Strange (and perhaps TMI) topic, but how can I help my 2 year old

to poop?

She is not constipated, but we have been having a very difficult time all of the sudden. It's like she is afraid to poop.

We ended up in the ER Tuesday morning after she was literally up the ENTIRE night screaming my name, and telling me she had a poop diaper (there was nothing there). In the wee hours of the morning, I took her to the ER where they took an xray of her belly to find she was majorily backed up. They had to give her a glycerine suppository to get her to go. She pooped there, and then again an hour later. It was not a constipated poop either. It was normal. Since then she hasn't had a poop. If she doesn't go today, I have to bring her back to the Dr. tomorrow.

I know to increase her fiber, etc.... and that is not the problem. She has been eating prunes, my DS' baby food prunes, prune juice, apple juice, tons of water, her veggies, etc.... Last night she kept saying "poopy diaper", we keep telling her it's okay and that she knows she has to push it out. She keeps saying "no" I ask her if it hurts when she goes and she says no. We are not yet potty training, but I ask her if she wants to poop on the potty and she says no.

I really think she is holding it in and I don't know why. Is there ANYTHING I can do? Has anyone ever had this sort of issue?

TIA

Re: Strange (and perhaps TMI) topic, but how can I help my 2 year old

I have no real advice except to say I know it is common for toddlers to "hold it in" as a a sign of being in control. I remember seeing something online about once.

Could be a sign she is starting be more aware of how she CAN control it.....it's around this age that they start to gain voluntary control of those muscles.

Maybe a sign of her readiness to start potty training.

Re: Strange (and perhaps TMI) topic, but how can I help my 2 year old

DD has been going through this and has had the glycerin suppository as well but she has constipation. She tries to push and push and nothing will come out. Since our last episode we give her every other day Miralex, sometimes it takes 2/3 days to finally kick in but she will have a good day or 2 of going. Then we continue back on the Miralex. We give her prune juice and white grape juice, veggies/fruits as much as we can. The Miralex seems to do the trick.

Re: Strange (and perhaps TMI) topic, but how can I help my 2 year old

DD#2 was having a poop issue. She was constipated (her poops would look like rabbit pellets). Well one day she pooped and there was blood. My DH took her to the ped and she was backed up so much that it was in her stomach

So we had to give her a laxative every day for 2 weeks and now we give it to her every other day. We alternate with prune or pear juice on the days she doesn't get the laxative. She's now going almost every day and it looks normal.

Maybe call your ped and ask if you can give a laxative to help her go.

Re: Strange (and perhaps TMI) topic, but how can I help my 2 year old

I'm having this issue with DD now I really don't know if she's being stubborn or constipation or both

Re: Strange (and perhaps TMI) topic, but how can I help my 2 year old

DD went through this stage. I think it was from 3-5. It was bad. With her, it was all about control. I guess she felt I had the control over everything (I was a single mom at the time) so this was something SHE could control. We ended up having to give her Miralax with her drinks. It melts away in her drink and she wouldn't even know it was there. We would still have to do suppositories to get her to go initially, but she HATED that. We would see her literally standing in the doorway holding on for dear life fighting it back. She is a very strong willed child. It was def a stage that happily passed on by.

Re: Strange (and perhaps TMI) topic, but how can I help my 2 year old

What about a little rectal thermometer action? Seems to make my DD poop every time

Re: Strange (and perhaps TMI) topic, but how can I help my 2 year old

For adults they have colace, "it doesn't make you go, just makes it easier" (stool softner). Not sure if its recomended for kids.

Maybe she is almost ready to potty train. Let her see how easy, or "fun" it is when you go poopy on the potty?

DS has been trained for about 5 months now and still gets excited when he goes (or when I go) "code brown" on the potty. He gives me high-5's.

Sorry DC is in pain.

You might want to look into a potty training book that says its okay to be scared or have trouble.
DS was afraid of accidents so the book I got him mentioned that its okay to have accidents.

Re: Strange (and perhaps TMI) topic, but how can I help my 2 year old

Thank you all for your replies and FMs. I'm going to take her back to the Dr on Monday. She keeps telling me "poop" and screams bloody murder, but refuses to push it out. We have tried EVERYTHING if she eats or drinks anymore prunes or prune juice, I swear she will turn into a prune herself.

We are trying not to make a big deal out of it because we don't want her to think it's bad she hasn't pooped.

I'm at my wits end because she is so miserable and I am the only one she will allow to be around her. It also just breaks my heart because I know she is in pain and there is nothing I can do to help her

Re: Strange (and perhaps TMI) topic, but how can I help my 2 year old

MY DD had a stool withholding issue and it was a really hard time for everyone. We went to see Dr Daum (at Winthrop) he is known for helping children who do this. It is a lot more common then u think. I am very thankful we went to him bc he helped our DD and its no longer a problem. They say it takes only ONE bad experience that the child remembers and then they withhold from then on. it is all about control as well .It should not be taken lightly either my friends daughter was also hospitalized for this and was bleeding. It was awful. Not having a bowel movement can cause a lot of serious medical problems. BTW a regular pediatrician knows nothing about this you best bet is an gastroenterologist.. FM me if u want Dr Daum number

Re: Strange (and perhaps TMI) topic, but how can I help my 2 year old

My DS has had constipation on and off until about 6, once the ped had us give him ex-lax, that worked really well (too well in his sleep)

My friend Joenick's son was on it for a while, her ped if I remember said he had to learn how to push it out again, and the ex-lax would force him to learn how. I am sure she could explain it better.

Re: Strange (and perhaps TMI) topic, but how can I help my 2 year old

Use Miralax---it will help. We used it for a full week and then weaned the next week and my 2 year old has been so much better since.

Re: Strange (and perhaps TMI) topic, but how can I help my 2 year old

We give my daughter a 1/2 a cap full of Miralax a day. When we stop, she just gets constipated again. It works great. My nephew has been using it for three years, he is four.

We had a real bad episode a year ago with my daugher and brought her to the ER. She was screaming and a thermometer was not working. When we brought her to the ped. He said to give her Fletchers Laxative for Kids. This is something that works right away. You would have to ask your ped. about the dosage, since I don't remember what he told me. After that, the advice was to give the Miralax every day. The Miralax is more slow working,whereas the Fletchers works within a day. We stoped the Fletchers after three day, following the advice of the ped.

eta: that everything I mentioned is over the counter.

Message edited 4/23/2011 9:49:52 PM.

Re: Strange (and perhaps TMI) topic, but how can I help my 2 year old

I would ask your Dr fo rthe miralax. My neice does this and she's 4. Its supposedly safe and they will at least go every day.

Re: Strange (and perhaps TMI) topic, but how can I help my 2 year old

Sadly some kids do this. My DD has been doing this since on solids. Unfortunately I have to keep her on daily Miralax (as per my ped, who assures it is safe). Otherwise, if it's not soft enough, she holds it. It's awful. The kid can eat loads of broccoli, grapes, berries, apples, fiber bars, fiber bread, etc, and it barely helps.

I wish I could help you. All I could say is talk to your ped about starting Miralax to break the holding cycle.

Message edited 4/24/2011 12:18:13 AM.