Disposable Diapers to Manage Bedwetting With Older Children and Teenagers

The most commonly used disposable garments used to manage bedwetting with older children and teenagers are "Goodnites" and pull-ups. "Goodnites" were introduced into the market place several years ago for older children and teenagers with bedwetting problems because it was thought that this style of garment would be less stigmatizing to wear. The thinking was that because these garments were designed to look like underwear as opposed to looking like diapers,an older child or teen would be less embarrassed to wear protection to bed. However as this article points out a large number of people feel that diapers are the garments most suitable to manage heavier forms of incontinence such as bedwetting. Many bedwetters have large voids during the night and for some bedwetters garments such as pull-ups and "Goodnites" aren't up to the task of managing their nighttime incontinence.Some people have leaked through garments such as pull-ups and "Goodnites" and for these individuals diapers are a good option to consider. There are a number of features of disposable diapers that make them an ideal choice to manage bedwetting. This article talks about those features and why parents should consider using diapers as a management tool for their youngster's bedwetting. Unfortunately the majority of the public feel that diapers should only be used for babies. I feel that the following quote from "Diapers Get a Bum Wrap"(which is the second chapter of The New Diaper Primer,a very good resource) sums up the current thinking about this subject perfectly: "This infantile image keeps many,if not most,incontinent children and adults out of diapers and struggling with leaks,wet beds,and so on. We can still cringe to hear the oft-told story of a bed-wetting youngster and the mounds of laundry daily with sheets,blankets,pajamas,not to mention the emotional stress and loss of sleep from interruptions during the night. But if we were to suggest it might be much easier on everyone if the youngster wore diapers to bed,the reply would be an astonished and/or indignant stare while maintaining that the youngster is too old to be wearing diapers. Again,that unshakable stigma!"


This article focuses on disposable diapers for older children and teenagers that wet the bed. The article is broken up into several parts. The first few sections talk about the advantages disposable diapers have over the more popular disposable garments used to manage bedwetting such as pull-ups and "Goodnites" The next section(pages 5-9) talk about the different brands of disposable diapers available for older bedwetters as well as places that sell these brands. In addition this section talks about where to get samples of the various brands mentioned in this article. In the interest of time, some parents might want to skim through the first few sections just to get an overview of the various features of disposable diapers that give them an advantage over garments such as pull-ups and "Goodnites" and go directly to page 5. You can then read pages 5 through 9 to consider what brand(or brands) of diapers to buy and where to purchase these brands. Finally I also offer advice for parents who may be having a difficult time deciding on whether to purchase pin-on cloth diapers or disposable diapers for their bedwetter. For a more in depth discussion regarding pin-on cloth diapers I encourage you to read my article "Information Regarding Pin-On Diapers for Older Children and Teenagers that Wet the Bed."


First off I'd like to introduce some terminology which parents should become familiar with. When buying diapers for your older child or teenager that wets the bed be aware that these garments are not referred to as diapers but disposable briefs. Disposable briefs have the same design and fit as baby diapers such as Pampers,Luvs,and Huggies-they have tape tabs for fastening the garments,elastic leg gathers to prevent leakage(some disposable briefs also have elastic waist bands for added protection against leaks),and they have a waterproof outer cover made of either plastic or a cloth like outer cover(also known as a non-woven outer cover)
It's a shame that most people only use garments such as pull-ups/pull-ons and "Goodnites" to deal with their bed-wetting and won't even consider trying other options. Options that in some cases can offer better protection thereby making the child feel more comfortable and secure. I've talked with customer service reps from The Bedwetting Store,Continence Connection,National Incontinencce,XP Medical, HDIS and other places that sell incontinence products and the ones I spoke with felt that the disposable briefs tend to be more absorbent and provide better protection than garments such as pull-ups and "Goodnites" although some people I've spoken with said that both briefs and pull-ups are equally effective at protecting the user,it's just a question of personal preference.


That being said,the consensus from both customer service reps that sell both types of garments and people from incontinence forums who experience bed-wetting seems to be that disposable briefs tend to offer better protection for this particular type of incontinence. As far as obtaining opinions about bed-wetting products from customer service reps, although there is the potential for bias in this area and people should exercise a certain degree of caution when evaluating the information presented to them(as is the case in any other transaction), the companies that I did gather this information from have been around for a number of years and are highly regarded by many people. In addition it would not be in the best interest of these companies to recommend products that didn't work. I suspect that in general,the people who operate mail order incontinence companies tend to have a high level of integrity(of course as with everything else in life there are exceptions to the rule) and want to instill these values in the staff who are responsible for providing information about what the best type of products to buy based on the customer's needs. Like any other sales person they have to responsive to the needs of their customers otherwise they'll soon be out of a job and if the company gets a reputation for recommending products that don't meet the consumer's needs they'll soon be out of business.


At this point I'd like to talk about some of the reasons that the disposable tape tab briefs tend to be more effective than products such as "Goodnites" and pull-ups for heavy incontinence such as bed-wetting. One of the reasons for this is that there tends to be more padding in the briefs.

One customer service representative told me that many briefs have a highly absorbent polymer and high capacity padding which extends to the wings and side panels. Another customer service representative told me that the disposable tape on briefs tend to have more padding in the front and back and the pull-on garments tend to have less padding in the waist area. A third customer service rep told me that the briefs have padding all around whereas garments such as pull-ups and "Goodnites" don't. In general it seems that products such as "Goodnites" tend to not have padding on the sides which means they'll most likely provide less effective protection particularly with those people who tend to sleep on their sides. In fact one person on an incontinence forum mentioned that he didn't find the pull-up style disposable diapers effective for bed-wetting. He said that they didn't have enough protection on the sides and he frequently experienced leaks. I was also told that with a tape on brief there's more flexibility in getting a snug fit because you have the ability to adjust the tapes on the brief thereby making them fit more snug .This in turn should help prevent leaks. That's the reason disposable briefs have refastenable tapes, in case you need to make any adjustments to the brief to make it fit better.


There are a couple of sites which have material on them pertaining to different types of incontinence products and they are Duraline Medical Products and Woodbury Products.The material on these sites also talk about the advantages of disposable briefs.On the Duraline Medical Products website in the education part of their website they have a section called "common types of incontinence and appropriate products." For nocturnal enuresis(which as mentioned earlier is the clinical term for bed-wetting) they had this to say regarding the best type of product to wear: "Heavy incontinence such as urge,nocturnal enuresis,or reflex,usually requires a wrap-around brief, either disposable or cloth, or a heavy pant and pad system." As far as pant and pad systems are concerned, although these were mentioned by Duraline as being appropriate for heavy incontinence,other sources that sell incontinence products(as well as the Diaper Primer) indicate that these are designed to handle light to moderate incontinence and are not recommended for bed-wetting.In the incontinence guide on the Woodbury Products website it listed four different levels of incontinence-very light,light,moderate,and heavy. It also listed the types of garments most suited to deal with these different levels. Disposable tape tab briefs were the ones mentioned to be most effective in dealing with heavy incontinence(incontinence where the person loses large volumes of urine.) To quote the website-"Ultra comfortable and discreet,disposable briefs offer superior protection and confidence. Easily fasten with tape tabs." Since bed-wetting is a form of heavy incontinence it would be best to use a product designed specifically for this type of incontinence and disposable tape tab briefs appear to be the best choice to manage heavy incontinence.


Currently I'd like to mention the information that was provided to me from both New Freedom Solutions and XP Medical. New Freedom Solutions specializes in incontinence products for incontinent adults,children,and teenagers and is owned by a husband and wife who have family members who are incontinent- the husband as well as their autistic son. I spoke with him briefly and asked him which type of garments he considered more effective for the management of heavier forms of incontinence such as bedwetting- "Goodnites" or disposable briefs and he told me that disposable briefs are more effective for heavier voids. He said that the disposable briefs have more padding in them and that this is particularly advantageous if the child moves around a lot at night because they will better protect against the leaks that can result from constant movement. Finally,the owner of XP Medical in an email to me had the following to say regarding disposable tape on briefs versus pull-ups: "Tape tab briefs are almost always more absorbent than pull-ups,and therefore better for heavy incontinence. As you mentioned the reason for this is twofold: 1.)There is more padding because there is not so much elastic using up space in front and back. 2.) The tapes allow the product to be fixed more firmly so that they will stay in place even when wet. Pullups will fall down if too heavy."


He went on to say that some people may find it difficult to fasten the tapes on a tape on diaper such as a person who suffers from arthritis or Parkinson's disease. In a situation such as this it would be better to use garments such as pull-ups. That being said if your bed-wetter does not have any cognitive or physical impairments that would prevent or make it difficult for him or her to fasten the tapes on a tape tab style disposable brief,it would be advisable to have the child or teenager wear disposable tape tab briefs instead of pull-ups. As far as choosing a diaper with a cloth like outer cover versus one with a plastic outer cover he had this to say: "The Air-Plus diapers(a diaper with a cloth like outer cover made by Abena) have the advantage of being quieter and allowing some airflow through the material. On the other hand, many customers do not like them because the cloth like material 'grabs' on clothing and can allow odors to seep through." Although this happened with a particular brand of diaper, this problem can occur with other brands of diapers. One person on an incontinence site mentioned that he found that the diapers with the cloth like outer cover tended to stick to the sheets when he moved around in bed and since he moved around a lot at night he preferred the disposable diapers with a plastic outer cover.


