Dd started secondary - loose bowels every morning

[BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz]

Nerves? Stress? She seems to love her new school, but this didn't happen at Primary.

Can IBS just randomly start?

Has she changed diet ? Is she holding it in at school ( kids frequently don’t want to be seen/heard to poo at high school ) so it’s causing this in a morning ?

No changes to diet, but holding it may be happening, I'll check with her.

Her family on her dad's side has history of Crohns/Ulcerative Colitis so I'm panicking that this could be an early symptom, but I've no idea if there is a genetic link.

Definitely a possible anxiety symptom. Is it worse on a Monday?

Anxiety. Give it a few weeks .

It's probably anxiety. There's a great graphic novel called Guts by Raina Teligmeyer (spelling? will check) about a similar age girl who develops anxiety and IBS.
Hopefully her tummy will settle down.

This is the book (I knew I had spelt her surname wrong 🙂)

More active through the day moving classes? Picking the more processed lunch choices? Buying stuff on the way home from school?

@BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz Sorry bad picture of the book.
The author is Raina Telgemeier.

Very possible it is change-related. Given your family history I would get a GP check anyway but while you wait for any tests work on the basis it is either change of diet or nerves/worry.

https://adaa.org/learn-from-us/from-the-experts/blog-posts/consumer/how-calm-anxious-stomach-brain-gut-connection

Had a chat this morning - Ok so she said she basically cannot get into the toilets at break or lunch - three cubicles available to all girls at break, 6 cubicles at lunch. Queues massive and the bell goes before she gets in.

I'll call the school today. There's at least 1200 kids at school so how they think 3 toilets is sufficient for 600 girls is beyond me. I leave for work before she leaves for the bus, and she said she's stopped eating breakfast in case she needs to go and can't. I feel so sorry for her! Then she's starving at lunch.

I'll get her into the GP when I can, three weeks for appointments at my local surgery. In the meantime surely it's not enough toilet facility for all the kids?

No, it’s not enough, and no chance of privacy of you need to poo or crinkle an ST wrapper.
Speak to school, she might be allowed a toilet pass, but you’ve got to push the point that it’s causing mental and physical problems.

I second the toilet pass idea. Periods can complicate bowel matters as well. It’s important to sort this out before she develops a phobia.

I've left a voicemail with Head of House - toilet pass is a great suggestion. It's definetly having a detrimental effect on her wellbeing as she's so scared to get on the bus in case she can't make it.

In the meantime she couldn't get on the bus this morning so I'm getting her into the GP within the hour and have rang her in sick for the morning. I need to get her into school straight after her appointment as she isn't actually unwell and I don't want to be in a cycle of her being off for this.

Toilet oass sorted starting tomorrow, and GP has provided samples pots for testing tomorrow too.

Fingers crossed its something simple!

Well done ! I hope she feels better moving forward.

Just want to say you're such a supportive mum and I love how open she can be with you. Hope things improve for her, I have ibs so completely understand the not wanting to eat and constant worry about the issue.

Struggled this morning to get her on the bus, said she felt nauseus and like she needed the loo. Ended up borrowing a friend's car to drive her in. On the drive she just kept talking about how much she hates the scholars bus - crowded but reasonable calm in the mornings but like utter madness on the way home, vaping, screaming, kids threatening to punch esch other etc.

Sorry posted too soon. I've told her we can download some audio books for the morning she can tuck jnto a corner seat ans just listen to them. I'm going to Google alternative buses to get home