Constipated Potty Trainer - Any advice please?

[pixipie151]

My DD 2yr 11m is potty training. Will do wee but withholding poo. Has now not been a poo for 1 week. Yesterday stopped eating and drinking, and very lethargic and whimpery, no temperature, but hot. Totally not herself, just lying on sofa and drifting in/out sleep. My sister said they can be like this when constipated, is this true?

I have tried massaging tummy to no avail. I dont want to go docs and get her laxatives, what can I try first and when is it time to go to the docs (my sister said I should be careful that she does not get an anal fissure).

Any help welcome!

[BoysAreLikeDogs]

yes please go to GP

you do not want a fissure and then go down the road of longterm witholding and medication, I promise you

[ICaughtSherlock]

My dd was constipated at Christmas, had a tear when she did eventually go, scared herself and now still screams everytime she needs a poo and can withhold for 2-3 days even though I know she is desperate to go. I wish I had got her laxatives earlier at Christmas!

I would honestly get her some laxatives to avoid a tear because if when she eventually poos, it hurts, she may be even more reluctant to poo next time.

[Ganners10]

I had this problem with my son when we started to potty train him. No problems with wee but he would not go for a poo! He was constantly constipated where he would hold it in. When he did go he would wait till a nappy was on and would spend hours trying to push it out whilst crying and wanting lots of cuddles! Tried everything natural ie- massage and different foods and drinks to help him go but didnt work. I finally took him to the doctors after several weeks as didnt want to put him through anymore pain and tears. He didnt have a tear but had stretched his bowels due to holding on and therefore stretched the muscles which are now to strectched to work efficiently. They put him on 1 sachet of Movicol a day and sfter several days was back to his normal self. Only thing is the potty training for the poo is going to take longer as he will need this medication for months whilst his bowel and muscles go back to normal! He still will only go in a pull up which he asks for as will not go anywhere near a toilet for a poo. Doctor said he will eventually use the toilet in his own time but its important not to let him get bunged up otherwise it will take longer!
Apparently it is very common when potty training

Go to the doctors!!!!! You will be glad you did as otherwise you will do more harm than good!!!!

[Indith]

Go to the Dr, please just go. Constipation in small children can easily get worse. If you leave it your dd is likely to get impacted. This means haivng poo stuck in her bowels which doesn't move. Then new poo gets squished around the edges and she soils herself because it just dribbles out. The bowels get stretched around the blockage. The pressure of the blockage startes to affect her bladder control and she wets herself. You have to go onto long term meds to shift teh blockage (perhaps even have an enema to shift it) and then to keep the bowls moving because the stretched muscles mean none of the poo signals are there and poo is more likely to collect in the stretched bit and the whole cycle start again. The more she is constipated the more she will withold because going will be painful so she won't want to do it. The dr will most likely start her off on a stool softener (lactulose) to make sure her poo is soft and comfortable to pass. This isn't a laxative, it doesn't make her poo, it just makes her comfortable.

[juneau]

Definitely go the docs and ask for Movicol. Don't bother with Lactulose - it's not strong enough - but the Movicol worked for us when DS1 was withholding during potty training. It's a tasteless powder that you add to their drinks and it works within a day.

I also found reading books about poo and making it funny and normal was important. 'Poo Goes to Pooland' (do an internet search), can be useful, and DS also enjoyed 'The Little Mole Who Knew It Was None of His Business'.

[Ganners10]

I tried poo goes to pooland. DS loves the story but it didnt work for me. He is now going through a stage where i found him trying to climb in the toilet as he wanted to go to pooland!! LOL!! LOL!! Has taken several times to explain only poo's are aloud to go to pooland

[pixipie151]

Thanks so much everyone for your advice. Its made me think differently about laxatives. Still no sign of poo today. She's not even had a wee today as not drunk enough. She's perkier though, I think it all coincided wtih a head cold which also made her feel rubbish. Anyhoo, I've got an appointment for her at GP tomorrow.