Huge Numbers Twos! (TMI - Sorry!)

[Dysgu]

DD1 (2.9 yo)has always had to stop and concentrate whenever she does a poo. Goes every other day or so - and has done for a long time. She has been able to tell us she is doing a poo for the past 6 months or so.

Anyway, we have just potty trained her - went really well, did a poo on the potty on Day 1 and happy to do them now in potty or on toilet. No toilet anxiety and has been in knickers all day for past week or so and no accidents of either kind since day 4 of starting training. She was ready for it and I don't think potty training has affected her bowel movements at all - only we now see them 'intact' rather than spread inside her nappy!

However, in the past few days she has been telling me that 'my bum hurts' and that 'poo is hurting me'. She has been trying to poo since this morning - gave her Califig and that has sorted it - but the poo was about 10-12 cm long and at least 3cm in diameter! HUGE!

This reminded me that she did a poo at her Nanna's house the other day and my mum reported 'I don't know how she got it out!'

Is this normal? She eats a reasonably healthy diet - including quite a lot of fruit and wholemeal bread. Has actually been drinking more water recently than before which I thought would help.

Is this constipation?

Is there anyway to make her poo 'less solid'?

[puffylovett]

blimey, that is huge. I'm very jealous !! There's nothing quite like the feeling of a huge satisfying poo !!

does the poo seem quite hard ? or lots of pellets bound together ? or is a nice long big mid brown log ? If pellets, it sounds a bit constipated and it might be a bit painful.. best to increase her fluids and maybe try her with some dried fruit like prunes or apricots ?

[Dysgu]

Occasionally I have noticed it is pellets but generally it seems pretty much 'one lump' and usually seems quite soft and sticky! Her poo has become something of an obsession recently

I am continuing to increase fluids - especially water. Can milk cause constipation as she has recently rediscovered a liking for drinking milk.

I will try dried prunes - she will often eat dried apricots (if she is in the mood).

[Castiel]

Yes most likely milk.

[puffylovett]

yes milk can contribute to constipation, so can excess wheat or too much insoluble fibre (bread etc).. If she's only going every other day, it wouldn't hurt to increase her fruit, veg and dried fruit (soluble fibre) to try and get things moving quicker so she's doing less quantity, but more often IYSWIM. Increasing water will definitely also help..

[puffylovett]

BTW her poo sounds healthy enough.

My LO has recently potty trained - we usually get the same sort of comments ie 'my bum hurts' just before a poo, but his can be anywhere from loose to small amounts of bound stool depending on how much meat he's eaten (my boy refuses veg grrr, he's a chicken fiend)

don't know if that helps you !

[oneforward20back]

with my ds sometimes often we have to wonder how so much poo came out such a small person. A being male he is very proud of it

[AitchTwoOh]

size of poo very normal for dd. we were AMAZED and proud when she was first potty trained.

[BettyTurnip]

Another one here who has dds producing monster poos. It's actually a bit of a talking point in the family ! Your dd sounds a bit uncomfortable though.

[Dysgu]

Will keep pushing water instead of milk and see if that helps her.

I was concerned at the size but it seems quite normal so will just work at increasing liquids. She loves fruit - apples, bananas, melon, strawberries, mango, pear are current favourites.

She is not a huge vegetable fan - but I am about to start BLW with DD2 at the end of the month and have a slight hope that that will encourage DD1 to eat more than carrots (unless vegetables are mixed with risotto in which case she'll eat anything almost.)

Thank you to everyone for responding. I will worry less.