I have never heard of this method- what do you think

[Marcie Mac]

I visited eldest yesterday evening and out of the blue little one started crying, didn't want to be held or picked up, just stood there scrinching her face. When I asked what was wrong with her, eldest told me she does't like to do a #2, and just holds it and holds it till it hurts

doctor gave her some suppositories to use, and she has to force the little one into a sitting position (like you would be sitting on a toilet) till it comes out. It took about 5 minutes in this hold with the baby crying and whailing till she went (a large amount mixed hard/soft) and she was fine afterwards.

I never had to deal with potty issues with any of the kids like this, so I just thought it was kinda weird at 13 months to have to be doing this. She says the baby knows that straight apple juice, which is what the doctor told eldest to give to her so she goes, that it makes her go potty, and she won't drink it. I was talking to SO and said hmmm, if she is that smart, it won't be long before she realizes that food that goes in her mouth eventually comes out the other end, and she is going to not be wanting to eat.

And as far as I know, no tests were done to see if there was a reason for not wanting to go potty, and if I were to suggest that, it would go nowhere LOL

I just thought it was odd..

Marcie

 

[DaisyFace]

Hi Marcie--

My daughter had issues with #2....so we just started giving her cayo syrup as though it were a treat (didn't say it was to help her "go"). Pretty soon things were going "smoothly"....

Give it a shot.

--DaisyF

 

[ML]

Manster had issues with this. Though we did caro and I'm not sure it helped. Plus, we found out later he was allergic to corn. Darned if you do.... We switced to soy formula at one point also and now know he's allergic to soy. Sigh.

Extra fluid and berries helped when he was a little older.

I'm so sorry the little one is having trouble. It breaks your heart!

Hugs,

ML

 

[Hound dog]

Both of my friend's sons had issues with this. Oldest son the parents drew so much attention to it that it became a severe issue. So with youngest son they kept giving juice and fruits as well as other things that help the problem while carefully not making a big deal out of it. The situation resolved itself fairly easily. Thankfully younger son became quite fond of prune juice. (yes they sell it in the baby juice)

Until my friend, I'd never run across it personally before. But I recall my Mom saying my sister had issues with it.

Hugs

 

[Marcie Mac]

I think what bugged me is the holding with knees up to her little chest position and forcing the p**p out - I had never seen that done before.

Marcie

 

[Lothlorien]

I never heard of that either, but I had a friend whose son refused to poop and she had to give him suppositories and then make him sit on the potty for an hour or so before he would finally go. It was a total nightmare for her. I never heard of the part of holding the knees to the chest, but I suppose if that's what it takes to get her better.....It'd be a lot worse if they had to take her to the hospital for being impacted.

 

[KTMom91]

Miss KT had the same problem, and eventually it did become impacted. She still didn't figure it out, even after that. Lots of prune juice and making her sit finally worked, but we had to go through this week after week for way too long.

 

[Marguerite]

I discovered the holding the knees up thing with difficult child 1 when he was a baby. I found it when I was changing his nappy, and I was holding his knees up onto his tummy so I could clean him up, and found he would keep on "producing". So once I learned this, I would kep him in that position and try to catch it all so I only had one dirty nappy (that one) a day.

Later (and I don't think there is a connection) he was a terrible problem about pooping. He wouldn't do it in his nappy and he wouldn't do it in the potty. It was as if he had decided he wasn't ever going to do it again, he didn't need to if he decided he didn't want to. Trouble is, it doesn't work tat way.

There are a lot of things you can give a kid to soften the stool, just don't tell the kid what it's for. I didn't think apple juice was particularly effective. prunes & prune juice are great (and I'm sure if you leave abowl of pitted prunes around, righht out of the packet, the kids will pinch them and you will have the desired effect). Also try stonefruit, fresh. Cherries, plums, apricots. Oranges do it for some people, although never for me. My boss used to watch me in horror while I cut up and ate four or five oranges at one sitting. He said that simply sniffing an orange would have him "on the run".

Hey, whatever works.

Marg

 

[GoingNorth]

That knee to chest position actually imitates the full squat which is the normal way we humans were designed to defecate.

Sitting or laying down just isn't how our bodies were designed even if the bulk of us manage to get used to it.

I had a GI spec years back tell me that he could recommend sitting on the commode with the feet on a stool so high that it put the user into a full squat, and it would solve about 2/3 of the pooping problems in infants and toddlers.

My idea is that if that if this problem arises, it doesn't cost very much to get a foot stool.

 

[susiestar]

A cousin of mine had twins by in vitro. The little girl had horrible problems pooping. I am talking major appointment with gastro specialists at Children's hospital for several years - from just a few months old.

This is one of the things they did with her. Of course they used stool softener, whatever juices they could get into her, high fiber diet, just everything - all under the doctor's care because she was so little. I know at age 4 she still had trouble with pooping and it was a big problem for the entire family.

So what they suggest isn't unheard of, but I don't know how well it works. but the squat thing does make sense.

 

[Fran]

Is this child 13months old? or am I reading this wrong.

