As the mother of a 9-year old boy who has struggled with bed-wetting, I know what a sensitive and delicate issue this can be. After discussing the topic with his pediatrician, we decided that a bed-wetting alarm would be the best "next step" to take in helping our son overcome this problem.

As providence would have it, we were asked shortly thereafter to review the Wet-Stop 3 original wearable bed-wetting alarm. We have been very pleased with the results. My son is happy that it is easy enough for him to use on his own, and we are happy at the progress he has made. He has gone from almost nightly accidents to rare accidents within a two-month period. While this definitely isn't what most would consider a "quick-fix," we believe that a gradual improvement of this condition will be most long-lasting and best for our son. In addition, it has helped us to improve this condition without the use of medication, which is always a bonus.

The Wet-Stop 3 is packaged with alarm and sensor, instructions, a CD containing an e-book copy of the Complete Bedwetting Book (a $12 value), and a calendar with stickers as a motivating reward system. All that we needed to add was two AAA batteries. It is simple to assemble; you just need to plug in a cord and turn it on.

This particular bed-wetting alarm uses a vibrating buzzer attached to the pajama top and a moisture sensor clipped onto ordinary underwear. When the sensor detects wetness, even a small amount, the sound and vibration goes off, waking the bedwetter and systematically training the child to wake-up before an accident. Incidentally, my son says that the vibration does a better job of waking him up than the sound does, which was surprising to me.

At nine years of age, my son can attach and operate this alarm independently, but a younger child might need assistance. By the way, this item is recommended for ages 5 and up, so it could be used for a younger child as well.

One feature we appreciated was the ability to use this alarm with regular underpants. A major concern for our family was eliminating our son's need for disposable pull-ups at night. They are costly and embarrassing for an older child. With the Wet-Stop 3, he can wear ordinary underpants. The manufacturer states that disposable underpants can be placed over the regular underwear and alarm, eliminating accidents while training, but we haven't found it necessary to do this. Usually, the alarm will wake my son before he wets through his bedding.

This alarm retails for approximately $60, but I understand that with a written prescription from your physician, health insurance may cover this cost. My son and I both recommend the Wet-Stop 3 and would encourage any other families dealing with this sensitive issue to invest in this alarm. We have been very pleased with the results.

Product review by Melanie Bunnett, The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine, LLC, May 2008