As mentioned earlier people within the incontinence community also have good things to say regarding disposable briefs. The author of the Diaper Primer is incontinent and he had this to say regarding the advantages of disposable briefs over pull-on style disposable garments : "As a general observation,we would say that pull-ons are not really "you know whats"(i.e. diapers) and cannot afford the same protection afforded by the "ah-hem." If they are going to get used and wet,they are going to become heavy,and the elastic waist will not be able to keep them up or comfortable. This writer's opinion is that they are very useful and valuable for those who do not plan to get them wet and are wearing protection primarily for peace of mind or for that "just in case situation" and "The capacity of pull-ons is less than a full diaper brief."


There are several brands of disposable briefs that are highly regarded by many people especially for heavy incontinence such as bed-wetting. As mentioned at the start of this article disposable briefs is the term used for disposable diapers for older children,teenagers,and adults. They look and fit just like baby diapers such as Pampers,Luvs,and Huggies.They have tapes for fastening the garments,elastic leg gathers to prevent leakage,and some briefs have elastic waist bands which also prevent leaks. Brands of disposable briefs that are highly rated for heavy forms of incontinence such as bedwetting include Molicare Super Plus Fitted Briefs, Abriform X-Plus briefs made by Abena ,the Unique Brief(which is made by First Wellness and is also known as the Wellness brief), Eurobrief made by Mediprime,Secure X-Plus briefs, Tranquility All-Through-The Night disposable briefs,Tenas,Mega Careline(which from what I understand might have gone out of business although I saw them for sale on the website Health Care Mega Mall)and Dry247 briefs. Abena Abriform also has a model called the "Super" brief which is not as absorbent as the X-Plus model but is available in an extra small size for those youngsters who might not be able to fit into the X-Plus briefs.


Secure Personal Care makes two briefs for heavy incontinence such as bedwetting- the Secure X-Plus brief and the Premium taped briefs. The Secure X-Plus has sizes ranging from medium(which might fit a teenager) to extra large. This brief is the most absorbent one they sell. The Premium brief has sizes ranging from small(which should fit older children) to extra large. They have samples of their briefs so you might consider purchasing samples first to see how the briefs work for your child or teenager. New Freedoms Solutions has a chart on their website which lists the sizes for disposable briefs and what ages those sizes fit. The web address for Secure Personal Care is www.securepersonalcare.com

As I talk about later on in this article many places have samples of various brands of disposable briefs. Before buying a whole pack or case of a particular brand of disposable diapers you might want to try a sample first to see what brand(or brands-some people find that their incontinence can be effectively managed by more than one brand of disposable diapers) of diapers work best for your child or teenager. Another factor to consider when purchasing disposable diapers for your older child or teenager that wets the bed is whether or not they might feel more comfortable wearing diapers with a plastic outer cover or a cloth like outer cover. As I have pointed out throughout this article many people prefer the disposable diapers with a plastic outer cover,whereas others like the disposable diapers with a cloth like outer cover. Again this is another reason to consider purchasing samples of various brands of disposable diapers.


At this point I'd also like to mention another brand of disposable brief which I recently found out about. The company that manufactures these briefs is called "Provider's Choice Daytime Plus." They make two models of briefs. One model is the Provider's Choice Daytime Plus Premium Brief and the other model is the Active Ultra Plus Brief. I just found out about this brand and I thought I'd inform my readers about this brand as well. Apparently they're new so I don't know how effective they are. The website mentions that the Active Ultra diaper is designed for extended wear time and enables a person to sleep through the night without changing. The only problem is that they don't make a small size for these briefs. They make a medium and a large size. The medium size fits a waist size of 32-44 inches which may fit a larger child or teenager. The Daytime Plus Premium Briefs on the other hahttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifnd are available in smaller sizes. The small size of the Daytime Plus Premium briefs fits waists of 20-31 inches. The customer service representative I spoke with said that although they're not as absorbent as the Active Ultra briefs she said that people have used them for overnight use. To quote the website- "The super-absorbent core system insures extended or overnight periods of dryness."


The company has samples of the Active Ultra Plus Brief but not the Daytime Plus Premium Briefs. As mentioned the company that makes these briefs is called Provider's Choice Daytime Plus. Their web address is www.providerschoicemed.com and their toll free number is (888)287-1052. Although they don't sell directly to the public they have free samples but at this time they just have samples of the Active Ultra Plus Brief. Although currently they don't make the Active Ultra Plus brief in a small size I was told that they might make a small size in the future.


Other brands of disposable briefs include the Wings brand by Kendall, Prevail by First Quality, Whitestone(which make different models of disposable briefs including "Ultrashields")the Dignity brand made by Humanicare,At Ease,Attends,Protection Plus by Medline,Dry Comfort,and Nightingale.As far as the Dignity brand is concerned they make a nighttime version of their briefs which is called "Dignity PM" They also make a brief called "Dignity Plus". Attends came out with a new brief recently called the Extended Wear brief. This is supposed to be very good for overnight use.Other disposable briefs by Attends include the extra absorbent breathable brief and the "poly briefs" which are briefs with a plastic outer cover. If you go to the Attends website hey have a place where you can click on the website in order to get free samples of any of the briefs you might be interested in as well as information about where to purchase Attends products. For more information about Attends briefs go to www.attends.com click on " our products" (at the top of the page),then click on briefs.


Right now I'd like to get back to the topic of disposable tape tab briefs with plastic outer covers and disposable tape tab briefs with cloth like outer covers. As far as buying disposable tape on briefs with a plastic outer layer or a cloth layer is concerned, this is a personal preference. There are people who prefer the diapers with a cloth like outer cover and there are those who prefer the diapers with a plastic outer layer. Some of the complaints about diapers with a cloth like outer covering that were mentioned in the Diaper Primer are abrasion between the legs and a feeling of clamminess. Other people prefer the cloth like outer cover because they feel it's more comfortable. There are a number of reasons why most manufacturers seem to be making diapers with a cloth like outer cover. One,is that they could be more cost effective for the manufacturers to produce. Two,they are supposed to be more discreet to wear-some of the diapers with the plastic outer cover make a loud crinkling sound whenever the user moves around. Third,the cloth like outer cover is supposed to make the diapers more underwear like in appearance which makes them more acceptable to wear for many people. Fourth,these diapers are supposed to be more breathable which means they're supposed to be healthier for the individual's skin.


Finally,all of these reasons might be involved in the decision to make these kinds of diapers. That being said,there are companies that make both styles of diapers and there are companies that only make diapers with a plastic outer cover.
I personally think that the reason most diapers for older children,adolescents,teenagers,and adults are made with a cloth like outer cover is that these diapers look more like underwear than the ones made with a plastic outer layer. As far as the rustling sound is concerned I understand that there are ways to get around this problem and if the person is only wearing diapers at night this shouldn't be a concern. Furthermore,even certain brands of disposable diapers with a cloth like outer cover can make some degree of noise. It should be pointed out that products and brands evolve over time-for instance a brand that might have had a bad reputation with members of the incontinence community years ago may improve and vice-versa.



Another point to keep in mind with disposable briefs is that some people buy disposable liners to increase the absorbency of the brief. Disposable liners are known as booster pads or "diaper doublers" and can be purchased from mail order companies such as HDIS ,National Incontinence,Continence Connection among other places that specialize in incontinence products. As I talk about later in this article,many companies that sell incontinence products have sample packs of disposable briefs and this will help you make the decision about whether the disposable tape on briefs with the cloth like outer cover or the disposable tape tab briefs with the plastic outer cover works best for you.


In the article "Which book will help me become a better parent?" Frank Devlin has the following to say which I feel can be applied to the case of bed-wetting and choosing the most effective product to manage it: "The Family Project panel believes the way to approach parenting books is not to find the one book that is "right" They say: Take bits of advice from various books that make sense to you,add techniques your own parents,friends,or relatives might have used that you endorse,and come up with your own strategy" and "Don't get hung up on following parenting books to the letter. Take bits that make sense to you from each book and work them into your overall parenting style. Be skeptical of books that preach that one single method can work with a myriad of problems or children's personalities."


The last sentence in particular applies to bed-wetting and wearing the appropriate diaper to manage it. In this case the single method that is touted by many people, both parents and medical professionals, is the use of garments like "Goodnites." As I have stated elsewhere I am not against people using products such as "Goodnites" to manage bed-wetting if they happen to offer effective protection however this isn't always the case. What I am against is all this emphasis on the image of incontinence products as opposed to how well the product protects both the individual and the bed.


As far as where to purchase disposable briefs is concerned there are a number of places online that sell these garments-HDIS(which stands for Home Delivery Incontinence Supplies)XP Medical, ABAIP(this stands for A Better Absorbent Incontinence Product and was bought by Gary Evans,the owner of XP Medical) Continence Connection,National Incontinence,New Freedom Solutions, to name just a few. The NAFC,or National Association for Continence publishes a resource guide which lists companies that sell various incontinence products such as diapers,waterproof pants,skin care products,and other items. This is a resource you should consider purchasing to obtain more information regarding where to buy incontinence products. Earlier in this article I mentioned that there are several companies that have samples of disposable briefs. At this point I'd like to mention some of these companies. HDIS has a brief variety pack containing 24 samples for $9.95. Their web address is www.hdis.com.


XP Medical has sample of packs of various disposable briefs including Dry247,Abena,and Attends. The price of the sample packs are $5.95 and depending on what brand/model you're interested in the pack can have anywhere from 2 to 4 briefs. XP Medical's web address is www.xpmedical.com.

