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View Full Version : PT-Help, Poop Regression (longish)



Twoboos
12-09-2006, 08:15 AM
(Originally posted in Toddler board, but after 2 days & 4 views, moved here!)

I have been a loooong time lurker on BBB and hope that you all can help!

My now 3yr 1mo old started potty training in August and within a couple of months was doing very well. She has had constipation issues for a very long time, but with diet and miralax we can keep everything moving for the most part.

In mid-Oct she didn't poop for a week. We gave her an enema to clean her out. Then she didn't go for another week, and on the advice of a GI dr gave her exlax until she went on her own, which happened on Oct 29.

Since then she has not pooped on the potty. She will go small amounts in her panties all day long, sometimes up to 6 times a day. She knows it's coming as she runs under the table or in a corner, it's not an accident. She will also go in her pullup at naptime. I realize she has had a trauma and is probably scared to go. Although to confuse matters, in the bath about 3 weeks ago said she had to poop, DH put her on the potty and voila, poop with no problem! I thought we had turned the corner but not so.

I bought literally 30 pairs of panties and I toss them if they are super messy (I can only handle so much poop). I have tried being encouraging, telling her she will go when she's ready, how big girls poop on the potty not in their pants, bribing with m-n-m's, offering big prizes, telling her she will be wearing diapers again... nothing seems to work.

Note that she continues to pee on the potty with no problem, which is why I am very hesitant to put her back into diapers/pullups full time. I know she'll just pee in there out of laziness (as she does at naptime) and am afraid it will be 100% regression.

Any thoughts or advice?? I know she has to "get there" on her own but any ideas on how to make it happen faster are welcome. Between her and her younger sister I am back to changing 10 poops a day and it is making me crazy. Not to mention bleeding hands due to winter weather!! I am at my wits end, 6 weeks of this!

Thanks!

JBaxter
12-09-2006, 08:48 AM
This may not be super popular but this is what I have done w/ 2 of my boys.
Keep her bms soft by what ever means you need to we did 2 oz of prune juice mixed with apple juice per day. When you see her do her run and hide thing scoop her up and run to the potty and hold her ( as in hugging her) while she sits. Keep telling her its ok for poopy to come out and try to get her to let you know "the progress" yes I had some screaming and crying. Phrases like.. is it coming and praise for being such a big kid and wow look what you can do helped us. It seemed like a few sucessful scoop and runs got my boys over the fear of pooping on the toilet. Never in my life did I think I would be hugging a toddler while they were on the toilet and I was kneeling in front of them but you do what you have to do. The real key is to keep it soft so it doesnt hurt coming out. 2 of mine had gotten constipated and had big painful bms when potty training and just had the though in their heads it was going to hurt. I know not everyone will agree with making them sit and poop but it worked for me.
OH I would not put her back in pullups you are correct she will get lazy about remembering to go pee on the potty.

psophia17
12-09-2006, 08:33 PM
ITA!!!

We haven't had constipation or regression issues at all, but for the longest time DS1 would hide under a table or head for the corner when he was going to poop. Whenever we noticed, it was a scoop and run, followed buy tons of praise and encouragement. When we didn't make it (or didn't notice in time), lots of encouragement for next time.

It worked best to say things that were instructions, like "relax your bum and let the poo poos out," or "next time your body tells you it's time to go poo poos, remember that poo poos want to go home in the potty." It sounds silly, but I think emphasizing the control part of pooping on the potty made a big difference - pride is important stuff.

Momof3Labs
12-09-2006, 08:57 PM
I wonder if you could talk to her about asking for a pull-up when she needs to poop (and then obviously changing it right away)? So you can get her in the mindset to recognize that she has to poop and do something about it, and then gradually work her towards the potty when she's ready?

mudder17
12-10-2006, 08:33 AM
This is essentially what we did with DD. We would ask her if she wanted a diaper to poop in, although often she would just wait until her nap time diaper. Once we took the stress off of her, and she had at least two instances where she went to pee in the potty and "accidentally" pooped in it, she started pooping in the potty on her own. We did not have the constipation issue to deal with, but I do agree with PP that if you keep things soft in addition to taking away the stress, she might be able to relax on her own.


Eileen

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Twoboos
12-10-2006, 08:29 PM
Thanks to everyone for your replies!

Jeana, ITA about the never expecting to be hugging a toddler on the potty! I have laughed at myself many times over this. :-)

I started the "Scoop-n-poop" the other day after I posted, so I'm glad to know it has worked for others. When I'm carrying her to the potty I say something like "poop is for the potty not the floor, so I'll help you get there." Then she gets an m-n-m for "trying" to go on the potty. Of course there were about 7 poops that day - ugh. She would get off the potty, hide and go again. Blech.

I don't know if she would accept getting in a pullup to poop. That is going to be my move next week if things don't seem to be getting better.

Any other ideas are welcome! thanks again.