DD completely dry but problems with the poo

[Lambzig]

I have been potty training my DD for two weeks. She got the weeing part after 2 days and since then has had no wee accidents since day 3. She is dry during her daytime nap (no nappy) and seems to be dry at night (she has a nappy on, but its completely dry), asking to do a wee wee the minute she wakes up. She is happy to use the potty, but prefers to use the proper toilet and that is going well with her either telling me she needs a wee or just taking herself to the potty and doing it and then telling me. We have been out and about and she is happy to use the toilet in shops/restaurants/friends houses with no issues.

The only problem is the poos. She has managed about three in the potty, but mainly just keeps doing them in her pants with no warning.

I have been really gentle and explained it is the same as the wee wee and lavished her with praise and extra stickers for the three times we have got it right, but she just doesn't seem to get it (or is unable to recognise the signs of when it is about to happen).

I am reluctant to scrap potty training as she has got the wee part down fine. Any tips on how I can help her with poos much appreciated.

Don't really know, even though we had similar.

I was at a loss but DH started saying things like Poor poo poo, he would really love a turn in the toilet too. She graciously allowed poo poo a turn one day.

That only works if like our dd she recognises she needs to go but has an aversion to it. Now she always announces 'It's poopoo's turn now!' after she has finished a pee.

Might work!

Our DD2 was exactly the same - its totally normal. In fact, a lot of family and friends children were exactly the same.

I hate to say it but it took our DD2 about 4 months to perfect the pooing and once she had got used to it, there has been no going back.

I asked a paediatrician friend and she said that it was simply the fact that their muscles aren't strong enough to control it, so it is not their fault - they cannot help it.

They've spent 2/3 years not having to control their bowel, and then suddenly have to do it on the potty so it is just a question of when they learn to control those muscles.

We were told that you shouldn't ignore the poo, but should never get cross about it. A simple 'Never mind, but next time lets try and do it in the potty' - and then quick clean up and done.
If you get cross when they can't help something, next time they need a poo they will remember that you got cross last time and will probably tense up and have another accident. (Am not saying you're getting cross, but thats the theory!)

We're currently potty training 2 of our triplets - it has been a few weeks and 1 has nearly perfected poo's but has the odd wee accident, the other is the same as your DD and my DD2 - no wee accidents what-so-ever, but had hardly any poo's in potty!
Good luck :)

Potty training two of your triplets. Wow! I thought it was bad enough with one, am exhausted with the up and down stairs and constant discussions about it (in my defence I am six months pregnant).

I am watching this with interest as my DD is exactly the same. She decided herself about 2 weeks ago that she didn't want to wear nappies anymore, and she's done really well - with wee anyway. She too has rarely had an accident since day 2 or 3 but poos are not going well. First she was holding it in I think and making her poos hard and therefore making herself constipated. I 'loosened' her up by making sure she had loads of fruit/juice and although we have had a few poos in the potty, we have also had lots of poo accidents as you describe - it's just as if she isn't aware it's coming.

When we are at home I do recognise the signs that she has one 'brewing' as she starts to prance around, dancing from one foot to the other - does your FF do anything similar? At this point I encourage her to sit on the potty and sometimes it's too late and we already have stained knickers (which she gets very upset about), or she sits for 30 seconds and gives up. A couple of times she has managed it and we have made a big fuss and phoned nanny to tell her etc. but it's all still very random.

I really think what someone further up the thread said is right, that they can't control those muscles as easily as they can for wee and so don't recognise the signs in time. Hopefully they will just 'get it' at some point soon...have never had so many conversations about poo in my life

My DD's exactly the same as all of yours!
She seems to fear actually doing a poo on the potty though. If I recognise the signs and try to sit her on the potty she really resists and then might well have an accident a few minutes later.
The celebrations when she lands one in the potty are monumental!!

We had this - DD wouldnt entertain the potty or the toilet for poos and Just used to do it in her knickers and would be hysterical if I tried to get her on the toilet/potty if I recognised the signs.

We used the poo goes to Pooland story and spent what felt like months talking about pooing and using the toilet and doing poo drawings with me adding in toilets/potties etc and a new book displayed on a shelf which was hers if she used the toilet for a poo.

After weeks, one day she suddenly asked for the toilet and we made a big fuss, gave her the book which she was immensely proud of and we had a few hit and misses but 2 weeks later it was sorted.

I can email you the poo goes to Pooland PDF if you pm me your email address.

I know what you mean about the poo conversations, I felt I was permanently talking about it or drawing it!

Even in Princess Polly's potty, she finds doing a poo in her potty MUCH harder, so it must be pretty universal

Ds2 was like this dry in 2 weeks but took a couple of months to stop pooing in pants. We didn't really do anything it just solved itself so I would say carry on and don't worry too much about the poo! Just buy lots of pants!

I could have written this OP. I am so glad others have the same problem. Would love a PM of the Pooland story if anyone could send it to me? TIA.

at conversations about poo - it almost seems normal until there's another adult around and I realise not everyone is talking about whether or not a poo might be ready to come out of a tummy!

Just to update (should have updated before). We started saying poor poo, he likes to go in the toilet or the potty, poor poo, he doesnt like it out, quickly lets get him in the toilet and then waving him goodbye (ok, that sounds even more crazy written down) and she got it in about 3 days, happily waving goodbye as she flushed. Seemed to work for us.