Almost 3, never pooed in potty - how long to leave it?

[gabid]

My DD is almost 3, she often takes herself to the toilet to do a wee, and sometimes tells me she needs to go - great, but she has never done a poo in the potty or the toilet and tells me that no, she doesn't want to do that. I don't really feel like cleaning out pooy pants on a regular basis.

Has anyone had a similar experience? Any tricks? Or just wait?

We had a nightmare with our daughter and poo. She wouldn't go for a poo in the potty and was withholding. The poo would then eventually come out in small deposits in her pants. This went on for months and you have my full sympathy. I spoke with our health visitor who had two suggestions (i) try and get her to sit on the potty when you think she might need a poo. Give her a party blower and make a game out of it. Apparently it's not possible to blow and hold in a poo at the same time! (ii) tell your daughter a story that the poos in her bottom really want to go to pooland but the only way for them to get there is for her to poo in the potty and to flush the poo down the loo. Sounds a bit silly but our daughter bought into it. After trying these methods once our daughter had done one poo in the potty there was no looking back!

Thanks, I don't think DD is holding her poos in as I just encourage her when she wants to wee in the toilet, enerything else goes in the nappy, but I will try the pooland story - that sounds a good idea, I hope mine buys it too.