5 things I learnt about Pjama from bedwetters in Australia
Written by Eva Reinander, founder of E3 Health and distributor of Pjama in Australia and New Zealand, Singapore and Hong Kong
Background
In 2017, I met with my friend Torbjörn in Sweden who told me about his recent startup, Pjama, a washable pyjama for bedwetters. As I have been working with medical devices for 27 years I was curious to learn more about his solution for bedwetters. Back in 2010, his 9-year-old son refused to go to football camp because of the anxiety around the possibility of wetting the bed, and having his friends find out. Torbjörn wanted to find a solution for his son, and spent the next four years learning about textile material and developed a pyjama that could contain liquid. That was the start of Pjama. As Pjama is such a unique solution for bedwetters I got very excited about setting up a business (E3 Health) to provide Pjama for bedwetters Down Under.
Since the launch of Pjama in Australia in January 2019, I have talked to many parents and healthcare professionals that are trying to find bedwetting solutions, especially when spending a night away from home, and I now know a lot of children that have been able to attend camps and sleepovers without being stressed out about it because they were wearing Pjama. Like one mother said; “We are so happy with my son’s pjama pants! They really came into their own last night when he wet in the night at his first school camp! No hassles – he was able to change them himself & store them away in the blue bag, & no-one was the wiser! : )”.
Pjama are great for camps, but, during the last two years I have learnt a lot more about Pjama, and found them to be a solution to a few other problems I was not aware of. And, I have also learnt what is most frustrating about Pjama.
Smell / Odour
Dealing with incontinence and bedwetting many times result in a urine odour that many do not like. Bed protection pads are probably the most common solution to deal with bedwetting but that means bed linen and sheets will get wet and most likely smell. One mother using Pjama commented that one of the reasons she really likes Pjama is that the bedroom no longer smells like urine. First of all, Pjama contains the urine and keeps bed linen dry. Secondly, Pjama is designed with antibacterial properties which minimises smell. Of course, smell will depend on what you eat, but Pjama will keep it contained.
Regarding getting rid of the urine smell when washing we do recommend to rinse Pjama as soon as possible and wash them in 60 degrees. Bacteria and smell disappears at 55 degrees. One mother reached out and said her son had forgotten to put Pjama in the wash right away a few times and they had started to smell. She asked if vinegar was ok to use. We had not tested that option so advised her to not use too much. She ended up putting a cup of vinegar in along with the normal powder and the smell was gone.
Wiggle
When the child wiggles in bed trying to predict where a potential leakage will occur can be a challenge. The urine can spread anywhere, and even if you use bed protectors you can end up with wet bed linen, doonas, and pillows. When using Pjama the child can wiggle as much as they want. The urine will stay in the Pjama shorts or pants.
A unique solution for older kids and teenagers
There are not many options that seem to work well for bedwetting children aged 8-12 and teenagers. Normally these age groups do not want to wear nappies and they have much anxiety about being a bedwetter at that age. We mostly sell Pjama pants and shorts size Age 10-12. I do get many comments from parents saying that Pjama saved the school trip, camp, or made the sleepover possible for children in these age groups.
Wearing Pjama can stop bedwetting
The idea behind Pjama was to lessen anxiety and stress about bedwetting when staying away from home, for example attending a sleepover or camp. I have learnt that just the notion of wearing something that looks and feels normal, and offers protection, can remove that anxiety and stress immediately. A few mothers have told me that their child stopped bedwetting at home when using Pjama for the first time, and they have been dry since. I guess this means anxiety and stress about bedwetting is not only related to nights staying away from home but can also make sleeping at home less stressful.
The quickest way to dry Pjama is to use a tumble dryer. However, I have learnt that the majority of users do not have a tumble dryer in Australia, or, they want to use it as little as possible. Drying Pjama on the line can take time, normally 1-2 days. One mother from QLD told me it took 3 days for Pjama to dry completely. I understand that this could be frustrating.
It is essential to get as much water as possible out of Pjama at the end of the wash cycle. That is why I recommend an extra spin speed cycle at the end. You can also use the old trick how to quickly dry swimsuits and board shorts. Roll them up in a towel, it will squeeze out the water.
A mother gave me a good tip, after drying Pjama on the line, put the Pjama shorts or pants in the dryer on warm air cycle and they will be dry in 20 minutes.
Another option is to use a dehumidifier in your laundry, or the room where you hang Pjama, to dry.