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Behaviour/development

Talk to others about child development and behaviour stages here. You can find more information on our development calendar.

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Original poster

19mths - too young to potty train?

58 replies

Fizog · 10/02/2004 14:59

I have no idea what age I should start potty training but dd is showing a real interest in the toilet (well all things bathroom related really).

She's 80% of the time dry at night and can answer correctly when asked "Have you done a poo?" and "Have you done a wee?" but I'm not sure I'd be able to catch her in time with a potty.

Can you give up training if you start or once started is best to keep going?

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

easy · 10/02/2004 16:10

Lou,

I think the body gets accustomed to Lactulose after a while. I was on it all last summer in hospital on bed rest, and they had to give me more and more, and top it up with senna to keep me going (sorry nasty subject)

Angeliz · 10/02/2004 16:10

Countess, ypu can get lovely little padded baby seats for loos, dd chose hers, that might help get her interested

Coddy · 10/02/2004 16:11

no doubt the french would give a suppositary!

CountessDracula · 10/02/2004 16:11

No I want to talk about poo

It's just I was terrified of loos when I was little and don't want dd to be the same. I don't know why I was but once went all the way to Australia aged 3 or 4 without pooing as was so scared of the metal loo.

Original poster

Fizog · 10/02/2004 16:12

TC - you could try dipping a prawn cracker (or other absorbant snack) into the lactulose then giving her the snack to eat?

never tried it just a weird thought that popped into my head

OP posts:

CountessDracula · 10/02/2004 16:12

Coddy I have used suppositaries with dd a couple of times when a poo got stuck half way out for a while and then went back in (sorry)

They seem to work wonders - have you tried them Thomcat?

I don't like putting them in as they make dd cry and I feel rotten about it.

easy · 10/02/2004 16:16

TC
contact me and I'll send it, you can try it, if it doesn't suit just chuck it at your local charity shop.

I'd try the lactulose in orange juice, or some fairly strong nesquick milkshake, which disguises the greasiness a bit.

And I personally hate suppositories, and can't imagine doing that to ds.

CountessDracula · 10/02/2004 16:17

Yes but they do work - and very fast.

They are glycerine ones.

easy · 10/02/2004 16:18

Fizog,

I can't imagine the concept of prawn cracker dipped in lactulose, Yuuuuuuuuchk

marialuisa · 10/02/2004 16:20

DD was out of nappies day and night at 18 months. It just sort of clicked. We'd had a potty lying around for a few months and got the DK "potty book for girls" which she quite liked. I think unless she gets distressed it's best to plough on once you've removed the nappies.

Have fun!

lou33 · 10/02/2004 16:21

He's on 25 mls a day atm. going up to 30 by thee middle of next week, then back onto his fortini, which also has added fibre in it. Yesterday he did a poo that was so big and hard (only does one a week normally) , I've never seen anything like it. It wouldn't even flush away! He had a hip xray recently , and that showed he was v constipated too. Constipation never sounds like a real problem does it, but it's affected his appetite, and as a result he has put on less than a pound in 16 months. I WILL get him going properly though, I am determined! Then onto potty training at aged 3 .

Original poster

Fizog · 10/02/2004 16:21

Easy - just thinking that Lactulose has the same (sort of) consistancy as sweet and sour sauce.

I am the first to admit that my thought train isn't always 'normal'

OP posts:

CountessDracula · 10/02/2004 16:22

TC I think you can get flavoured lactulose, check with your doc

lou33 · 10/02/2004 16:26

Ds2 is ok about taking it ( he calls it his poo medicine) as long as he can take a sip of something nice between each spoonful. Makes me want to gag though, it seems so oily.

CountessDracula · 10/02/2004 16:27

DD adores it oddly, I usually have to pin her down to give her medication but she will slurp her lactulose no probs.

So how do you start potty training - wait until the poo is on it's way or just plonk the baby on the loo and say Poo?

easy · 10/02/2004 16:28

Lou (v . appropriate for this thread)

Constipation is often underrated by the medics, who think it is always cured by laxatives (how little they know).

Your poor ds must suffer with it. I don't know your history, is he mobile?
Can you still get syrup of figs I wonder? the docs didn't used to like it, cos it 'tends to be purgative'. Well guess what, when you're completely bunged up that's what you need. I'd have thought a tiny drop now and then (NO WAY daily) might help.

poor little man

CountessDracula · 10/02/2004 16:29

You can get syrup of figs.

