Bedwetting Help for Kids in Brisbane

One of the things we love the most about Brisbane Kids is that it’s so much more than just a website and social media hub of useful information — it’s a community. It’s an amazing network of support for parents and carers to make their journey a little easier and to enrich the lives of their little ones. Which is why we were not surprised by your amazing response when we reached out to you as a community to ask for your support for a mother of a beautiful eight-year-old Brisbane Kid who was struggling with not having dry nights.

Not only did you come back with lots of recommendations of who to go to for help, you also gave tips that have worked for you, and lots of kind reassurance for those working through bedwetting issues. So here — compiled in one spot for easy reference and for anyone who may have missed it — are your suggestions of who to go to for bedwetting help and your tips for dry nights. Yes, you are AWESOME!

Who to go to for bedwetting help

GP

For most child-health issues, your family GP is usually your best first port of call. They can run tests to see if there are any underlying health or physical issues that might be causing the bedwetting, for example, things like a urine infection or urinary reflux. They can prescribe medication, such as Tofranil, which some parents found to stop the issue instantly. They can also give you a referral to a specialist that they think will give the most appropriate help for your child. If you don’t already have a trusted family GP, you can click on ‘General Practice’ and enter your suburb here to find one near you.

Paediatrician

Paediatricians are experts in children’s physical, behavioural and mental health. As such, they are awesome for helping with bedwetting issues, diagnosing any underlying conditions and giving treatment. Some paediatricians you recommended for help with bedwetting are:
Dr Mark Davoren in Everton Park and Dr Mike McGill at Northwest Private.

Incontinence Clinic

There several specialist incontinence clinics around the Brisbane area. Recommended to us was the incontinence clinic at Ipswich Community Health Centre in the Youth Community Centre. Also recommended was the Mars Clinic, which is a children’s continence clinic. They have locations in Brisbane, the Gold Coast and Ipswich. Click here to find a clinic near you.

Urologist or Paediatric Urologist

Getting a referral to a urologist or paediatric urologist has also been highly recommended since bedwetting can be linked to lots of medical bladder- and bowl-related causes and it can be helpful to rule out any physical issues before anything else. Brisbane Mater’s Dr David Winkle has been recommended as a leader in this field.

Child Health Clinic

Community child health services provide free parenting information and support for families of children aged 0–12 in Queensland. To find your local one, simply enter ‘Child Health Clinic’ into the keyword search here.

Chiropractor

Several of our followers recommended seeking the help of a chiropractor, since bedwetting can be linked to nerves and not feeling the urge to go whilst kids are sleeping.

Physical Therapist or Occupational Therapist

Physical therapists and occupational therapists can also help with bedwetting issues. A physical therapist recommended by you is Jody at Bayside Physical Therapies (Tyack Health). You can also see What to Look for in an Occupational Therapist for Kids in Brisbane.

 

ENT

One follower informs us that strangely enough, bedwetting can be linked to kids’ tonsils, even if they have NO tonsil problems, and recommends going to see an ear, nose and throat specialist. You can search for a suitable ENT doctor here.

Psychologist

Despite seeming like solely a physical issue, bedwetting can be psychological. There can be many reasons why children may wet the bed, including stress, major life changes such as starting school or a new baby, bullying and many more. If your child’s bedwetting could be psychological, it is important to identify these issues as early as possible. There are many excellent child psychologists that you can find here.

Hypnotherapist

Several people said that seeing a hypnotherapist helped their child with bedwetting.

Bowen Therapist

Bowen Therapy was said to be useful for tackling bedwetting. Check out Brisbane Bowen Clinic or The Brisbane Healing and Training Centre for further information.

Chemist / Pharmacist

Many chemists and pharmacists stock sleep alarms that can be hired to help wake kids when they may need to go to the toilet, which is a great option if you would rather not use medication or the medications don’t work. Many of our followers found these a success. Places mentioned for getting one include Civic Fair Pharmacy, Wishart and Chemmart, Everton Park, but many other locations have them too, and often offer additional support such as weekly calls for advice from a nurse.

Tips for dry nights

Your tips on things to try or to remember if you have a little one struggling to stay dry at night:

• Consider using pyjama pants while they are still on the path to dry nights.
• Restrict, within reason, fluids after dinner time.
• Make sure kids always go to the toilet before bed, even if they say they don’t need to.
• Try not to make too big a deal out of bedwetting.
• Reassure them and remind them that everyone is different and they will become dry in their own time.
• Be patient and try not to add to their stress and anxiety, which can worsen the situation.
• Remember that bedwetting is not even usually considered to be an issue until after seven years of age.
• If all medical and psychological causes have been ruled out, be patient and let them grow out of it naturally.