dd won't poo, anywhere. Help, really getting worried (warning, this post talks about poo a lot, I'm so sorry)

[unexpectediteminbaggingarea]

DD is 2.5, I started potty training 2 weeks ago and she has been great with weeing, and in fact hasn't had a accident since about the 3rd day, tells me when she wants a wee, uses the toilet and is virtually dry at night (1 wet nappy overnight this week). So far so good.

The problem is she won't poo now. Not at all. She initially had a couple of accidents and pooed on the floor in the first couple of days (when she was wearing nothing at all on her bottom). I just said the usual 'oopsidaisy, next one on the toilet' or whatever inane nonsense we say while clearing up. Then she sat on the potty and pooed once, which was brilliant, cue lots of praise, ringing everyone up to tell them etc. But after that she spent 3 days telling me her bum hurts then did a poo in her knickers. That was 4 days ago and she has been saying her bum hurts and her tummy hurts for 3 of them. She has hardly eaten today. She normally does a poo every day.

I have made sure she's not dehydrated, and given her oranges, fibrous food etc. When she sits on the toilet for a wee she obviously feels the poo coming and then jumps off saying 'no' and getting really really upset. She's farting plenty, if that helps. I still put a nappy on her an night in case she wees and I was hoping she'd do a poo in that but nothing.

Can anyone help me? Do I just wait? Or is it time to get something from the GP now? I'm worried she'll get impacted.

I never ever want to type the word poo again. TIA.

[omletta]

I'm not an expert and potty training for us was several years ago, but I remember something about children never having seen their poo before and so being a bit freaked out by it. Could it be that?

[TheHandbagOfGlory]

My DS was difficult about pooing in the toilet until he was 4.5. It can be frustrating.

Have you tried her sitting on the toilet blowing up a balloon or blowing bubbles? This really helped my DS, it's a distraction but also makes them, erm, bear down as it were and push the poo out and less anxious as they are having fun with the bubbles/balloons.

[unexpectediteminbaggingarea]

thank you both. just bumping in case anyone else has any wise words?

[girlywhirly]

This might be embarrassing for you, but if you think she is afraid of what her poo looks like, could you take her with you when you go to do one and show it to her? Perhaps she might see that it didn't upset you, and you could say that you feel so much better for having done it! She might, with luck, want to try too.

I think something to help her go would be a good idea.

[unexpectediteminbaggingarea]

thanks for the reply girly. I've tried that, and my lovely DS even did a couple of show poos for her! Which was very sweet but didn't work.

Well, she's been now and seems back to her usual regularity. She freaks out about doing it on the toilet though.

My plan is kind of to let her get over the poo phobia first, not worrying too much about where she's doing it, and then try and work on her doing it in the right place once she's more relaxed.

I hate potty training.

[pinkpaperpiggy]

I had a very similar problem with training dd2. She got the wees straight away but for ages would not poo at all unless I put a pull up on her.

She woud ask repeatedly to go to the toilet but nothing would come out.

I suspected she might be a little constipated so I really upped her intake of fruit and gave her smoothies etc.

I also showed her the story Poo goes to Pooland so she wasn't nervous of the poo going down the toilet.

I think feeling like she wanted to go but not being able to make it come immediately was confusing her.

As soon as things improved wrt the constipation she got it.

[unexpectediteminbaggingarea]

poo goes to pooland is hilarious! I'm downloading it now. thanks.

[pinkpaperpiggy]

I was dubious about it but it seemed to appeal to dd. We used to wave goodbye to poo as he headed off to his family in Pooland.

Hope it helps!