If someone only told me potty training leads to constipation...

[mommyshoppinghabit]

I would have just let my 4 y.o. ds stay in diapers (at least for a little longer). I was saying to myself several weeks ago when this potty training thing happened, "Hey, that was too easy." Lo and behold, it was too good to be true. Standing up at the grown-up potty seemed so natural for him, he took to it right away and we had no problems taking him to pee every two hours. But then one day went by, then another day, and, hey, when did he last have a bm? He used to have one every day, no problems, even if his diet isn't so great (chicken, chicken, chicken, yogurt, and cookies). He never liked sitting on the potty, even when we had tried way back when he had just turned three. I had to try everything, went through all the "natural" remedies, like more fiber, no binding foods, magnesium, prunes, dandelion tea. Finally I have up and did what the ped told me and gave him Miralax. It is polyethylene glycol--isn't polyethelene anything basically plastic? I am giving him plastic granules to drink...UGGH! I searched back in the archives and came across people saying how it's not safe but then there are people who have had to rely on it for there kids for years! Oh no! Please keep your fingers crossed. It is day three that I have given it to him and finally he is having some more regularity but I am going to start reducing the dosage (am giving him 1 tsp per day) tomorrow. Please keep your fingers crossed and send good vibes! Thanks!

[crazylady]

We are in almost the exact same boat! So exhausting! My question is what is the answer!!!!!

[snoopy5386]

if you put a diaper on him, will he poop in that?

[eepster]

Have you tried a little potty, or just the big toilet? Does he have a step stool? It's really hard to use the potty when ones feet are just dangling.

I know you said you tried prunes, but have you tried stewed prune and/or prune juice?

[LynnS6]

Both of my kids were potty trained for urinating before they were for bowel movements. With ds, I told him that he could ask for a diaper and we'd put it on. With dd (who self trained a lot younger), she just waited until we put on the night time diaper and pooped in that.

Kids (and adults) need something to rest their feet on to give them support while they poop. We used a little potty, but you could set up the toilet with a step stool under his feet.

Suggestions in addition to those give:
Avoid: BRAT (Bananas, Rice, Applesauce and Toast) - they're constipating
I found that pear juice works well, as do raisins. (My kids won't touch prunes or prune juice.)

Warm baths help relax the muscles, which can help the child have a bowel movement.

We've given dd magnesium hydroxide laxatives (aka Milk of Magnesia). We used a chewable tablet form, but it also comes in other forms. You should probably check with your doctor if he has any health conditions (kidney issues, I believe) that might preclude its use.

Bribery - we had to bribe ds to try to poop in the potty. I don't see anything wrong with a short term reward system for getting him first to try to sit, and then later to use the potty. It's not like it's going to affect his long term internal motivation to use the toilet. Once kids get the hang of the potty, it usually is self reinforcing. It's nicer to be dry/clean.

[lisac77]

My son became constipated after potty training. If he hadn't gone in a few days and seemed uncomfortable, I would massage his tummy with olive oil for about 20 minutes while he watched his favorite TV show and then give him a warm bath. It worked like a charm, and eventually he got over the constipation.

[crazylady]

None of these have helped us! Our ds was completely done for almost a year and a half with #1 but still trying for #2. He doesn't want a diaper, wants his floor in his room. Loves his prunes, eats some daily. Bribes, tried them, don't work for him. Wish we knew the answer......

[One_Girl]

Have you tried bribing. Normally I don't think bribery is so wonderful, but when my dd was potty training my mom got her over her reluctance to poop in the toilet by bribing her with a gigantic frosting covered brownie while I was away, it happened on the day she potty trained so there wasn't a long term reluctance issue, but it may be worth a try. It worked really well for my dd and she was able to poop in the toilet and see it was not big deal then eat a huge brownie. It wasn't a bribe that needed to be repeated. I probably would have given her a cookie or something small every day if it meant that I didn't have to change any more diapers, by the time she was potty training age I was completely fed up with changing disgusting diapers and would have resorted to almost anything to not have to change another one.

[RoundAbout]

Originally Posted by eepster

Have you tried a little potty, or just the big toilet? Does he have a step stool? It's really hard to use the potty when ones feet are just dangling.

Yes, Yes, Yes to the little potty! My son is 3 years old and was fully daytime potty trained at 2.5 and doing great. Then I got tired of emptying the little potty and tried to make him start using the big potty last month. BIG MISTAKE. He completely regressed and we are now having to re-establish potty training again. He likes to sit on it and read books while he has his BM and it just wasn't comfortable on the adult sized toilet. I brought the little potty back and we are almost back to normal (I hope).

