Potty training

[mackmama]

I agree with PPs. I think trying to PTing now will worsen the issue. I would try miralax and consult with a different pedi or specialist. I'm not doubting the seriousness of the issue, as I know constipation can turn serious quickly and cause a lot of problems (we dealt with it recently too), but I think you should try miralax and a change in diet first. I just think the pressure to PT especially when there's already a constipation issue will just make things worse and mix up your DC.

[AngB]

What everyone else said.

I used to work with 2 year olds in daycare/child development center. I can think of at least 5 kids out of about 30ish that had issues (some pretty serious) from withholding BM's when potty training started. This takes the cake for some of the worst advice I've seen from a pediatrician.

[amom526]

Most of the research shows that potty training before a child is ready only worstens constipation, especially in kids who withhold. We have specifically pushed off potty draining ds1 while trying to resolve the constipation issue. This is really disturbing advice from a pediatrician, can you call to clarify?

[Green_Tea]

Can you tell us more about why the pediatrician thinks PTing will help? I agree with many of the PPs that PTing can make the situation much, much worse. My DS withheld poop, and it started during PTing. It was a nightmare, and in hindsight I should have just left him in diapers. Does your ped think the diapers are somehow causing the constipation?

[JBaxter]

I misunderstood your post I thought you had to potty train her for a medical reason and then she with held poop. I've never heard of potty training because she was with holding. I'd make sure she doesn't have a medical reason for her constipation but I'm with the others on forcing potty training IMO that makes it worse.

[TxCat]

Can you tell us more about why the pediatrician thinks PTing will help? I agree with many of the PPs that PTing can make the situation much, much worse. My DS withheld poop, and it started during PTing. It was a nightmare, and in hindsight I should have just left him in diapers. Does your ped think the diapers are somehow causing the constipation?

I agree with this, and with the suggestions to seek a second opinion. Add me to the chorus of people who saw more difficulty with BMs and withholding AFTER starting potty training. Is there a contraindication to using Miralax for your child? All of the pediatricians that I know and work with completely agree that PTing is a developmental stage, and either a child is ready or at least receptive to it, or they are not. Even if you can PT now for urination, I'm not sure that you will be successful for BMs.

[azzeps]

If you decide to try to PT, the only approach I'd consider is the naked from the waist down, and put a potty in the room she is in the most and leave it at that. I'd be concerned that any hint of pressure or anxiety over the potty would be picked up on, and would make the problem worse, not better. Even if you do try PTing, I think you'd still want to try to address the constipation issue anyhow. I bet there are lots of suggestions here on how to deal with that. Anyway, sorry that you're in a pickle! I hope you get it worked out soon!

[Liziz]

I agree with everyone else that it's not smart to rush into or push potty training at all. However, as that's all been said by a lot of posters, I just thought I'd share what we were doing with DD at 18 months -- around that time, we got a little potty and put it in the bathroom. Whenever DD was interested (usually when I was going, of course), we helped her take off her diaper and sit on it. She did pee a couple times and we'd make a big deal about it, celebrate, etc. -- but most of the time she didn't, and we just let her get up as soon as she wanted. We never prompted or told her to sit on the potty -- it was only at her choice. Sometimes she'd do it multiple times a day, sometimes she'd go a week without looking at it. It wasn't until she was over 2 that she started to have more consistent interest in it, and we got her undies and really started working on potty training. But there's no way she was actually ready at 18 months and I think it would have gone poorly if we'd pushed it.

ETA: oh, but I also don't equate potty training with "pooping on potty right away" -- DD was consistently peeing on the potty for quite awhile before she would poop on the potty. We luckily didn't have problems with her withholding, but I think that was only because we didn't push the issue AT ALL -- we'd see her start to poop, ask her if she wanted to sit on the potty -- she'd say "no" or run away from us, so we'd let her poop in her diaper. She was terrified to poop on the potty for quite awhile. She came around on her own after a few months, but it took time.

[SoCalMommy]

I think the pressure to do on an unfamiliar potty what she won't do in a diaper can't possibly help.