To ask you about constipation in toddlers?

[PreRaphaeliteMotherhood]

Sorry, posting for traffic.

DS(2) is absolutely besides himself with constipation. Sweating, shaking, crying, just saying ‘my bottom hurts’, ‘my poo is stuck’ etc. Over and over: He’s never had constipation before and he seems really affected. He’s managed to pass a couple of large, round, clay-like lumps today, and he’s getting some overflow soiling but it’s clearly not all out as he got half a lump out earlier and then couldn’t continue. He’s really sad and just wants to lie down having his tummy rubbed. We’re giving him loads of fluids. He keeps saying he’s hungry but won’t eat. What else am I supposed to be doing?

Try giving him prune juice, that usually works a treat

My youngest had this. Poor little things - it's really awful. We ended up seeing a consultant and she was prescribed lactulose and senna for a short while. Turned out I was giving her more dairy than she could cope with (milk on weetabix, petit filou and cheese) My others were fine on that diet but it didn't suit her.
It did settle down quite quickly and she didn't end up reliant on the laxatives. Consultant also suggested sitting her on the potty straight after breakfast every day to create a habit.
There was also an explanation about how poo dries out and becomes harder to expel if you hold it, and so the laxative/habit routine helps them get more confident about going and reverses the negative cycle.
Good luck. I remember how awful it was for me and her

Try Lactose from the chemist. My 3 year old daughter has had problems for over a year now. She passes rather large stools sometimes they look like they would be painful for an adult to pass. Unfortunately having had some large painful ones she starting holding them in as she was scared. I've had doctors and everyone telling me what she should eat but she won't touch prune juice so that one didn't help us. Lots of water and fresh orange juice helps and exercise.

You need to get some movicol from a Doctor or Walk in centre

Califig also works. Poor little thing.

Sorry Lactulose that should say. Too much dairy can make this happen. Good luck xx

Gently cook raisins, chopped pears and chopped prunes together, add a little cinnamon if you fancy. Can mix with yoghurt if you like. Lots of fluids, as you're doing, lots of veg.

Forgot to add, you cab whizz the cooked fruit all up into a puree if it goes down easier that way.

Movicol, warm juice, tummy massage, bath, bicycling legs.
Once you have sorted this out you will have to really, really vigilant that he doesn't develop witholding.
Google ERIC and call the free help line.

Fresh orange mixed with a bit of hot water.

Ime the diet suggestions are really good, but won't cure serious constipation when there is back up. That's why our consultant prescribed the laxatives to help her empty. She described the lactulose as for softening the stool and the senna to galvanise the bowels into action. And after this, absolutely, the cooked fruit etc.

Baby prune pouches are good as well as orange juice.

A warm bath, orange juice, or prunes (tbh I’m not sure many children that age would willingly eat prunes or prune juice). If it carries on movicol could help from the doctors. My Dd used to suffer terribly. Thankfully she’s outgrown it!

Chemist for lactulose/ other advice. In mean time warm bath and try and get him to poo in it. Grim to clean up but easier for him. Poor kid.

Prune juice will get him going, as will syrup of figs.

Ella's kitchen prune pouches. We keep a few of them in the cupboard for when toddler DS starts getting bunged up.

With severe constipation involving faecal impaction (like your son's case) you need to go to the GP and get a prescription for paediatric movicol - he will need a disimpaction regime followed by regular laxatives to return the bowel to normal.

It can take a while, but it's really important to be consistent - DSis is a paediatrician and says they get the same families coming back time and again because they don't complete the treatment properly or don't do the maintenance dose.

DS has chronic constipation, we've been through it all - it isn't easy, at first we had to hold him down and use a Calpol syringe to get the medicine into him. Now he accepts it but we still use the syringe and it takes ages. BUT it's so important to get this right, seeing him in such pain from constipation was awful.

Top tip: ask the GP to prescribe the chocolate flavour movicol, the regular stuff is grim.

NB all the posters suggesting prunes, figs or lactose - those aren't effective treatments for such severe constipation. He needs to see the GP.

Poor DD had constipation at the same age. She was on Movicol for a few months and we also had glycerine suppositories which she hates - but they worked alright.

Agree with PP, he needs to be seen by a paed.

Toddler glycerin suppositories worked really well for mine. Instant relief.

Our GP didn't take us seriously about this at all. Despite blood on stools, withholding, impaction. Hey just told us to give her more fruit which didn't help. We ebded up giving her lactose to clear the build up. We also started giving her fresh juice with every meal. She hated it and we gave it in a calpol syringe at first but now happily has a cup with her meals. We followed the routine on ERIC website religiously which really helped. 6 months later she still goes every day 20 minutes after breakfast.

Glycerin suppository always works for us.

We eventually saw a consultant for this

He said pour syrup of figs and lactose down her throat

After a few days of this i took her to a mother and toddler group...she asked for a poo (a first)

I swear to god I thought a bomb had gone off in the toilet

But after that she was fine

Something that helped my DD was laying her on the changing mat and wiping her bum area. A friend that worked in a care home told me about this tip. Hope DS starts to feel better soon.

Some GPs know nothing about impaction (which is not the same as constipation). So if you ask for advice about constipation and the gp doesn't take a proper history, you will get all the prunes and vegetable advice. This is inappropriate for impaction.
ERIC is very good, The Poo Nurses web site is excellent.