[Tjej]

Do you have a consistent "sit-down" time on the potty/toilet every day? I find this really helps my kids be more regular. Grab a couple of favorite books and/or toys, sit by him and read/play.

HTH

Tjej

[mommyshoppinghabit]

Originally Posted by snoopy5386

if you put a diaper on him, will he poop in that?

Nope, in fact I'm begging him to put a diaper on (who would have thought), he doesn't want anything to do with them anymore, I intentionally leave his nightime pull-up on until after breakfast, he still won't poop in that.

Originally Posted by eepster

Have you tried a little potty

Yes, we have a baby bjorn and another brand that looks more like a real toilet, he will not sit on either of them, and now at age 4, his tushie is actually too big for both.

Originally Posted by eepster

Does he have a step stool? It's really hard to use the potty when ones feet are just dangling.

I know, I don't even put my own feet on the ground when I am doing #2. I always try to elevate them. I either have him sit on the Step-Up Potty Chair (with a built in stepstool) or put a regular toilet seat insert over the toilet seat and have him in a squatting position with his feet placed on the toilet seat. Doesn't really make him relax those stubborn muscles. It only worked after I had given him the Miralax.

Originally Posted by eepster

I know you said you tried prunes, but have you tried stewed prune and/or prune juice?

Yes, I read that you only need a little, but I gave him at least a whole cup and it had no effect. The nurse at the ped office said any dietary treatments will take at least two weeks to take effect, I'm afraid to wait that long, even though I'm still doing them everyday along w/the Miralax (giving him magnesium supplement, ground up flax seeds, flax seed oil, dandelion tea).

Originally Posted by LynnS6

Warm baths help relax the muscles, which can help the child have a bowel movement.

I tried several nights in a row, the last time with half a box of epsom salt (I know, probably too much) but it had no laxative effect on ds).

Originally Posted by LynnS6

We've given dd magnesium hydroxide laxatives (aka Milk of Magnesia). We used a chewable tablet form, but it also comes in other forms. You should probably check with your doctor if he has any health conditions (kidney issues, I believe) that might preclude its use.

Is that more potent than the Kids Calm supplements?

Originally Posted by LynnS6

Bribery - we had to bribe ds to try to poop in the potty. I don't see anything wrong with a short term reward system for getting him first to try to sit, and then later to use the potty. It's not like it's going to affect his long term internal motivation to use the toilet. Once kids get the hang of the potty, it usually is self reinforcing. It's nicer to be dry/clean.

Tried this too, no dice. He'll sit there for as long as we're sitting with him and we've used all kinds of bribes, but he says morosely (sp?) "It's no use mom."

Originally Posted by lisac77

My son became constipated after potty training. If he hadn't gone in a few days and seemed uncomfortable, I would massage his tummy with olive oil for about 20 minutes while he watched his favorite TV show and then give him a warm bath. It worked like a charm, and eventually he got over the constipation.

I bought castor oil and wool flannel. The lady at the health food store swore a warm castor oil pack on the tummy would do the trick. Am trying it tonight. I guess though it's something you have to do a couple of times to see any result. I tried to just do a massage on his tummy for 15 minutes this afternoon with the oil but it had no result.

Originally Posted by Tjej

Do you have a consistent "sit-down" time on the potty/toilet every day? I find this really helps my kids be more regular. Grab a couple of favorite books and/or toys, sit by him and read/play.

Ahh, this might be the rub. I try to grab him first thing in the morning, but this is not always possible if my other son is also awake, or he is really in a bad mood, really hungry or all of the above. After breakfast, we try, but we can't sit there a really long time b/c of school. Then he's off to school for the next six hours where I don't think he feels comfortable enough to poo and then after school I don't think he has enough in his tummy to induce peristalsis. The next logical time is after dinner, but dinner often ends at 7:30 and then having him sit on the toilet can take 40 minutes which has been really hard on my other ds who is ready to sleep @8.
I wish, I wish I could go back to diapers or at least knew ahead of time to expect this so I could have prepared ds psychologically. He explained to me in explicit terms that he is now scared to poop, in his underwear, in the toilet, and even now in his pull-ups.

[domesticidyll]

One more small thought--if by chance you're still nursing the little one, how about pumping some for him? Unless, of course, your older one is still nursing, too.

Heather

[Tjej]

It sounds like you need to find a way to carve some sit-down time into his schedule. It really makes a difference. After supper works well here. That way too, if they already went earlier in the day it can just be skipped.

Tjej

[eepster]

Originally Posted by mommyshoppinghabit

Yes, I read that you only need a little, but I gave him at least a whole cup and it had no effect.

It takes 2 full glasses to work on my DH. It's not like a medication where there is a specific dosage, it's just juice let him have as much as he needs.