Potty Training A Child With Toddler Diahrroea

[RubberDuck]

Well I call it toddler diahrroea but he's 3 now and according to the 'net it can last until he's 4!

Ds2 has never ever had a well-formed poo - it's always sticky and soft. This is my second attempt at potty training and while wees are fine, he just will not poo in the loo or potty or even a nappy - only his pants. He's unpredictable when he will poo, so if he poos while at nursery, they send him home as he has "diahrroea" (they don't notice that it's "sticky" when he's in nappies - I guess as it absorbs more of the liquid).

I gave into pressure last time (after three weeks) because it was the only way I could get nursery to take him back. I really don't want to put him back in nappies again this time.

Any advice really really appreciated. I just don't know how to solve this one.

how about a really big bribe...

a nice big preasnat wrapped up next to the toilet for when he does a poo in there (with a few more slightly smaller presesnts hidden away for the following poos!)

maybe if the reward is good enough he will give in and poo in the toilet!

also feeding with things to solidfy his poo a bit ie banana and aboiding dried fruit and raisens etc!

ds1 had this due to milk intolerance
I just had to stick with pull ups (so he could do his wees in the toilet) until he was ready then he just did it himself

Have tried small bribes, NannyL - will try a bigger bribe Will also gum him up with bananas...

I've been giving him probiotics and switched from semi-brown bread (we make our own with half brown/half white flour) to straight white without much effect.

EllieK: don't think it's milk intolerance as when we cut out dairy for a little while (in case it was a bug) it actually made it worse. I think he does need the fat content of milk.

Won't pull ups just confuse him as he's got the wees sorted?

Gluten and wheat intolerances can also cause soft/runny poos.

Pull ups were too confusing for my little boy, but I do know of other kids who've used them OK. I think it just depends on the child.

Ds1 was like this - I'm afraid we just sat it out and got lots of very very cheap pants that we could throw away if they were too terrible.

Nursery - could he wear a pull up just for nursery? How often is he there?

It is hard for children with this as the poos can come on them quite quickly. Ds1 started saving them for his night time pullup, so we got him to 'try' for a poo every evening straight before bed. This eventually worked, and he still does a poo every night before bed (he's nearly 6).

He's there 3 afternoons a week - regularly enough that I don't want to confuse him, really

I don't think it's any form of intolerance. He's growing well and healthy and energetic in every other way. I just think he has a fairly fast metabolism.

Update: took him to the doctors today. The doctor says he's perfectly within the bounds of "normal" and that the nursery need to "get a life" She will back us up by phone if needs be.

SO... they have no medical grounds to exclude him - only a clean up issue.

Just wondered if you were around Rubberduck to get an update on how your ds is doing? I am having this problem with my ds at the moment. He has got the hang of wees just about and it's only taken him a week but he will only poo in his pants. As you knopw, cleaning up those kind of poos is awful. I have resorted to cutting the pants off so it doesn't get smeared all down his legs!