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Talking to the Pediatrician
How to Talk to Your Doctor about Bedwetting
By Shel Franco
As far as whom to talk with, your family physician or pediatrician is a good place to start. He or she is qualified to discuss and set up a treatment plan for bedwetting. On occasion, your doctor may refer your child to a specialist, Mercer says.
Your child should be present for the conversation. There will be questions asked that only he or she can answer. Mercer says that the child should know why they are going to a medical professional to discuss the bedwetting issue, and the child should know that you all intend to work together in order to help.
"It's always good for the child to anticipate what's going to happen," Mercer says. And that goes for moms and dads, too.
Once you and your child are face to face with the doctor, it helps to be ready for the questions your doctor will ask. "[A healthcare provider] would ask about any ... problems," Mercer says. These problems can include leaking on your way to the bathroom, urgency and frequency of urination. You can also expect questions like this: "Out of the seven nights, would you expect to wake up wet seven out of seven?"
It would be wise to brush up on your family's medical history. "The physician needs first of all to ask questions aimed at ruling out rare disorders of the urinary tract or central nervous system leading to urine incontinence," Dr. London says. "Examples include urinary tract infections, conditions with high volumes of urine (such as sickle cell anemia or diabetes), inborn anomalies of the ureters and bladder, urologic disorders like spina bifida and the like."