potty training

HI Ladies!!! I am primarily on the First Year Forum - my twins are 3 weeks old tomorrow. However, I am having problems with my 3 year old and I thought you might be able to help.

My 3 year old has been potty trained since she was2. Around 2.5 she became constipated and when she pooped it hurt her - there was blood around her poop (sorry TMI). Anyway - it stayed this way for about 2 months and then they put her on a stool softener. She is scared to poop now and will only go in her undies. She is very stubborn! We have tried EVERYTHING. I am extremely worried since in Sept pre-school starts and she will not be allowed to go if she is pooping in her undies still.

Did anyone else have this problem. My 5 year old always just went and rewards worked with
her. NOthing has worked with her - we have taken away stuff, sticker charts - i think everything we have tried.

Any suggestions will be welcomed!!!!!!! THANK YOU!!!!!!!!

 

I wouldn't take anything away from her because you really don't want to punish her. And, the reward chart didn't work for my Kaitlyn either. Did you try giving her extra fiber or prunes? They might help with the constipation if she's still having it.

As far as getting her to poop in the potty, since it's summer maybe you could have her go bottomless at home for the day? If she'll only go in her undies maybe she'll finally try the potty if she has no undies to go in. Or, at least maybe she'll cue you into when she needs to go.

 

This sounds a lot like my niece... she was potty trained at 2...began having pooping issues a few months later.. basically had self-induced constipation issues. It's a viscious cycle so they put her on stool softeners. From 2 to 3 she was on the meds, and it was so horrible for my sister...she would go one day constipated so bad she would cry, the the next day just gushing wet bms.... poop accidents were common. My sister got sick of it...so here's what she did...

#1 Vigilant about diet... every single day my niece will eat oatmeal with raisins in the morning... fruit and veggies are absolutes to balance out anything starchy or cheesy.. she had to force her to drink enough. She frequently had her drink prune juice or other juices good for this... I think pear juice is good for it too.

#2...In combination with #1 my sister slowly weaned her off the meds.. I think it took about 4 months. She just slowly cut back the amount of the meds that she put into her dd's juice. She did have some rough bouts of constipation in there, but my sister was tired of it being managed this way, and felt like they kept having to up her meds for it to be effective. Your body will become dependent on laxatives and will not function properly on it's own if you stay with them too long. Don't cut it cold turkey or you will have major issues.

#3... In her weaning efforts my sister had a rule... if her dd had not pooped for one day, the very next day, and every day after that until she pooped, she would be required to sit on the potty after every meal. My sister put on the kitchen timer for 10 minutes and her dd had to sit there after breakfast, lunch and dinner. She could read books or play with a toy, but she had to sit there. This taught her a better discipline of sitting and waiting on the potty for the bm, instead of immediately wanting to get off.

It was h-e-l-l for a long time for my sister...but now at 3.5 things are so, so much better than they were at 2.5. She doesn't have accidents anymore. She still has occasional constipation issues, but for the most part she is fine and normal. The only thing my sister does now is to remain vigilant about her diet... I don't think she's even needed prune juice in awhile.

The way the peds explained it to her, and it made sense to her, is that it's only one part diet and another part behavioral. A child may not drink enough or eat enough fiber...but if that child also willfully holds it in out of fear, it causes constipation...which causes more pain and constipation... and it's a cycle. you have to break them out of that cycle... and what I described above is how my sister did it... hope you have success with your little one!

 

Thank you for your replies!!!

I have GOOD news!!!

After reading the posts, I had my daughter sit on the potty when she felt like she had to go. She had to sit there on the potty - this was not easy the first time! She used to "dance" in a circle in the bathroom and then end up going in her underwear or barely making it to the potty. Long story short, she ended up pooping in the potty.

The next day, she went into the bathroom - pooped - and then got my husband to show him!!!!!!!! We could not believe it. We have our fingers crossed problem is solved - I will keep everyone posted!

 

That's fabulous!!!!

Gabe love's to show me his poop too! He's as proud as I am!

Way to GO!