Continence Connection has sample packs of both the Tranquility All Through-the-Night disposable briefs in youth and adult sizes as well as sample packs of Abena briefs. As far as Abena is concerned they carry a sample pack of the X-Plus briefs(which has a plastic backing)and they have a sample pack of the X-Plus Air briefs which have a cloth like outer cover.All the sample packs from Continence Connection are $4.95.

National Incontinence also has a brief sample pack for $6.95. First Wellness,the maker of the Unique Brief has free samples. Their web address is www.uniquebrief.com I was on the Dry247 website some time ago and recall seeing that they had sample packs of their briefs as well. Their web address is www.dry247.com.


I'd like to wrap this article up by talking about several subjects regarding diaper use and bedwetting. The first has to do with skin care. When wearing diapers for incontinence it's important to maintain appropriate skin care in order to avoid problems such as diaper rash. There are a number of items you can buy to aid in this-ointments such as Desitin,sprays,foams,as well as other products. I talk about this in more depth in my article "Bedwetting and Maintaining Appropriate Hygiene."
Second,many parents might be wondering the following-should I have my child or teenager wear cloth diapers or disposable diapers to manage the bedwetting. Some people use both styles of diapers to deal with the bedwetting. For example there are people who find pin-on cloth diapers covered with plastic pants too uncomfortable to wear during the warmer times of the year such as spring and summer and switch to disposable diapers at night. Additionally you can have the child or teenager wear pin-on cloth diapers covered with plastic pants on some nights of the week and disposable diapers on other nights.


There are a number of advantages in doing this-one, it cuts down on the time spent laundering diapers and plastic pants,two,it cuts down on the wear of the diapers because you're not laundering them as much,and three you'll save money because you won't be buying as many disposable diapers per year.This is something that should be considered by parents who are having a tough time deciding on what type of diapers to have their child or teen wear to bed. On the other hand many environmentally conscious people prefer to use cloth diapers only. Cloth diapers have a number of features that make them an ideal choice for the management of bedwetting. I talk about the advantages of cloth diapers in my article "Information Regarding Pin-On Diapers for Older Children,Adolescents, and Teenagers With Bedwetting Problems" If you decide to use cloth diapers as well as disposable diapers(or you just want to use cloth diapers) you must cover the diapers with waterproof pants. The most popular type of waterproof pants to put over cloth diapers are plastic pants. I talk about some of the more popular brands of plastic pants in my article "Brands of Plastic Pants for Older Children,Adolescents,and Teenagers With Bedwetting Problems."


Third, even though you're having the child or teenager sleep in diapers you should cover the bed with a waterproof sheet just in case the youngster wets through the diapers. I talk about the different types of waterproof sheets you can use for bedwetting(as well as an idea I have for a homemade plastic sheet) in my article "Waterproof Sheets for Bedwetting."


Another point I'd like to bring up regarding buying disposable diapers for your bedwetting youngster is the following-it's very important that the child be responsible for diapering themselves. A child should be taught how to fasten their own diapers and change their own diapers at a young age so the child doesn't feel embarrassed about wearing the diapers. I talk about this in greater depth in my article "Older Children,Bedwetting,and Self Diapering."


Finally,if you decide to go the diaper route with your bedwetting child or teen but they resist wearing them you can read my article "Ways Parents Can Encourage Older Children and Teenagers to Wear Diapers for Bedwetting." This article offers parents several strategies they can use to motivate and encourage an older child or teenager who might feel embarrassed and ashamed about their parents requiring them to wear diapers to bed.


I hope this article helps parents who may be having a difficult time in choosing a diaper to manage bedwetting with their older child or teenager's bedwetting.

Older Children,Bedwetting,Diapers,and Discretion:Dealing With Babysitters,Nannies,and Other Caregivers

One of the key concerns of older children that wear diapers for bed-wetting is how to maintain discretion. For many children that wet the bed parents going out for the evening is a situation that elicits a considerable amount of anxiety. This article addresses this issue.

As mentioned in my article "Older Children,Bed-Wetting,and Self Diapering" older children should be responsible for putting on their own protection unless the child has some cognitive and/or physical impairment that prevents or makes it difficult for him or her to do so. If this is the case this should be brought up to the babysitter beforehand.

With this in mind there is really no reason to involve the babysitter. The only scenario I can see where this might be necessary is if the child has to wear diapers and plastic pants to bed. There could be situations in which the parent or parents have not finished laundering the diapers and plastic pants. As a result the babysitter might notice plastic pants hanging up to dry or have to take diapers out of the dryer when they're done to give to the child before he goes to bed. Or the diapers and plastic pants might be laundered but the parents might have forgotten or not have time to put them in the child's room and the babysitter has to give them to the child. Depending on the relationship you have with the babysitter and their maturity level this may not be a problem. Usually a parent's intuition should be a fairly reliable guide to how well the person taking care of the child will respond to this issue. If the parents feel that the babysitter is responsible and level headed they might have no qualms about involving them in dealing with the protective garments.

That being said, another thing to consider is the child's relationship to the babysitter. The child might not feel comfortable with them knowing they have to wear diapers and plastic pants for bed-wetting. If this is the case or the parents don't feel the babysitter will react to the fact that the child has to wear night diapers in a mature,respectful fashion then the parents need to make sure the garments are ready for the child prior to the babysitter coming over. As discussed in previous articles there are instances where bed-wetters wear both reusable and disposable diapers. If this is so the child can wear disposable diapers when the parents might be out for the evening and use the cloth diapers and plastic pants on other nights. This way the babysitter doesn't have to know about the bed-wetting and diaper use. As far as the child's relationship to the babysitter is concerned another factor involved in how close the child feels to the babysitter is the sex of both the child and the caretaker. Girls tend to be more mature than boys and as a result are usually more responsible. Also the girl's maternal instincts come into play which means in general girls tend to be more nurturing and sympathetic. When you combine the traits of responsibility with being nurturing it's very likely that a girl babysitter might be more sympathetic and understanding about the fact that the child needs to wear diapers to bed. As far as the sex of the child and how this relates to how comfortable the child feels with the babysitter knowing about the bed-wetting and diaper use,this has to be taken on a case by case basis. For example, some boys feel more comfortable discussing certain issues with a female. Likewise the boy might feel more at ease discussing other types of problems with a male. The same can be said for girls. Bed-Wetting and the use of diapers to manage it is also a case where the child might only feel comfortable discussing it with a certain sex. The parents have to make a judgment based on the child's personality and that of the babysitter.

At this point I would like to talk about nannies. Many parents use nannies and au pairs to take care of their children. Since the nannies live with the family and are responsible for doing chores around the house such as laundry it is impossible for them not to be aware of the child having a bed-wetting problem and being involved with taking care of the wet items. Since there are a large number of children that wet the bed I'm sure this is not a big deal. However if the child has to wear pin-on diapers and plastic pants and since older children are more self-conscious about wearing these styles of diapers, this might need to be addressed with the agency beforehand. I would talk to them and say that you have an older child that needs to wear pin-on cloth diapers and plastic pants because they wet the bed. I would mention that they might feel self-conscious about the nanny dealing with these garments and ask them if they have suggestions on how to broach this subject with the caretaker or if the agency can talk to them beforehand about it. Since taking care of children requires a person who is highly responsible and mature I would think that the individual would be able to handle this in a gracious manner. In addition it's in the nanny's best interest nanny to have a reputation of being judicious and responsible so they get good references in order to get hired again. Again the child might feel somewhat anxious about this and the parent should let them know that you're taking their feelings into consideration and that you'll make sure that the person responsible for taking care of them will handle this in a caring manner.

If the child is staying with relatives the parents need to make a judgment call as far as how they think the relatives will respond to the child or teen's problem. If they feel they will be understanding about the bed-wetting and diaper use the parents can disclose this to them. If however they think they will not respond in a positive manner the parents need to come up with a plan to help the bed-wetter keep the problem private. Perhaps the child can wear disposable diapers and dispose of them in a garbage bag. The youngster can double bag to make sure that there's no telltale odor. The child can put them in a a garbage bag,spray some Lysol or other disinfectant in the bag,tie the bag up,then put that bag in another garbage bag. You should find out if the child will be sharing a room before hand so you can devise a plan to keep the issue private. Hopefully the parents will have a close enough relationship where they can discuss this issue beforehand. Unfortunately not all people are understanding about this problem and if the parents of the child feel they might not be supportive then it might be best to follow the suggestions mentioned earlier. Incontinence and parenting forums are a good place to get suggestions about these types of issues. Incontinence Resource Center has a forum where you can ask questions about incontinence and incontinence products. Many people suffering from bed-wetting and other forms of incontinence have dealt with these types of concerns and should be able to provide suggestions about how to be discreet about the bed-wetting and diaper use. It might be a good idea to post a question on the forum of the Incontinence Resource Center and see if they have additional ideas about this matter. Their web address is www.incontinencesupport.info

At this point I'd like to talk about boarding school. If the child or teen is going away to a boarding school and is dealing with bed-wetting the parents need to talk about this with the school beforehand. I would tell them that you have a child who needs special accommodations due to a medical problem and ask them who you would talk to about that. I suspect they have a specific individual(perhaps the school nurse) that handles these matters. When you talk to the person responsible for dealing with this subject you should ask them if the school is set up to wash diapers and plastic pants(if the child or teen uses these types of diapers) or should the youngster wear disposable diapers instead. Another thing to ask is if the school can make arrangements for the youth to either share a room with a student with similar issues. If not what sort of steps can be taken to enable the youngster to be discreet about the problem. Given the fact that many children,teenagers,and adolescents wet the bed I'm sure they're used to dealing with this. Again I would check out various parenting and incontinence forums to see what advice they might have regarding this.