How about fresh figs?

Thomcat · 10/02/2004 16:33

I was told that diluting lactulose made it not work - Lou can you confirm? I'd do anything to get it down her without the awful mess it makes and the state it gets her into every day. Last time I tried to remove the bit of hair from her ear I think I took skin with it!!

Suppositories - desperate measures man and not something I would not do unless she hadn't been for over a week or something. I've done it twice. First time they just kept sliding out - I obviously wasn't going high enough and I felt so bad. She really hated it and that made it so much more difficult, physically and mentally.

Easy - that is incredibly kind and generous but I couldn't ask you to send something so big to me and go to that much trouble, but thank you. Just tell me the brand name and I'll look up where to buy it on the net.

CountessDracula · 10/02/2004 16:37

TC the french use suppositaries for everything, even paracetomal, it shouldn't be considered desparate measures! Though I admit i have only used them when dd has been crying in pain for a hour with no results.

I do feel like I am assaulting her when I do it but it does have immediate effect and so I would do it again

lou33 · 10/02/2004 16:37

I was talking to one of the paed dieticians today about this. He was up all night screaming, and he said this morning that it was his tummy. Not sure if this regime of lactulose and fortini (which has added fibre) is causing pain, but we are just on the lactulaose now for a week like I said. He crawls, but that's it. Completely ignores anything in his nappy 99% of the time, will deny he has done anything at all .

One interesting thing the dietician said, was that as he has been constipated for so long ( since birth really), that it's likely the muscle around the anus has stretched, which means it is not as effective as forcing the poo out. So to get round this we have to get his stools softened to make them easier to pass, which will mean the muscle can slowly regain it's strength.

I'm taking him to the doc soon to make sure it is his tummy though, he's v clammy too, and one minute ok, the next screaming. Last night he looked like he was having a seizure, he was twitching and jerking so badly and screaming. Ds1 came down with croup last night too . Sorry, going totally off thread here!

lou33 · 10/02/2004 16:39

TC, I've been told by paed and dietician that mixing it in a fromage frais or into juice is ok. I'm just lucky ds is ok with it.

Really, you should get OT to sort her a potty out, or get them to recommend one. Here they won't pay for anything under £50, but ds2's potty chair really is like a throne, lol, so it had to be specially made for him.

easy · 10/02/2004 16:40

TC,
Hope this link works.
this is the one

If it doesn't, it's the mothercare "under the sea" model £10.50.
DS used to sit on his to watch telly. Actually, I now remember that he would only poo when he could sit on his potty watching Bob the Builder, for the first few weeks.

Thomcat · 10/02/2004 16:48

Thank you Easy :0

Lou - oh bless him, poor little thing
It's so horrible isn't it, the whole not being able to poo properly
Will speak to her OT - thanks xx

Hulababy · 10/02/2004 16:52

DD is 22 months and I am going to start the potty training next week - half term - as I can be at home with her the whole time for the first few days. I think she has been 'ready' for a while now but this is really my first window of opportunity to have a go. Not going to get stressed about it though - if it doesn't work we will try again at Easter.

We have a potty and a toilet seat in the house, we have about 13 pairs of pants, plus 4 trainer pants. We have stickers which DD knows what are for "me do wee wee/poo in potty". WE have a potty book. And I have the potty training in a week book for a bi of guidance - I can tick all of the 'are they ready' items on the list in the book and have been able to for a while.

Will let you know how it goes!

LIZS · 10/02/2004 17:07

You can but try and see, although if you are after reliability then it may be logistically difficult unless she is also physically mature enough to hang on when you are out and about (not willing to carry a potty everywhere). She is young so would be guided by her behaviour and if the misses are upsetting her give it a break.

dd was also technically ready at about 20 months, and was willing to try, but at almost 2.5 we haven't got there yet. She is stubborn and determined to do it in her own time. ie. today she pooed her nappy telling me to go away and no she did not need her potty as she did so, then fetched her potty, emptied nappy into potty, cleaned up then helped herself to the reward stickers! She probably would poo in her potty if she weren't wearing a nappy -we have a had a few successes of her getting there in time and taking it off - but wees generally not.

Was going to try last week when my mum was here but in the end she was reluctant to upset her by forcing the issue (we needed her to babysit which is a feat in itself) so will wait until weather is better and accidents matter less.

Good luck to all those trying and looking forward to some tips from the success stories.

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