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Potty Training

M

mammy 24/7

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Hiya all, has anyone got potty training tips? We have a 2 year old with type 1 since a year old who seems to wee constantly and can see no way to make the switch from nappies. Any advice would be welcomed.
It's great to find somewhere that you can ask all those non medical questions that you have as a parent who has no experience of diabetes other than what I learn day to day. It can be a lonely place sometimes and frustrating as it is such a misunderstood illness. All I want is too give her the best start so that when it becomes her illness to manage she is positive and healthy.
 
I am also attempting this at the moment. Khaleb is 3 but because he has Down syndrome he is developmentally delayed. I've been spending time in the backyard with him while his pants are off so he works out what is going on down there. (Your weather at the moment is not suited to this idea!). He tends to start weeing then stops and after clapping and praise continues on.

While Khaleb's blood sugars stay below 10ish he isn't too piddly and often dry in the morning but on the nights he might be a bit high I am doing a lot of sheets washing. When he is sick it is a waste of time pursuing anything.

The potty is out in the lounge room and he is getting plenty of practice sitting for a reasonable amount of time. I am planning to also get a frame for over the regular toilet. I have asked heaps of people about whether it is harder to toilet train a child with diabetes but haven't found enough parents with young one's to really get an answer.

I think I am on the right track and expect this process to take some time. Have you seen signs that your child may be ready for toilet training? I have only started because of the dry mornings and he often looks down when he is doing a wee in his nappy. These signs have indicated to me that he is ready to start.

Anyway, hope you keep in touch with your progress. I'm going to need all the help I can get.
 
Hi, I found that summer was a good time to start training as they could play outside without a nappy on an I didn't have to worry about accidents. My eldest 2 children were about 2 1/2 when I started and my youngest who is now 21months is a long way off being ready. I know you hear about kids being ready as early as 18 months, but I wouldn't worry about it, they will do it in their own time, and 2 is still quite young.

Most of my friends children were about the same age as mine and you often find with boys that it takes a little longer. It is probably a good time to introduce a potty so your child gets used to it and can practice getting on and off it, but don't make it a big thing otherwise they pick up on it. Raising a diabetic child can be difficult at times ( i have 2), so give yourself a pat on the back for doing this as you are doing a fantastic job and you are certainly doing the best for your child. Leggott
 
I'd suggest leaving it until warmer weather, too. Another thing to consider is that modern disposable nappies are so comfortable, the child never feels wet, so it might be worth trying terry nappies (with liners), which are a bit unfortable when wet.
 
Leggott

Were your children already diagnosed before you started toilet training? If so, do you think diabetes made it harder or no difference?

I know 2 other families here that have 2 children with diabetes (one of the families has Dad also). How incredibly busy your household must be. I have enough trouble just hoovering the floor in one go without having to stop for a test or snack or meal. You should do a google search on the Renouf family here. Steve Renouf is a retired footballer with T1. There are lots of articles about his career with diabetes and his children who also have T1.
 
Hi Jen, My children were diagnosed at the ages of 4 & 6, within a day of each other! We picked up on my son at the early stages, so early in fact that even the hospital sent us home saying he was ok! My husband is also type 1, diagnosed age 14. Yes, it is fun and games in my house! I have a 21mth old as well so I constantly worry that she will get it. Having said that, you more than have your hands full. I've often read your posts and admire how you cope so well.

With regard the potty training, I wouldn't of thought that being diabetic should affect this. I think it's down to their ability to pick up on the fact they need to go. I also agree with the other post, in the fact that the nappies now are so comfortable and keep a baby very dry that they don't have to experience the feeling of a cold wet nappy which would encourage them to use a potty.
 
Thank you all for getting in touch. Have decided to wait for better weather and really go for it. I worry that we will get the day dry but the night will be hard because of the highs, we have to do night changes and have soaked through bedding about once a week. She does use the potty but wants to go every 2 minutes and manages to produce something lol but if she goes to play or eat then it's forgotten till she is wet.
Oor non diabetic wee boy was 3 before he was sorted but I just think that it will be harder for her especially through the night and thought maybe it'd be better to leave her later and tackle night and day together rather than end up with night nappies being impossible to stop.
I suppose we could increase levemir to reduce the highs but we do get hypo mornings as it is and she never gives much signs when hypo and doesn't waken herself. Does anyone else feel it's a 24 hour juggling act?
 
