Straining for poos on the potty

[pookamoo]

I have moved this from Potty Training as there is probably more traffic here...

DD is 2 years 5 months and has taken fantastically to potty training, which we started, at her insistence, about three weeks ago. She has rarely had an accident, and is very good at saying when she needs a wee, and using either the potty or the loo, with a training seat.
So far so good.

But the past few days she has been straining and straining to do poos, so much that there is even a little blood when I wipe - it's red blood, so it must be caused by the straining. Her diet is the same, and the poos look the same (sorry if TMI!) but I think she might be doing it just because she gets lots of praise every time (and sometimes, not every time, a chocolate button!).

I don't want her to hurt herself, and I have tried to explain that she doesn't have to do a poo if she doesn't need to go, but she insists. She gets lots of praise for everything, not just poos, by the way.

I think I went wrong with the chocolate buttons, but she saw a friend have a button at their house when she did a poo in the loo.

Any suggestions? Should I speak to the GP about the blood?
Thanks

The blood sounds like straining too hard. My DD (now 3.4) was around the same age as yours is now when she began toilet training and I did the same as you gave a button as a ''well done'' for wee's and poo's and DD was the same as yours strained to much and there was blood. I got her out of it by changing the chocolate to cuddles and tickles and kisses and also explaining when we don't need to poo and try it can give us tummy aches and that we can play games if we're poorly.

I think you have to gear this towards your own child, this worked with DD but I know not all children understand as clearly consequences although the fact your DD is toilet training so young leads me to assume she does :o)

Hope this helps

• sorry should have read can't play games if we're poorly :)