The truth is, Magdalena has never been able to stay dry at night. I know you all just got ready with your helpful suggestions about how to fix this, but I promise you that we had tried everything over the past 2+ years. And nothing worked. Our best efforts were hampered by the fact that both Jeremy and I work so neither of us could dedicate ourselves to long periods of frequent, pee-based night-wakings. Also, we could not afford to have Magdalena's bedding be The One Load of Laundry that could be washed and hung out to dry each day.
So I took the opportunity of our summer in America to finally get this done, since I wouldn't have to wake up early to go to work and I would have access to an American washer and (!) dryer and, of course, Amazon, where I could buy this product. I had thought that maybe bedwetting alarms didn't exist anymore - I vaguely remember them from my childhood, do you? They were metal-based and gave off a tinny screech if they got wet.
Well, bedwetting alarms still do exist, but as you can see from the image above, these are not the ones you remember from your own childhood. The Chummie we got for Magdalena was so cute that she was eager to try it out. We've had it for about six weeks now. Here are the pros and cons of our experience.
Pros: Chummie is cute and compact. The sensor works very well and it's easy to program and attach to the pajamas. There are several alarm sounds/volumes to choose from, including - thank goodness! - a silent vibrate/flash mode that we use since the girls share a room. Chummie came with a few accoutrements that, while nice, are not necessary, such as a sticker chart and some brand-specific cleansing wipes for the sensor (you can just wash the thing off in a regular sink, no big deal). Most importantly, Chummie works. In the beginning, when Magdalena was still getting used to it, she had a few halfway accidents before getting out of bed in response to the alarm. In the past week or two, however, she's been 100% dry every morning. Sometimes this is because Chummie woke her up in the night and she went to use the toilet. Other times, she's just legitimately slept through the night without wetting the bed, which is a minor miracle, considering all we've been through with her.
Cons: The alarm unit itself only weighs 1oz, but with 2 AAA batteries in there, it's a bit heavier. So you'll want to make sure your kid's pajamas are a bit sturdy around the neckline. I said above that the sensor is easy to attach, but that's only after you find the right tape (we ended up using some athletic tape that wasn't harmful to the sensor but was strong enough to adhere to the underwear). Every once in a while, Magdalena complains that she doesn't like the way the cord feels against her skin. But it hasn't been a deal-breaker for her (and you could always leave the cord on the outside of the pajamas if you really needed to). That's about it!
Final word: Magdalena is thrilled to not have to wear "special panties" (pull-up diaper things that, thankfully, are pretty cheap here) anymore, and I am thrilled to have a 5-year-old who can finally stay dry at night. We are very happy with Chummie and I would recommend it to anyone who has tried everything else out there without success.