Help Please

[jkate]

My DS1 is out of nappies including night time. However he won't poo, until its really painful that he has to go. He used poo every day without fail, when he still had nappies at night he would wait till he had them on. He hasn't done a poo for a couple of days - not since the last time he couldn't hold it for any longer. We made a big deal of it, got a special surprise. But he still won't go. I know he needs to go now, but every time I get him on the toilet he sits there for a couple of minutes, and I can tell he is just about to go when he gets up. Do I give him a prune, and make him go, I don't think he is constipated, he has lots of fibre and water - I think he is just frighten. What do I do???:confused: :(

[Shanaynay]

I think this is REALLY common! Not with my DD, but I keep hearing about kids who won't poo without a nappy!
So I don't really have any advice at all, but the poor little man!

[Elfin]

Jkat, my son did the exact same thing, he would wait all day until the night nappy went on and then poo in the nappy. I think he was a bit afraid of the splash in the toilet:o

There was no magic solution just lots of gentle positive encouragement eventually at about 3.5 he did poo in the toilet.

Sorry I haven't been more help.

[Starlet]

Is he using a toilet or a potty??

My DS1 would flat out refuse to poo on the toilet, he would do it in his jocks instead, so I got a potty and he poo'ed in that no problem. He has been TT'ed since he was 2 1/2 and it's only been the last 2 months that he's been confident enough to do it on the toilet(he's now 4).

[jkate]

Thank you everyone


I have heard its really common, he was sitting on my lap tonight obviously in discomfort but wouldn't go to the toilet. I just don't know whether to help him along with prunes or constipation stuff, or let him work it out on his own :confused:

Star - he used to use the potty, but decided himself to start using the toilet, he even made the decision to stand up and wee.

[PhAnToM]

hi jkat! :wave:
We had this problem with DD when we started TT her.
She was obviously afraid of doing a poo in her potty or toilet.
We used "special cream" (otherwise known as sudocrem ;) )
We told her that when we put that on her bottom, it helps her poo and she has absolutely NOOO pain whatsoever.

It worked. The sudocrem didn't look familiar to her (it was the small sample pot from the bounty bag, so to her it was a new cream.. )
For a while everytime she went to the toilet, she would say "can you please put the special cream on?" and that was fine. We would and she would do a poo. We'd say "That didn't hurt at all did it? Isn't the special cream magic?!?!?!!?"
As it turns out, it was magic... well for the parents anyway!

Went out one day, she asked for it in a public toilet. I panicked and said we didn't have it.. but she pulled it out of the nappy bag. Apparently she packed it before we left home. :laughing:

But slowly (after about 2 weeks) she was over the cream and knew that it was ok to poo without it.

Give it a go. Can't hurt. :thumbsup:

Good luck!

[2s'nuff]

We've just been through his with DD. Initially it hurt to poo and then it was the thought. She got all the urges, but it was only when she couldn't hold on any longer that she finally went.

Things we tried (in conjunction with one another):
- Special cream on her bottom
- Apricots in the morning and afternoon (we take a cup in the car on the way to daycare with a few in it)
- a couple of Marshmallows after she actually does a poo

With lots of patience and hair pulling we seem to have got through the phase. We're on our last packet of marshmallows, will probably buy a stamp for her hand now instead.

Good luck!

[jkate]

Thank you ladies.

Well we had an interesting night here, DS1 did a poo but it started in his bed!! He was really tired tonight and I put him to bed early. I went and check maybe 1/2 later (after already checking him once or twice) and the smell from his room :barf: . Anyway he had done a poo and wee his undies and was still fast asleep. So I got him out of bed, he sat on the toilet, and while giving me hugs he did more poo!!. For him to do a poo he needs to hug me :eek: , not fun!!

Anyway, I spoke to him while he was on the toilet about how much easier it is too poo's in toilet, and that I wasn't cranky at him for the accident, but very proud that he was doing the poos in the toilet now. I was going to give him some star stickers (he loves stars) but he was so tired after a shower and changing sheets, that it was straight into bed and straight back to sleep.

I am hoping that next time he goes straight to the toilet, and I might start swapping the cuddles for cream...all I can smell is poo :eek: I know its not there anymore...but :barf:

[2s'nuff]

So I got him out of bed, he sat on the toilet, and while giving me hugs he did more poo!!. For him to do a poo he needs to hug me :eek: , not fun!!

Anyway, I spoke to him while he was on the toilet about how much easier it is too poo's in toilet, and that I wasn't cranky at him for the accident, but very proud that he was doing the poos in the toilet now. I was going to give him some star stickers (he loves stars) but he was so tired after a shower and changing sheets, that it was straight into bed and straight back to sleep.

I am hoping that next time he goes straight to the toilet, and I might start swapping the cuddles for cream...all I can smell is poo :eek: I know its not there anymore...but :barf:

I forgot that bit, for the first few poo's I had to cuddle DD:( .

If DD has a poo too late/early in the day for marshmallows, we always follow up on it when it is appropriate (after daycare usually). Maybe remind him how clever and good he was, then give him a star. He then feels good about the end results of the poo on the toilet. If DD had an accident, but finished up on the toilet, she'd only get one marshmallow to start with. Then we moved to no marshmallows if she had an accident. She soon learnt the rules and we had no more accidents.