Please reassure me the Movicol will work....

[munsie]

My ds is nearly 3. Not pooed for 8 days now. Never had it before. Potty training was probably to blame. Back in nappies. Had a day of 1 sachet. Now had 2 days of 2 sachets. The odd smear after a noisy fart but nil else. He's totally holding it in. You can see the actual poo (sorry for the grim descriptions) starting to poke out at times. He's screaming and shouting when the urge overcomes him. He's on regular Calpol and ibuprofen on the Doc's advice. I just want some reassurance that it will work. And am I expecting massive poos? Sloppy poos? Millions of poos? Am trying to give him plenty to drink. He only likes water and milk,but am sticking to water. Not a fruit fan really. But to be honest he isn't very interested in eating at all.

Please reassure me..... Xxxxxx

It can take as few days but my god when it kicks in you'll know about it.

Shocking how much can be held in one tiny person

Thank you! Seems bonkers to be so impatient for him to explode with poo but he's so miserable and uncomfortable!! Thanks. Xxxx

It will work.

Can I ask - would he poo in a nappy?
My DS2 wouldn't poo on the loo and we were doing a ridiculous thing of him saying need a poo and nappy would go on. Then back off once poo done. Cos he did the withholding thing and I found it far too dramatic and upsetting compared to a nappy to poo in.

Yeah put the nappies back on him a few days ago. But I think the damage as done so to speak. Not sure if it was the potty thing or that he'd got a teeny cut on his bum,it's gone now but think he's got himself scared of pooing hence the build up. Xxx

oh ladies thank you! Am in a very similar situation. DS is 31/2 and has been on movicol for about a year and a half. I give two sachets in his bottle at night and he poos about every 2-3 days. A massive soft one. But he will only poo in nappy! So he comes to me and asks for nappy and goes off on own to do it. Is totally trained for wees but will not under any circumstances do a poo in the potty or loo. He goes to nursery 3 days a week and will actually hold it in until he gets home to put on nappy. He starts school in September and I am at my wits end. I have no idea how to get him onto a loo or potty.

I think the whole think dates back to when he was constipated and had a very hard one which caused him pain. he still askes every time if it will hurt! And even though it doesnt - the movicol makes sure of that - he still asks so it obviously has stuck in his mind.

Any ideas?! Not sure what to do at this stage other than wait it out and hope he one day makes the transition.

My DS is the same, nine days was his longest holdout, took a gradual build up to 4 Movicol's in one day to shift it. Started due to not wanting to poo on the potty (but refused to poo in a nappy), constipation, anal fissure, fear of poo downward spiral

He did get better briefly and I thought we were through it, sadly he regressed over Christmas and I'm currently riding a seven day, three Movicol poonami. Still DS is emotionally a lot happier this time and we are making progress

Good luck! I found that buying really cheap pants that I could just throw away if necessary cheered me up.

Otoolie

My 4 yr old was doing this until a few months ago. He agreed to then sit on the loo in the nappy and then gradually we managed to do it without a nappy on the loo.

I have some PDF's my HV sent me if you want me to email you them? There were quite few ideas including the nappy on the loo tactic ( I thought that was bonkers).

My son held out for 13 days. He finally went as the dr was just about to send us to hospital for a manual evacuation. In the end it was a suppository that made him go, but he then took movicol for months afterwards.

In his case he also started poo with holding after potty training. In the end he would poo, but in his pants. The HV told me njot to worry about it and to let him take the lead. A year later when ds2 arrived he started pooing on the potty as seeing baby ds2 pooing in a nappy seemed to make him want to be a big boy and poo on the potty. Ds1 was 3 and a half a this point. He is 7 now. Sometimes suffers from constipation, but he's leanrt that even if it hurts it's better to get it out sooner rather than later.

At this point manual evacuation is your best bet, just for the first bit. The Movicol is fab, but if that first bit is very hard (which it will be after so long) he'll find it very difficult to pass

Its simple enough to do, a pair of gloves and some vaseline will see him right

Surely if it was the best bet the Dr was have advised?
I would not recommend that at all.

