What was incontinence management like in the 70’s and 80’s

[Deleted member 39574]

I have had the conversation with my wife about how much easier it is to manage major bladder issues now, vs the 70’s or 80’s or even earlier. How did people go out or travel in the 70’s? What products were available for management. I use Ecoables for a short day trip with a pul bag in my backpack, but only for a couple hours.

For me the issue goes back to the 60s and 70s. I thought for a long time there were no "products" available back then because in my family nighttime wetting was just addressed with a rubber sheet covered with an absorbing pad. My sheets and pjs were soaked in the morning. And for daytime accidents the 'solution' was training pants (really thick underpants) worn underneath plastic pants. This site and others have informed me that in fact there were other protective products available back then so I guess its just that my parents didnt know about them or didnt choose to use them.

 

[Wetshisbed]

I remember in the late 1970s getting big blue disposable nappies via the NHS continence service as I still wet the bed

 

[Rusher]

I had a bed I wish I had pictures. It had almost a tin foiled coating. Wires up to a box with two huge red L.E.D’s. The wires connected to the box. It went off when wetness hit the special cover.

It was a huge rip off I felt bad I know it wasn’t cheap. The people who took me in after my parents died. Bought it hoping it would help my bed wetting. Think we left it up for less then six months.

Special pants had straps and buttons. I just wore regular disposables and plastic pants. I had a very small waist so could wear any brand. This was when companies were trying to cash in on bed wetters.

 

[sledder23]

I wore disposable Huggies and Pampers of the ‘80’s for bed wetting until I outgrew them. Then I woke up with wet pajamas and bedding until I went back to the green Depends of the ‘90’s. Have a few early memories of disposables of the ‘80s, but mostly just appreciated that the bed was dry in the morning. Everyone said I’d grow out of bed wetting, but it never happened. The green depends of the ‘90’s were a welcome change to wet bedding and clothes.

Products have come a long way since then, and I’m grateful for today’s diapers that make living a normal active life possible. No one notices what I use, and it is nice to carry on with life like I did before incontinence. There wasn’t much that was subtle about products from the 80’s and ‘90’s.

 

[bedwetter bobby]

I am going back to the fifties. Many of the products shown above were available then. Actually they were expensive and not often used. Diapers were not recommended for those outside of infancy. Bed wetters had rubber sheets and wet bedding everyday. But some practical parents did use diapers, contrary to Dr Spock. My mom was one of the practical. I wore birdseye 27 x27 diapers and super size plastic baby pants. I wore them to age 7. Yes they were embarrassing, but much more comfortable and more sanitary than with out.