Toddler not pooped in ten days

[alixxx1]

Hi

My 2 and a half year old hasn't pooped in ten days. I have been giving him laxido for ten days (even longer) as this issue has been going on since around February. He is holding in his poops.

I haven't even started potty training yet because of this ongoing problem. He is still in nappies.

Anyway, he just stands straining and whining all day. I took him to a and e the other day due to vomiting which I thought might be linked to this, maybe he was in pain? But the doctor felt that the vomiting wasn't linked to the lack of pooping and suggested he wasn't in pain.

He is now not eating (past 3 days), is miserable all day. The doctor said to continue says as normal, so yesterday we went out for a walk, which he'd normally love but instead he ended up standing, refusing to move and whining. The day ended in me actually shedding a fair few tears as I'm at a loss.

He has a poor diet. He doesn't really eat fruit or veg, I try blending it or hiding it amongst other foods but once he gets a taste that it's in there, he will stop eating. Ive had to resort to buying baby fruit pouches on occasion I.e. ellas kitchen prune pouches etc.

His diet consists mainly of toast, beans, weetabix/porridge, crisps, mushy peas, fish fingers and pizza. I know this might be making his stools hard and painful. The doctor suggested I make him eat fruit and veg, that I just 'make him' - but other than actually physically ramming the food down his throat and force feeding him, how do I make him?

I'm at a loss now and at my wits end, I'm sick of seeing him upset and in pain. I'm sick of the GP just suggesting that this is basically normal and that the laxatives should help - clearly they're not.

I just don't kkkw what to do to help him? He's leaking brown water - clearly this is the poo which is around the stool that needs to pass.

And when he eventually poops I have that moment of relief, almost crying happy tears but then the cycle starts again a few days later.

He is a very defiant child at the best of times. He is always the child having a tantrum or misbehaving when we're out. So I am challenged but I am absolutely trying my best.

I'm just sat here feeling miserable and useless and feel like he's never going to poo.

Did they do an abdominal X-ray?

@CherieBabySpliffUp

Could you tackle it from the other end and use a glycerine suppository?

I did this when my eldest DS was 3. Along with lactulose it worked. He would often not go for 7-10 days.

My daughter had an ultrasound when she was seen at A&E. I would ask for one definitely.

I have no advice but I do hope you get some help this afternoon. It sounds awful for you both.

How much laxido is he on? Sounds like he needs a disimpaction regime. (Day 1 2 sachets, day 2 4 sachets, day 3 6 sachets, day 4 8 sachets, carry on at 8 sachets/day until the world falls out of their bottom)

My ds was like this, we ended up at A & E with what they suspected was meningitis, his temperature was through the roof & he was in so much pain he couldn't bear me touching him. Like your ds he was impacted, they ended up giving him an enema, I had no idea a child could hold so much poo. If you manage to get him an enema it is a bit unpleasant but over pretty quickly, just make sure you keep him in nappies for about a week as once the main blockage clears you will be surprised how much there still is to come out.

My son does this too although it’s never got this bad. Max 7 days but I used a suppository.
He’s on movicol and GP said I could use up to 8 sachets a day.
I would advise increasing the laxido and you can buy paediatric glycerol suppositories (2g) OTC. They are not pleasant to put in (likely 2 man job) but will make him go. Good luck, it’s bloody miserable isn’t it.

Is it worth trying him sitting on the potty? My son gets to watch the tablet while he sits after meals to try to poo which is a huge treat. Baths have also helped him. Sympathise about the fruit and veg issue but the fact you can get him to take the Laxido is a big plus! Many fussy children won't even consider anything with it in.

Eric charity and movicol mummies Facebook group are useful. We didn't see a big difference until introducing sodium picosulphate liquid daily, under advice from childhood continence service. Push for a referral now as it was a 9 month wait and that was pre covid

So guys, yesterday afternoon he did a large poo. He cried and cried while it came. He then Let out another not long after. The out of hours doctor then said to contact the GP instead after the bank holiday as he had finally pooed.
Today he was straining again and let out another two large poos, they seemed very soft.

I am not sure if that is all of it though...
I couldn't get an apt with the GP today so I'm going to try again tomorrow
I'm still going to give him laxido.
Is it possible he'll need a scan to check his insides or that I should push for that? Or do you think the blockage is moving? I obviously know this is not the end and I'm going to really push for referrals and extra support on this now as I cannot have him going through this pain again in another ten Days!
Thank you all x

Dud they cray to see if blockage?
If you feel miserable imagine how your toddler feels? Can be very painful and yes cause vomiting
He needs sorting out fast
Refer to paed or gastro
Xray if at a Nd e
Probiotic can help ask health food shop for kids powder

This is the point I'd really be trying to get him to eat prunes. A prune or two a day.