The last thing I'd like to talk about is camp. For many youngsters summer camp can be a real fun experience,however it can be nerve wracking for a child or teen that wets the bed. Again the same advice applies. This is a fairly common situation and most camps should be well versed in how to handle it. There are camps that deal specifically with youths with bed-wetting and other incontinence issues. One of these camps is called Camp Brandon for Boys. Here is their contact information: 14 Jerry Drive, Plattsburgh NY 12901. Their phone number is (518) 570-5184. I couldn't find a web address for them. Another camp for children with bed-wetting issues is Camp Kirk in Canada. Their web address is www.campkirk.com. There is a resource that lists camps for youth with special needs called CampResource.com. which is an online summer camp directory. Both Camp Kirk and Camp Brandon were listed on their website. Their web address is www.campresource.com. If you do a Google search you might be able to come up with other camps of a similar nature or if you contact CampResource.com they might have suggestions about resources to contact that may have camps not listed on their site.

Bed-Wetting and the use of diapers to manage it doesn't have to be a stressful experience. With appropriate preparation it can be dealt with in a way that allows the child to maintain their dignity. It's important for the youngster have a strong support system. This will go a long way in helping him or her feel less self-conscious about this problem.

Bedwetting and Maintaining Appropriate Hygiene

When one talks about bed-wetting and what type of garments to manage it,there is an undue emphasis on the image of the garments. The key evidence of this is how the products are marketed. For example disposable diapers for older children,adolescents,teenagers,and adults are called "disposable briefs". As mentioned in a previous article these garments have the same design,fit,and style as baby diapers. The reason they call them disposable briefs is because if f they called these garments diapers no one would buy them. Another way that the stigma surrounding incontinence garments(particularly diapers) drives what products will be made,sold,and marketed is the prevalence in the market for products that are underwear like in design and appearance. For adults these garments are known as "protective underwear" and for older children,adolescents,and teenagers they're called "pull-ups" and "Goodnites" I have mentioned in a prior article that although these seem to be the most popular forms of protection, garments such as diapers actually appear to be the most effective form of protection to manage heavy incontinence such as bed-wetting. In general,bed-wetters lose a large volume of urine at night and in some cases they can wet more than once at night. With this in mind,it would be prudent for parents of bed-wetters to consider using diapers to deal with the bed-wetting.

There is debate among people about whether or not parents should require their older child,adolescent,or teenager to wear diapers to bed. I have addressed this issue in previous articles. Most people feel that the choice of what type of protective garments to wear to bed should be left up to the individual,or they feel that if the person that wets the bed chooses not to wear protective garments at night(whether diapers or other forms of protection), that's okay as long as he or she takes care of the wet clothing and bedding. I feel that there is a central issue that doesn't seem to be addressed in this context and I believe that our attitudes in this area need to be reexamined. I also feel that this issue doesn't seem to be considered in general by most people or if it is considered it takes a back seat in the decision making process about what type of items to wear for bed-wetting. The issue I'm talking about is hygiene. From what I can tell,most people would rather wear a garment that is less stigmatizing or none at all. However,as I discuss in this article this emphasis on image versus effective protection is misguided and could have detrimental effects. This article talks about the negative effects that urine can have on the skin and why it's necessary to maintain appropriate hygiene when you're incontinent. To that end, it's a good idea to wear the most effective type of protection for bed-wetting if that means diapers,then diapers should be worn. It's much more prudent to wear a garment that provides adequate protection(and therefore offers suitable skin care and comfort) then to wear something that leaves the person and bedding wet thereby increasing the risk for skin problems.

There are a number of articles that discuss the importance of skin care when you're incontinent. National Incontinence,a company that sells incontinence products and is run by a nurse who specializes in incontinence, has an article on their website which mentions several problems that could result from exposure to urine:1.)Maceration which means becoming soaked or "waterlogged". National Incontinence has this to say regarding maceration- "This added fragility puts the skin at greater risk for damage caused by friction,shear,and pressure." 2.)Incontinence dermatitis also known as perineal dermatitis or diaper rash is the second problem that this article talks about. The article describes perineal dermatitis this way- "Perineal dermatitis involves the irritation and breakdown of the skin as a result of over-exposure to moisture and chemicals in urine and feces." 3.)Bacterial infection-resulting from exposure to urine. This can be particularly detrimental for elderly patients because their skin tends to be more dry. Because of this dryness cracks can appear in the skin and the bacteria can be absorbed in these cracks 4.)Exposure to caustic agents-Ammonia is one of the caustic agents found in urine and this can irritate the skin and can contribute to the growth of microorganisms. 5.)Fungal infection- To quote the article- "The damp,warm skin environment generally associated with incontinence is ideal for the proliferation of pathogenic fungi." Some of the steps they mention to reduce the likelihood of skin problems resulting from incontinence are the following: 1.)Prevent excessive skin wetness 2.)Maintain the skin at its natural pH range(between 4 and 7) 3.)Minimize direct contact with urine and feces and 4.)Cleanse gently to avoid friction One of the articles the National Incontinence website references is "Skin Protection for those Dealing with Incontinence." Some of the things they say in the article are the following: "Health care professionals agree that prompt,proper,consistent perineal care is essential in dealing with incontinence" and "The best prevention against skin damage caused by incontinence is to keep the skin dry" Two of the steps they mention-minimizing direct contact with urine and preventing excessive skin wetness, go directly against the prevailing thinking on this issue espoused by many people who believe that it's okay if a youngster chooses not to wear protection to bed. A large number of people feel that as long as the youngster takes a shower in the morning,it's okay if he or she doesn't wear diapers to bed,but the points brought up in this article on the National Incontinence website suggests that not wearing the most effective protection to bed(and not just the form of protection that is most socially acceptable) or wearing none at all is contraindicated. Other medical professionals also emphasize the importance of proper skin care when incontinent. Lying all night in wet bedding and clothing for several hours a night does not "prevent excessive skin wetness" or "minimize direct contact with urine and feces" as the article on skin care from National Incontinence suggests.

As I point out below,many bed-wetters feel that garments such as pin-on diapers covered with plastic pants and disposable tape tab briefs offer more effective protection than underwear and pull up style products for the management of heavy incontinence such as bed-wetting. I'm not suggesting that pin-on diapers covered with plastic pants and disposable tape on diapers are the best choice for everybody that wets the bed. I'm also not suggesting that reusable or disposable pull-ups don't work for some people that wet the bed. In general,though,as I mentioned at the beginning of this article,bed-wetters lose a large volume of urine during the night and with some people the pull-ups aren't absorbent enough. As I have also brought up at the start of this article, some bed-wetters wet multiple times during the night and might require more than one pull-up. Individuals like these lose a large volume of urine throughout the night and the fact that they go through several pull-ups per night can be very expensive. In a situation such as this, instead of using a less absorbent product (which causes the person to get up several times during the night to change one's self,thereby preventing him or her from getting a full nights sleep) it would be best for the individual to wear a garment that provides better protection. This can be especially important if the bed-wetting persists into adulthood. At this point I'd like to digress for a moment and talk about this delicate issue. There are a couple of reasons why you need to carefully consider what type of product to wear to bed if you're an adult with a bed-wetting problem. Both of these reasons pertain to relationships and out of consideration for the person sharing the bed with you,certain precautions should be taken. First and foremost you don't want to pee on your partner!(I hope that didn't sound impertinent-I meant this in a completely lighthearted way. I feel it's good to have some sense of humor about these types of things) Second, you don't want to disturb him or her by having to get up several times during the night to change yourself if you wear a product that isn't absorbent enough. With these points in mind I thought I'd discuss other options. There seems to be certain advantages with garments such as pin-on cloth diapers and disposable briefs for the management of bed-wetting and it might be good for some bed-wetters to wear these to bed instead. What I'm suggesting is that a person should consider using pin-on diapers and plastic pants or disposable briefs if they have tried the pull-ups and find that they don't offer effective protection. There are also cases of people who use both pin-on diapers and disposable tape on diapers. Some people find that the pin-on diapers and plastic pants are too hot to wear in summertime and only wear them during the cooler months of the year. During the summer months they switch to disposable tape tab briefs.

The bottom line is that a person should use the most effective method to manage their bed-wetting. If a person finds the pin-on diapers and plastic pants or disposable tape on diapers are more absorbent than underwear like products(thereby providing them better protection,comfort,and security),they should switch to these products,after all, it's important for the bed-wetter to maintain appropriate skin hygiene.

Some people suffering from incontinence have said that wearing diapers has caused them skin problems. While it is certainly true that wearing diapers can cause some skin problems,it must be stressed that this most likely occurs if the person does not adhere to a regimen designed to promote and maintain healthy skin while using these garments. This has been pointed out repeatedly by many medical professionals when using incontinence garments. In addition,many pediatricians and parenting articles talk about the precautions that parents must take to make sure their infants don't get rashes and other skin problems from wearing diapers. It's also possible that the person might have sensitive skin that makes them susceptible to developing skin problems from wearing diapers,but this can most likely be minimized by talking to either a urologist to help them decide on an appropriate product to wear,or by talking to a customer service representative from the company they purchase incontinence products from. They should be able to recommend a garment that will help in this regard,or recommend certain skin care products that are especially designed for people with sensitive skin. Other medical professional who deal with incontinence and what steps to take to manage are wound,ostomy,and continence nurse,also known as a wocn nurses. They can suggest measures you can take to deal with skin problems resulting from incontinence. You might want to check with your local hospital or primary care physician to see if they can put you in contact with a wocn nurse. In addition your pharmacist might have suggestions on skin care products designed to prevent any problems that may result from wearing diapers.

