Irregular Bowel Movements - 9 yr old

[Plopsicle]

My 9yr old DS is only doing a poo about once every 7 days.

I have read about chronic constipation and faecal impaction but he doesn't seem to have the symptoms, he has no problems with leaking and when he goes for a poo it isn't dry and hard, his poos are usually massive though! (sorry TMI) very occasionally he complains of a stitch like pain.

The doctor has given us Movicol but if he takes it to regularly he ends up with diorreah.

I don;t know if there is any thing else I should be doing or if this is just his natural pattern for bowel movements.

Any advice?

[MrsMushroom]

What is his diet like?

[Plopsicle]

Not too bad, he is a bit fussy but eats plenty of fruit and veg.

I think part of the problem is that when he is at school he doesn't drink enough.

[MrsMushroom]

Is he having much fibre? As in wholegrains? Wholemeal bread, wholegrain rice and wholegrain cereals are all majorly important when it comes to our bowels.

If he's eating white bread, pasta and rice I'd swap them for the above.

[AMumInScotland]

Not drinking enough would certainly explain it - is it difficult for him to get drinks, or is he avoiding the loos? Could he take a sports bottle of water around with him, or squash? Or maybe just try to get him to drink a lot more while he is in the house.

[Plopsicle]

I think he just gets distracted. He barely even touches the drink in his lunch box because hes too keen to get out in the playground.

Last night I gave him a sachet of Movicol and loads to drink, literally as soon as the glass was empty I was topping it up and he had a big poo before bed so I do think drinking is a big part of it.

I'm going to try giving 1 sachet of Movicol every other day, any more than this seems to give him diarreah and try increase his fluid intake as much as I possibly can.

Thanks for your replies

[MrsMushroom]

Instead of treating the symptoms you need to find the cause...not drinking could well be a part of it...nag him daily to make sure he does.

Is he eating a lot of white bread, eggs, or white pasta and rice?

[Plopsicle]

He only has brown bread, he does have white pasta because he doesn't like brown and he doesn't really eat rice at all, eggs very occasionally.

Breakfast is usually brown toast with jam or marmite
Packed Lunch (which he barely touches) Sandwich made with brown bread, apple, small chocolate bar, sometimes a yoghurt.
Dinner is a varity of stuff - roast dinners, sausages, pizza, pasta etc

[MrsMushroom]

Not a lot of fruit or veg then...or does he eat 3 or 4 pieces between meals?

[Plopsicle]

He would have a couple of pieces of fruit as a snack usually and veg of some kind with his dinner

[MrsMushroom]

I would try to up it...bananas can be a bit binding...apples, oranges, dried fruit is good too if he likes that. Fruit juice...the pure stuff.

[sannaville]

My dd doesn't drink enough so instead of giving her a juice bottle in her lunch box I bought her juice cartons so she has to finish them or risk them leaking all over lovely One Direction lunch box! I put two in hers each day and she drinks the lot now x