My 4mo baby has torticollis & the physical therapist and orthopedist both told us to keep him in a sitting position as much as we can. So a few weeks ago we started putting him in a play seat, it looks like a walker, but it's not a walker.
For the last week & a half he has only pooped when sitting in that seat. Not when he's laying in his crib, not when we're holding him, not when he has to stay with my dad all day.... ONLY when he's sitting in that seat. If you're a mom I don't have to tell you what kind of mess this makes! But, it's not the mess I have to deal with that concerns me. I don't want him thinking that just because he's sitting in it he has to strain to try to poop. That seat is suppose to be fun, lots of lights & things to look at & play with. I don't know if he thinks he HAS to poop when he's sitting in it, or if the position he's in has something to do with it. He wasn't even 4mo yet when this started, does this mean he's going to be easy to potty train?
I hate not to put him in there to try to make him do it while he's in his crib & then him not poop because we have had a lot of trouble with constipation & if that's what it takes then that's what it takes.
Any comments or suggestions, or just words of encouragement would be appreciated.
Serious replies only please, thanks! :-)
2006-09-07 17:19:07 · 8 answers · asked by smiles2u 2 in Pregnancy & Parenting ➔ Newborn & Baby
Thanks to everyone for all the advice!!
2006-09-09 03:08:57 · update #1
We used to call it the Poopersaucer.
If it's what I'm thinking you're using, you should be able to detach the seat and toss it in the washer.
If you think it's an issue, you could consider trying Elimination Communication. I know some people swear by it. http://www.freewebs.com/freetoec/index.htm
2006-09-07 17:44:29 · answer #1 · answered by C K Platypus 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
If its only been a week and a half I wouldn't automatically assume he's never going to do his stuff anywhere else ever again.
They don't tend to go, for the most part, when they're being held; and only you know if there's any connection between the time of day when he's in the crib versus the seat. It could just be that after a certain bottle or at roughly the same time of day he's just going to go, and if he's in the seat a lot that's where he'll do it.
As far as I would guess, at four months he doesn't think he has to do anything anywhere. He's probably comfortable enough in the chair that he can relax and do his stuff.
I could be wrong, but I suspect there's no way to guess how easy it will be to potty-train him based on this. I could be wrong about this too, but I think you should just relax and go with whatever he does in his diaper whenever he does it. Chances are if he were, say, in his crib all day then that's where he'd be going. He's in the seat a lot, so the odds of his going while he's in it are just there.
Most people generally believe that as long as you know the baby has had a reasonable bowel movement over a reasonable period of time you shouldn't stew over the details. Just go with it. Maybe it will turn out that's he's easy to train, but that's ok too.
Even if he were to associate the seat with going, he isn't going to be young enough to keep using that seat forever. Once he isn't in it any longer he'll have to find something else to associate with having bowel movements. Again, I could be wrong, but I tend to think a four-month old is thinking about anything or associating anything with anything right now, and he's probably just going because its time to go. If he's had problems with irregularity maybe any activity the seat allows him to do that the crib may not encourage is the thing that gets the BM on the way.
Don't think about potty issues right now. He's an infant, and you have other issues to be concerned about. People very often worry that if a baby or small child does something a few times they'll do it for the rest of all time. They don't. They do things, and then they do different things. I suspect that as long as you don't make him tense by trying to involve yourself or intervene with this particular body function all will be well.
2006-09-08 00:43:59 · answer #2 · answered by WhiteLilac1 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Try the Spasmodic Torticollis Recovery Clinic in New Mexico to see whether Abigail Brown can help with specific exercises for a baby. I've been doing the exercises,living a healthful lifestyle and been Botox-free for more than 10 years (I have adult-onset torticollis). The Clinic is the only thing that's worked and I've had torticollis since 1988.
It might be worth checking out. Here is the website: http://www.stclinic.com/
2006-09-08 21:40:05 · answer #3 · answered by Nina 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Kids don't have any real control over their bowls at 4 months. It could be that being in the sitting position could help things move through easy er. It's way too early to be thinking about potty training, that won't work until he is at least 18 months-and two years is a more likely.
2006-09-08 00:32:10 · answer #4 · answered by blondecarpenter@sbcglobal.net 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Its probably more comfortable for him to go when sitting since he has been constipated cause he can bear down. If your child is constipated which is very common during this age u can use a little bit of karo syrup in the bottle worked for my son since 2 months. He also has torticollis and for that keep trying to face him looking to the side he is having the neck problem. Boys are harder and take longer to potty train but it all depends. hopefully all will work out for you.
good luck!
2006-09-08 00:28:43 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
wow that sounz a very complicated way about it.
the main thing is patience and the more you stress about it, he will pick up on that. i found the summer the easiest time. my son would play outside, i would have his potty nearby and as soon as he looked like he was going to go i popped him on the potty , and praised him a lot
there will be accidents but if you take it in your stride so will he.
all children do things at different times. there isn't an age limit. (well maybe 4 and 5 is a bit old)
2006-09-08 02:50:29 · answer #6 · answered by helen s 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No worries. He probably poops more because of the position that he's in. Gravity is helping him out. He is to young to think that he has to poop because he's sitting in a chair. Babies poop when they feel the urge to. It's almost certainly because the position is comfortable and easier for him.
2006-09-08 03:05:24 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
What does it really matter if he is sitting up or laying down when he is pooping? As long as he is pooping you are in good shape.
I wouldn't worry about it too much as long as he enjoys the chair and he has his diaper on then let him go where he wants. :) I don't think that means he will be easier to potty train necessarily. Boys in fact are typically harder to train than girls.
2006-09-08 00:30:59 · answer #8 · answered by sclay95843 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