A common problem that parents experience with their babies is diaper rash. This can also happen as well with other age groups who use diapers to deal with incontinence. Products to deal with this issue are found in food stores, stores such as Walmart and Target,and pharmacies such as Rite Aid, CVS,Walgreens,and similar stores. These products include diaper rash ointment such as Desitin, A&D ointment, Balmex,and other brands, baby wipes, powder, and related products. You can find these items in the infant section in the stores just mentioned. I think it would be a good idea to look into buying some of these products in order to prevent your youngster from developing any skin problems that might result from wearing diapers for the bed-wetting. In addition places such as HDIS(Home Delivery Incontinence Supplies), Continence Connection,and National Incontinence sell skin care products for incontinence.

Finally,if the person does not use diapers for the bed-wetting,they're just exposing more areas of the skin to detrimental effects. At this point I'd like to get back to the suggestion by most people that a bed-wetter will not suffer negative health effects if they don't wear diapers to bed as long as they take a shower in the morning. In my opinion this is a case of locking the barn after the horse is out. It is true that it would be advisable for a person to take a shower in the morning if they choose not to wear diapers to bed,if only to clean one's self and to eliminate the tell tale odors of urine before changing into the clothes the person is going to wear for the day. However, as pointed out earlier,the person's skin is still exposed to urine for several hours per night,thereby increasing the risks that some type of skin problems could occur. In this case,wearing diapers to bed is a preventative measure designed to minimize the risks of developing skin problems down the road. Another thing that should be kept in mind is the following possibility. During the winter time there is the potential for catching a chill if the person lies all night in wet sheets and clothing. By catching a chill the person is at risk for catching a cold if the person's immune system is weak for whatever reason. This is a point that doesn't seem to be considered by people who tend to downplay the negative effects of lying all night in a wet bed and although this risk might be negligible,it is something that shouldn't necessarily be discounted. Furthermore,wearing diapers to bed would cut down on the time needed to get ready in the morning-instead of having to take a shower in the morning,all the person has to do is clean around the diaper area. Using diapers to manage the bed-wetting would also cut down on the amount of laundry one has to take care of,allowing the person opportunities to take care of other things. In today's day and age when people are trying to compress more and more activities into a shorter time period, time is a precious commodity and anything that might help in this regard should be considered.

I hope this article gets people to reconsider their thinking in this area. Although there is a tremendous amount of stigma surrounding using diapers,in the end it makes more sense to use whatever means are necessary to mange this problem in a way that both makes the person suffering from bed-wetting more comfortable and provides better hygiene.

Information Regarding Pin-On Diapers for Older Children and Teenagers With Bedwetting Problems

This article discusses information about cloth diapers for bed-wetting,specifically pin-on diapers. As mentioned in another article, many people consider pin-on diapers to be the best type of reusable diaper to use for bed-wetting because most of them provide the best absorbency for nighttime incontinence. In general they seem to be more absorbent than alternatives such as pull-on cloth diapers. Also the pin type closures are supposed to have certain advantages over other types of diaper closures. For example I've read that alternative diaper fasteners such as Velcro can wear out and the snaps on snap-on diapers can break.

Some people find that snap-on diapers and Velcro diapers are more convenient to use for daytime use when multiple changes might be required although some people use pin-on diapers during the day also. If you have an older child,adolescent,or teenager that wets the bed you might want to consider using pin-on diapers covered by plastic pants. A valuable source for information about diapers and waterproof pants is "The New Diaper Primer." What makes this source particularly valuable is that it is written by someone who suffers from incontinence. The section on pin-on diapers is particularly valuable for any parent who is thinking about using these diapers to manage their child or teenager's bed-wetting. The web address for this article is www.incontinentsupport.org.

In terms of both folding and pinning on the diapers there is a certain technique which is designed to offer maximum protection against leaks in addition to providing the most comfort. This technique is described in great detail "The New Diaper Primer." "The New Diaper Primer" is divided into several sections or chapters. The chapter that discusses how to pin on cloth diapers is chapter 9 and is called "Pinning On Diapers." The other chapters that are very informative in the diaper primer are chapter 1B "Cloth Diapers",chapter 4 "How Much Diapering Do I Need?",and chapter 7 "Diaper Types".If you decide to purchase pin-on diapers for your bed-wetting youngster you should let the youngster fasten their own diapers.


I have read and heard about situations where people have diapered older children with bed-wetting problems and this can cause severe psychological damage. I discuss this further in my article "Older Children,Bed-Wetting,and Self Diapering." If the parents are concerned that their child/children might not fasten the diapers correctly they can have the youngster read the "pinning on diapers" section of "The New Diaper Primer." It's very important for a child's self-esteem and emotional health to be independent in this area.

One of the key points mentioned in "The New Diaper Primer" is wearing multiple diaper layers. This coupled with the pinning technique mentioned in the "Pinning On Diapers" section is supposed to provide the best protection for problems such as bed-wetting. Additionally, the author of "The New Diaper Primer" says that most pull-on diapers do not offer adequate protection for bed-wetting. This is something that parents need to keep in mind if they decide to purchase reusable products to manage their youngster's bed-wetting. Adults with bed-wetting problems should also keep this point in mind. The main reason for the introduction of products such as pull-on diapers is the stigma associated with wearing diapers. Furthermore the label "pull-on diapers" is a misnomer as many products labeled "pull-on diapers" are not really diapers at all but extra thick underwear. One person said that the products that are labeled pull-on diapers are basically training pants which generally don't have the absorbency required to deal with heavy incontinence such as bed-wetting.


As far as increasing absorbency of diapers,another method to consider is adding liners to diapers. One person on an incontinence forum who wore adult cloth diapers to bed said that he used the Gerber brand baby cloth diapers as a liner or "booster pad" for the adult cloth diapers. Gerber cloth diapers can be found at stores such as Target and Walmart in the infants section of the store. In addition you can purchase other diapering supplies at these stores such as diaper pins(known as safety pins),baby wipes,powder,and diaper rash ointment such as Desitin, Balmex, A&D ointment,in addition to other items.



This would be a good time to talk about skin care. There have been a number of articles pointing out the importance of having a good skin care regimen when incontinent. Although diapers do a good job of protecting both the person and bed they can also cause skin problems such as diaper rash if you don't clean the skin carefully after waking up and changing out of the diaper. The Health Central Network has an article called "Skin care and incontinence" which talks about the various products out there designed to minimize or prevent the occurrence of skin problems resulting from incontinence including moisturizing creams,skin cleansers such as aerosol sprays,foams,and wet wipes,as well as skin sealants and moisture barriers including creams and ointments. Additional sources of information about how to maintain healthy skin when incontinent include wocn nurses(known as wound,ostomy,and continence nurses), urologists, your primary care physician,and your pharmacist. All of these individuals might also have suggestions regarding this issue.


There are also a couple of organizations that you can contact-The Simon Foundation for Continence and the National Association for Continence. These organizations might be able to provide you with information about proper skin care when wearing incontinence garments such as websites,articles,and other sources. Finally incontinence forums could be an especially good source of information on this topic because these people have first hand experience dealing with incontinence and are well aware of the skin problems that can result from wearing incontinence garments and how best to deal with these problems. Some companies that sell skin care products for incontinence are Continence Connection, National Incontinence,and HDIS(Home Delivery Incontinence Supplies). I talk more about the importance of bedwetters maintaining hygiene and how I feel that wearing diapers to bed is an important component of this process in my article "Bedwetting and Maintaining Appropriate Hygiene."

Right now I'd like to talk briefly about both getting a proper fit with cloth diapers and how comfortable the diapers are. The author of the New Diaper Primer in his discussion on cloth diapers says that the size and weight of the diapers are important factors in both how well the diapers fit and how comfortable the diapers are.



Another key point discussed in the Diaper Primer in terms of cloth diapers is their wicking ability. The technical term for wicking is capillary action. The Diaper Primer mentions two aspects of diapers that are important-absorbency and wicking. The primer defines wicking in this way- "Wicking is the ability of cotton(and some other fabrics) to pass liquid along from "particle" to "particle" " and Wikipedia defines capillary action in this manner- "Wicking is to absorb something and then drain like a wick. Paper towels absorb liquid through capillary action, allowing a fluid to be transferred from a surface to the towel. The small pores of a sponge act as small capillaries, causing it to absorb a comparatively large amount of fluid. Some modern sport and exercise fabrics use capillary action to "wick" away sweat from the skin. These are often referred to as wicking fabrics, after the capillary properties of a candle and lamp wicks." In another words wicking means a diaper's ability to disperse liquid throughout the diaper.


Basically wicking allows multiple wetting of the diaper by dispersing liquid throughout the diaper. The article in the Diaper Primer uses an analogy of a face cloth to describe how wicking works: "Picture, if you will, adding multiple tablespoons of water to the face cloth. As you dump a second or third spoonful, note how the center gets saturated but then recovers over time(as wicking transfers the liquid to dryer parts). When you add the next one,you see the saturation occurs again,just in the center where you added the water and then wicks into the rest of the face cloth as time passes. That momentarily saturated central spot becomes un-saturated after time. Wicking occurs and the particles have transferred liquid to other, outlying particles. "


In a nutshell, wicking allows time for the diaper to disperse or transfer liquid throughout the diaper allowing it time to dry,which in turn makes the diaper capable of absorbing more liquid later if the person wets again. Cloth diapers have superior wicking abilities which makes them a good choice for heavy incontinence such as bed-wetting because of their ability to handle multiple wettings. As I have mentioned in another article,some bed-wetters wet multiple times during the night and the pin-on diapers seem like they'd be more effective in regards to protecting the youngster if they do wet more than once at night. This will enable the child or teenager to get a better night's sleep because they won't have to get up throughout the night to change themselves if they use reusable pull-on garments instead of pin-on diapers.



