Potty training a permanently constipated child

[glamourbadger]

My twins are 2.5 and showing all the signs of being ready to potty train.

Problem is my DD1 has always struggled with constipation. She was premature and given lots of antibiotics during her first few months which is a possible cause. We have seen the GP/hospital nutritionist several times, she is on medication and we have done as much with her diet as possible - just have to accept this is something she struggles with. She does manage a poo every couple of days but it is a painful process!

She is happy to wee on the potty but wants to poo standing up holding onto something. I can't get her to sit down, if I suggest it she gets very upset. She has managed one poo on the big toilet but this was a one-off.

Has anyone else been through this and could offer any advice?

my ds and dd2 both have suffered with constipation, ds grew out of it, but dd2 is suffering terribly at the moment, she only goes once a week, unfortunatley they both found it easier sat on the toilet, so not much help, I would just let her go as she wants to, better to get it out than worry about the potty training at the mo, imo... she will come round to it when she's ready.

My ds (2.10) suffers with his constipation and has done since he was a tiny.

We have just got him potty trained last week.
So far, pooing on the potty seems to have helped, he's not had any medication this week. The constipation did make potty training hard. One day he'd be all bunged up and upset and I didn't likw to force the issue. The next day, if we over did his medicine, he had no chance of getting to the toilet in time.

Is your daughter taking anything. I find that Movicol is fabulous stuff - so much better than lactulose.

Thanks for the tip maretta - she is on lactulose. I will try Movicol - can you get it without a prescription?

Trying to poo standing up must make it 100 times worse! I keep explaining that sitting down will make it a lot more comfortable but you know what toddlers are like, there is no telling them!

I had a chat with my HV the other day and she recommended movicol, I said the lactulose doesn't seem to help much, she said the idea is to get her so loose that she can't hold it in (as she seems to as it hurts too much to poo) she said I'd need an appointment with the GP to get it, but they're sometimes reluctant unless you've seen the HV first, hth,x.

ds got referral to paed for his constipation and given movicol (so much better than lactulose ime which did nothing for him). As we hadn't started potty training we waited until he was sorted (he still has days when he needs it but only a couple of times a month) - he was on stuff for nearly a year.

Paed agreed we should leave it - but I know someone on here was advised to toilet train her dd while on it - she might have some useful advice.