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3-1/2 year old dd is having potty issues, any advice?

437 views 2 replies 2 participants last post by  PajamaMama 
#1 ·
My dd was 3 in May. She has been using the toilet for several months without issue. 'Normal' for her is to poop about every other day. When she goes she has normal, softish stool and no problems.

However, the past week and a half, she has only pooped 3x, and it was under extremely stressful circumstances. She's obviously constipated and her poops hurt her. The first 2 of the 3 poops were on the toilet as usual, the last one was last night in a diaper.

She still wears a pull-up to bed, but it is dry 4 nights out of 5 and so that is why I even have any dipes around. She was sitting on the potty last night just crying and shrieking, it was breaking my heart! She got off the potty and asked for a diaper to poop in. I was so upset by her pain that I just let her have it, and she did indeed poop in the dipe after running around the house, squatting, howling, getting up, running a little further, etc etc.

The only change in her diet has been that my milk has pretty much disappeared. She used to nurse quite often and over the past week and a half or so (same amt of time as poop problems) she nurses for a few moments, and tells me that it's 'empty' and asks for water or some other drink.

The past couple of days especially I have been trying to get her to eat more apples (she loves them) and drink plenty. I'm concerned by her regression to a diaper to poop, and I don't want this to continue. What are some good ways to get her to poop in comfort? Also I am concerned that she is afraid of pooping and might be trying to hold it now just because it *might* hurt, even though it would be fine if she would just go when she has the urge.
 
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#2 ·
My sympathies.
My dd goes through phases where she will withhold poop if it takes more than a little effort to get it out.

Will your dd take prune juice? I give it to my dd at the first sign of "poopy troubles". She won't drink it from a cup but she will take it from a medicine dropper. I give her 4 tsps every hour or so until she poops. Pear juice and grapes should be helpful, too.

My milk has disappeared, too. We never had constipation issues until about 6-10 months ago when dd stopped nursing more than once a day.

Good luck!
 
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