There are several different types of fabrics that cloth diapers can be made of. These fabrics are birdseye, terry cloth,flannel,and gauze. The author of the Diaper Primer thinks highly of gauze diapers. Both Adultclothdiaper.com and Angel Fluff sell gauze diapers. According to the Adultclothdiaper.com website one of the advantages of gauze diapers is that they allow air to circulate real well which helps to reduce the likelihood of diaper rash. Additionally,they're real absorbent and are very comfortable to wear in hot weather.


There are also different styles of pin-on diapers-prefold,flat,and contour. Contour diapers can have elastic in the waist and and leg openings and are usually more expensive than flat diapers. Flat diapers are not used much anymore and the only place that sells flat diapers near the U.S. is a company based in Canada called Bear Bottom. Prefold diapers have a soaker strip in the center of the diaper. Prefolds are the most popular style of adult cloth diapers. For a more in depth discussion about the different styles of cloth diapers see the diaper types section(chapter 7) of the New Diaper Primer.



It's very important to realize that there are two different websites with very similar addresses. The one mentioned earlier in this article is for a website called Incontinent Support and has "The New Diaper Primer." There is another website which has a web address of www.incontinencesupport.org. (The url for both websites is slightly different-the one url has "incontinence" in the web address while the other has "incontinent" in the address.) The web address with "incontinence" in it is for the Incontinence Resource Center. I'm not sure whether these websites are related in any way. They seem to be slightly different. The best way to get to the appropriate website is to do a Google search and type "The New Diaper Primer" (with or without quotes) in the search bar.


One of the things I've mentioned repeatedly in my various articles is that picking an incontinence product is very subjective. In some cases there is a great deal of trial and error involved in picking a product that will best meet your needs. The factors involved in making this decision include the type and level of incontinence,whether your incontinence occurs during the day,night,or both, whether or not you want(or have) the time to wash diapers and plastic pants,etc. That is one of the reasons people prefer disposables-for the convenience they offer. If finances permit you might consider trying both disposable tape-on diapers and pin-on diapers and plastic pants to manage your youngster's bed-wetting. By trying both kinds you'll be able to determine what works best for you. Many people use both kinds of diapers. Some individuals alternate using different types of diapers-on some nights they wear pin-on diapers covered with plastic pants and other nights they wear disposable diapers to bed.


There are also cases where people wear cloth diapers and plastic pants only during certain times of the year. For example some people use the pin-on diapers and plastic pants to manage their bed-wetting during the cooler seasons such as fall,spring,and winter, whereas during the summer months they switch to tape-on style diapers(also known as disposable briefs) In addition some people with both day and night incontinence wear disposables during the day and pin-on diapers at night. It's good to be flexible and open-minded. That being said,some people might be inclined to stick with cloth diapers because of the savings and what many people consider to be the environmental advantages of cloth diapers. An advantage I see of using both disposable diapers and pin-on diapers is that you're washing the diapers and plastic pants less which means that theoretically they should last longer. Cloth diapers do wear out over time.



If you do decide to use both styles of diapers you can have the child or teenager wear the pin-on diapers and plastic pants for four nights and the disposable diapers for three nights(or vice versa) Ultimately parents have to decide for themselves whether or not to use both kinds of diapers for their bed-wetting child or teen. Some of the factors that need to be considered when making this decision include your budget(do you want to spend the extra money for disposable diapers or do you want to save money by just using cloth diapers) and if the child or teenager feels uncomfortable wearing the pin-on diapers covered with plastic pants during the spring and summer months when the weather is real hot.. If this is the case,you should consider switching to disposable diapers during this time. Just like some parents use both cloth and disposable diapers for their babies, it might be a good idea to consider using both kinds. I talk about the different brands of disposable diapers and companies that sell them in my article "Disposable Diapers for Older Children and Teenagers With Bedwetting Problems."



A good way to get information about incontinence products is to go to incontinence forums and ask questions about various forms of protection. As far as pin-on diapers are concerned,there seem to be certain advantages over pull-on cloth diapers for bed-wetting. One person who used both pin-on diapers and reusable pull-ons said that the pull-on diapers wear out faster than the pin-on diapers. Another person mentioned that it's easier to put additional layers of material in a pin-on diaper to increase the absorbency of the diaper. With a pull-on diaper you can put extra material in the diaper to make it more absorbent,but if you move around a lot at night there's the possibility of the extra material in the pull-up shifting around and bunching up which can be uncomfortable in addition to causing leaks. This person also mentioned a few other advantages that pin-on diapers have over pull-on diapers,particularly for heavy incontinence such as bed-wetting. One is that the pin-on diapers have a more snug fit which is an advantage if you move around a lot at night. Also diapers that have a more snug fit are more effective at preventing leaks. Second,the elastic waist bands on pull-on diapers are not adequate to hold the pants up when they get wet. When pull-on diapers get wet,the pants have a tendency to get heavy and the elastic waist band will not be able to hold the pants up. Third,the pin-on diapers are generally of higher quality than the pull-ups. This, combined with the fact that it's easier to manage layering in a pin-on diaper, results in a thicker diaper that is more snug and offers better protection at night.



The other disadvantage of pull-on diapers which was mentioned in the Diaper Primer article on diaper types was that in general pull-on diapers aren't absorbent enough to handle multiple wettings because they're not thick enough. If you wet all night while you sleep the pull-on type diapers will not be absorbent enough to deal with this type of problem. To quote the Diaper Primer regarding pull-on diaper pants-"Most are typically a thick pair of underpants with a soaker strip sewn in the crotch,which in some cases doesn't even extend from waist to waist. We wish to emphasize that the the pull-on is not a "full fledged diaper"."




Some of the other advantages of pin on diapers mentioned by various people include their versatility(many people use cloth diapers  for various household chores such as for dust cloths and washing cars),they take less time drying,the pins tend to last longer than other methods of fastening diapers such as Velcro and snaps,they're easy to store,and there seems to be a great amount of flexibility in terms of folding,layering,and pinning the diaper to allow more protection in certain areas. For instance if the person needs more absorbency in certain areas such as the front,back,or middle, the pin-on diapers enable the wearer to adjust the diapers to meet those needs. This advantage was discussed on the AdultDiaperSpecialist.com website in their article entitled "When and Why It's Beneficial to Use Flat Adult Diapers that Require Pins." Finally one person commented in the context of using pin-on diapers for infants that this style of diaper allows for more flexibility in adjusting the diapers to fit different body types.


I suspect that this advantage would also apply to the use of pin-on diapers for older children,teenagers,and adults. In fact I would think that this would be more applicable with this group. If the parents are concerned about the amount of laundry and the time involved in taking care of cloth diapers and plastic pants, the parents can use disposable briefs instead. There are a number of disposable briefs that are considered good for managing bedwetting which I talk about in my article on disposable diapers.If the parents do decide to use cloth diapers and plastic pants but want to cut down the time involved in taking care of these items,the parents can alternate using disposable and cloth diapers as I've mentioned previously in this article.



It seems that pin-on diapers don't seem to be used as much as cloth diapers with other fasteners. Some of the reasons for this are that many mothers are afraid that they might stick either themselves or the infant with the pins especially since many babies squirm and wiggle when being changed or diapered. Also some people feel that it takes more time to layer the diapers and pin them on. This objection seems to be leveled mainly at pin-on diapers for infants. As far as the use of pin-on diapers for older children,teenagers,and adults that wet the bed,it would appear that these drawbacks wouldn't be a concern. In fact the advantages of pin-on diapers seem to outweigh any disadvantages. I hope my writings on this topic will get parents to consider the use of diapers(both cloth and disposable) to manage bedwetting. At the very least I want to let parents become aware of these choices so they have more options available to manage their youngster's bedwetting besides garments that are considered more socially acceptable such as pull-ups and "Goodnites."


As mentioned before,if you do decide to use pin-on diapers for your bed-wetting you should consider reading chapter 9 of "The New Diaper Primer". There are two versions of this chapter-one is just text and the other has both text and pictures demonstrating how to fold and pin cloth diapers on in order to get the best fit and provide the most comfort and protection.



There is another point I'd like to bring up regarding using cloth diapers to manage bed-wetting. If you do decide to use pin-on diapers keep in mind you must use waterproof pants to cover the diapers. The most widely used type of waterproof pants are plastic pants(which many people refer to as rubber pants even though this is a misnomer). Plastic pants such as the Gary,Suprima,and Comco brands have excellent reputations. Plastic pants have many advantages over other styles of waterproof pants including comfort,durability,and cost. My article "Brands of Plastic Pants for Older Children and Teenagers With Bedwetting Problems" discusses some of the more popular plastic pants available for bed-wetting.



Some companies that sell pin-on cloth diapers for both youth and adults include Loving Comfort Diaper Company,Angel Fluff Diaper Company, Babykins(also known as KINS which stands for Kinder Incontinence Supplies),and Adultclothdiaper.com(also known as All Together Enterprises) I was on the Loving Comfort Diaper Company website and they mention that they can custom design diapers to meet specific needs(for instance if you have a child or teenager that won't fit into standard size diapers or if you need diapers with a particular level of absorbency they can design diapers that meet those needs). I read on an incontinence forum that Loving Comfort might have gone out of business. If you consider purchasing pin-on diapers from this company I would try to contact them to make sure.


