Hi Mom's!
My 3.5 y/o boy is having stinky problems. He is not yet potty trained (we were waiting until things settled after the new baby came in July). He is basically refusing to make a stinky. He will stand there, on his tippy toes, pinching his cheeks together and holding it in. We have tried glycerin suppositories, prunes, sitting on the potty, using different potty seats, having him blow his nose (as it uses some of the same muscles to "bear down"), encouraging him to put it in his diaper. We've tried having him sit on our lap to get him to put it in his diaper (he fights this more than anything). We've tried letting him go off into a corner and so his business. NOTHING is working!! This has been going on for about 3 weeks now. He has had a stinky every 3-4 days, but it is a MAJOR ordeal and only comes out because it is so backed up. He just cries and cries, but won't let it out. Here's the kicker...they are not hard. They are quite soft and show no reason to cause him trouble. We've talked to the doc and he just prescribed a very expensive medicine that our insurance doesn't cover...basically a laxative. I'm concerned about using a laxative, as his stools are not hard and I don't want to cause him more pain and diarrhea, since laxatives can be somewhat harsh. Anyone dealt with this before? I truly believe it is a mental thing with him. Any advice would be much apperciated.
L. -
My daughter suffered through this same problem until we began using MiraLax. It is a non-prescription laxative and stool softener that her pediatrician suggested. The nice thing about this product is that it doesn't cause cramping and pain like other laxatives. Ask your doctor about this product. Good luck!
I swear by Miralax! My son had the same issues at the same age. At that time Miralax was a prescription not OTC. What happens is that they get so backed up that their muscles are stretched out and they no longer feel the urge to push or they try and nothing happens until it is big enough for them to feel but by that time it is big and painful. My son was on Miralax for over 2 yrs.( He has some behavioral/ understanding issues that made everything take longer. I only told you that he was on it so long to let you know that it is safe for long term use and is not as harsh as a lot of other laxatives. This is one you can trust. If you have any questions please feel free to contact me if you have questions. We went to two different gastroenterologists and many rounds of tests to find out that Miralax was what he needed! Good Luck!
Y.
My 3 year old also tends to withhold movements. When it gets to be ridiculous (more than 3 days) I take him swimming. If that isn't an option he gets a very long bath. It works almost every time - the water just seems to relax him.
Our doctor also gave us a prescription for Miralax/Glycolax (generic?) which I believe is now available over the counter. If used sparingly it is meant to encourage regularity, not force the movements. If all else fails, consider this - it is far better than resorting to enemas (which we had to do once). Good luck.
Dear L.,
My daughter had the same problem right before she turned two. It got so bad. The poop would be hard as a rock. When so would finally poop she would scream as if someone was killing her. She would sweat and her face would turn bright red. She would go stiff. One time it took her 3 hours to poop one big one. I finally put her in the bath tub. I felt so bad for her. It was half in and half out. It was one solid mass and you couldn't wipe it away. When she pooped it would tear her butt. We tried laxatives and supositories, nothing seem to work. I took her to her dr. and he said that if I ignored it it would go away. He said it was a mind thing. I finally took her to another dr. He did x-rays and found out that she was so compacted that it was backed up. He sent us to a gastro-entro-olagist (sorry if not spelled right) He recommended the miralax. And with in 2 months she was better. Every once in a while she has a problem but nothing like before. I hope everything works out for you. I feel sorry for your son. Good Luck.
B.
Hi L.
Try some mineral oil, I have used it with all 3. My ped recommended with the first and I have had to use it at sometime with all of them. Follow dosage and it is almost guaranteed it will occur, I know it is gross but it lubes them up & helps come out so they can't hold it in. All 3 of mine had the same issues about holding it in for up to a week or ten days and then would hurt to go, so hold it in and on and on. Mine would take it directly but I have also mixed in with any juice and they didn't notice as it is tasteless.
I hope it helps
C.
