2 year old refusing to poo in the loo!

[itshappened]

My dd (almost 2.5 yrs old) has been out of nappies for a couple of months now. We started because she gave us all the signs, wanted to wear big girl pants not nappies, and has happily been weeing on the loo since day one. However she seems to only ever do a poo in her pants, and over the last week or so has been complaining about tummy aches which I think means she is holding it in. Initially she used to cry inconsolably if she did it in her pants, but we have managed to get her past this response and now she is more relaxed I think and will laugh. But we are no closer to getting her to do it on the loo or potty. I'm really worried about her holding it in, so was hoping for some advice on what to do next. She attends nursery full time and they are helping us with the potty training. But if anything she has more accidents there than with us. All advice welcomed! Thanks.

Does she have a potty or does she go straight onto the loo for a wee?my DD used to go behind the sofa when in nappies for a poo so we initially set the potty there so she would go for a poo.
Used her dolls and a toy potty to role play where does wee go and poo...eventually she understood. then soon as she used to go we used a kids loo seat with princesses on it she would put it on herself to go loo after a while...hope this helps Good Luck x

Has she seen you poo in the toilet? We were recommended to let our DD see our poo when she was potty training as it would help to normalize it for her. She had a tantrum one morning as I flushed before she could see my poo

She generally goes on the loo but we also have a potty. She has also seen both my husband and I use the loo for every purpose! As I mentioned, wees are not a problem and although she wears a nappy at night, it is always dry in the morning. It just seems that she doesn't feel comfortable pooing anywhere now, although her knickers are generally the only place she will relax enough to do it. Just interested if anyone else has had this problem with potty training and how your children overcame the fear of pooing!

My DD is almost 3 and she was the same this summer when potty training. I ended up staying in and taking her bottoms off for a few days so that she had no protection and had no choice but so sit on the potty to poo. Is this something that might work?

My D did this pretty much exactly except she used to hold it and then do it when she woke up in the morning in the night time pull up. Nursery totally unfazed - I remember her key worker saying she'd get there and they all have their little ways. And sure enough, eventually she did. I can't remember how long it took, unhelpfully, but just wanted to say I don't think it's unusual and sounds like she's on the way. If you haven't already found it, the NHS Poo Goes Home To Pooland is good.

Could you tru trousers with no pants? She then doesn't have the 'safety' of pants feeling a bit like nappy and it will feel much more uncomfortable if in looser trousers, might encourage her that the feeling of that plus having to take time out from playing to help you clean up just isn't worth the hassle and she may use the toilet instead?

You’re completely right to want to get on top of this. Witholders can turn into constipated children as the poo can harden into a blockage and then things snow ball from there. (I speak from experience ).

I’ve seen good advice on here to put an open nappy on the potty and have them poo into that as a ‘safer’ way for them to let the poo go. Then over time you can take the nappy away, move it to the loo etc.