For those that were bedwetters growing up...when did it become embarrassing?

[Sgdlboy]

It became embarrassing when i realized that what diapers are and that my classmates do not wear them . I can't really remember what age that was but it was kinda humiliating when i was still in diapers in secondary school ( high school in the USA ). This was especially so when i had to go diaper shopping with my mom after school while i was in my school uniform and students from my school being at the mall and supermarket.

 

[nectar0001]

For those that were bedwetters growing up at what age did it become embarrassing? And at what age did wearing diapers or pull-ups for it become embarrassing?

For me, I wasn’t really embarrassed about it till after7. I would go to sleepovers with friends and not think twice about my diapers. Just curious about others.

I don't remember anyone knowing about it. Maybe I skipped sleepovers for a while? I have no recollection. I do remember that by the time I was going on Boy Scout campouts, I wasn't wetting anymore.

 

[Muhdeee]

I started bedwetting when I was 13.

It was super embarrassing then, and got less so as I got older, so kinda the reverse of what you might think!

 

[wetaccident]

I remember always being embarrassed about wetting my bed. I didn't like waking up wet or having people know I peed in my sleep. My parents were very supportive and never shamed me for it but I was still very embarrassed by my nighttime accidents. I potty trained late and remember wearing diapers to bed. But after I finally potty trained I mostly didn't have diapers even though I regularly wet the bed and often peed my pants during the day. I had the telltale crinkly protective sheet on the bed that I was always worried a friend would notice when we played in my room. I remember it being discussed at family gatherings when managing sleeping arrangements and I distinctly recall being absolutely mortified staying at a hotel and my dad asking the front desk person if they had a protective sheet for my bed.

 

[BwBunny]

I have always been a bedwetter. but between 5 and 7 it became much better, only wet a few times every other week, so I didnt have to wear nappies. But after starting school at 7, then it became the opposite. Just a few dry nights every other week. Nappies were reintroduced at bedtime and I've been wearing them ever since. (I did have relapses between 5 and 7 so it did happen that I sometimes wore)

I'd say that I didn't take the reintroduction that well, but I'm pretty practical so I did what was easiest.
Mum did put on my nappy at bedtime until I was 10, then she finally trusted me to get it all done by myself.
I always wore medical nappies, not the pull-up kind, I was, and still am, a heavy bedwetter.
My diagnosis is primary nocturnal enuresis, I mostly lack the antidiuretic hormone (ADH) and combined with some other late developmental problems and being a heavy sleeper it was determined that I was probably never going to stop bedwetting. And it seems like I never did.

So, to answer the question;
At 7, when mum started to diaper me again just before bedtime, then I became super conscious that this wasn't 'normal' anymore...

 

[Squirrely]

Things were a little bit different for me, I really wasn’t embarrassed about it at all at home. My parents and siblings treated it very matter-of-factly, there was no teasing or other issues at home. I wet for quite a while and finally stopped before my 15th birthday, I had very few dry spells between those years, maybe a couple days in a row at most usually? Honestly, though? I’m really not that convinced that it was that terrible of a thing outside of it being slightly annoying and cost my parents a fortune in pull ups. I kind of skated by through those years without that much of a problem caused by bed wetting, I rarely had any leaks, never got teased at school, my siblings and parents were supportive, and after getting a little smarter when it came to sleepovers, it didn’t really keep me from going to them even though I did worry about being discovered a little, especially when it wasn’t like my best friends, my two best friends knew, and they didn’t care one bit! I feel kind of bad reading some of these posts were you guys felt so isolated and had parents that we weren’t supportive, because in my case, it was really just no big deal and I’m very thankful to my family for how well they handled it with me.

Anyway…
The first time I can remember ever feeling any kind of embarrassment about it I was probably around 7 or 8ish when I’m pretty sure someone I considered a friend was spending the night and asked why I had Pull-ups in my room - I told him they were for bedtime and he seemed kind of weirded out by it and I was like oh?… Ok?… Do you like… wear those still? — That’s about the first time I realized it was a little different to still wear a pull-up to bed because he was so confused by it and I knew all none of my siblings needed them anymore, both of my brothers stopped when they were like six or seven and it was just an occasional issue for them whereas for me it was a every night kind of issue. I don’t remember what I said to him after that but it was probably a little awkward, I probably lied about it? But I can’t really remember the exact details past it being brought up and being awkward about it. I do remember asking my mom about it and her being very matter-of-fact and generic with her. Some kids need glasses. Some people wear casts some kids need pull-ups. It’s no big deal!

