21 month old ongoing issue with pooing

[Loubyloulou88]

My 21 month old son has suffered with struggling to go to the toilet over the last few months. I'm not sure whether he can't get it out, or if he is holding onto it because it's painful to go, and how to make it easier for him. I have been to the doctors on numerous occasions and he has been on daily doses of lactolose for about 3-4 months now. I hate that he is dependant upon the stuff to go to the toilet, not that it really has any effect on him anyway. He hasn't been to the toilet properly since last Thursday and that only came after giving him a warm bath. I've tried this today and last night but still no poo, not for the lack of him trying though. He east lost of fibrous foods such as weetabix and wholemeal bread along side plenty of fluids and fruit, but is no better off. I don't know what to do any more but can't continue to see him in discomfort. Any suggestions would be gratefully received.

My sons has a sachet of infant movicol a day and that worked better than lactulose for him. We just put it into a beaker of squash at some point during the day. It just about works. We sometimes adjust the dose a bit, accordingly but it is easily manageable. My elder daughter (who didn't get on with lactulose) used to as well and just outgrew it. I wouldn't worry too much about being dependant on it because in my experience, they just outgrow the need for it at some point. I would make another app with the doctor. It took quite a few for both children to get it sorted. For the moment, if you can get him to eat prunes (my two wouldn't have contemplated it) and drink some orange juice, it can only help. I'm sure you've already done it, but google the best foods to eat and try them.

Thanks, I'd hears from someone I know that their child had been given movicol but that was only in an extreme case of infant constipation, but it works for them. I suppose it could ask the doctors and the worst thing they could say is no. Lactolose just seems to have little or no effect on him, and I've research what foods to give him and what to avoid, but seem to have no joy. I worry that I have him to much fruit when he was little as I used it a lot to wean him and have always pushed fruit for snacks. Normally id have thought that lots of fruit would shoot right through him but it doesn't seem to have any effect either! I'll try the prunes, I did used to give him the juice from tinned ones so maybe that's worth a shot with the lactolose in it as well?

Yeah, it's just trial and error. It'll be nothing you have done. My son (3 years old) drinks absolutely tons and that should help but doesn't seem to. All 3 of my children have been prone to constipation and we have been referred with my youngest two, and when I asked why they were constipated I was told that in many children it is simply part of them as much as their hair colour is. Perhaps try liquidising the whole tin of prunes if you think you could get him to eat it, perhaps with icecream? My son used to but then stopped.

I spoke to the health visitor today and after expressing my concerns, she prescribed him some Movicol! First sachet being given tonight so will update as to how it works over next few days.

Well done! Hopefully that will sort it out. I will keep checking your progress.

Btw I have also bought over the counter in Ireland suppositories for infant constipation with some success. I think you can also get them here. Good to use as a bit more of a one off. Just one more thing, if you keep putting Vaseline around his anus, then it should help him to poo on this occasion when presumably his first poos will be quite large and hard. Hopefully, when you get on top of it, it won't be a problem.

Well he finally went today since he last went on Thursday when we started the Movicol. He didn't struggle to go anywhere near as much and we could tell the difference in his poo that it was much more passable. Wish he'd have been prescribed this months ago, the poor little poppet wouldn't have had to go through months of struggling and discomfort. Fingers crossed things carry on as they seem to have improved x