Tips for making 4-yo girl pee?

[khanni]

I googled it, and I got a lot of inappropriate sites. Have call into doctor, just waiting...

So, my 4.5 year old daughter has had a stomach bug. Yesterday, we ended up having to take her to urgent care, and she had to have an IV with fluids to get rehydrated and a catheter since she wouldn't pee, and they needed to do a urine test.

When they drew the pee, she had LOTS of it. She just refused to pee. And it was a good color, and when they tested it, there was no infection.

So, today, she tried to pee in the morning, and it really hurt her, so she stopped. I tried putting her in a warm bath and told her to pee in there, but she wouldn't. A while later, I sat her on the potty again, and she started to pee, and the same deal happened. Tried warm bath again, and she won't go.

My daughter is not at all fond of going to the bathroom as it is, but now she has this additional trauma. I told her that I knew it hurt, but that she needed to pee in order for it to get better. It's just not happening.

I also tried running water while she's sitting on the potty. I've thought about giving her a bunch of liquids, but up until yesterday at least, if she drank anything but water, she would puke, so I'm a bit afraid to offer something that she might be tempted by, like juice. However, she is on Zofran (anti-nausea medication).

Does anyone have any tricks?

[sapphire_chan]

Take a shower with her and pee in the shower yourself?

Lots of melon or other diuretic? Although that could backfire and just make things even more full before she's willing/able to go.

Put something waterproof under her and dip her hand in warm water while she sleeps?

Let her do something distracting she doesn't normally get to do while sitting on the potty?

Let her go outside?

[catinthehat]

Sounds like you have lots of good ideas already. Maybe if you made her a sitz bath with some salt in the water, let her soak in it for a while. And I would keep pushing the fluids. Herbal teas would be good, watered down juices, popsicles(made of fruit juice). Hope she feels better.

[Mom2M]

I'm so sorry to hear of her distress! I know how much that hurts.
You could try giving her watermelon or cucumbers, they are natural diuretics. The hands in warm water while sleeping used to work when playing tricks on people, lol

Does she have a physiological problem causing her to retain urine? Some kinds of neurological issues can do it. I would definitely get her evaluated as soon as possible and if she cannot go by herself for over 24 hours get her cathed and maybe the ER can teach you how to do it at home until she can see the dr.

[kcparker]

Is she refusing now because maybe the catheter hurt her? Maybe she has some little micro-abrasions that are making it sting when she pees. You could try squirting her crotch with warm water from a peri-bottle, the same type used for us ladies after childbirth.

[khanni]

She FINALLY peed!! The peri-bottle did the trick. My daughter wouldn't go for it at first, but then I told her that a friend of mine (aka a nice stranger on mothering.com) hadn't been able to pee after having a catheter, and it was the only way she could go, and when she used it she didn't even realize she was peeing. I told her this information, and she wanted to know exactly who this person was. I fudged the truth and told her she was an old friend of mine she never met, and then she said okay.

She sat on the potty, and I began to squirt. I had to refill the bottle like 20 times. She was really scared. She didn't want me to stop putting the water on her though. Then, finally, she started to pee. She said it only hurt for the first little bit, and then she was fine. She peed for a good long while, and we are both very relieved.

Thanks everyone for your thoughtful suggestions!

[craft_media_hero]

Oh good!

In addition to the other suggestions, how about something to help relax like Rescue Remedy or Chamomile in essential oil or tea form? Maybe find out about some pressure points?

Poor girlie! My dd went thru a phase of trauma about pooping after a couple of really bad constipation episodes, and the biggest difficulty was helping her relax enough to go.

Hope this is just an isolated period of difficulty!

[khanni]

I tried the Rescue Remedy, too (and took some myself) at an earlier juncture. I got in a warm tub with her and held her while she tried, too. In the end, I believe it was the story of the peri-bottle working for someone who had had the same experience that convinced her it would be okay. That and desperation.