Dr Catherine
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Girl
4-7 years

Hi Nikki, sometimes children wear DryNites as a matter of security, particularly if they have been caught unawares or were particularly distressed by a bedwetting incident. The fact that your son’s bedwetting coincided with the birth of his baby sister may be an indication that he has some unresolved or unrecognised feelings associated with this experience. It is not unusual for children to experience a period of stress following the birth of a sibling, particularly if your son was previously an only child. Stress in children, as I am sure you are aware, can manifest itself as a physical symptom such as bedwetting. Following the birth of a sibling children can sometimes feel a degree of uncertainty about their place in the family and may feel that they are somehow being replaced, even when this is not the case. At times like these it is important to reassure children of your love and their importance in the family. If you do however think his reason for wearing DryNites stems from a fear of wetting the bed, you need to shift the focus away from this and reassure him that this is unlikely to happen again and even if it does you are there to help him manage the situation. It may even be worthwhile having him checked by your GP just to make sure there is no underlying medical cause like a urinary tract infection, this may also alleviate any fears he may have about re-occurrence. Regards, Dr Cathrine