Poogate - constipation

[Betsysmummy]

My dd (2y 8m) has been potty trained for over 6 months now and we've not had any issues or accidents (other than a case of cystitis this summer). But recently she's started holding back her poo for several days. She went 6 days until we had a very stressful (and backed up child) last friday. After 3 trips to the loo and about 45 minutes I think she managed to lose half her body weight and was much happier.

I suspect part of it is that she's like her dad and has a preferred toilet and doesn't really like going number 2 on the 3 days she's at nursery school. I started introducing daily cups of orange juice, but don't know if there is much else i can do. I think she's holding it it because she either doesn't want to go at that minute or because she wants to be on her fav toilet, and things just compound from there. Then it's a bit painful so she holds it in more.

If she is witholding then get yourself to the GP and get it sorted asap. They will probably start her off on lactulose which is just a stool softener. When they are little like this it is so easy for it to start causing problems and lead to soiling and wetting (all the blocked up poo puts pressure on the bladder). If lactulose doesn't work and you keep getting problems then keep going back to the GP, there are other things they can try that work in different ways such as fibrogel. It is basically jsut a fibre supplement, it isn't a medication as such and there is no harm taking it over a long period of time. It just bulks up the poo so it intensifies the sensation of needing to go and makes it pretty impossible for them to withold.

If oyu think it is a nursery thing then try ot set aside time at home every day to sit ont he loo and do a poo. Maybe directly after dinner/before bath. You can chat abou ther day as she sits, read books, whatever, it is about creating a daily habit.

Go to the doctor and you'll get some medicine which will sort this out in a day or so. Don't leave it because then she'll have pain when she goes which really will start to cause problems...