Hi. Yes, it is a juggling act - i know what you mean. Don't worry about the nights. Both my children were about 4 before they were dry at night. I would just wait until the warmer months and deal with the days and leave the nights until you have the day time sorted. Hopefully once you get to a stage when they are dry all day, the diabetes shouldn't affect things at night. If your child does need to go to the toilet at night, they will wake up and go. Hopefully by this time you will have the levemir does as accurate as you can get it and it will keep their blood sugars level over night. Of course children do have accidents but hopefully these will only be on the odd occassion. Please don't worry about this, it is challenging raising two young children, let alone having a child who is diabetic.
 
Timing is definitely important. My older son (who is now 15) was really good during the day between 2 - 2.5yrs but not okay at night til he was 4. I'm only hoping to get Khaleb toilet trained by the time he starts school.

I also struggle to get good night time figures now and again. Khaleb has excellent bsl's during the day (today between 4-7). We've been spending time at the pool in the mornings and he's been prone to hypo during the night or the next day with the extra exercise. I'm getting better at predicting this and if I know we are going swimming (like yesterday) I've been reducing his long acting Levemir by half a unit in the morning and again that night. He was 4.8 on waking this morning so I've kept him on the reduced dose again. I also very rarely sleep through the night and check Khaleb some time between 1.30am and 3am depending on what his 10pm figure was. Occassionally he just has high figures overnight for no apparent reason and I figure that's a good time to get some sleep. I also find it easy to misjudge his supper when it is too close to dinner.

You'll be glad when your ice age is over. Plenty of pictures on Aussie TV of the snow.

Jen.
 
Hi,
I have a 2 1/2 year old with what they call pre-diabetes, but he has all the drinking/weeing symptoms of a diabetic. He is actually trained but I have to say its harder now that hes having these symptoms. He trained at just over 2, although not at night he still wears a pull up. He was however taking off dry pull ups in the morning prior to all this diabetic stuff. So i can imagine it will be harder for a diabetic child.

I have an older child who was trained at 2, but I am told that was very early for a boy. But I do suggest that you let her get her own potty. Go to the shop and let her choose one. A friend of mine also let her LO put a sticker on the base of the potty for him to pee on. He loved it and wanted to go all the time. I always left the potty lying around and let them sit on it etc. My LO runs about with just pants all the time and seems to manage to get there quicker without the whole pulling down the jeans to go thro. If you dont like her just in pants put on a little skirt so it doesnt obstruct her.

Good luck, and dont worry too much about it, shes still young enough, most of the nurserys here will take a child in a pull up, and thats at age 4. You are doing just great even trying with her.
Sarah x
 
Khaleb took himself to the potty for Number 1's and Number 2's this morning. This is a first and I am really amazed at how well he is going. I need to get him co-ordinated enough to pull his pants up and down now. It has been a struggle but my patience is paying off.
 
Hi, thats brilliant news Jen - you must be thrilled to bits. It will take a little time for him get the hang of taking his trousers off first, but this is a great start and remember that Rome wasn't built in a day! Leggott
 
loved reading these posts! Diabetic of not, potty training can be a bit torturous at times, warmer weather definitely helps but the best thing is, even though you will think time and time again, when will he/she get it?! one day, you will realise 'blimey, she/he has just been without asking!!' and then all the effort is rewarded
 
hi,
i must admit i was pulling my hair out. Ryan was about to start nursery school at just over 3 years old and we had tried the potty but he was having none of it. i left it for a while longer and one day he just stopped me changing his nappy said it was dirty and never wore one again. He left the potty redundant which amazed me. They all get there eventually .



steph
 
I have an 8 year old son who really struggles at night and still wears pull ups, having said that he doesnt have good control and find if hes high he stands no chance of making it through and even comes through the pull up, when hes got good control he has more dry nights so i do think it depends on how good their control is, hope all goes well
 

I hope you don't mind me asking but how did you get your pre diabetes diagnosis. I just keep being told there's no such thing as pre diabetes with t1, you either are or aren't but trial net says otherwise and that sugars are abnormal for quite a while before he development of frank diabetes.
 
ExtremelyW0rried said:
I hope you don't mind me asking but how did you get your pre diabetes diagnosis
Click to expand...
Do note that that post was posted about 8 and a bit years ago and I think that poster hasn't been on these forums since then so you may not get a response from them.
 
Rokaab said:
Do note that that post was posted about 8 and a bit years ago and I think that poster hasn't been on these forums since then so you may not get a response from them.
Click to expand...
Oops I'm an idiot.
I just assumed it was recent and didn't check the date.
 
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