Please help - desperate for potty training advice

[chiefrunningmummy]

I started potty training my 2yr7mo DD last weekend. the first day was as expected, accidents etc, then we managed to get some wees and even a poo in the potty! She went through a phase of lots of little leaks, but has now mastered control to the point that she doesn't seem to know how to start weeing. she refuses to wee in nappies, or pull ups, so I can't back off. She holds it in until she is sp desperate that she starts to wee, at which point we sit her on the potty and she will finish weeing there, unfortunately this is preceeded by about 2 hours of crying and jiggling up and down because she needs a wee. I'm worried that she will give herself a UTI (pretty certain that she doesn't have one at the moment), but also, she is waking in the night to wee, despite being in a nappy, and at that point is so tired she doesn't know what to do. I ended up puttin her in the bath at 3:30am to get her to wee. She will sit on the potty every couple of hours, but can't seem to start herself weeing. Any suggestions please, I am getting quite concerned .

[JackieNo]

. Not something I have experience, of, but is it worth trying running the tap when she's sitting on the toilet, or perhaps read her a story, to take her mind off things? Hope you can get some advice from someone who's experienced this.

[chiefrunningmummy]

once she's really desperate it is difficult to get her to sit on the potty, but when I know she could wee she will sit on potty for ages......

[ilovetochat]

i potty trained dd at easter, i found that putting her on the potty,asking her if she needed a wee, even mentioning the potty was too much pressure. i just left her bare with potty available and left her to it. she went through a few accidents and then started to sit herself down as she started weeing, then just before and now a month on she will say i need a wee and then wait till we get to a potty/toilet. maybe all the sitting for hours and talking about it is too much.

dd has started waking in the night a lot more though saying potty, i dont talk to her, put her on and she wees or doesnt then put her back in her cot. she wakes up early now too as i think even in her sleep she is aware of needing a wee.

[chiefrunningmummy]

thanks. trying to back off on the pressure bit, but really hard when she won't sleep at night as so desperate to wee. she was just running around weeing everywhere, so that has improved in that she will now allow us to sit her on the potty once she starts, but it's the starting that seems the issue.

[ilovetochat]

does she get any reward? dd had a tick chart {easily pleased) and loved it.
i read on here that someones dc did a bit in thir pants and the mom said never mind its only a bit and then the dc kept weeing in their pants saying its only a bit, so i always said you have wet your pants use the potty next time.

[flimflammum]

I don't have experience of this but it sounds like anxiety is the problem, as you need to relax your muscles to wee - so anything you can do to make it silly/funny/non-stressful might help. Make up silly stories, sing funny songs, do a silly dance? What makes her laugh? What are her favourite book/TV characters?
HTH

[vesela]

What helped relieve the stress with DD and I at this point was putting on Blondie's Greatest Hits and having a good dance... (she then became Blondie-obsessed).

I was actually reading in Penelope Leach just now that an overfull bladder can make it difficult to start weeing, which surprised me because I've never found that with myself!! She recommends running the tap.

But I think they do tend to hold on for as long as they can at the start. It's hard to watch someone jigging up and down for so long without asking them if they need to sit on the potty, but I did find I had to totally back off on the suggesting. And the Blondie helped too.

[Henrietta]

Not sure if I can help with actual weeing but cranberry juice is good (apparently) for warding of/helping with UTI's