Background: This post was written in December and we are still in the same situation...HELP!
I have been to toilet training hell! 12 months ago, my son was potty trained to do his #2 business on the toilet. When his baby brother came along 2 months later, my son decided that toilet training was not for him. Not only did he decide that he did not want to go on the potty- he decided that he didn't want to go AT ALL! So, I have had a little boy holding in his poo for 8-10 days for 7 months, all the while being miserable and grumpy! (During this time he was taking Mineral Oil and Lactulose laxatives, eating a high fiber diet and visiting our family doctor). To make a long story short- he has had enemas, been to the hospital and been taking laxatives to no avail. UNTIL we found the best product- Peg 3350 or polyethylene glycol. This stuff is a miracle worker and is a saving grace for our family. It does the same thing as an enema, but is a much better alternative to little boys. He is now on a strict diet consisting of water, whole grains, fruits, vegetables, yogurt and no sweets, potatoes, rice or white flour and taking 6-8 tsps of mineral oil a day. Any ideas how I can now entice him to do his business on the potty?
DATA SYNTHESIS: Constipation is a common disorder among children. A number of factors may play a role. A variety of medications are commonly used for this disorder, although few treatments have undergone evaluation by controlled clinical trials. Consensus guidelines recommend either osmotic laxatives, mineral oil, or their combination for maintenance treatment in concert with patient and parental education and behavioral training. PEG 3350 solution (MiraLax) has been shown in recent clinical studies to be an effective maintenance treatment for pediatric constipation.
CONCLUSIONS: PEG 3350 is an effective and well-tolerated treatment choice for pediatric constipation, especially as an adjunct to education and behavioral training. PEG 3350 is an option for children with constipation who have failed or are intolerant of other pharmacotherapies.
Here are a few articles for those of you in the same unfortunate situation:
Why do Children Become Constipated
Some Info on Polyethylene Glycol
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Filed under: Childrens' Health, Featured, Reviews, Tips & Advice
My daughter had the same trouble. She was so scared to go on the potty, because of the constipation. Finally, I put the potty seat in the breakfast room. This way, she could see it all the time and use it without feeling like she was missing anything. I think it also helped, because she had associated the bathroom with the pain of constipation.
We would sit her on it and give her coloring books and crayons. I also put a lot of small trinkets into a tub and she got to pick one whenever she went #2. There were M&Ms, stickers, markers, etc.
Now this only worked, because we don’t have people over much. But if you do, having a potty seat in the kitchen wouldn’t work! LOL!
Thanks for all the info, Jenny! My son uses the big toilet now, so unfortunately, the kitchen aspect is out of the question- But I will try the coloring:) Thanks for dropping by!
In a weird sort of way, your post is SOO encouraging!!
I’m open to tips on that too!
My daughter has been struggling with constipation issues–and then after we resolved the constipation issues, it became the issue of “holding it.” She was potty trained for #2 back in November, and then a friend’s child stayed with us for two days and she would not go the entire time. That was the beginning of the “undoing” of her potty training.
The constipation/”holding it” issues still continue, but we are starting potty training again!
As crazy as it sounds, we got this ad in the mail for Huggies online “Potty Dance.” My daughter watches it over and over and OVER (my husband & I can’t stand it!!) but the 1st time she watched it, she went 3 times in the potty that day!! Also we rented a DVD at the library called “Potty Power.” And that too encouraged her! She runs around the house singing “No more biapers any more! No more biapers any more!”
So to capitalize on her enthusiasm, I took her to Target and let her pick out big girl underwear! She chose Hello Kitty and Disney Princesses. She couldn’t wait to come home and wear them. So I explained to her what that would mean.
Obviously it looks different for a boy than it does for a girl. (And we still haven’t resolved the constipation/holding it issues–on #2 days, she screams with gas pains or lays around sucking her thumb–it is so sad. But the pediatrician says it is just a “stage.”
I wish you the best!! I remind you, as my mom reminds me, that they won’t be doing this when they graduate from high school–so there MUST be an end!!!!
Thanks, Becky! This problem is a lot more common than people think. I am watching 2 other kids my son’s age and they both “hold” their poo- boy and a girl! 1 step forward, 2 back:)
My son has been constipated since starting solid food. Complicated by the fact that he’s allergic to ALL GRAINS so adding fiber is pretty much out of the question. I started doing 2 things consistently every day and the problem has solved itself over time. Every night before his bath he has to sit on the potty for 5 minutes no pressure, just has to sit there. And if he poops, we mark an X on the calendar. No rewards, just an X. I chose nighttime because that was when he typically pooped on the rare occasions that he did. Hope it works for you, it worked for us and he’s now 12 and still “does his 5 minutes” every night.
Thanks, Pippi- I’ll try it!