Greybird

I grew up as a bedwetter, but I am also dyslexic, which was little known about back then, so grew up with a very low opinion of myself. My father was a bedwetter but did little to help me. I was taken out of nappies at about three years old and just had to suffer the clod wet nights and the crinkly plastic sheet. At 12 they sent me to boarding school a hundred miles away where the wetting slowed to once a week, roughly. My bed always had the red rubber sheet on it but I don't remember ever being humiliated or laughed at. After school the wetting continued but by then I was a confirmed AB 50% and DL 50%. That has been tougher to live with than anything, but after more than 50 years of berating myself about it I now accept that it is a part of who I am and I try to make use of it. In essence I have a more 'youthful' outlook than many people of my age. So now I enjoy my nappies 24/7 and have gone from night wetting to wetting whenever I like.

I keep my bedwetting fairly discrete. However, some friends did see my nappies and plastic pants hanging on the line when they arrived unexpectedly! No questions were ever asked though. I think other friends suspect that I am padded and if asked I would not mind talking about it. As rubbersheetmike said these products are now so commonplace it has become much less embarrasing.

The fact is that English is a beautiful language. One can make it more interesting by learning the rules both of grammar and spelling, but also the usage of a correct or different word. One can hold the readers attention, or convey a more complete picture of a situation through our language. I absolutely agree with Rusty Pins and Alex in that there are obvious mistakes that either change the meaning of a sentence, or make no sense at all. Although, if I may just pick you up with one correction, with apologies, you use 'different', and it should read 'differently', well, I did go to an English public school! My pet peeves are 'your' and 'you're', also 'different to ...' no, no ,no, 'different from' and similar to'. This is an instance where, like driving and many other things in life, learn the rules (yes, even the historic ones) and they will become subliminal in ones writing. The biggest peeve, however, is that people don't read what they have written before posting it. Similarly, how many times have you written an email to discover that the recipient has only read the first line? Grrrrrr

And then I realised I’d put it on inside-out… Ha, laughed myself silly, it's a 'right of passage' in other words been there done that! actually I quite like pull-ups. I am away on a driving holiday in Europe at the moment. Normally I like to wear my terries, but without the washing facilities (I did get the hotel to wash a couple of them on one trip years ago but .... ) it is down to disposables. The day-wear is one pull-up in the morning and one for pm. The boot of the car has a large bag to manage the leaky anatomy, namely three packs Tena pull-ups (super absorbent ones) plus enough Abena M3s for the nights. Plastic pants to go over the nappies and a plastic sheet for the bed although it has been so hot that I have not used it yet (and not needed it) finish off with baby powder and nappy lotion. I do love the fact that one can buy disposables at most pharmacies in Europe, the UK is catching on but very slowly. I do appreciate that you cannot carry that lot around business meetings though. Thank you OZNL it is a very insightful thread that I'm sure many of us can identify with, not to mention entertaining!

I’m very impressed that your nappy will hold two pints, even with a sandwich! i too was out in a baggy pair of shorts, cloth nappy and plastic pants and just a t-shirt, it’s my daily attire! I love the UK summer.

I use ‘sensitive area’ shaving cream, which needs a few moments to soften the hairs, then a sharp Gillette razor, the type with lots of blades and vibrates gently. I’m baby smooth every three/four days.

Hi Deacon, that is a great mantra, most of which I share. I am finding it frustrating that my body does not keep up with the child in me! But I’m sure my abdl side helps keep me young. I too live either in shorts or dungarees, my teddy bear travels with me nearly everywhere and I live a much ‘younger’ life that many of my age! Long may it continue.

I wear my nappies everywhere, alright, not in the shower, but otherwise everywhere. I’m sure the time will come when people begin to notice but I spent so many years as a ‘closet’ abdl that having gone 24/7 four years ago I am not going back to pants for anything. I probably would not survive dry for very long as one of the reasons I went 24/7 was ‘urgency’. Boy can that trip you up, but nappied, life is a breeze! I am quite discrete and don’t ‘show off’ how I am dressed, but I know some people where I work know. Work is physical, bending and stretching, although my dungarees hide most things even if I do look like a toddler/workman. Pull-ups to the doctor and other serious places, but otherwise my comfy terry contour nappies that I make together with some plastic pants. Happiness.

