agree that the nighttime thing isn't a big deal -- I just threw that in as background information.

Davidah

[davidah]

I can't say for sure there was a correlation, but C (who also has low muscle tone) suddenly was able to potty train a little past turning 5 when he did yoga lessons for a couple of months.

The yoga instructor was taught here: http://www.specialyoga.com/ You could look at the licensed practitioners link at the site and see if there is anyone near you who does it.

Good luck!

Thanks! -- you always have good ideas for me. There isn't someone very nearby, but maybe it's something we could arrange on an occasional basis. I think it would be very helpful.

Davidah

[davidah]

I think having them stop and start the urine stream, while on the potty, can help build awareness as well as exercise key muscles.

Thanks! That's also a good idea. I think DD is probably not able to do this and it would be good to work on. Strengthening those muscles might also help avoid the "help I'm crying and now I'm peeing" accidents.

Davidah