“Mummy, my tummy hurts” - what does this mean?

[mumtoa3yo]

3.5 yo often complains (several times a week) of a tummy ache, sometimes means she needs a poo, but often just says it without any reason why. Doesn’t seem to have any problems with opening bowels, having a wee, food intolerances, etc. Is this a normal thing for 3 yo? Just last week nursery rang to say she was crying and said she had a tummy ache and I left work to collect her and bring her home. She kept saying at home she had a tummy ache but never got sick, no weird poos, etc.

Look up abdominal migraines does that fit her symptoms?

Could it be a UTI?

And it could be an intolerance- so something she’s eating might be triggering pain

Might be worth checking with the GP that she’s not coeliac.

It could just be some trapped wind.

Food intolerance or allergy
Constipation
Anxiety
Abdominal migraines
IBS or similar

My 7 year old complained on and off of tummy ache for years. We did blood tests, stool samples etc etc but everything always came back normal. We finally realised ‘tummy ache’ was how his emotions displayed themselves - worry, sadness, excitement etc.
I’m kind of the same - if I’m stressed, the first sign is usually stomach ache and then bloating and diarrhoea.

My 7 year old gets a 'tummy ache' when he's worried about something. We've had a few tests done just to check, and all seems fine. It always happens when something is happening at school with friends, or he's nervous about something new.

My 9yr old has this and has since she was about 4. Comes and goes. She’s seen a paediatrician, said we can give calpol/ibuprofen.
If it is this hopefully she’ll grow out of it OP. I know it’s tough when they have the episodes.

It's often just children who can't express themselves properly. They're not feeling 100% but might not be sure exactly which part of them is feeling funny. It's a safe phrase they know adults listen to.

DS used to say that when he was hungry.

Mesenteric adenitis

My DC had abdominal migraines, the first was so severe that we ended up in ED. Might be worth considering x

A very helpful GP explained to me that DC have lymph nodes in their tummies. My DD1 complained for ages about a tummy ache and eventually I took her to the GP as I was worried maybe it was an appendix problem, but the GP found she had tonsillitis, which caused the tummy lymph nodes to swell and cause her pains. So worth checking whether any ear ache / sore throats etc as well as she might not be understanding where the pain is coming from.

In my kids' cases, it is often shorthand for 'I'm anxious', although here in Canada children often say their tummy hurts when in actual fact they are nauseous.

DD had tummy aches. It turned out to be an A Pylori infection. It's completely cleared up with a course of antibiotics.

It's worth asking the GP to run some tests to rule this out as well as things like ceoliac disease.

It is so hard OP!

One of mine says it when she is anxious.

One, when she is frankly swinging the lead.

I used to say it when I was a kid and turns out, I had a congenital kidney condition only diagnosed in adulthood.

I ask mine to point to where, and log when it happens - for example if it is bedtime or when asked to do something, likely emotional. Few hours after eating, might be food.

Then use your judgement about asking a dr.

Lol put twins do that at the mo at bedtime they suddenly have sore tummies so I pretend to be Dr rub rub then there all better to go to sleep again lol

This was my DS7 for years - sometimes it was needing the toilet or being a bit nervous but most often it was genuine pain. We took him to the GP repeatedly over the years and eventually they did blood and stool tests and referred to gastro consultant. They diagnosed functional abdominal pain when they couldn't find anything else wrong. More recently he was part of a trial to expand an existing IBS medicine to kids and what a difference it made! No more sore tummies and he is so much more settled.

Our 4yo had this, it wasn’t severe but was getting more frequent over a number of months. It didn’t seem connected to emotions or pooing. Two doses of otc threadworm medication sorted it out. She didn’t have any other symptoms of worms.

Mine was dismissed as nerves, together with 'faddy eating'.

Long story short, I've got autoimmune diseases, hEDS, MCA and can't eat gluten, oats or cows' milk. Oh, and I needed to discover my abdominal muscles as I'd never had access to any physical activities like swimming as she didn't see the point of them if I wasn't going to be winning trophies.