I think it was after! I was at the grave of a Reverend Black, I think he was just having a laugh or thanking me for cleaning up his grave!

I was tending the graves of very long dead vicars at the church next door to where I lived (vicars are always buried by the church wall) and somebody tapped me on the back, I turned round to see who it was and there was nobody there. I ran so fast, left the lawn mower there for three days, completely freaked me out! Yes, I was nappied and, yes, I was wet!

I agree that they are part of a unique support system, both emotional and physical that we share. I don’t dread getting older, although I am not enjoying parts of the process. But I was reminded how good old age can be recently, slightly abstract but nevertheless relevant (well, I think so.) I had a lovely dog whom I adored, he was always ‘up’, every day was ‘the best day’. Long energetic walks, swimming, playing ‘stick’, and working to command. After 12 years old he became old and arthritic, and we could not go on the fabulous walks together that we used to, but he was still the lovely loving ‘up’ dog that he was in his youth, he just could not do as much, we were always close but we became closer still as he became more and more infirm, and I loved him to bits. Last October I made the decision to put him down, he was falling over and the quality of his life was gone, he was 14. It was the worst day of my life. But even on that day he let me know that it was still a great day, enjoy it to the full, as best you can. It is a mantra I shall carry to my own old age. There is always beauty in the world, you just have to go and find it. Now I like to pick up a camera and go walking and looking. The camera makes me stop thinking about all the negative stuff in my life and focus on something artistic/beautiful, something I like. The nappies mean I can keep going for longer walks without a break, as well as reinforcing my childlike excitement with what I am looking at.

I try to be very discrete, wearing the right nappy for the right place/time. I am rather physically active, especially in my woodwork shop, bending and climbing up and down off the floor etc. I wear dungarees there which are a very good ‘consealment’ garment, or shorts with long t-shirt. I know that some have seen the nappy but I think they are so embarrased that they say nothing. Does a nappy flash worry me any more? No, not really.

Born in 1949, toys were simple, teddy bear, my toy car collection and no television until I was 11 years old, black and white of course. Post war London playing in the old bomb site across the road when I was 7 or 8, hands dirty, knees scratched. Whole days of bicycling around the park, brilliant! Yep, 1950s for me.

I have shaved the ’important little places’ for about five years now, and I love it. Wet razor and shaving foam for delicate skin followed by baby nappy cream. Loverly! By the way why do you Americans call your genitals ‘junk’? Mine are not junk, they give me much pleasure and do some very useful work!

Following on from the ‘Getting old sucks’ topic, I just wondered if as we get older does our ABDL side help to keep us to feel young? I have always been interested in the ‘why me ‘ of ABDL but now I am more interested in ‘can I make use of it’, because one thing is certain, it ain’t going away! I shall be 70 within 6 months and I try very hard not to feel burdened by my age. I am certainly not as physically fit as I was, although pretty healthy, but I do have an optimistic outlook and there are many things I see with the excitement I felt as a child. I’m still interested in taking things apart to see how they work (and not necessarily putting them back together:), I am building a boat, a 19 ft wooden motorboat (year 4) I have a sports car, not an expensive one but it does make me smile when I drive it! How do you all feel about the ABDL being part of your lives?

I’m with you all the way Stroller. I wear dungarees during the day when it is cold and I just look like a (rather old eccentric) kid! Otherwise it’s shorts, all the time with a nappy underneath!

