How was bedwetting handled before disposable diapers/pull-ups were invented?

[dpcare]

there was other products available before Goodnites

 

[Llayden]

I grew up as a bed wetter. I had wet most of my life and didn't finally "grow out of it" until my mid to late teens. Throughout this time, I had always taken care of my nighttime accidents and we only used a plastic sheet for protection. The cleanup was never forced on me, nor did my parents ever use this as "punishment", rather it was just a responsibility of mine. I probably started stripping sheets, washing, and making my bed around the first grade.

I looked upon this quite differently at different times in my life. When I was really young, it didn't even phase me. I had no idea that something was "different" with me until I reached about six or seven.

Around this time I knew I was "different", however it really didn't affect me and I hadn't taken much notice of it until about age ten.

At this point in life I became a bit distressed with bed wetting and I knew that something was "wrong" with me. This change in attitude probably came about because of scouts, camping trips, sleep overs, all things that I was now a bit wary to take part in that a normal hyper-active outgoing 10 year old boy would. It didn't stop me (never did), though it made things a bit more difficult and stressful at times since you have to plan things out by telling your friends parents, the school, scout organizers, and family. I was always smart about my night-time accidents though. I never panicked, worried too much, and just kept taking responsibility for them.

By the time I was twelve or so the stress had pretty much vanished, and I was now just dealing with a "condition". I had been really lucky that NO ONE had ever found out (without being told prior) or caught me, and they never would.

At about fourteen/fifteen my mom (probably out of frustration and prompted by a coupon for Attends) asked me if I would like to try diapers to make things easier around the house. I was absolutely dumbstruck and froze like a deer in headlights. The thought had never crossed my mind and I hadn't even realized that diapers that big existed. I seriously thought that I was the only one in the world with this issue at my age. It took me all day to wrap my mind around the proposal, and around bedtime that night I had decided that anything was better than the chance of waking up early as hell cold and wet.

She never did buy them. And shortly after that I finally stopped wetting the bed. But the idea stuck. The thought of handling what had been such a big part of my life in a different way intrigued me. It had never occurred to me that there would be other ways of handling bed wetting. It was right around that time that I saw a very rare, original advertisement on TV for GoodNites (1993-94?). Then found a few of their ads in magazines as well. They were just introduced, and for the first time I didn't feel so alone as a bed wetter. I had no idea that other people wet the bed, or so many other kids did as well.

I couldn't resist finding out more. I logged on to their website (maybe one of the first ones I ever used the internet for) and discovered that I was definitely not the only one. Back then they had chat rooms for parents, kids, and teens. It was the first time I had been on a chat room, and it was the first time I talked to someone my age that was also a bed wetter. I also discovered that you could order samples on their website.

I ordered a sample and tried to intercept the mail before my parents every single day for 4-6 weeks. I even ordered samples for some friends in my neighborhood, thinking that I could explain it as marketing or something like that. I just didn't want to be the only one. The sample finally came, and I'm glad I got to it first. The samples back then were sent in an miniature GoodNites bag. It was the size of an envelope, with two GoodNites in it. But it was the same plastic material that a pack would be, the same color, the logo emblazoned on the front of it, as well as your name/address.

That night I excitedly removed them from the package and spent an hour just holding, folding, and inspecting them. I was so curious as to how something so seemingly simple could've helped me for the last 16 years. As part of my investigation I put one on, of course. I was impressed. They felt so soft, were so unobtrusive, and were so discreet (compared to a crinkly plastic bed). In due course my curiosity got the best of me, and despite my years and years and years of hard work trying NOT to pee in bed....I ended up "using" my sample that night.

I was instantly impressed. It was as if nothing happened. My bed was fine, my clothes were fine. No laundry, no changing...just normalcy. I was impressed and a bit euphoric. But the "eureka moment" really was waking up in the morning. I woke up, still wearing my sample, to a dry bed. I woke up when it was time to wake up. I didn't wake up at 2 a.m. cold and soaking wet. I didn't have to strip the bed and change in the middle of the night. I didn't have to change and drag a blanket on to the floor and sleep there because I was too tired to strip and make a bed in the middle of the night. I had finally found the solution.

I was almost saddened, actually. I wasn't wetting the bed anymore. After 16 some odd years I had finally stopped. And here I had this elegant, simple, and ridiculously effective solution to a problem that didn't exist anymore. My interest only deepened. I wanted to know what other products there were out there (none for kids/teens, only adult products existed). I would sneak out to stores and explore the incontinence aisles, buying and sneaking packages of different products. After a few months my interest waned and I began to forget about such things.

But, as I reached my mid 20's and my nightly issues made a worrisome return...I was prepared. I knew exactly how I could handle the problem.

 

[WBxx]

Growing up a bed wetter in the fifties my bed had a rubber sheet and I was often diapered (flat cloth & plastic pants). Typical of the time mom thought bedwetting was a behavior problem resorting to scolding, spanking, etc.

 

[wetaccident]

I can remember wearing disposable diapers to bed when I was 4 or so but that was because I was late to potty train. After PT I was never given diapers again despite frequent daytime accidents throughout my childhood and nightly bed wetting. Basically, it was handled with a protective rubber sheet and wet pajamas and undies. I remember waking up wet in the middle of the night and putting a towel down over the wet spot or trying maneuver to find a dry spot at one edge of the bed or the other and going back to sleep in my wet pajamas.

There was also all the other stuff: fluid restrictions in the evening, constant reminders to go pee before bed, bedwetting alarms (I hated that thing), etc. I eventually stopped (though I had irregularl incidents through middle and high school with decreasing frequency).

I wouldn't say it was traumatic as I my parents never made me feel bad about it or like it was my fault but it was stressful at times.