It's true. It seems that in our house, a house full of T1Ds, pee happens more than most. There is constantly someone needing to go pee because inevitably someone is either high, has been high and is coming down, or was low and is going high. I know where every toilet is in every establishment we patronize, as well as those that advertise "no public restroom". We can tell you which rest stops are the cleanest on any interstate from Maine to Colorado, and which towns don't even have running water. We have perfected the roadside squat (always pee on the downhill and with the wind!), and find no shame in dropping trou behind a tree at the park (because sometimes it's safer than attempting the portapotty!).

Pee happens when blood sugars are high. Extra sugar in the blood causes more fluid to pass through the kidneys thus producing more urine. Add to that the fact that higher blood sugars increase thirst (because more fluid is passing through) and the T1D with moderately high blood sugar is a pee producing fool. It's usually the first sign one notices with a Type 1 diagnosis, and always the first sign we see when blood sugars are shifting. And it comes on fast. One minute there's no urge to go, and then in an instant you'd think your bladder is about to explode. At least, that's what I've been told. Even though I know this, that it comes on like a freight train, it still frustrates me to no end. I ask the kids every time before we get in the car "do you have to pee", and typically the answer is a resounding "no". Two minutes later I see Walker squirming in her seat saying she has to pee "RIGHT THIS MINUTE!". Seriously?! It's enough to drive me crazy! I try to be patient, especially when Marshall guilts me and reminds me that it's out of their control. Every mom out there who has been pregnant can relate, and I try to invoke this former sense memory, but it still frustrates me. It helps if I remind myself they're not trying to be obstinate, it's just their diabetes.

And then there's the night time highs. You would think it would be easy to keep a blood sugar in range during the night, but in our experience it's typically the hardest. All the activity of the day, both physical and mental, sets the stage for the night. A day filled with lots of physical activity may lead to lows during the night (or highs if we end up over correcting), and a day of stress or joy may lead to just as wonky blood sugars. During the day we can stay on top of it all; watching the trends on their CGMs and correcting with food or insulin before it gets out of hand. But at night it's a totally different ball game. We set them up for what we think will be a successful bedtime (we shoot for 110-150 blood sugar) with either snack or insulin, watch for the next couple hours before we go to bed (and take them to pee if they're high), and usually wake up around 2am to check again. But in those few hours of uninterrupted sleep things have a tendency to change quickly, and during that fluctuation beds sometimes get wet. Not only does a moderately high blood sugar make you pee but it also makes you sleepy, meaning it's that much harder to wake yourself up to walk to the bathroom. Ollie's much better at it than Walker, she's always been a heavier sleeper even before diabetes. For a while the kids wore pull-ups, especially during the early months of their diagnosis, but it gets expensive and what kid older than a toddler wants to wear pull-ups?! So we switched to bed pads, especially since it doesn't happen every night and the waste was wearing on me. Once again, the expense and waste of it drove me mad, not to mention the incessant laundering of sheets (because those disposable bed pads aren't that great), so I found a better solution and one the kids have really liked.

One of my superpowers is my craftability. When the kids were little I made their diaper covers (yes, cloth diapers.). I did some research and found the perfect solution to my disdain for waste: reusable bed pads. They're genius! And I'm going to explain how I made them, because they're not only great for kids with diabetes, they're also great for any kid or older adult who might need one. I wish I had thought of these when the kids were potty training. I might even whip up one or two for picnics and park performances for when the grass is wet and we want our bums to stay dry.

They're easy to make, and if you have a sewing machine and can sew a "kinda" straight line, you can make a waterproof soft pad. You will need a yard each of fleece, flannel, and terrycloth. You will also need a cheap vinyl tablecloth, the ones that are plastic on one side and have soft felt like fabric on the other. I got mine for 3 or 4 dollars, they're not that expensive. Then you cut all the layers to a similar size, because even though you bought a yard they probably won't all be the same size. Layer them in this order: fleece (right side up), vinyl table cloth (fuzzy side down), flannel, then terrycloth (see pic for reference!). Cut them all to the same size, and pin all layers along edges. Sew on your machine, leaving a gap big enough to turn right side out. When you turn it inside out, the flannel and terrycloth will be sandwiched on the inside and the fleece and fuzzy part of the vinyl tablecloth will be on the outside. Once you turn it right side out, then sew a top stitch around all four sides, in doing so closing up the opening. And that's all it takes to make a washable/reusable bed pad! You can wash it like all your other clothes, but be sure to air dry, as the vinyl doesn't do so well in a hot dryer.

The fleece layer on top will wick away any pee, the terrycloth and flannel will trap the wet and pull it away from the fleece, the vinyl on the interior of the pad will block the wet from traveling through, and the fuzzy side will keep the pad from sliding around the bed. I've tried making smaller ones (2 out of 1yd), but find this large one to work best as it covers a twin bed from edge to edge and is big enough not to bunch up as the kids shift around during the night. The smaller ones are great for traveling and even might do well stuffed in a sleeping bag.

So that's it. No cure for diabetes, but it has been a life changer for our nighttime wet-bed dilemma. Some days we'll take the little victories.