Potty training & constipation

[Leaf 🌱]

I know there’s a PTing sub-board but I’m pretty sure it’s getting very little traffic so please forgive me for posting here. DD is 2.5 and we started PTing a week ago. We spent the whole weekend at home, she did great after the first morning she didn’t poop the first day, but did poop the second (in the bath but as she was asking to get out and use the potty) and we sent her off to DC with panties, pull-ups, and a zillion changes of clothes. The DCP said she did wonderfully and we continued. She pooped on Tuesday night in the toilet without issue. And then she just stopped.

She was walking around Friday holding her butt and complaining quite a bit about it hurting. Saturday morning we started offering juice with a little seltzer (soda!!!! In her mind LOL) and gave her pedia-lax. She cried while pooping that afternoon and it was awful. She’s clearly afraid of pooping and is starting not to want to pee either. She’s also now afraid of the bathtub bc she thinks it’ll make her poop. The last three days have been torture for both of us. I have no idea what else to do and I feel awful that she’s in such pain. I’ve kept up the pedia-lax, lots of fluids, hydrating and fiber-filled foods, offering top-tier incentives, talked about pooping, watched Daniel Tiger PTing episodes, let her stay in the bathroom while I poop (SORRY TMI) etc. I even offered to put a diaper on her and she said no.

Is there anything else I can do? Should I put her back in diapers and try again later? I hate to try a reset bc for a week she was doing so so well and she’s so proud that she’s a “big girl” now.

[billyhorrible]

I don't have an answer for you, but maybe some food for thought?

One of the classic problems with forcing potty training is that it can lead to "holding" behaviors. Holding poop puts pressure on the bladder, which leads to incontinence - so you end up with a child that physically can't hold their urine in.


Now, I don't think you're forcing potty training, but I would worry that her holding her poop could have the same, unintended effect, which is going to make things harder for everyone. Like I said, I don't know what exactly I'd do in your shoes, but I might lean toward pull ups, because I'd be worried about the incontinence (and I'm a little crazy)

[cmb]

Just wanted to chime in. Our pedi actually suggested hemorrhoid cream, about a half hour before they will typically go, to help with the pain of pooping