As far as laundering cloth diapers and plastic pants,the Diaper Primer has an entire section on how to take care of cloth diapers and plastic pants. The laundry section(chapter 5) deals with this issue. One of the things you'll need to purchase is a diaper pail. I suggest you read this section for further information on this topic.


If your older child,adolescent,or teenager is having difficulty adjusting to wearing diapers to bed you can read my article "Ways Parents Can Encourage Older Children and Teenagers to Wear Diapers for Bed-Wetting"


Whatever you do don't get discouraged if it takes you a while to find a suitable product to manage your child or teenager's bed-wetting. There's a lot of high quality products out there to deal with bed-wetting and other incontinence problems. As with everything else in life it's good to be well informed. This includes reading as much as you can and asking questions. With perseverance you'll be able to find a product that will make your older child or teen feel confident and secure.

Brands of Plastic Pants for Older Children and Teenagers With Bedwetting Problems

This article is an overview of some popular brands of plastic pants for older bed-wetters. A large number of people are impressed with these brands and find them particularly effective for heavy incontinence such as bed-wetting. With that in mind keep in mind that there is a certain degree of subjectivity in this area. One of the points I've stressed in my previous articles is that people have different preferences as far as what type of protection to use to manage their bed-wetting. Some people prefer reusable garments for various reasons whereas others prefer disposables. In addition some people use both styles of garments.


There are many different factors that come into play when choosing incontinence products which I thought I would reiterate-the type and level of incontinence, whether or not it's convenient to wash reusable garments,etc. Some people prefer pin-on diapers covered with plastic pants,some prefer pull-on cloth garments(which are sometimes referred to as diaper pants,pull-on briefs, or pull-on diapers), some prefer disposable pull-ups,whereas others prefer tape-on disposable diapers (known as disposable briefs) As I've also mentioned it's good to be open to experimenting with different types and brands of garments in order to determine what works best for you. With many people, finding the most suitable type and brand of garment to manage their bed-wetting is a matter of trial and error. In some cases people use more than one brand and style of diapers and plastic pants.

This brings me to the current topic-plastic pants for bed-wetting. There are a wide variety of brands of plastic pants out there to manage bed-wetting. This article discusses some of the more popular ones. These brands have a good reputation with many people in the incontinence community. Plastic pants , also known as vinyl pants(vinyl is a type of plastic),are used as a waterproof cover to put over reusable garments for infants and incontinent individuals such as cloth training pants, reusable pull on briefs(known as pull on diapers and bed-wetter pants/overnight briefs), and pin-on cloth diapers.Disposable diapers have a waterproof outer cover and therefore it's not necessary to wear plastic pants over disposables. Plastic pants are needed over cloth garments such as pin-on diapers because there is no waterproof outer layer over the diapers.


Before the development of plastic pants(which I believe was in the 1950's) parents used rubber pants. After rubber pants were phased out,the term rubber pants and plastic pants were used interchangeably. The term rubber pants is still used today by some people, but most people when they use the term rubber pants, actually mean plastic pants. As far as I know there are no companies that make rubber pants for infants and there are only a couple of companies that make rubber pants for adults. From what I understand rubber pants fell out of favor in the late '50s and early '60s. Perhaps they weren't as comfortable or as long lasting as plastic pants.


When purchasing plastic pants(and incontinence supplies in general) it's a good idea to talk to the customer support people at the company about your specific needs and ask questions about various products. When evaluating incontinence products some of the things you should be considering are the following: Does your incontinence occur during the day, night,or both? Do you suffer from heavy incontinence such as bed-wetting? Is discretion an issue? Do you mind washing diapers and plastic pants or do you prefer the convenience of disposables? How do various items effect the skin? Is the product comfortable to wear? Regarding plastic pants it's essential to get a good fit over the diapers in order to prevent leaks.


The important thing is to have pants that cover the diapers completely. You don't want to leave any portion of the diapers exposed otherwise the sheets will get wet. You should look on the websites of the various companies and familiarize yourself with what types of measurements they require in order to get the best fit. For example some companies require both waist and hip size. If this is the case ask them what the relationship between each is in terms of getting the most secure and comfortable fit. In addition,some brands of plastic pants have a wider crotch than others. Pants with a wider crotch are particularly well suited to manage overnight incontinence problems such as bed-wetting especially since most people wear bulky diapers for overnight use.

If you are buying plastic pants specifically for bed-wetting and the company has several different models ask them what the most effective model is for nighttime use. One of the key things to inquire about before purchasing the pants is the following: how the pants are cut(how wide the crotch is,do they have enough depth to accommodate thicker diapers for night use,etc.). It's good to tell them as much information as possible so you can avoid buying pants that are uncomfortable and don't provide effective protection. Plastic pants are available in two styles-pull on and snap on. Most people use pull on plastic pants. I've heard that snap on pants are used primarily for people who are non-ambulatory because they presumably are easier to put on and take off.

The first brand I'd like to talk about is Comco. Right of the bat, I'd like to mention that there are two different companies called Comco. Both of them sell and manufacture plastic pants,waterproof sheets,diapers,and other incontinence supplies. I'm bringing this up because I wanted to clear up any confusion people might have when purchasing products from these places. Both companies are based in Minnesota. The original Comco located in North Saint Paul and is run by a guy named Burch Gusterson. They're known as Comco Incorporated. They've been in business for close to 40 years and have been making incontinence garments for 30 years. They have a pull-on plastic pant called the style 230. The price for one is $12.60 and the price for a pack of three is $29.85

These pants are highly regarded by many people with incontinence,particularly those with bed-wetting problems. Their web address is www.comcoincmn.com Their email address is comco@mindspring.com Their phone numbers are (800)328-9658 and (651)779-7313 and their fax number is (651)779-0871. The last time I checked their website was down.I spoke to Burch and he told me that they're in the process of moving and haven't had a chance to get the website back online but they are planning to go back online in the future. I asked if the email address for Comco was the same and he told me it was.


These pants are noted for their thickness and durability. Since the pants are going to be washed repeatedly it's good that they can handle multiple washings. Some plastic pants wear out sooner than others after repeated washings. I recall some time ago a gentleman talking about Comco pants on an incontinence forum and he mentioned that he was real impressed by these pants. He said that he had pairs from Comco that have lasted for years.


The author of the Diaper Primer has this to say regarding the Comco plastic pants: "Comco makes a distinctive heavy semi transparent vinyl that seems heavy but is not uncomfortable and will soften with body heat to become very comfortable" and "The heavier vinyl stands up longer to wear and wash cycles than do the lighter vinyls found in most vinyl pants." The nylon on both the waist and leg elastic is supposed to prevent wicking which I talk about further below in the section on the Gary Leakmaster Deluxe pants.

The owner was telling me that the vinyl formulation they use in their plastic pants is different from the one used in the plastic pants manufactured by Comco Manufacturing. Whether or not this means anything in terms of the quality of the pants(such as how durable they are) I can't say. Both pants could be equally well made,the only difference being they're both made of different types of vinyl. According to Burch the vinyl pants made by Comco Manufacturing are nothing like the ones made by Comco, Inc. If your budget permits you might want to try a pair from both companies and judge for yourself.

The second Comco is called Comco Manufacturing,LLC Apparently a group of people from the original Comco split off and formed their own company called Comco Manufacturing(personally I think they should change their name so as to avoid confusion) Comco Manufacturing is based out of Hinckley Minnesota. Their web address is www.comcomfg.com.Their email address is comcomanufacturing@q.com and their toll free number is (888)250-8577. Their pull-on vinyl pant is known as the style 100 pant. The price for one pant is $10.50 and the price for a three pack is $25.50.

These pants have wide elastic on both the waist and leg areas which should make these pants extra effective at preventing leaks. A while back ago a man on an incontinence forum said that he tried these pants and thought they were very good. As I talk about later on in this article it's good to get opinions regarding incontinence products but keep in mind that your experience with the products in question might be different. On the other hand the opinions of the person regarding the product could be spot on. Like I have said before in other articles it's good to be open minded and try out different brands and types of diapers and plastic pants.

Another brand of plastic pants that has a good reputation is the Leakmaster Deluxe pant made by Gary and sold by Adultclothdiaper.com(also known as All Together Enterprises) This pant is made from 7 mil thick vinyl and has vinyl enclosed elastic around the waist and legs. This feature is supposed to be very effective for preventing leaks,especially at night. The price for one pant is $16.95 and the price for three or more is $14.95 each. Their toll free number is (877)215-9004 and their fax number is (801)566-7717


Their web address is www.adultclothdiaper.com. Angel Fluff Diaper Company also sells the Gary plastic pant just mentioned but they sell it under the name Ultimate Whisper Thick Pant. The price for one is $16.95. If you buy 4 or more the price is $12.99 each. They also have a deal where you can buy this pant for $9.99 each(see website for details) In addition to weekday hours of 8-6,they also have Saturday hours from 8-6(central time). Their phone numbers are (800)996-2644 and (931)359-9604 and their fax number is (931)359-9604. Their web address is www.angelfluff.com.


A fourth brand of plastic pants that's highly regarded is the Suprima brand. These pants are made in Germany and are sold by a Canadian company called B4NS. There are several different models listed on the website. I spoke to the owner and he told me that the best model to use for bed-wetting would be the model 1232. This model has a higher back to accommodate thicker diapers,wide crotch,wide waistband,and has fully wrapped elastic just like the Leakmaster Deluxe pants previously mentioned. The Suprima plastic pants are kind of expensive but from what I understand they're worth it. The phone number for B4NS is (514)812-4917,the fax number is (450)433-5711,and their email address is info@b4ns.com Their web address is www.b4ns.com.