My youngest was a non pooper. Turns out that since they wait so long in between poops, it actually hurts when they go which makes the cycle worse. The ped recommended Mineral Oil. You can't overdose them on it, so you can start with a tablespoon of it and see if it does anything. It's a laxative and lubricant. So he won't be able to "hold" it. And his body won't absorb anything so it won't hurt him. And you just keep giving it to him (whatever dose you find out works). Because they hold it they have actually stretched out their bowels and they recommend you do this for a few months to make sure the bowels go back to normal. It's COMPLETELY a mental thing.. it's ALL control.. it's what they have control over.. but it worked miracles pretty quickly with my youngest.. he was about 2.5 almost 3 at the time. And we did a sticker chart for every night that he went.. which he was very into.
hope that helps!
My daughter went through this too, when she was potty training. I had to let her use a pull up until she figured out how to poop on the potty. Maybe try to let him take the lead on where and when he is going to go, and then just ask him if he wants to try going on the potty. When he does, reward him with whatever works. Both my kids loved getting stickers. If he needs to use a pull up or whatever, let him, until he is more regular.
Good luck!
Perhaps you could try "mineral oil". You can find it at most stores in the pharmacy area. It is like a liquid laxative.
I have used it on my son, and it's all natural. It won't hurt your child at all. I always mixed it with juice and put it in a large syringe, so that I know that he was getting all of his medicine.
Good luck.
J.
My girlfriend's daughter had this problem...turned out to be more of a mind over matter thing. It was her mind preventing her from going, she was so afraid of it hurting. Talk to your doctor and see what they say. My friend was told to stop making a big deal about it and almost ignore the behaviors. It did solve itself then.
Good luck
Congrats on the new addition!
My 3 y/o is now going through her pooping protest phase as well.
First off if you can, get out of those diapers all together! Mine needed to feel what she was producing. I know it's hard, but they became a crutch for her to continue to release herself in them. If you can go strictly cotton, do so, but in combination w/ the vinyl trainers thats good to start off with.
No laxatives! Pear juice works wonders! Apple juice too, but within 30-45 minutes, he will naturally have to go. If he's crying/kicking to push it out, the pear juice goes through the system that the kicking will make the poop come down faster. Still time & take him every 15 to 30 min after consuming the juice to get him ready.
Occasionally, after getting a feel for his usual time to pee and poop, try allowing him to run around in the buff. If there are other children around, use your judgement. His facial expressions and body language will give you cues that he's ready to do something - then begin taking him to the potty. Yes, there may be a few accidents, so a non-carpeted area is ideal.
Sidebar: I also tell my potty princess as I call her, that the poop is screaming to get out and the only way you can hear it is if she pushes it out. When it's close to that time, or she disappear to go in a corner/secluded place to release herself, or after a little poop is visible from her bottom, we race to the potty, sit her down then chant "LET ME OUT, LET ME OUT" together. After it falls in the toilet, we both do a quiet scream (as if the poop was doing it) then cheer, clap & say "Yea". Every now and then, she's now tells me when she has to go that "The boo boo is screaming to get out, mommy"
L.,
I am not sure what the doctor prescribed but if it's Mineralax or Glycolax I would definitely get it. My son had some tough issues and still does. Honestly, I don't want to scare you-our situation was BAD, what my son had to go thru was horrible and I always watch him now. You are doing good by staying on top of this. We have been dealing with this for over a year now. We went to a wonderful pediatric gastro doctor-just let me know if you want his info. K.
My DD is having the same issue. Except because she hold's it for so long it's hard like a rock and she cries. Our doc prescribed an over the counter but you have to get it from the pharmasist, it's called Kondramel and it's not expensive. We've only found it at CVS. We give her 1.5 teaspoons and she now goes more regularly. Doc wanted us to start with a tablespoon but that made her too runny so we cut back to the right dosage for her. doc says that it's safe for her to be on for prolonged periods of time and when we think whe's more regulated to try to cut back to every other day and than wean her off completely. Good Luck!
