Advice About Helping My 3 Year Use the Washroom

Hi M.....I had a friend with the same problem and she said that her pediatrician told her to have the child try to blow up a balloon while on the toilet. You can also sit next to them and also blow up a balloon so that they can see how to do it. It worked for her, but I haven't tried it myself. Kind of different, but whatever works, right? Hope this helps!

IT'S AN ALTERNATIVE TO ANY MEDICINES, AND THE KIDS THINK IT'S KINDA FUN TOO!

M.
(mother of 2 boys ages 6 & 3) from Plainfield, IL

My youngest had problems with pooping too. She was with-holding her stools for some reason that we never figure out. Anyway, she is over it now and we too tried little tummies which made her GI cramps worse! We finally turned to Miralax as well and have used Miralax for my 6 year old who has occasional problems with constipation which are usually diet related. It worked great for both of them and they rarely need to use it any more.

My Gracie has what the pediatrician calls a tilted anus. Basically, her anus is every so slightly tilted, causing the poop to set there longer than it should, all the while, the intestine continues to pull water from the poop - making it hard, and grow in size as more poop builds up. The result is a very large and hard stool, causing a great deal of pain when she finally does go (sometimes two to three weeks later). This caused her to associate pain with "going", so she is now very shy from pooping, and is apt to hold it in � even after a laxative has been used. She is currently on a prescription (miralax). This is very gentle and mild, and works very well on her. We are against laxatives, but it gives her relief from the pain, and does not cause diarrhea. Her poop now has the consistency of peanut butter, and she goes regularly. The idea is to get her over the negative experience that pooping hurts, so we can then move her to such things as prune juice. The whole ordeal has seriously impacted her potty training, but we will get there someday soon. By the way, before miralax, we used mineral oil mixed with yogurt. Don�t put it in milk or some other liquid. If mineral oil is inhaled, via chocking on the liquid, it could cause lung disorders � at least that�s what the doctor told us. Good luck with whatever you decide.

-K.

HI. Stop giving him the laxative and give him fiber or try to give him prune juice or banannas. Anything with fiber in it. My son did the same thing and banannas help him as does Oatmeal. I haven't given him a laxative because I don't want him to "rely" on it. I hope that helps.

Hi,
Over time the little tummy's laxative may not be good on his little digestive system. We used that for awhile and then we started blending apple & prune juice. We now shop at a well known wellness store and we purchase fiber bars that don't taste like tree barks!:-) Our daughter is now 4 and she loves the Oatmeal Raisin & Troprical Fruit & Yogurt bars. If a kid loves them you know they must taste great! There's also Apricot Orange & Lemon Burst. We get a 10 pack for only $10.99. Your son may only need 1/2 a bar along with some water.

Contact me if you'd like to know more about this store and their wellness products.

~M.
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____@____.com

My daughter has what they call a "full colon". Has your son had any x-rays? My daughter now has to take a stool softener and hopefully this won't be for long.

Hi M.,

My son had a VERY hard time getting completely optty trained due to this reason. He has been going to see a pediatric gastroenterologist at Lutheran General in Park Ridge for a couple of years(he is almost 8). He has been on a prescription laxative for that long which is non habit forming. It has helped tremendously! What happens is that their little systems get stretched out due to the size of the bowel movement. It takes a loooong time for their system to retrain itself. Once the bowel is stretched out thy lose the ability to push and then they get even more backed up. All of the other ideas are great and I suggest you try them first. I would start keeping track of what he is eating since certain foods make it worse. If things do not get better do not hesitate to see a doctor since things will only get worse without help. If you have any other questions please feel free to ask me. My son is finally weaning himself off of the laxative!! Part of the problem was that he did not want to go at school and they had to try only at bathroom breaks. Let the teacher know about the issues and assure him that it is ok to ask to go.I am not sure how old your son is so I don't know if this applies or not. Good Luck!!
Y.

Hi M.,

I gave my son prune juice. Just a little bit goes a long way (literally). :) Start with about 2 ounces in the morning daily and wait a couple of days. Depending on how quickly his digestive system works, it may take a day or two to take effect. It's all natural and really works, and he can have it daily. You can adjust the amount as needed. Also, stay away from foods that can be constipating like bananas. Good luck and I hope that helps.

Denise

Hi.
Please STOP giving laxatives to your son. His body will become dependent on them, and I'll bet it will be really confusing for him to experience both constipation and diarhea!
Prune juice or apples work for us.
Refined wheat products will stop him up. Just get some fiber in him and wait a few days. Try not to be nervous around him, because he needs to be able to relax in order to have a movement. If this doesn't work after 3 or 4 days, give him a stool softener, but not a laxative.
Amy

Hi M.
I have to real solution, but just some ideas. First is he drinking water everyday. This does not mean juice...just plain water. (as adults we are to drink 6 to 8 glasses a day) Maybe his bowels are depleted/lacking water. Water helps make for a smoother movement. Also I would not use laxatives unless there are only made with natural ingred. and even do he sould not use them on a daily basis. The system can get dependent on this. Is he getting enough exercise,fresh air and sunshine. I use a herbal Laxative, which is safe, but i would only give him a half dose, I don't know how it will react on a child (Traditional Medicinals SMOOTH MOVE. You get 15 tea bags in a box. and it cost around 3.50 a box (i find it cheaper on the internet)
Also If he is eating alot of starch with no fiber, or eating a lot of bananas..these are consipating too.
Hope I was of some help.
TerryP

hi, well I don't know if this will work for all kids but it sure works for mine. Apple Juice. I found out the hard way that apple juice loosens him right up. Wow what a mess. I learned that when he was still in diapers and he is 3 now. These days I only give it to him when he is constipated. I even tried Prunes which are suppose to do the trick but it still didn't work as well for me as the apple juice. straight apple juice. nothing else mixed in.

I figured out that some kids can not go when someone is watching them. I have potty trained alot of kids over the years plus my own I take the child every 20 to 30 minutes to the bathroom whether they say they have to go or not (you will only have to do this for a couple days) then I tell them they have to sit on the potty but "I have to go do something so just try to go and I will be right back I stay right out side the door without them knowing and I keep going in and out every minute or so I always go back in and ask "did you go" if not I tell them just try again and I will be right back. This may take up to 20 minutes but I have had great success with this and in a few days all the kids were completely trained.

Try a tsp of mineral oil 1x week. It is tasteless and is not absorbed by the body. We also feed a mix of apple sauce, prune juice, apple juice, and bran cereal mixed ahead of time and then mixed with instant oatmeal the morning he eats it. It's also VERY important to keep him well hydrated. Have water available at all times.

My sister had the same problem with my nice but she was a little younger. They were using suppositories because she would wait and hold it in for days at a time. They were giving her Metamucil crackers in the morning and that seemed to help. Try also more liquids that may help soften the poop. The problem lasted for a long time with her but eventually it all worked out.

Does he like crackers? KASHI TLC crackers have lots of fiber and are all natural, my son loves them, especially with cut up apples.