Another brand of plastic pants I'd like to talk about is manufactured and sold by a company called Babykins also known as KINS(which stands for Kinder Incontinent Supplies) They sell a medium weight pant. The model of this pant is 20300V and is slightly less thick than the Comco, Suprima,and Gary Leakmaster Deluxe pants.(The 20300 pant, which is the thickest model they offer, is 6 mils thick) I'm not sure how this pant compares to the other pants just mentioned. Many people prefer thicker plastic pants due to the fact that generally they're more durable. The price of the 20300V pant is $12.00. Some individuals like the KINS products so it might be worth looking into. The toll free number for Babykins is (800)665-2229. They also have a phone/fax number-(604)275-2255. Their web address is www.babykins.com.



The last brand of plastic pants I'd like to talk about are the Euroflex plastic pants made by Gary. This pant is made of a special type of plastic called urethane. Presumably this style is supposed to last longer than most traditional vinyl pants. According to the author of the New Diaper Primer: “We feel Urethane's major attraction is long life. Urethane is a tougher plastic film than vinyl and resists tears,punctures,and the effects of laundering much better than vinyl.” The urethane pants also look different than regular plastic pants. The standard color of plastic pants worn by most people is milky white and the urethane pants are made of a transparent plastic.


The drawback of this particular style of plastic pants are the price. LL Medico and Angel Fluff Diaper Company are two of the companies that sell this pant. There may be other companies as well that you can purchase these pants from. You can check the Gary Manufacturing website and click on incontinent wear and incontinence products on the left hand side,then click on distributors list on the right hand side.



The price range at LL Medico is $21.95(for the smallest size) to $44.95(for the largest size). The price range at Angel Fluff Diaper company is $32.95(for the smallest size) to $41.95(for the largest size). Angel Fluff calls this model the Super Flex pants. Whether or not it's worth paying the extra money for this type of pants is an individual choice. The other brands of vinyl pants just mentioned have a reputation for being good quality plastic pants and these might last as long as the urethane pants.


As I have pointed out in other articles some people have good experiences with particular products and might rave them up and another person might try the same products and be disappointed. That being said there are brands of plastic pants and diapers out there that seem to be popular with a large number of people. As I mention later on in this article it might be a good idea to purchase a pair of plastic pants from each of the companies mentioned in order to get a feel for the comfort of the pants,the durability,as well as other factors. Ultimately the only way to find out if an incontinence product is suitable is to try it out.


As mentioned some people discover that there is a certain amount of trial and error involved in choosing a satisfactory product to manage their incontinence. This doesn't happen with everybody but you shouldn't feel disappointed if it does take some time to find a product that best meets your needs.. There are some people who might prefer the thicker plastic pants for various reasons and think they're the best choice, whereas others might prefer the thinner plastic pants. It was pointed out on one website that there are individuals who find the thinner plastic pants more comfortable to wear. On the other hand there are people who find the thicker plastic pants to be just as comfortable


As discussed before,the drawback of the thinner plastic pants is that in general they're not as durable as thicker plastic pants and therefore they don't last as long. Here's a quote from the Diaper Primer regarding this: " Thinner plastic pants,generally perceived as softer and more comfortable as starters age more rapidly than heavier-gauge(thicker) plastics." Because they're thicker than the Kins plastic pants and they seem to be highly rated by many people,my inclination would be to purchase the Comco,the Leakmaster Deluxe pants,and the Suprima pants. In this case it might be advisable paying a little extra for plastic pants that are more durable as opposed to buying several pairs of pants that are less expensive but will wear out quicker.

Given the fact that each of the brands mentioned in this article have worthwhile features it might be prudent to purchase a pair from each one in order to figure out what works best for you. Granted this might be kind of expensive but as I pointed out earlier it's probably the best way to determine what pant feels most comfortable,which brand fits you the best, and which one holds up the longest.


Another thing to keep in mind is this. By buying multiple pairs of plastic pants you can rotate the pants in the laundry cycle so they can cut down the wear on any one pant. In fact I've heard that it's not uncommon for people to buy multiple diapers and plastic pants. Given this fact and since there might be more than one brand that suits your purposes, it might be worth spending the extra money to have a good supply of plastic pants.

Also there are people who have more than one favorite brand of plastic pants. For example I read about individuals who use both the Comco and Suprima brand of plastic pants There are some people who are only satisfied with one brand or type of incontinence product whereas others find that their needs can be met by more than one as pointed out in the beginning of this article-there's no law that says you just have to stick to one brand or type of incontinence product. In fact this situation might not be that uncommon.



As far as alternating the use of each pair of plastic pants one way to do this is to have the youngster wear one brand of plastic pants on one night,another brand the next night,etc.The pants that were used the previous night can be washed and rinsed out in a basin then hung out to dry on the clothesline as opposed to washing and drying all of the plastic pants in one day. The reason you might want to do it this way is because you'll also be taking care of the wet cloth diapers as well and this will cut down on the time spent laundering the bedwetting garments. By having 5 or more pairs of plastic pants you can extend the life of the garments because you won't be using one pair of pants all the time.


Theoretically this should cut down on the wear and tear as a result of laundering the pants. The pants that seem to be the best choices are the pants from Comco Manufacturing and Comco Inc(as mentioned earlier in this article there are two different companies called Comco that manufacture and sell plastic pants) the Leakmaster Deluxe sold by both Adultclothdiaper.com and Angel Fluff Diaper Company, the Suprima plastic pants,and the Gary Euroflex pants. I did a rough calculation and it would be about $100.00(not including shipping) if you bought a pair of each one of these pants which would be 5 pants total.


In terms of comfort the elastic on the pants can play a part in how comfortable a particular brand of plastic pants are. This is another point brought up in the Diaper Primer. Some people might feel that the elastic on certain brands of plastic pants is too tight for them. I would talk to the customer service department of whatever company or companies(if you're planning on trying more than one brand of plastic pants) you're planning on buying from and ask them if it would be a good idea to buy pants in a larger size in order to have a looser fit thereby minimizing the discomfort caused by tight fitting elastic.


As discussed earlier in this article plastic pants are worn over pin-on cloth diapers. I talk about several different brands of pin-on diapers in my article " Information Regarding Pin-On Diapers for Older Children,Adolescents,and Teenagers With Bed-Wetting Problems." This is a good article for you to read if you're considering using these types of diapers for your older bed-wetter. These types of diapers have a good reputation for bed-wetting and this article talks about both the different brands available as well as a source that discusses a special technique to fold and pin the diapers for maximum absorbency and protection. By purchasing the brands of the plastic pants mentioned in this article, as well as experimenting with pin on diapers,you should be able to make your child or teenager feel more comfortable and secure at night.

I hope this list is helpful to parents who might be having difficulty deciding on what type of plastic pants to purchase for their older child,adolescent,or teenager that wets the bed. Keep in mind that the brands mentioned are just some of the ones available. The ones mentioned in this article are ones that are well thought of by many people. There is one thing to remember when purchasing incontinence supplies however,and that's this-purchasing incontinence supplies is a highly personal thing and while it's good to get other peoples input keep in mind that what other people say are opinions. It's good to explore as many options as possible in order to choose a product that offers good protection,is well made( if you decide to wear reusables),and that has a good price. Whatever you do don't get discouraged if it takes you a while to find an appropriate product.

How to Manage Bed-Wetting in College

Starting college is a very exciting time for many people-meeting new friends and taking interesting courses are just some of the things that make this time special for many people. However for those individuals with a bed-wetting problem this time can be anxiety provoking,although with the right amount of preparation it doesn't have to be.

There are plenty of cases of college students with bed-wetting problems and like any other problem in life it can be managed. Before attending college the student should ask to speak with the department that handles accommodations for students with medical conditions. If you don't feel comfortable divulging to them that you wet the bed you can ask to speak to the school nurse and he or she might be able to give you advice about how to approach the school about the bed-wetting. Nurses are used to dealing with all sorts of medical conditions,particularly incontinence so you shouldn't feel embarrassed about discussing this problem with her. From what I understand it's possible to share a dorm with individuals suffering from the same medical problem. If this isn't an option you might consider getting a private dorm or if financially feasible you could rent a one bedroom apartment.


As far as discretion is concerned this can be somewhat tricky but there are ways to work around this issue.. In a situation such as college the ease with which one can exercise discretion with a problem such as bed-wetting depends to a large extent on what type of protection a person uses. If a person uses cloth diapers and plastic pants and if the person uses public laundry facilities it can be very difficult being discreet. If however,the person goes to school in the same state and goes home every weekend the individual can bring a diaper pail to school and just bring home the wet diapers and plastic pants home and wash them there. If it's not feasible to use cloth diapers and plastic pants the student will have to use disposables. Again I would talk to the nurse about this and ask her if she has any suggestions about how to manage this problem.

If this isn't an option and the person has to use public laundry facilities he or she can schedule to wash them when the laundry room is less crowded. You might be able to bring a basin to school and wash the plastic pants in the dorm. You can also post questions on various incontinence forums and ask people what they've done in a similar situation. As mentioned there are plenty of cases of people wetting the bed in college and they might have some useful tips on how to be discreet about this problem.

I hope this article helps those bed-wetters anxious about attending college. Just remember that this is a common problem among college students and many adults too. Just because you wet the bed doesn't mean that college can't be a wonderful time. With the right preparation you can have peace of mind and get through college with flying colors.