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Children's health

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Original poster

Poo nurse - advice please

25 replies

daisy99divine · 21/01/2009 13:31

My 2.6 year old DS has problems witholding poo. Have been to paediatrician but I felt she was hopeless, very uninterested. Some of you have talked about a Poo Nurse - how were you referred to them? I am desperate for some support!

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loobeylou · 21/01/2009 14:31

sorry, do you mean problems BECAUSE he with holds it, or problems because he CAN'T hold it in, and is having accidents? is he potty trained/training?

if the first option - a lot of toddlers when they become aware of what they are doing, or are potty training go through a phase of deliberately NOT going, because something falling out of you feels so wrong. you can use a gentle laxative if they are afraid to go because they are constipated and it hurts

if the problem is with lack of control, go back to GP, they ought to be more sympathetic and be looking into possible reasons such as food intolerances etc

loobeylou · 21/01/2009 14:34

sorry - just to clarify my previous post

of course there is nothing odd about a 2.6 having accidents while potty training, but if you are concerned about a trained child who is SUDDENLY not holding it, there may be an underlying emotional or physical issue.

Original poster

daisy99divine · 21/01/2009 14:55

Sorry, Loobey, I should be clearer. DS witholds his poo as in deliberately stops himself going. Not sure when it started but as early as about 6 months we think

He's been going to Doctors and is on Movicol and was referred to hospital. Basically to check that he could go (which I know he can) but the paed was just not interested in any long term help - we have got several excellent books that show it is clearly a potential and long term problem and other MNetters have shared their experiences so I was rather cross miffed by the consultant's attitude and was looking at other options!

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loobeylou · 21/01/2009 21:11

I wouldn't honestly have thought a 6 mth old could deliberately withhold poo.

But most 2.6 yr olds would respond positively to a sticker chart/rewards system, where he gets to have a star on a chart building up to a bigger reward that he can see getting closer, or perhaps a small (wrapped so its more exciting) treat such as small toy, pack of crayons, sticker book, comic etc whe he "goes"!

Do you let him watch you go?

I am sure you know about giving him plenty of fibre and fluids

HTH

Original poster

daisy99divine · 22/01/2009 00:29

Hi Loobey, yes, we have done all of these things, and poor chicken he is now on Movicol daily

My question really was when I have posted about this before other MNetters have mentioned a "poo nurse" that they have contacted and spoken to and I wondered how they contacted this person because what I am really lacking is support!

Thanks for your ideas too!

OP posts:

Original poster

daisy99divine · 22/01/2009 10:14

Can anyone tell me how they were referred to the Poo Nurse? Thanks

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DesperateHousewifeToo · 22/01/2009 10:27

Could you phone the eric helpline?

They might know how to get and who to refer to.

Original poster

daisy99divine · 22/01/2009 11:12

Thank you Desperate, I had never heard of eric, great link!

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amidaiwish · 22/01/2009 11:52

my daughter is on movicol - do you not feel it is working? the idea behind it is to stop the anxiety, make pooing easy (no choice) and then gradually wean them off it.

Original poster

daisy99divine · 22/01/2009 12:15

well, the movicol is working, but didn't for a bit. The problem is that the Paed just said, stop the movicol, try lactulose and come back in 4 months ... not much help tbh!

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lindseyfox · 23/01/2009 12:49

think you either need to ask for a referral to a gasterenotrology nurse (poo nurse as you called them!!) or to a specilialist health visitor as they are experts in this kind of thing.

movicol is the best treatment but need to stick with it.

stleger · 23/01/2009 13:03

Daisy - my poo withholder is now 17, so it was long ago we went through it. I never managed to find a gp or consultant to help, I would have hoped times have changed! Movicol seems to work for most people - it was liquid paraffin which worked for us, but it is not recommended without medical supervision. (Although doled out happily to any child who darkens our local children's ward). sending supportive vibes, and there are a lot of people here who understand.

apple229 · 23/01/2009 13:57

Your PCT should have a continence service and they might have a children's continence nurse who specialise in issues like this. Also if you have a children's community nursing team, these might be able to help. Our local one runs a constipation clinic. A lot of these services allow self referrals, or you could always ask your GP. Where do you live?

namechange195 · 23/01/2009 14:05

In this area the 'poo nurse' is the childrens community nurse. Ds was referred by consultant at hospital but after he had been on movicol for a while with no sucess. They are very good. Not sure if gp or hv can refer, just ask. In the meantime try stickers when he successfully goes. Make him either use the potty or use a stool to put feet on if he insists on using the toilet. If he does not and his feet are in the air, it is extremely hard to push a poo out, to do that action you need to be able to push your feet against something, iykwim

stleger · 23/01/2009 14:05

I got no help from a continence nurse. There seems to be a lot of support for wee issues and less for poo?

bigdonna · 23/01/2009 17:37

hi my ds has been on movical since oct08 i am now trying to get him off it he is 11yrs,we have talked to a peadiaric care team at the local hospital they rang the day after we had been to a and e with him they were very supportive,the doc also told me to take him off movical he was on 12 at one point and had a enema and suppositories.we are now on 1 movical and 10ml of lacalose if this does not work i will ask to be referred.try ringing your local hospital for advice or health visitor.hope it gets better soon

Original poster

daisy99divine · 23/01/2009 23:01

thank you for all your support

I think I shall go back to the GP for starters, all this confirms my feeling that there is more that could be done and the consultant I saw just wasn't so great...
I live in central london so I should be able to access some help!

have any of your tried juicers to assist ds? Movicol is working but the paaed told me to come off it!!

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stleger · 24/01/2009 00:05

daisy, if it works keep on it until you get another opinion! Juicers hadn't been invented in ds's time! we had brief succees with a local bakery's fruit scones though... We tried juice, walking long distance, spicy food to speed 'slow digestive transit' like the constipated lady advert, brown bread, lactulose....

stleger · 24/01/2009 00:06

And yes, we did have a star chart! Crunchies are called 'Poo bars' to this day as one was a reward, which took days to earn. And the toilet elf visited at night to check the star chart...

Original poster

daisy99divine · 24/01/2009 01:26

we have poo charts and stickers and a thomast the tank engine book for certain number of poos
just started sitting on loo, with suitable foot stool, read also about blowing a trumpet to help "pushing" so we have a train whistle and a poo song and a wee song

heavens knows what the neighbours think
I am tempted to ignore the advice I don't like, but you know when it is a consultant you are ignoring, you want a little back up!

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stleger · 24/01/2009 10:57

My consultant said it was basically my fault for some unspecified reason, which threw me. it was only years later when I found out other toddlers,plus their mums and families (it takes over!)and there are solutions I convinced myself that he was wrong! But it isn't really a topic people discuss a lot in real life.

DesperateHousewifeToo · 24/01/2009 15:38

Have you found pecka's thread from afew months ago?

Will see if I can find it. It's not so much about witholding but soiling but there may be some advice that is useful.

Will see if I can find it and link.

DesperateHousewifeToo · 24/01/2009 15:42

It's here.

Also if you do a search on 'soiling', you will find loads of threads on witholding too.

Might be some more ideas for you.

Original poster

daisy99divine · 25/01/2009 23:10

thank you so much DH, appreciate the help

stleger at your treatment, not what you need to hear at all!

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mamofthree · 03/09/2011 15:20

Have just read this thread and wondered if you had any success with the deliberate constipation? My 3 yr old does the same, despite being on movicol.

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