Yeh, life can be a pain ... in the hip, head back and for me the knee. Firstly, A good chiropractor is hard to find so don’t bother. The only thing that has helped me is Pilates. There is a machine thing, called a reformer, that initially looks a bit evil, but a good instructor will show you how to exercise on it safely and build your core muscles, show you how to walk, bend, stretch and move as the body is supposed to. If they start to show-off then leave the room, this is about you not them showing how clever they are. I am just approaching 70, right hip replaced 10 years ago, and left knee replaced 8 years ago, they are working well but only thanks to Pilates. So tighten up those stomach muscles and find a studio to teach you, you will come out of it feeling a thousand times better. And the joy is I wear a pull-up to class under tight gym shorts so I feel good all over. if you want any more info on it let me know!

Hi Will, I’m sure you could find a lightly used machine, but you would need to see and try it before you bought it, IMHO. You would do well to go to a shop and have a demonstration of what a standard machine would do versus an overlocker. An overlocker trims the layers of fabric to the same size and binds it with interlocking thread so it will not fray. It took me a while to get my head around it but now nappy-making is great fun, although I would like to learn how to put elastic around the legs. I do put tabs of velcro on as fasteners which works well. I’ll take a few pictures and put them here later if it would help. Hi Baby June what a very prolific writer you are! Not to mention clothes maker! Very impressive and way beyond my skills!

I’m very sorry you went through that, it is truly unforgiveable. As a slight aside, I met an ab many years ago who ran a club near London, this was pre internet days. He told me that in the club he had two doctors, three policemen, three or four lawyers and a high court judge! “May I ask your honour what nappy he is wearing under those robes?”

Absolutely right not to buy a used machine, it will be knackered more than likely. I’m no expert but if you have an overlocking stich on a standard sewing machine it will still be just two threads whereas an overlocker has four and trims the edge as it sews. Mine was not expensive and has proved invaluable. The other thing to mention is that new fabric has a coating on it that makes it easier to sew, ie. the needle passes through the cloth better. After it has been washed it is much more difficult. Happy sewing

I make my own nappies, a simple design that I have perfected (pictures are Dlteddy at FL). They are terry, shaped with a second terry layer down the middle and an outside layer of brushed cotton in a childish print. The terry is sewn with a standardsewing machine and the edges finished with an overlocking machine which is really easy to use (You may call it a surger?). I recently found some 550gsm really thick terry which is great for night time nappy and I have a slightly different, more discrete, shape in a lighter terry for daytime. It is great thing to do and lots of fun and saves money in the long run.

They were very embarrased and after the initial grin/smirk went bright red, it was a joy to behold. He is a big tough rugby playing type! I only felt mildly uncomfortable as the nappy he saw was rather juvenile but it was soon forgotten. It happened at my woodwork shop where I wear dungarees that make me look slightly childish anyway! There are about 4 or 5 of them that now know but nobody says a word.

I have been nappied for about three years 24/7 and have enjoyed every moment. I certainly don’t find it a chore and I don’t really like to refer to it as a ‘fetish’, for me it is a lifestyle choice. It took me over 45 years to even start to be comportabe with the fact that I wanted to wear nappies, the one day I just decided ‘to hell with it’ it is a part of who I am, stop obsessing and get on with it. Many of the forums like this were very supportive and encouraging and that helped. Yes, it can be inconvenient and one or two friends have found out and many more will, but for me that is a small price to pay, indeed I find myself less embarrased now than I used to be. I am also aware that nappies have become less of a turn-on and my level of incontinence has increased during the day, but that is because I am more relaxed about it. I have almost always been a bedwetter anyway. i wish I had done is 35 years earlier!

Hi Taika, You live in a very beautiful country, lovely people (and great food),I came there last year, but I could not imagine being there in the winter. Almost no daylight at all I would find very difficult. As for being shy etc, we all need to grow by meeting and communicating with others, there is no rule book that tells us how or when, just go at your own pace. It starts at school, or it did for me the very shy failure of a bedwetter, but I found my feet in the workplace, it was not easy but I have found that the most difficult things in life bring the best rewards.

I was given a small bladder at birth and it is still the same one! So bedwetting most of my life leading to feelings of ab/dl. Now I am nappied 24/7 with frequent ‘urgency’, it's a weird feeling when the need to wee happens very quickly with the action happening very soon after. Nappies are vital.