Hi Jane,
Sleepovers, slumber parties and school camps are common sources of stress for children who wet the bed. It is important that your son is able to attend and enjoy this special event without the constant fear of wetting his bed or being discovered by his friends. The first and most important thing to do is to discuss his condition with a trusted teacher, that way your son will have someone he can go to for help while away. Often there is more than one child attending camp who wets the bed, so teachers (if they are aware) will organize sleeping arrangements so that these children can share sleeping accommodations. There are two main options when it comes to managing bedwetting while away on camp. Firstly, he can attend and wear DryNites. You could discuss innovative ways of disguising these so that other children do not find out. One boy I knew wore his DryNites under a pair of Nylon tracksuit pants that made a ‘swishy’ sound so that no one could hear that he was wearing absorbent pants – in the morning he just put them in a plastic bag and hid them in his overnight bag when he changed in the bathroom. As well as DryNites, some children have used medications to help manage their bedwetting while away from home. These medications are designed to help reduce the amount of urine your son’s body produces at night, and thus reduces the risk of his bladder overfilling during sleep. This is something that you would need to discuss with your doctor. If you decide that this sounds like a good option it is important to give it a bit of a trial run before you go away as it does not work for everyone. All the best!

Regards,
Dr Cathrine

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