Please help! Toddler holding wee in!

[PottyStuck]

Hi,

We started potty training 4 weeks ago. It was going well, normal accidents, some wee in the potty, etc. DD (2 years and a half) goes to nursery full time, and she was using the potty there and of course having few accidents every day.

She goes to nursery only term time (DH is a teacher), so has been home for the last 2 weeks. The first day of Easter she had an accident, and we didn't react very well. We did scream a little bit, but was more due to sudden panic as she was having a wee on the sofa. She took that really bad and was inconsolable for really long time. Since then she has been holding wee and poo in, and only does it during nap or bedtime.

We put her nappy back on after a couple of days of holding in, but it has made no difference. Her nappies are absolutely dry.

We don't care that much if she learns to use the potty right now or not, just want her to urinate whenever she needs to!

Have you been in this situation? Could you please help us??

Hopeful bump

Oh dear. Have you tried the health visitor? Have they any advice?

I haven’t been in that situation although mine will sometimes not wee for hours and sometimes seems to go every 5 minutes. Maybe lots of fluids (juice, milk, ice lolly , water melon, and just trying to be completely relaxed and uninterested in wee? Maybe that will help her feel ok about going again?

Anyone? I am desperate seeing DD suffering so much. It clearly hurts her and cries a lot at the end of the day. But still holds it in!

Thanks for responding @Whatamuddleduck !

We tried the GP. They suggested put nappy back, which we have done. But that was almost two weeks ago, and her nappies are absolutely dry. She drinks quite a lot! Sometimes I feel awful offering her so much to drink as she keeps holding it in, so I am probably making her pain worse.

Go together, put potty next to you in the bathroom.

It sounds random but get some cheap blowing bubbles and try to get her to blow bubbles when sitting on the toilet. It relaxes the pelvic floor muscles. Have a look on the eric.org.uk website, lots of information.

Thanks @DelilahTheParrot

Unfortunately we have already done that. Also we both have used the potty ourselves. She is happy sitting on the potty, although does nothing in it. I believe she now thinks it is not OK to wee, as we scream that time she had an accident. I don't know how to reverse that

@foxywheaton75

It sounds random but get some cheap blowing bubbles and try to get her to blow bubbles when sitting on the toilet. It relaxes the pelvic floor muscles. Have a look on the eric.org.uk website, lots of information.

Thanks! I will definitely try that

www.eric.org.uk/blog/how-blowing-bubbles-can-help-constipation

@foxywheaton75 thank you so much! I just ordered blowing bubbles and will see how it goes

Have you tried good old fashioned bribery ? A chocolate coin for a wee or a few chocolate buttons of smarties if age appropriate? My kids can hold on for a really long time without needing to wee, even my non potty trained one year seems to go hours then do a massive wee in her nappy.

DS even when first trained would happily go 6 hours without a wee, so asking them to go every hour might be too much. How often do you think she needs to go?

We tried bubbles when Ds was poo holding when we first potty trained. He couldn't multitask pooing and blowing, he's a boy though and he just wanted to get off the potty to pop the bubbles

@hamandcgeese

Have you tried good old fashioned bribery ? A chocolate coin for a wee or a few chocolate buttons of smarties if age appropriate? My kids can hold on for a really long time without needing to wee, even my non potty trained one year seems to go hours then do a massive wee in her nappy.

DS even when first trained would happily go 6 hours without a wee, so asking them to go every hour might be too much. How often do you think she needs to go?

We tried bubbles when Ds was poo holding when we first potty trained. He couldn't multitask pooing and blowing, he's a boy though and he just wanted to get off the potty to pop the bubbles

We did! She just happily eats the chocolate and gets up from the potty saying "all done!" But there is nothing there.

We can't give her treats for doing thing in the potty if she never actually does it.

So frustrating!

Ohhh darn, could you try the toilet instead? .. we had one of those fancy hideous toilet seat step constructions, attached pic of the one we had. Didn't keep it long moved onto a intergated kids toilet seat and a pourty step, which is quite high.

I'm not going to lie my DS couldn't care less about a sticker chart or putting a Pom Pom in a jar, but some kids do. Friend did red Pom poms in a plastic tube. You could have two colours, one for sitting and one for actually doing a wee

I must say potty training is my least favourite part of parenting. I'm not looking forward to doing it again with DC2. Although we did iron out the issues with DC1 quite quickly it just takes it toll, the constant watching them and the worry. I also had to scrub the sofa once.

Thanks @hamandcgeese

I guess I will give a toilet seat a try! I was trying to avoid it for now, but I am willing to try anything now!

And agreed, potty training is the worst of parenting!