Okay. Here's the situation. My son turns three and a half in one week. He's been completely potty trained for a looooong while: day trained for well over a year, and night trained for about six months (with the occasional accident if he drank alot the evening before).
When we started to potty train him, he happened to get an intestinal infection where it was very painful to poop. He already received a daily dose of Miralax (per his doc), so we upped the dosage, but it took him a loooong time to get over his fear about it hurting if he pooped on the potty instead of in his diaper. To the point of his needing to go, and holding it until I would put a diaper on him. Eventually, we got past that, and life went on.
Fastforward to the past few weeks. He needs to poop, but won't. Not on the potty. It's to the point where he ends up with a bit in his underoos; but then (to use his words) "sucks it in again". Then, when I see he's kind of messing with his pants, I take him potty, find the smear, and tell him he needs to poop on the potty. But at that point, he can't poop. "It just won't come out, Mama! I'm trying!" Which he is, I can tell. But then, it happens again - sometimes later that day, sometimes the next day, or later.
I've tried talking to him about how he needs to listen to his body about when to poop, that his not listening to it is causing some problems. I've tried explaining that his toys will still be there when he gets back from a potty break. I've tried explaining that it isn't pleasant for me to have to clean up these messes, and that it's probably not pleasant for him to be in the mess either. I got out the potty chair and let him try that one instead of the regular toilet. At my husband's prompting, I put him in a diaper (prefold and snappi, no cover) after two pairs of underoos got wiped out rather quickly. After the initial complaints, my son had no problem wearing a diaper all day, and twenty minutes after switching him back to underoos, needed to change them. He's told me (inconsistently) that pooping hurts, but looking at what's coming out, it shouldn't be hurting at all. I've upped his Miralax slightly, and have tried a bit of diaper rash ointment in case he had a fissure that was bothering him (at which point he then spends the next four hours picking at his shorts, saying that the "goop is making wedgies").
What else can I do? Is this normal? I mean, completely potty trained for so long, and then this? I don't think it has anything to do with wanting to be a baby again (when I change his little sister, he runs out of the room, gagging). I don't think it's for attention. Then what? I am really getting frustrated at the increased amount of laundry, the long trips to the bathroom, and the lack of answers I have. Please, please give me answers!
When we started to potty train him, he happened to get an intestinal infection where it was very painful to poop. He already received a daily dose of Miralax (per his doc), so we upped the dosage, but it took him a loooong time to get over his fear about it hurting if he pooped on the potty instead of in his diaper. To the point of his needing to go, and holding it until I would put a diaper on him. Eventually, we got past that, and life went on.
Fastforward to the past few weeks. He needs to poop, but won't. Not on the potty. It's to the point where he ends up with a bit in his underoos; but then (to use his words) "sucks it in again". Then, when I see he's kind of messing with his pants, I take him potty, find the smear, and tell him he needs to poop on the potty. But at that point, he can't poop. "It just won't come out, Mama! I'm trying!" Which he is, I can tell. But then, it happens again - sometimes later that day, sometimes the next day, or later.
I've tried talking to him about how he needs to listen to his body about when to poop, that his not listening to it is causing some problems. I've tried explaining that his toys will still be there when he gets back from a potty break. I've tried explaining that it isn't pleasant for me to have to clean up these messes, and that it's probably not pleasant for him to be in the mess either. I got out the potty chair and let him try that one instead of the regular toilet. At my husband's prompting, I put him in a diaper (prefold and snappi, no cover) after two pairs of underoos got wiped out rather quickly. After the initial complaints, my son had no problem wearing a diaper all day, and twenty minutes after switching him back to underoos, needed to change them. He's told me (inconsistently) that pooping hurts, but looking at what's coming out, it shouldn't be hurting at all. I've upped his Miralax slightly, and have tried a bit of diaper rash ointment in case he had a fissure that was bothering him (at which point he then spends the next four hours picking at his shorts, saying that the "goop is making wedgies").
What else can I do? Is this normal? I mean, completely potty trained for so long, and then this? I don't think it has anything to do with wanting to be a baby again (when I change his little sister, he runs out of the room, gagging). I don't think it's for attention. Then what? I am really getting frustrated at the increased amount of laundry, the long trips to the bathroom, and the lack of answers I have. Please, please give me answers!
