Scared to poo. Should I stop potty training?

[Houseonahill]

My DD is 2 and 3 months, I have had a potty hanging around since just after Christmas so she could get used to seeing one around and stuff.

About 6 weeks ago she decided she wanted to wee on it so I let her get on with it and thought I would just take her lead wrt potty training (I've never done this before so don't really know how you are supposed to do it but thought when she wanted to was probably best?)

She has been great since then hardly any accidents and loves using the potty except the last about 2 weeks she has decided she's scared to poo. She isn't and hasn't been constipated. She holds on to it for a few miserable days when I can tell she wants to go but refuses then poos in her pants and is distraught about it. She wears a nappy to bed and doesn't seem bothered if she poos in her nappy? But seems scared of the actual poo if it's in her pants or her potty if that makes sense?

She isn't very verbal so I can't ask her why she is scared.

What should I do? Should I give up potty training? She loves weeing on the potty and is so pleased with herself i dont really want to stop if i can help it. Should I persevere so I don't make it worse when I actually want her to be potty trained? Is there anything I can do to show her it's not scary? I'm just flummoxed.

There's a whole chapter on this in "Oh Crap" (a brilliant potty training book, yes, that's really the title!) Best of luck.

Google "poo goes to pooland", you can download it on a tablet to read. It was the only thing that worked with my child. And secretly love that it teaches them to flush their darn poo and not leave it for the next unsuspecting visitor to the loo

Poo goes to Pooland won't work for a potty though. I did actually buy this book and it didn't suit my DS at all, he just didn't get it. It's too long. Maybe just him or it might be better for older children 3/4? He did like the book Everybody poos, he was 2 also. It's very general, a young children's book. Simple words.

Your DD probably is a bit constipated. Or she was and one day it hurt a bit to poo and so instead she is holding. She now has awareness of when she needs to go. Best idea is to up water intake.

So you are saying she will poo is her nighttime nappy happily ?

Sometimes DC don't like fact they can feel some resistance from the poo pushing on the bottom of the potty. So then a toilet seat with handles can work if they aren't scared of that?

We got through this issue just being really positive, talking generally about poos positively "Mummy's going for a poo" Joking about and trying to eat more fruit and drink more and not really. It's really tough. We stuck with the potty before trying to toilet.