5 year old being referred to psychologist for poo with holding

[soupmaker]

Has anyone any experience of this type of thing?

DD1 who is 5 has a long history regarding bowel and bladder. She trained at 3 but has never been dry. She had had poo issues for almost all of the last 2 years as well. She is on medication, movicol and dulcolax for poos and oxybutinin to try and help her urge incontinence and irritable bladder.

After some success we are back to soiling nearly every day and battles to get her to sit and try to do a poo. She pretty much does do a poo every morning but continues to with hold during the day, everyday so it's not confined to school.

Went to GP today with DD2 who is 9wo and while I was there spoke to her about DD1. She has referred her to a child psychologist.

Anyone else been through this? How did the psychology services help? What can we expect?

Hi Soupmaker. Sorry I don't have any experience to share, but I am interested as my DS, also 5, has tended to hold on to poos - from potty training time really (though did not go that often before that either). I had thought we were through it but it resurfaced at the end of the summer.

I'm interested that the GP has referred you even though you say your DD goes most mornings. I thought it was fairly common for children not to want to poo at school/unfamiliar places. My son tends to only go once every 3 days, which I'm a bit about but he seems to manage without being uncomfortable at this frequency. We found using the iPad on the loo has helped to encourage going and sitting, but he still seems to need this encouragement at the moment, whereas say 6 months ago he didn't.

A friend with another 5 year old has seen a child psychologist about anxiety/behavioural issues with her DD and this seems to have helped ease things for them. I gather it was all quite play based and gentle from the dd's perspective.

Hope someone else can offer a better answer your question.

Thanks Milco. Not sure what to expect but at least we are being taken seriously. I think DD1's issues are behavioural as much as physical.