DD making herself constipated :-( what to do?

[curlyLJ]

DD has been going nappy free on and off at home for about 6 weeks and last week decided she wanted to give up the nappies altogether. We've had varying levels of success, but the accidents are getting less and less... she's 2.4.

The problem is poo - it's almost like she can't relax and 'let it out' and she's making herself constipated. She shows signs she's about to go (prancing about, pulling a face etc) but she then sits for a while and...nothing! I have even offered her a nappy (rightly or wrongly) to do it in case she feels more comfy that way but she won't have that either.

The last real proper big poo was a week ago, since then it's been little bits here and there - mostly in the potty but some in her knickers at nursery...

I'm worried she's going to do herself some damage Any ideas how I can 'help' her to go???

You are right to be slightly concerned and I would keep an eye on the situation. Prune juice really does help to move things along.

If she is struggling to do it without a nappy then it isn't wrong to offer her a nappy for it.

DD2 became a poo refusenik and it can be serious. However if your DD has been doing some I would try with the prunes and keep encouraging her.

thanks Loony but she won't tolerate prunes/prune juice. Although I was thinking of trying to get some down her by putting it in one of those Nurofen syringes and telling her it's medicine I have given her some Califig which I guess should do the same job.

I wouldn't mind if she would use the nappy, but she won't, and sometimes she just doesn't seem to drink enough unless I practically hold her cup to her mouth.

She did manage to do a poo on the potty this morning, but it was a hardish lump, the size of a large marble... so i don't think she's afraid of the potty IYKWIM?

We have this with dd, particularly on nursery days. She doesn't want to sit on the potty for very long so withholds poo. I am trying a combo of apple juice, upping 'wet' fruit, porridge instead of weetabix and bribing her to stay on the potty front of peppa pig on a loop. Oh and i cut out bananas. Seems to be working ok.

She does sound constipated poor girl. Try and up her liquid as much as you can - Califig should do the same as the prune juice so good that she will take that.
If the changes don't have an effect in the next few days I would take her to the GP for a check up.
(I admit I may be OTT here and your DD sounds like things aren't too bad - my DD2 managed to hospitalise herself through sheer determination!)

Thanks for your tips. DD not great with juice, but I managed to find one she likes and she drank a carton yesterday and one today, plus she's had loads of blueberries, raisins, grapes etc which should also help.

She had 3 poos on the potty in the end yesterday after much coaxing, sitting there with her, rubbing her belly - but they were fairly hard and no doubt uncomfortable to pass. Hopefully once the juice gets through her system she will be better.

She still keeps prancing around like she desperately needs to go but then despite sitting in front of Peppa Pig for 20 mins (that's where she is now) nothing gets produced I think she doesn't like the sensation of 'going' but I guess that could be because the poo has been hard...

Oh well, onwards and upwards as they say

Keep going with the fruit and the juice, if you haven't seen any improvement in a few days it might be worth going to the doctors for something to soften the poo.

I also found out that apparently too much dairy is bad for constipation too which is a shame as whenever dd is ill she only wants hot milk and may deign to eat a little cheese.

thanks Blacktea I think it's actually working!

After a disastrous day for her at nursery with 4 poo accidents (only little bits, not whole poos) and also 1 wee accident (her first in about 4 days) she came home and with the help of a few episodes of good old Peppa Pig, she managed a lovely soft big poo (can't believe I actually said that ) on the potty and was delighted with herself and seems much better now. I think it might have helped that I left the room to give her privacy, but I kept talking to her from the kitchen - then all of a sudden she called out 'done it mummy'

Hopefully it will all start clicking into place now for her.

It's a struggle isn't it. We had a big song and dance this morning with dd claiming that "it hurts" and "I don't like poo". She produced two tiny poos and then point blank refused to get back on the potty.

I had a sticker chart for initial potty training and have recently introduced it back again specifically for poos. This also seems to be working.

I never thought I would be paying so much attention to poo.