It isn't uncommon for toddlers to be afraid to go potty.
I think the current thing is Mirelax everyday in juice. I wish we had it when difficult child was younger. It's not harsh and doesn't do damage!
Get a routine and feed the child the fiber and bowel healthy foods. Of course, we all know that kids at this age are picky eaters.

I don't really know what the right thing is. I tried to leave it be a non issue and I didn't have great luck maybe what they are prescribing is more effective. I think there are kids who, like mine, didn't make the connection between the sensation and the potty. He had a delay in that area so he shouldn't be punished for it or forced. All I wanted to do is not make him hurt or embarassed. Others may be more fearful and are afraid of going. Allergies are another biggie.

This isn't really an issue of parenting but of all the things that must develop for a child to master the potty. For sure we know that it should not be handled as a punitive exercise. I went to specialists. We all know if you talk "potty" problems too long that everyone including the specialists think it's a parent issue. I'm sure that is why there is not much talk of this very common problem. No one wants to talk about it.

 

[Marcie Mac]

I don't think eldest has even begun with potty training yet and yes, she is only 13 months old. She said the poor little thing always struggled with this and never has liked to do a #2 - she holds it till she is in agony. She has started on the fiber and all of the stuff that makes you go.

I never had to deal with potty problems with the kids, shoot, Danny made the connection that his brother never wore a diaper and used a potty, and there was a fuss made over the fact what a big boy Jamie was, and that was the end of diapers for Dan.

Because I have never had the experience with the no pooping problem, I just thought it was strange you had to force it physically restraining them in a squat position on the floor. But I guess from what I have read here, its normal to do.

Thanks all for the imput.

Marcie

 

[susiestar]

I think forcing them into position is a last resort, at least it was for my cousin.

 

[Kjs]

difficult child has always had issues. Suppositories are familiar. But we didn't do that. Just put it in and had him lay there until it dissolved. Sometimes that didn't work. He would bleed due to the size. We just bought a super flush, xtra large flush valve and flap toilet, still difficult child plugs it up. Some times there is no plungiing. Must remove. And he is 14.

We found it was milk that does it. Younger we were told to mix multsupex (sp?) in with his milk. Also we gave him senokot s on a daily basis. Sometimes pediatrician said Milk of magnisia. Still with all this---no change. At that young age I believe we were using multsupex, molasis and senokot s. Daycare lady would hug him on the pot and give him "lovies" because he cried. So it hurt so he didn't go. Then he would have little cuts...fishers(??) then bleed.

 

[Fran]

If they are attempting to help her with her bowels, then maybe.... big maybe.
If they are trying to potty train, then I have to say that is cruel and unusual punishment. Babies do not have the development to master this task at this age Marcie. It is impossible despite when all the older folks say. If you listen to them the potty trained younger and younger until you swear they were born potty trained.


She just learned to walk for goodness sakes. 3 yrs old is the best although I and most start at 24months.

 

[Star*]

I think if she's hurt like this for a long time and is now just 13 months - it's time for an exam by an internal MD. There could be something wrong that is causing the pain OR like we were told - there could have been that one poo that got constipated, and caused tremendous pain and possibly tearing - hence the fear of #2.

Mirlax is great but I would NOT give it to a 13 month old without advice from a Dr. It's tasteless and odorless....so you can mix it right in with a sippy cup.

I tried laxatives, I tried torpedos, I tried mineral oil, I tried everything - Mirlax was the ONLY thing that gave us any relief with encopreses. Not a cure either - just relief

 

[totoro]

I just read an article about Pro-biotics for kids and all of the wonderful new pills shakes and yogurts available for them. It really helps with poopy issues and they like them.
I would try to find out what is going on and then if it just a bit of constipation from holding it, maybe try the pro-biotics?
The can't hurt.
They help with the children's immune systems also.

 

[Star*]

Up -

I was wondering if Activia would help? One drink every day of this yogurt stuff?

 

[DammitJanet]

Tony's niece was born with hemorrhoids and she had to be held kinda like that to poop. They were internal but they hurt her if she had any sort of hard stool. They would hold her little legs to her chest and use glycerin suppositories. Once she was old enough for juices, prune juice became her best friend.

 

[Steely]

On the flip side, could it be a bit behavioral? I would wonder why she is insisting on holding it in? I guess because it hurts to go? Or is she scared, or possibly using it for attention.
Just ideas. (I guess because I am conditioned to think about behavior stuff after 18years with difficult child - sorry)

Matt had issues where he absolutely hated to go #2 - and it bordered on being a bit difficult children-ish - but I pretty much ignored it - and he worked it through on his own without it turning into an issue. I think part of it was sensory - he really could not feel that he had to go, and he would wait and wait, for days to poop. Then look out! Cuz he would go into the bathroom and not be done for 45 minutes. Odd, but it never manifested itself into a true physical or mental problem, and that is still the way his, um, bathroom habits are.

I used to go to Whole Foods and buy him these really "yummy" looking healthy snacks - like carob and pumpkin seed squares. He would gobble them up, and never know the amazing, beneficial, fiber content.