I shouls have said my son had been taking movicol (and latulose and senokot) for about 4 days before we were told that if the suppositories wouldn't work it was going to have to be a hospital job.

As Imnotaslimjim said it's the hard end bit which is the main problem. Once that is passed the rest is softened by the movicol and so will pass easily. I found with ds1 once the hard poo had passed (which was huge!) he did about 3-4 big poos a day. Once they became loose we had to cut back on the movicol. (Oh god this is bringing back memories of when my whole life revolved around poo colour and texture!).

Thanks guys. I have been tempted to just try and scoop it out but I think I'd be much more likely to hurt him so have resisted! Tomorrow will be day 9. He's had some noisy farts and took an almighty effort to hold it in at one point (but disappointingly he did manage to!). We were up to 3 Movicol this morning. Am gonna go for 4 tomorrow. Have bought chocolate Crusha to try and make it more palatable.

Did your GPs prescribe the suppositories? Think I will ring the GP again tomorrow. I'm guessing it'd be sensible to keep him on the Movicol for a few weeks/months after all this over. Not sure I can get enough fruit and veg down him to guarantee soft poos.

Dear oh dear. Parenting is hard work sometimes! Xxx

Poor you - haven't attenpted potty training DS yet, who is nearly 3, but he's been holding his poo since June. I've tried absolutely everything, but the only thing that works is not to make a big deal out of. Ignore it if you can and be really blase when he actually does the poo (even if you're doing a secret jig and silently screaming with joy/relief)

Can you see a chiropractor to try and help get things moving?

V effective for that sort of thing. Find one who is also a cranial expert. Very calming too and helps with the nervous system so can have a profound effect on digestive system.

Don't the ibuprofen and calpol exacerbate constipation?

movicol will help but as others have said, it can't do anything about the compacted bit that you've seen poking out. you need to try to stop him from holding it in when the urge arrives - you could try holding one of his legs up so he can't clench his buttocks, if that's something you can manage without hurting him (i've dealt with this in a younger child, it might be harder to do with a toddler). otherwise a suppository might help. i'm sorry, i know it's awful when you have to spend a load of time thinking about pooing.

Movicol worked very very well for both dd and I . For dd we used a glycerine suppository before we got the movicol and it worked after 15 minutes...it might be worth doing that to get the build up of expectation out of the way iykwim. We got the suppositories over the counter at boots.

movicol has worked for both of ours: dd1 started withholding very young - around a year, I think, and she was on it until potty trained (about 2 months before 3); we gradually reduced the dose until she was having about a teaspoonful each day. Then every other day, then every 3rd etc etc. DD2 also on it (seriously, we do feed them properly!), only 1 x dose a day (she is 13 months), so hoping we will be able to break free a little sooner. But it will work! It's a life saver.

I'm sure you feed them fine,you'll find no judgement from me ha ha! Off to docs this morning hopefully. Xxx

Back from nice GP. Enema squirted up his bum (my son obviously,not the GP....). Bloomin tricky to shove it up there even just the half length they said cos of the rock hard poo in the way!! Sat here on tenter hooks (sp??) waiting for some action. Tom&Jerry DVD and a brew keeping us each happy for now.......

He's not constipated as such,more just deliberately holding it out of fear. So the painkillers may at least ease the hurting when it comes. Normally has no issues with constipation etc. xxxx

A POO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Took 30 minutes but the plug is out and I am so relieved. The boy is much happier already too! Bracing myself or the backlog clearance..... xxxxx

Yay!!!!!! I feel your (your DD's!) relief! Great news, well done!

Ah thanks! Not used baby centre in aaaages but you guys on here have been so helpful. Thank you!!

Now then,post-initial-enema-induced-poo-and-a-total-of-11Movicols, am I expecting normal style poos? Is he likely to try and stop them again?

Xxxxx