Problems doing a number 2

Bossyboots

inkie wrote:

My DD1 was fine with wees, but she would hold on to poos insiting that she didn't want to go. Lots of reassurane and encouragement and a high fibre diet to make it easier for him to go should do the trick. Try distraction - if he shows signs of needing a poo - stick the TV on - get a toy out and whilst he is being distracted with that - guide him to the potty.

My son did this too. He was potty trained at 19 months with no problems at all. Then he suddenly started refusing to poo and saying he didn't want to go when he clearly did. Constipation wasn't the problem. As soon as he fell asleep nature took over. It took a while but we finally resolved the issue (I was going to put that we got to the bottom of it but realised just in time:rolleyes: ). It turned out that while we were at a relative's house their four year old child had told my son that it was naughtly to call your mummy to have your bottom wiped:eek: . My son had taken this on board and worried himself about it. As soon as we knew, we were able to reassure him that this little girl was wrong and even if her mummy was cross, I wouldn't be and that he was only half her age anyway.

I think that was my first lesson as a parent on how deeply a simple remark could affect a young child.

bootman

I totally sympathise with you. My son who is now 9 suffered terribly from about 18 months. I too would sit with him for hours like you trying to get him to pass the most enormous poo!!:eek: He wouldn't eat because he must have felt horrid.

In the end we were given a huge box of enemas from the doctor as nothing else worked. You can actually buy them over the counter at the chemist. They were a godsend. Mind you even these sometimes needed a couple of doses. He would even ask me for the special cream when he just could not go. It is not nice watching them suffer like that.

It does get better, at 9 I still have to check with him that he has been. I am always concerned if he misses a day.

I would just say watch the sugary drinks. I used to juice loads of fruit to try and help. We are paying for that now with his teeth, and having to have lots of fillings.

Good luck.

tinandsue

I had the same trouble with my son. I found that he was scared to let go, not sure why, but sitting him on a proper toilet with his legs hanging below him meant he couldn' t prevent it! After the first few times, which we greeted with huge rounds of applause, he realised that there was nothing to be afraid of and he liked to feel all grown up using a proper toilet rather than the potty. Hope this helps.

tryingtobegood

My son also did this. We had lactulose at home as he had an ongoing constipation problem. Basically he trained to do no1's in 2 days and on day 3 did a poo....but it was a week before he did another. I think it was the shock of actually seeing what a poo looked like!
I gave him lactulose twice a day and his daily diet consisted of weetabix, homemade lentil soup & fruit for lunch and beans everynight wth his dinner, strawberries and melon for pud. I also tried every flavour of diluting juice and fruit shoots to try and get his fluid levels up.
Once he finally poo'd the first one was quite traumatic but after that it was a lot softer and not painful.
I gradually weaned him off the lactulose but kept up the weetabix and various homemade veg and lentil based soups.
The downside now is that he drinks alot of fruitshoots but I'm cutting these down bit by bit!
He still needs me or dh to hold his hands while pooing but he probably grow out of that.

Counting_Pennies_2

Thanks all.

In answer to questions:

He has nappies on at night, but there is no poo forthcoming. He refuses one to go to bed in but I insist on it for then, but reluctant to put him back into nappies in the day as he hates them, and is doing so well otherwise

He takes himself to the potty and refuses to get up, I had to physically prize him off the potty tonight with him crying hysterically.

I do a chocolate prize for a wee and a poo, and a sticker chart on the wall.

He is over joyed when he does anything in the potty, absolutely loves it.

I visited the doctor this afternoon and have been given lactulose, so fingers crossed tomorrow he will do something.

He is also experiencing a horrific ear infection, which resulted in it weeping terribly today, so he is dreadfully under the weather, and I have cried with the inability to do anything to help the poor thing.

I normally give a watered down mixture of apple and orange juice (his choice) but might try the orange juice with him tomorrow.

Thanks for your advice

Jay-Jay_4

My little girl is the same only she will not go for a poo until right at the last second and only then when she's put it off for a couple of days and can't hold it in any longer. I can tell she needs to go because she gets 'antsy' for a bit beforehand.

If I can get her on the proper toilet it help enormously as little ones have to lean forward to balance on the loo (with a step under their feet), leaning forward makes pooing easier and the gravity spect (the weight of the poo ) allows it to come out easier whereas it would hit the bottom of the potty and .... break off :rolleyes:

When my eldest daughter was small I would have to grab it with a babywipe and pull it out but she had a medical condistion which meant that she was unable to move her torso for a few months so her intestines were not stimulated by movement.

My GOODNESS!!!! What kind of a conversation is this :rotfl:

welshcakes

My son suffered from something similar when he was about 5 yrs. The gp confirmed that he had a slight 'pocket' in his lower intestine that was delaying excretion to the point that he would eat and eat but not go for a few days; he suffered from a hard distended belly (and being a skinny thing he looked pitiful) and of course severe stomach cramping.

It was terribly difficult to console him. Our gp basically recommended , as mentioned above, a hugh fibre diet to get it moving. The distended area remains a pocket only whilst it is being put under pressure from a build up. So cereal for breakfast and supper and I we gave him treats of prunes (the packet ones that are really sweet and juicy. It took about two weeks to start to ease.

Now a few years later, he does suffer slightly but we know the signs and step up the fibre for a few days and the problem goes away.

Poor little dab, it must be awful for him. On a similar note, when my first was about 12 months old, she was having problems and was literally producing 'rabbit dropping' excrement. In her case, the gp provided us with these tiny suppositories that cleared it up within a few days.

Becles

My eldest son did this when he was potty trained. It seemed he was scared of the poo.

The health visitor said if you think about it, in the nappy he's done a nice warm poo that squishes all over his bottom.

When they go in the toilet/potty, they do a huge log that drops away and it just not the same feeling and it doesn't look the same.

I cured my son by showing him my poo's and the dog's poo's and anyone else who was willing to share them. Once he realised we all did them, he was happier doing poo's in the potty/toilet.

sarymclary

My eldest had this problem, and was definitely holding them in because he didn't like the feeling of it going into the potty. If they were a bit big he used to start standing up to get it away!

All the diet advice above is sound. Certainly recommend satsumas, orange juice, strawberries, sweetcorn, brown sugar diluted in warm water. Lots of fluid. We also massaged some vaseline around his anus, as my health visitor had recommended that sometimes this can stimulate a motion.

If you can get him to sit on the toilet that would be a good idea, as my son found the position a bit better, and we used the excuse that we liked to give him a big hug and that rubbing his back would help the poo come out. The problem was that a year later we still had to hug him and rub his back at every poo time, but he was convinced this was the trick to a super poo. It was unfortunate that my nostils just over the edge of his shoulder was a perfect position for the full-on 'aroma'. :eek:

If he's getting a bit uptight, try to distract him away from the potty, so that he isn't so focused on it. Is he desperate to achieve a reward? It might be the case that you just need this poo to fall whenever/wherever it chooses (keep a newspaper handy for catching). I found that when my son was lying on his belly playing with his cars he often needed a poo.

Look out for lots of bottom burping, as this often comes just as the poo is making it's way down. I think he just needs lots of reassurance that this is all quite OK, not a major problem, the poo will sort itself out and his ear will be better soon too. BTW, I also found Calpol often caused softer poos, so if you're using that as pain relief, it might also help.