Toddler Bowel Movements (TMI)

[OddsocksinmyDocs]

My daughter will be 2 in Februrary and still very rarely has formed bowel movements. They're usually very watery or slightly thicker (almost paste like). Is this normal? Any tips on what I can do to make them more formed?

We are hoping to potty train her over Christmas but think it may be a disaster with the way her movements are at the moment.

Key information OP missing

whats her diet like?

My son had toddler diarrhoea and it was just like you are describing. It is a chronic rather than acute condition, so just meant all his poo was liquidy but he didn't have an upset tummy or need to go all the time. It lasted for maybe about a year? He had a special diet given by the gp. I'll find a link. He grew out of it before he started school. We waited to potty train him, which we don't regret!

Ahh yes, that should have been included - sorry

She starts the day with Rice Krispies/Weetabix/Cheerios and usually has a piece of toast later in the morning. She'll have a full meal for lunch (sausage casserole, stew etc) with a pudding. This varies daily but could be a biscuit, fruit or a yoghurt. Tea is usually a light tea such as crackers and cheese, flavoured rice.

She's been VERY picky with regards to fruit and veg over the past 6 months. However, she has taken a liking to fruit again and some vegetables. We try and include vegetables into her lunch, such as lots of various veg in spag bol etc.

She also drinks an awful lot of water.

Thankyou for replying She usually averages on 3 bowel movements a day but doesn't seem to be in pain. If you could find the diet, that would be brilliant

Your focus should be squarely on addressing the teeny tiny amount of fibre she has.
The bowel problems will almost certainly clear up.

No short cut I’m afraid. Just persistence

Couldn't get it to link as it is a download, but if you Google toddler diarrhoea diet, an NHS pdf is the first thing that comes up.

If it is toddler diarrhoea, having too much fibre can be part of the problem!

She does have a lot of fibre. When we have pasta dishes, it is always wholewheat pasta. She has jacket potatoes at least once a week. We have include lentils and beans in lots of our meals (basically to bump up the quantity for less money!) which she wolfs down.

Thankyou, I'll look at the PDF It's just trying to find that balance right!

But in the first diet you posted… there is really very minimal fibre

She starts the day with Rice Krispies/Weetabix/Cheerios and usually has a piece of toast later in the morning. She'll have a full meal for lunch (sausage casserole, stew etc) with a pudding. This varies daily but could be a biscuit, fruit or a yoghurt. Tea is usually a light tea such as crackers and cheese, flavoured rice.

honestly - get more fruit and veg in, every day, and the bowel problems will almost certainly ease up

Constipation often manifests itself as paste like faeces.

the waste isn’t sliding along the intestines as well as it would if there was sufficient fibre. So leaving fair bit as debris along the way, which slowly makes its way out, hence a multiple little nuggets or paste like movements

Mine has the same issue, spoke to the doctor earlier this year who said his diet was fine and its just one of those things.

Spoke to another doctor last week as wanted to check again and she has sent stool samples away and asked me to cut things out 1 at a time to see if we can pinpoint a food that might be causing it.

Mine has always eaten lots of fresh fruit, soft fruit and lots of veg so doctor is suggesting we cut back on raspberries/blueberries to begin with and see how it goes.

We're waiting to see what the stool samples show up, if anything.