We returned to New York City Friday evening and I am pleased to announce my theories have all been proven wrong. Emma has not wet the bed once in 17 nights! This morning I looked at the “bedwetting chart” to make sure I was remembering correctly. It took just over two weeks – exactly 16 nights – for Emma to stop wetting the bed using the Malem Alarm. (See all “bedwetting posts” for full description on the process.) The booklet, which came with the alarm, warned it takes on average three months for a child Emma’s age to completely stop wetting the bed. When I read that I thought, okay add another three months because she’s autistic. While it felt like a huge commitment on our part, it seemed well worth it in the long run and so we launched in. Fully prepared for six months of sleepless nights, groggy, non-productive days with only a glimmer of hope weakly encouraging us to go another day. Because we couldn’t know Emma would be able to train her muscles even after six months. The autistic diagnosis throws everything into question.
I cannot tell if Emma takes any pride in the fact that she is now a “big girl” no longer in need of those dreaded diapers. I cannot tell if she understands the significance. Each morning Richard and I have said, “Emma! You did it! You slept without wetting the bed!” And then we clapped and cheered while Emma smiled at us and repeated, “You did it!”
For those interested… we used the Malem Alarm purchased from www.bedwettingstore.com
We opted for the recordable alarm that allows you to record your own voice as opposed to the “car alarm” beeping noise, which we thought might frighten her. (Though our prerecorded voice was pretty terrifying when repeated over and over again.) We also purchased the booklet and “waterproof pads” (not fully waterproof) for the mattress.