Porridge with fruit puree / yogurt pouches - helps my DS. Reduce the weetabix if you can.

I hope your son feels better soon.

As already suggested, follow the disimpaction routine with the Laxido until his poo is incredibly soft and not forced out (so no crying). Then slowly reduce the Laxido back down. You may find that you have to give him a 'maintenance dose' of 1 sachet a day going forwards to keep him regular.

I have a ds who is 23. He doesn’t eat fruit. AT ALL. I tried SO hard to get him to eat it when he was wee. He drank fruit juice and ate veg though. Preferred it raw🤷‍♀️
I got told a few years ago that we don’t actually need fruit if we’re eating enough veg.
Hope you find some answers and your wee boy doesn’t have to go through this again xxx

Thank you for the mention of prunes. I've bought him some prune pouches as he eats them but I am going to try blend my own. They seem a really popular choice.
I'm honestly just sat feeling so low and teary over it all. I feel so bad seeing him going through this. It's our worst nightmare seeing our little ones unwell isn't it?
The hospital never scanned him when he went in after 7 days of withholding poop. Obviously now after ten days of holding it, he has let our four big poops and I'm keeping him on the laxido - some have suggested upping the dose so I'm going to look in to that. Is it worth going back to a and e and demanding a scan to check all the blockage is gone?
Hopefully I can get a GP appointment tomorrow! I couldn't get in today but that's usually the case after a bank holiday unfortunately

Is there any reason weetabix isn't good? I've seen this mentioned a few times Now?

Yes, I was wondering why people were mentioning that weetabix isn't good?

His diet is horrible His diet consists mainly of toast, beans, weetabix/porridge, crisps, mushy peas, fish fingers and pizza is horrible.

Nothing fresh, all processed, packaged, or canned with sugar. Seriously, you need to change that. Yes it will be hard, there will be tears, but if you do it as a family, meaning all of you need to stop eating crap, it can be done.

Go shopping with him for veggies, have him pick the most beautiful, have him standing on a chair at the sink, washing them, sprinkle salt on them before roasting them in the oven.
Learn how to cook and prepare tasty dishes, make your own peas (minus the sugar).
As long as he is having processed food he will refuse real food.

Scans are pretty crap to look at constipation. The idea with disimpaction is to keep giving them shed loads of movicol until their poo is coming out runny, for several days, then carry on with a lower dose of movicol to keep their poos soft and squidgy.

Once the stool is soft and easy to pass I had two suggestions of how to discourage the 'withholding'. The first is to make sure he's in the best 'squatting' position to use the toilet or potty. So feet supported on something firm, ideally with knees bent at a higher angle. Google Squatty Potty for a pic.
The other is try getting him to join in with blowing bubbles from a bubble wand when he's on the loo. It's really hard to blow out through pursed lips whilst also squeezing your bottom sphincter so it tends to get them to relax without realising.
Good luck!

The thing is, as a family we don't eat 'crap'. I cook a lot of 'healthy' meals. However my son just refuses point blank to eat what I serve and it then results in him having toast, just so he eats something. We've sat there as a family talking about how amazing our carrots are etc but he just has none of it. I've tried to even blend fruits and mix with porridge or put it in a cup for him to drink but he's wise to it. It may be worth as someone has jus suggested having him come to the supermarket and chose and wash his veggies with me! I've not yet tried that so I'm going to give that a go! Maybe he'll see it as 'his idea' then and want the veggies!
I am doing home made pizzas this weekend so it may be a perfect opportunity to get him to pick some of his own toppings like tomatoes etc. I've even considered asking the GP for a referral to a dietician but I am not sure if I am being over the top. I just feel absolutely useless.

I like the idea of trying the potty, however my GP last said it was a bad idea to start potty training whilst he is having these issues but a lot of people on here seem to think using the potty helps... it can't harm to try so thank you for your suggestions x

Oh sorry I'd missed his age and that he's in nappies. Sitting in the Squatty position may still help even in the nappies. Good luck and don't beat yourself up. You're trying your best and this is such a challenge!

@PintOfBovril thank you x

For now I would hide as much fruit and veg as you can in his food. The only thing that worked here was turning liquidised fruit and veg into ice lollies. I also always allowed squash/cordial in water as it was way to make sure he drank enough.