Tell me more about constipation affecting pee accidents..

[okinawama]

Ds is 3yrs 4 months. We began potty training him about 6 weeks ago. He has had 2 accident free days since we started. He often has 3-10 accidents per day. We initially did the 3 day potty training method, and really allowed him to tell us when he had to go rather than setting a timer and putting him on the potty. However, lately, I've decided that clearly isn't working because he very very rarely actually tells us, we either remind him many many times a day ( which would be fine, if he wasn't wetting more frequently than we can remind him) or he just walks around in wet pants. So today, I set a timer to go off every 20 minutes, and he is still having accidents in between that short time(sometimes as little as 4 minutes have passed and his underwear are wet). Often times, it's just a small leak, anywhere from a quarter size wet spot to a sand dollar size wet spot.

I truly, am just grasping at straws as to why he's still having frequent accidents. I am unsure as to whether constipation is to blame though. He usually has a BM once a day (99.9% of the time, he goes on the toilette, it's just pee we are having trouble with...lucky, I know!) and never strains. We are in a bit of a tight spot because his preschool he is attending requires him to be potty trained, and really, I think he's ready (switching PS is not an option). He sometimes holds it for hours and hours at a time, other days, he can barely make it a 10 minutes. When he takes a nap, he often wakes up dry, but if he skips his nap and just putters around his room instead of sleeping, he'll have an accident. I've even thought about buying one of those bedwetting alarms and using it during the day. Any suggestions? Any BTDT?

[123LuckyMom]

It sounds to me like he's not quite ready for potty training. I'd call the pediatrician and ask for advice. When we potty trained, I put DS on the toilet every hour and a half. Every twenty minutes with accidents in between doesn't seem like a constipation issue. It seems like a not-ready-to-train issue.

[dogmom]

I would disagree, every 20 min with accidents can most definitely be constipation related. He can poop everyday, but have a large volume of stool in the distal colon and rectum he can be having intermittent bladder spasms and not have the sensation and muscle coordination to promote potty training.

If you want to rule out constipation try a clean out with Miralax. Use one capful in evening, one the next morning. If he goes by afternoon and it is starting to be loose just give another capful the next am. If he has no stool or regular stool do a second capful in the evening then one in am. You want it loose and enough of it that you feel confident you have emptied out his colon. Then see if his bladder emptying pattern changes the next few days. If it improved constipation is contributing to the issues.

[okinawama]

I'll look into the miralax cleans.

I go back and forth on whether or not he's ready. Case in point, it's almost 1145am, and he hasn't had a single accident this morning. All of the times he's peed have been because I remind him, but he does have the ability to hold it, it just seems most of the time he's more bothered by stopping to pee than walking around in wet pants. I think that's why we've had success with BM's, he doesn't like walking around with poopy pants...pee however, doesn't bother him.

[HannaAddict]

I would just wait. I wouldn't think there was a major issue. He's at the very start of the age boys really start potty training. I would not actively do anything but remind him and watch and even let him wear diapers. All of mine just did it, all within normal time frame and so I don't get all angst about it. Our youngest said he was staying a baby and didn't want to wear undies. Okay. Then he did want undies and used the potty at about three years and six months. Didn't look back, no tears, no withholding, no stress. Older two did the same but sooner (girl just before three) and older brother about three and few months. Our ped says there are too many kids on Miralax and that is serves a purpose but not every kid needs it and too many parents are on it. They have a handout about it (overuse of Miralax) since it is such an issue with today's parents.

[dogmom]

Yes, but a once clean out to see if it causing issues I don't think is the overuse issues. As someone who ignored my son's issues because we got him going just about every day I felt horrible when we realized he still had constipation issues.