That was probably about the point though where my mom switched away from pull-ups to UnderJams and part of me actually thought that they were a lot more disguised and that nobody would be able to tell I was wearing a pull-up. I don’t recall ever having a discussion or friends discovering those until like 9 and 10yrs old and I was traveling for swim meets at which point changing into pajamas in the same room as other people I knew and sleeping in a hotel room with other kids my age was the expectation on the team. There was a couple of embarrassing encounters then when team members found out and teased a little, but I was pretty popular and confident, and every time it was brought up, it was kind of swiftly handled and not that big of a deal, no big telling the whole school issues or anything for me thank goodness! Slightly embarrassing for sure when it was mentioned, but not nearly as embarrassing if I had woke up in a soaked bed. Just kind of handled it in the mornings as discreetly as possible. I think after the first time where one of the older kids fuss and I got upset went to my parents. I got a lot smarter about how to handle things and kept it very discreet. Unless you pulled my pants down how would you have known anyway?

You know what was massively embarrassing to me? The doctors visits where the pediatrician would ask 1000 questions and my mom all about how things are going and blah blah blah. I wanted to melt in that place. She was definitely not the most helpful doctor when it came to that issue, just reassuring that I would eventually outgrow it. I mean, I did, but I do wonder knowing a little bit more on the subject now if them doing x-rays or something else or prescribing the medication that was available would’ve helped me? Neither here nor I survived it!

 

[MattyMN]

8 years old. My younger brother was 6 at the time and stopped wetting the bed, so no more diapers for him. I was finally able to stop wearing diapers to bed around age 11.

 

[CAM3RON]

I envy the fact most your parents bought you diapers. I was a chronic bedwetter till age 8. mildly till 10 and on and off till 12. that being said my parents would never buy me diapers. Just had to wake up in a wet bed every morning. I loved the feeling though. I always woke up while wetting the bed. loved slowly waking up as the warmth was spreading. was the greatest feeling back then. but then you wake up and.... oh no not again. It was embarrassing id say after 8. had a few accidents at sleepovers. also remember camping with other families and my parents making remarks as i was getting a drink out of the cooler at the camp fire before bed. very embarrassing since other kids were sitting there. I was dry from 12 till about 17. my parents were ok with me and my friends drinking alcohol as long as we stayed home and were not out drinking and driving. many nights from 17 to 19 where i woke up at 4 am in a soaked bed. The worst moment was when i was throwing a party after a home football game and i locked my bedroom door so no one would go in there. my buddy snuck a girl up to my room to get lucky. he got the door open and they realized my bed was had stains all over it from the last year of drunken accidents. he brought it up later that night. very embarrassing. only saving grace was a year later he got hammered and passed out on my kitchen floor and pissed himself. karmas a bitch i guess.

 

[storiesforthesoul]

For me it was at age 6. There were 2 instances that made me realize that bedwetting isn't the norm. And they both happened the same week. First, my parents had to go away for a 2 day business trip. So they left me by my cousins house. When bedtime came, he just put his pajamas on over his tighty-whities while I forgot my pullups and had to be diapered by my aunt.

There a few days later I had my best friend at my house for a play date. While we were looking for a game to play, he opened the dresser which had my package of pullups and he burst out laughing. Bring the youngest, he must have known that they were mine. But whether he did or didn't, I was dead embarrassed.

After these stories, I made it a priority to try and stop. But that didn't happen until much much later. With multiple of more embarrassing stories.

 

[camperspampers1]

For me, it was when I was 8. I had joined cub scouts that year, and became painfully aware that I was the only bedwetter, and was made fun of because of it. Looking back, I should have quit rather than try to be friends with those guys for six years. At least I stopped wetting the bed for the last two of those years. Wet sleeping bags suck, and smell.

 

[goodnitesboy24]

My folks tried to shame me. My sister told everyone but I just didn't care. I wet the bed so What!

how did they try to shame you? my sister did and still does periodically but parents didn’t.

 

[Wetshisbed]

how did they try to shame you? my sister did and still does periodically but parents didn’t.

They told other relatives. They would put my mattress on the lawn for all to see. Threaten to send me to school in nappies.

 

[JOCKMAN]

Not quite embarrassing but realizing that at age 8 I still needed diapers / plastic underpants when I went to bed and several of my friends that had the same issue previously no longer had this by age 5 or 6. I was fortunate that even when my friend's mother pinned me into a full diaper and plastic underpants at my first sleepover at age 8, my friend did not say anything about it nor his older sisters. At age 10 another friend sat on my bed and then asked why I still had a plastic mattress over on it....I said something about spilling a drink on it and mom wanted it on there from now on but his face did not look convinced.