Potty Training my 5yr old

[Hackleshmackle]

My son will be turning 5 in march. Quick background : he and his twin sister were born 6 wks premature weighing 2 lbs 15 oz. He has minor developmental delays which he has mostly caught up with the help of therapies and special ed pre-school.  He has minor digestinal issues as well, no food allergies but we suspect some intolerances.

My concern is that he still wears diapers at night which are full in the morning.  His twin sister stopped using nighttime diapers a year ago when she had a straight month of waking with dry diapers.  He has been daytime potty trained since he was 3 1/2 but I frequently catch him crossing his legs and have to tell him to use the potty.  He has recently started hiding under the dining room table crossing his legs instead of going to the bathroom.  For the most part he makes it to the bathroom in time with the occasional damp undie.  Just a few drops though, no REAL accidents.  
 
He also rarely has a bowel movement without needing a change of underpants.  It ranges from skid marks due to a lack of proper wiping to a full fledged load in his pants.  His stool has always been on the soft side and I wonder if that makes it harder for him to feel that he has to go before it's too late.
  
Is there anything I can do to get him FULLY potty trained?   Or should I check with his pediatrician to rule out medical issues?

[Hackleshmackle]

Thank you much for your help.  The last time we took my son to a GI Specialist was when he was 1 yr old and had a 2 week run of vomiting everything he ate or drank.  Pretty scary.  We actually had to start from scratch and re- teach him to be able to eat solid food again with the help of a feeding therapist.  He was very very low weight and they had me trying everything to get him to gain weight.  Anyway, he was put through tests and scans galore with a final diagnosis of acid reflux.  With all he's gone through the doctors aren't very concerned about soft stool.  I just keep getting the BRAT diet advice.

Anyway, I'm glad for your advice and will relax and let nature take it's corse.

[Kevin Kennedy, Ph.D.]

Yes, that is precisely the situation at night.  You might run your second question by a pedi GI specialist, but my opinuion is that the relatively soft stool should not pose a problem. What does his pediatrician think about this?

[Hackleshmackle]

Sorry, wasn't finished :). So when I notice that he, on his own, continuously wakes with a dry diaper, then he's ready?

Also, any advice for the BM situation?  Does softer stool make it harder to feel the urge?

[Hackleshmackle]

So basically night time potty training isn't something I can "teach" him?  I should just be patient and wait for the same signs my daughter showed: I.e.

[Kevin Kennedy, Ph.D.]

Nothing you indicate invites serious concern about medical problems, but it is always prudent to rule this out. It is not unusual for children who were born prematurely to show this pattern - their achievement of developmental tasks is often a bit delayed. Nocturnal enuresis is still prevalent in more than ten percent of children your son's age, regardless of overall developmental status. Eventually it will be fine, but there really is nothing you can do to 'teach' him about that. Even when he achieves full toilet training during the day, he may still display nocturnal enuresis.