Constipation, Bedwetting, and Kids Class Page

Class one: Bedwetting and Physical Therapy

Milestones are always important and exciting events in a child’s (and the parent’s) lives. Important firsts we cheer about are when our child rolls over, when they can sit up by themselves, take those tentative first steps and when they sleep through the night – all night! Another huge milestone is when your child sleeps through the night and is dry in the morning so you can ditch the expensive pull ups for good. Sometimes, it’s not that easy for kids and their families to reach that milestone.

Maybe your child was dry at some point but is waking up wet every morning now?

Or your child has never had a morning when they woke up dry?

Is it hit and miss on when your kiddo will wake up dry?

Is all of this leaving you wondering what is contributing to bedwetting in your child? 

In our 1-hour class we will discuss: 

• What’s normal bladder function in kids 

• Some of the most common misconceptions about what causes bedwetting like “My child just has a small bladder”

• Learn how Pediatric Pelvic Floor Physical therapy can help your child. This includes supporting you and your child build better bladder habits 

• Managing constipation and bowel problems which are a huge contributing factor to bedwetting 

• We will delve into bladder training including breathing, toileting, and how to manage alarm systems to support your child

• And of course, we will include pelvic floor function and training to help your child achieve dry nights! 

Class Two: Constipation and Stool Leakage in Kids:

Constipation is something that can happen to anyone, even babies. No matter the age, having a belly full of stool doesn’t feel good! But in children, being constipated on a regular basis can have both day to day and long-term consequences on health. 

Stool (poop) is made up of any left-over food and nutrients we don’t digest. Did you know that 50% of the weight of stool is made up of bacteria? It’s important that we move waste products out of the body in a timely manner. Having regular bowel movements sounds easy but in reality, can be difficult for a number of reasons. 

When stool sits in your colon, it backs up and gets harder making it, well, harder to pass! More stool storage stretches the colon muscle, making it difficult for the muscles to contract and push stool along leading to – you guessed it – more, harder stool! Kids can get so backed up with stool that they ignore how full they are and only feel the urge to have a bowel movement when they feel nauseated. Sometimes, the poor colon is so full that it just can’t hold anymore! The pelvic floor can’t hold back the stool and it can drop out without your child even noticing.  This is called encoporesis. 

Some kids experience pain when they try to pass large, hard stool causing them to be afraid of having bowel movements and resulting in more holding behaviors. Chronic constipation is also one of the leading causes of bedwetting – enuresis. 

Does any of this sound familiar to you and your child? Does this sound like something you would like to prevent in your child? 

Come to an hour-long informational class where you can learn more about how the colon works along with easy tips for managing stool consistency and toileting. We will discuss how pediatric pelvic floor physical therapy can help your child learn how to correctly use their pelvic floor muscle to go to void but also to stop leaking. 

Send in questions before the class and we will choose some of them to answer that night! We look forward to helping you and your child get back to feeling better soon!