Constipation help-almost 3 year old?

[elephantmeg]

DS is almost 3 and potty training and having poop issues for the first time in his life. He hasn't pooped but a couple small turds since Thurs (he had a stomach bug then and had 5 poops that day). The last few weeks he's gone 2-3 days between poops and then had large hard poops that took a little while. As a peds nurse I've seen my share of impactions and serious issues with poops so I'd like to nip it in the bud! He eats a ton of fiber, drinks well etc but I've been pushing it, giving juice etc. So I called the nurse line yesterday and the nurse was kinda wishy washy. Kept saying what she did with her grandson etc. I was hoping for a concrete start with this, if no results do this, if no results come in... First she suggested a "disolvable laxative strip" ??? and then said I could also do milk of magnesia (MOM) 1-2 tsp. So I sent DH out to get MOM after work and gave him a dose. No dice. Gave him another dose today, nada. I did some rectal stimulation yesterday and today-nothing. The poop I can feel is soft, large and 2ish inches back. (I know TMI!). I've told him that it is fine to poop in his diaper. My MIL sent some of her miralax over so I'll try that. What else can I do? From googling I've come up with a list that include mineral oil (which seems to be in MOM), MOM, miralax, ex lax chocolate chews.... you name it, it's there.

[Twoboos]

So sorry you're going through this, poop issues totally stress me out.

Try having him sit on the potty 2x a day, usually after bfast/dinner, maybe for 5-10mins if he will. Also with his feet up on a stool, gives a better angle.

Definitely let him go in the dipe if that's what he's holding out for!! It's a vicious cycle once it starts!

there are a couple of threads on constipation, too. I'll see if I can find 'em.

ETA: here's a search result, it seems to have 3-4 threads in it with lots of advice!!
http://www.windsorpeak.com/vbulletin/search.php?searchid=551564

Oh, also, we use Miralax. It really works for us and we're down to 1/2 dose maybe 2-3x/week. We tried exlax and MOM in the past and got nothin'. Mineral oil I had read you need to use SO much - like 10 tsp/day! We also do flax oil in the morning oatmeal.

If you need to go this route, the Fleet Baby Lax has always worked for us. The liquid ones w/the orange plunger.

GOOD LUCK!

[hannah]

Try the Mirilax. It might take a few days to start working. We give it to DD every day in her sippy (just a little maintenance dose) and she is fine. When we first started using it (around 2.5 -3 years) we used the recommended dose but now just add a little (maybe 1/4 tsp). I give DD lots of fiber too but it's the daily maintenance dose of mirilax that seems to do the trick.

[tylersmama]

We've had some serious issues, here, too. My first line of defense is prune juice. If DS has 3-4 oz of prune juice a day (I usually dilute it 50/50), we're usually golden. Lentils also help DS.

When he's constipated badly enough that diet alone's not gonna do it, we have miralax. My last ditch effort which has never failed is a glycerin suppository.

[LarsMal]

We've been dealing with this for months now. DS is what I call "pee pee" trained, b/c he wears underwear all day long- except when he needs to poop. He still won't go on the potty so he goes in pull-up or diaper.

He had severe constipation issues and we ended up at the ped gastro.

Here are the things we've used:

-glycerin supository
-enema
-Miralax- 2x day (1/2 cap each time)
-Baby Fleet (I think it's called) Chewables- 2/day

We started with the glycerin and Miralax. Supository worked to get it out, but not enough, so we moved onto the enema. We did that every few days and the Miralax twice/day for a week or so. Still didn't clean him out enough.

The ped gastro put him on Magnesium Citrate and an enema. It was a 24 hour process, but I'll have to find the paper on exactly how we did it. We were told to stay home and expect the worst- it produced 2 kind of regular movements.

I ended up sticking with the Miralax daily. It still didn't produce daily BM's so I also gave him the Baby Fleet chewables every other day.

We're finally at a point where his diet is enough to get him to go every other day, w/o any med help. It's been several months, though.

GL!

*I apologize if this doesn't make sense. It's late and I'm tired, but DS won't go to sleep so he's in my bed right now. I'm trying to let him fall asleep before I go back to bed!!!*

[elephantmeg]

thank you ladies!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! At 5 days with no poop where would you start? I think I'll do miralax and MOM this am and if nothing today do an enema?

[JBaxter]

prune juice or pear juice and a dose of miralax. if no go by tonight then try the suppository or enema

[ohiomom1121]

You could try prunes too...my DD loves them and would eat them like candy. Works well when she's constipated.

[LarsMal]

thank you ladies!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! At 5 days with no poop where would you start? I think I'll do miralax and MOM this am and if nothing today do an enema?

At 5 days I would probably go straight to a supository or enema. IIRC, the Fleet enema for kids is considered a double dose for 3yo, so you would only need to give about half.

Once he is able to pass it, I would follow up with the Miralax or MOM to help him stay regular- for at least a little while.

Hope he gets relief soon. I know how stressful it can be (for the parents!!!).

[justincase]

My ped said to start with (1) prune juice, warmed up (yuck) if DS would take it that way, AT BEDTIME, (2) pear nectar at breakfast, (3) mineral oil - 3 tsp / day - which I broke down into 3 separate 1 tsp doses mixed in to yogurt, etc. throughout the day. This worked for us within a day after four-five days of no poop. It almost worked TOO well, as I think the mineral oil made it impossible for him to hold it in long enough to get to the potty and he was leaving greasy streaks which stressed him out, too. She said the Miralax would be the next step if this didn't work. I would say it took him another three to four days to get over the fear that it would still hurt to poop even once it didn't.

GL; I know this is stressful. For a while there DH and I felt like poop was the only topic of conversation in our house...