Poo witholding 3 year old

[starship92]

This is my 3rd attempt at potty training dd. Pees are absolutely fab but shes holding poos for days.

The doctor has given her lactulose and been on it a week now and it has made no difference. The only way i can get her to poo is in the bath! Anyone experienced similar?

She won't go in nappy either now so im keen to keep away from nappies! Thank you

Lactulose never worked for my DD, but prune juice seems to do the job

I'm sorry but your title makes it sound like your 3 year old is being held hostage by a giant turd

She is 😆

Thank you. I will get some this evening!

Sometimes kids hold in poo because they like the sensation. I think they grow out of it though. I actually remember doing that aged about 4.
But prune juice always does the trick if there's constipation. Or tinned prunes, they're good with yoghurt.

I will never forget my sister doing this, then, one day before a bath she bent over and it just popped out onto the bathmat! It was both gross and hilarious (i was about 5 at the time, but I can still see it happening in my mind!)

I don't have anything helpful to say, except that she stopped holding on after that - I guess the embarrassment at doing it drove all thought of withholding from her head.

My DD would only do poos in pull up pants until she just before she about to turn 5.
She was dry day and night from age 2 but poos were a huge issue.
She used to take herself off put on a pull up and hide behind TV to do a poo.
Sorry probably tmi!
Anyway I tried everything, removing pull ups meant she held on to it for literally days, reward charts had zero impact.
I was advised by health visitor not to get stressed and just relax and gently encourage her.
Eventually she decided herself one day about a month before her 5th birthday she would do it-- by which time she'd been dry for over 2 years - it was such a relief !
It may be constipation or it may be a sensory issue, but 3 is still young so hang on in there.
Hopefully the laxatives will work.
If DC don't master it by 4 it's worth seeing GP or health visitor for a referral.
Just an aside my DD was diagnosed with autism when she was 18 and many neurodivergent children have similar issues, so just something to be mindful of it the issue continues.