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Potty training

Is your child ready for potty training at nursery? Here's the place for all your toilet training questions.

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Original poster

Anyones toddler always have loose/ mushy poo?

22 replies

Princessintherosecastle · 28/03/2023 18:04

Hi,

we think our toddler has food intolerances and had to wait over a year for an appointment only to be told to trial cutting out dairy but our toddler (3 years old) is still having mushy/ loose stools up to three times a day.
We have been potty training her and she can wee easily on the potty but it seems to be she doesn’t know that she is pooing? It goes all her leg and on the floor. I don’t want her to get made fun of in nursery. Other kids have noticed.
The nursery have made a comment that maybe she should be back in pull ups? I don’t think this is right as she has done so well passing urine on the potty.

We are at wits end - please help!

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PurBal · 28/03/2023 18:10

My toddlers poo is also fairly loose. I’ve put it down to “toddler diarrhoea” as he’s otherwise well in himself and hoping he’ll outgrow it. We’re not at potty training stage but it does worry me a lot. Lots of info here (my toddler doesn’t have the frequency this suggests but interesting info on fruit etc): https://www.bbuk.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Understanding-Toddler-Diarrhoea.pdf

https://www.bbuk.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Understanding-Toddler-Diarrhoea.pdf

thattravelphotographer · 05/04/2023 19:48

Yes! All of this I can relate to.

2 years 9 months here and just taken her to doctors as I felt it just couldn't be right. Were also told to cut out dairy but it made no difference. Test came back as everything normal, no intolerances and so GP left it as being just a phase. Nappy changes are highly unpleasant!

ViscountessBridgerton · 05/04/2023 19:50

Just to echo @PurBal our DS was also diagnosed with the all encompassing 'toddler diarrhea'

bootsyjam · 08/04/2023 17:43

Yes. We think we've narrowed it down to apples. Apparently its has the same.chemical as prunes which make you poop but less of it.
Apple juice is present as a sweetener in a lot of snacks/petit flour etc.
I'd advise looking at labels, cutting them from snacks (if they snack) and then seeing what happens

bootsyjam · 08/04/2023 18:46

bootsyjam · 08/04/2023 17:43

Apologies that was some terrible grammar!
Apples have the same chemical as prunes which is the key ingredient to making prunes so effective at making you poo. It's just that apples have it in a smaller dose.

YukoandHiro · 08/04/2023 18:53

Have you removed dairy and soya? Have you stopped any fruit juice?
Try all that first then try the HV for advice.

HappyValet · 08/04/2023 18:57

One of mine had 'toddler diarrhea' too. The dietician said not too much fruit, not too much Weetabix/oats/brown bread/brown rice etc. White bread and pasta was fine.

He outgrew it at about 4-5 years old as they predicted. No particular cause and he is now a great eater.

Wbeezer · 08/04/2023 18:58

Sounds like Toddler diarrhea, two of mine had this, makes cleaning potties rather unpleasant. I don't ask about their bowel habits now as they are adults but I can tell they are at the upper end of normal frequency judging by e amount of loo paper they get through! It seems to be common but not common knowledge IYKWIM

Redminionpenguin · 08/04/2023 19:04

Dc 1 and 3 had loose stools one went on to be diagnosed with gluten intolerance and the other coeliac disease. It took me 5 years for dc1 diagnosis and 2 and a half years for dc3. Visit your gp and ask for bloods to rule out things and also so it's documented for future reference if you have further problems.

Wbeezer · 08/04/2023 19:08

Did they have other symptoms @Redminionpenguin

Groutyonehereagain · 08/04/2023 19:09

It’s often just toddler diarrhoea, they grow out of it.

Redminionpenguin · 08/04/2023 19:11

@Wbeezer the one with gluten intolerance did have other symptoms (tiredness and vomiting occasionally) the one with coeliac had no other symptoms.

pebbles3004 · 08/04/2023 19:20

Yes my 2 year old has always had really loose nappies. When he has a hard stool (very, very rare) I know he's constipated.

We're about to try potty training and worried about the poos, it'll end up all over him. I don't know how fast nursery are at changing their nappies as I appreciate they have many kids to look after, therefore there could be poo everywhere once he comes out of nappies?!

He went through a stage last summer of proper diarrhoea for weeks with no other symptoms, and was diagnosed with toddler diarrhoea. GP did a stool sample and found nothing wrong. We can't give him weetabix or anything really heavy in fibre or the proper watery diarrhoea comes back. But his normal poos are very loose.

Saschka · 08/04/2023 19:24

Yep, toddler diarrhoea. Can’t remember exactly when DS grew out of it, but definitely by the time he started school (so age 4).

It is a pain to clear up and DS was prone to nappy rash until he was potty trained, but on the bright side, at least you don’t have to worry about them withholding poo, which can cause much more serious and long-lasting health problems.

Saschka · 08/04/2023 19:28

We didn’t find there was a problem potty training, he just pooped every time he had a wee. We trained quite late though (2yrs 8m).

I think the only time he had a poo accident was when he was ill and was caught out by a wet fart.

Snowisfallinghere · 08/04/2023 19:54

Yes, he's now 8 and it's still not ideal. He's had all sorts of vague tummy issues too and no real cause found and no allergies identified.

ZebraKid71 · 08/04/2023 20:08

Similar situation with our 2.5 year old, we think she has an intolerance to tomatoes as she gets a rash on her face sometimes with tomato based food - though it could be something else, waiting for go appt.

OddsocksinmyDocs · 09/04/2023 21:47

My 2 year old had loose/mushy poos until I swapped her whole milk for semi sKimmed 😊

Tigertink · 05/10/2023 17:40

Hi sorry to jump onto this but need some help or advice. My 3 year has been having loose poos at nursery. He goes Thursday and Fridays. What’s strange is at home with me he’s completely fine normal poops no issues but when he goes to nursery I’m constantly being told that his nappies are loose this is happened 3 weeks in a row. Tried to explain to nursery that he can’t just have a tummy bug every Thursday and Friday. He eats and drinks fine great in himself. Do you think it could be an anxiety thing?

Saschka · 05/10/2023 21:00

More likely they are feeding him something different - at a guess, either more dairy or a lot of fruit.

Any idea what he eats there, and is it anything he doesn’t have at home?

Tigertink · 06/10/2023 21:30

It what I can think of I asked whether they have fruit juices but they said no. He does eat a lot at nursery but didn’t seem to be a problem when he was in the younger room. Just seems to be when he’s moved into preschool. They said there keeping a diary now of what he’s eating x

Brizzlemum123 · 15/11/2023 18:55

Hi Zebra kid 71! Our 2.5 yr old has the rash on his face and also mushy poo (not super frequent but highly messy). We haven’t successfully potty trained yet. Did you end up seeing the GP? Wondering if you got anywhere? I’m worried they’ll just dismiss it as a ‘virus’ if we take him.

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