[MamaE]

Hi Mamas, I need help! Last week, DD surprised us during her self-imposed nightly "naked time" by using the potty! She began to "drip," caught herself and ran off to the potty chair to finish.

We are following her lead, letting her go naked most of the day (not naps or outings). She's had a few accidents, but is really pretty good about initiating a trip to the potty herself. However, now that we are 5 days into this, we're having some issues with poop:

She seems afraid of it! She has only pooped once on the potty and half went in, half went out. She was pretty freaked out by this. We tried to reassure her. She never cried or anything, but it clearly upset her. I don't know why - the poop itself? The fact that it went on the floor?

Then, today, she wouldn't poop on the potty, asked for a diaper, then forgot about the diaper, went off to play, and pooped on the floor. Again - freaked out by it. (Her reaction was her hands to her face and "ohhhhh-noooo!")

What does this mean? Is it too soon (even though I am following her lead)? Do I continue? What if she asks to wear a diaper, let her, or distract her? I really think she is ready - she knows the sensation, can stop herself, and is very verbal, but we clearly have some hurdles here.

Can anyone help us???

 

[because]

DD did the same thing at 20 months. She would even pee in the potty, then ask for a diaper, poop in it, ask for a change... except for that instance where I found a little turd on the cover of Piglet's Big Adventure.

I think you're on the right track. Follow her lead and just make light of the poop subject. If it gets on the floor just be bright and funny about it. If she asks for a diaper for poops, let her have one.

DD got over this really quickly and was totally out of dipes, even for outings, within weeks. She's 23 months (today) and still wears one at night (but only needs it 3-4 times a week).

Have fun! They start to seem so OLD when they're wearing panties!

 

[because]

Oh, and if she starts to hold it for too long or is getting constipated (which my DD never did), then you might need to change tactics. I bet it'll resolve itself before then, though.

 

[MamaE]

Thanks for the support, Because. I think that's the nudge I needed. DD is doing great - no accidents today - she caught herself each and every time, but still no poop.

Now, how to handle transitioning to panties?

And, what about outings? When to give it a go?

(Congrats to your DD - 23 months is an accomplishment!)

 

[sleet76]

My dd is nearly 19 months old, and our last few weeks have sounded like yours--following her lead--going naked. Nora has been pooping on the potty though. I had a doll "poop" a little tootsie roll or two in the potty and she thought that was pretty neat. She started trying it after that. When she did poop on the potty the first time, her eyes got really big when she saw what she did, but she was up for trying again. I have no idea if the tootsie roll thing helped us or would help you, but that's what we did.

As for going out, I have been putting her in pullups and asking her if she has to go potty at the houses/stores we go to. So far she has stayed pretty dry, but she won't get upset by having an accident thanks to the pullup.

At home I sometimes put her in Gerber training pants, but we are still working on learning how to pull them down--she often will sit on the potty ad pee with them on. Hopefully that skill will come soon--it is cold here to be naked!

 

[because]

I bought her a 6-pack of some pretty panties and let her wear just those and a tee shirt after she had mastered the naked routine. We practiced pulling them down and sitting on the potty a few times when she didn't have to go just for the practice.

For outings, our first few without a dipe were to places where it would be OK if she wet her pants. A LLL meeting, my mom's house... I had a change of clothes and was ready for it when she did pee at the LLL meeting. In her defense, that one was my fault because I wasn't being as attentive as I could have been. She probably warned me but her little bladder couldn't wait.

We kept a lap pad in the seat of the car seat jsut in case. A prefold cloth diaper would work, too.

We did this when it was still warm enough to go naked. Now, hmmm... maybe turn up the furnace when they're running around in the afternoon? Or put them in warm dresses with nothing under (my DD just peed on the skirt while she was on the potty, though. We tied or pinned the back up for her, which would mostly defeat the purpose of staying warm...)? Or get buttless chaps? Dunno.

It sounds like you're both in the same position we were a couple of months ago. Have fun with it (the tootsie roll sounds hysterical!) and good luck!