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holding in his poop

Jenni - posted on 08/06/2011 ( 4 moms have responded )

I'm looking for advice from moms who've survived this.....
My son just turned 4, he's about 70% potty trained. He has recently refused to go poop in the toilet and wants a diaper. I read this is normal for 3 year olds(he was that old at the time) now he just plain refuses to go poop at all. Now he gets leakage. The more I mention trying the toilet the more he resists, so I stopped that cause him pooping is the goal I don't care if its in a diaper. But now that he's stopped going I'm getting concerned. Anyone have suggesstions???

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Claudia - posted on 09/26/2011

Casey, I agree with you. Spanking in this case is very bad. The child need to conect this change in their life with something positive. Good for you for seeing the bad and doing what is best for your child.

Claudia - posted on 09/26/2011

give him Miralax, it is a stool softneer. at the first day dissolve 1 1/2 cap in apple juice or water in the morning, the next day just 1 cap and then go by your own judgment. A child that holds his poop can get serious problems because the poop backs up in his intestines cousing it to enlarge or even back up the feces to his sthomach. My son went through this fase, and got so serious that my pediatritian sent him to a specialist. With the miralax, first he will have a very loose poop, do not worry, this is good, because he needs to empty his intestines, after the first day then control so his poop is soft. If you prefer to talk to your pediatrician about Miralax and ask her for a dose this is ok. THis was the dose give to my son (4 years old) by the specialist. Also do not ask him if he want to go, just tell him " it is time to sit on the big boy potty to poop". He will disagree, just say ok, but you will try anyway... YOU ARE THE MOM, you do not ask permition, you tell him what to do. I made this mistake by asking, when my counselour told me to change my aproach to telling him, it made a diference.

Jayne - posted on 09/14/2011

Try pedialax fiber gummies, it increases their fiber and that makes the poop softer. Then sit him on the potty before bath each night, maybe after dinner. We didn't make a big deal about it, just sat him on the potty while we washed his sister in the tub and waited for him to poop. It worked for our son. (he just turned 4)
Also explaining poop was his body's waste just like taking out the trash helped him think that pooping it out was a good idea.

Casey - posted on 08/28/2011

264

My son did the same thing. I had an ex that spanked him for pooping in this paints or pull up. I think that may be why. I got rid of that guy and he started holding in his poop. This may sound mean but I would sit him on the potty for 10 mins off for 15 until he pooped. This was a few months ago. Now he will mostly go on his own but we still make him sit and try to poop if he hasnt by the time dinner is done. It worked for us but may not work for you and your son. Best of luck. Stool softners help too. They have ones for kids. Just make sure hes on the potty when it hits. The one for kids are gentler and usually take hours so giving it to him before bed and having him sit when he gets up works best.