Toddler that does not want to poop?

Question

My two and a half year old dughter has been fully potty trained since September, but the past two weeks refuses to poop. She holds it in and just wont go untill she really has no choice. She says she isnt going to go any more.
The doctor told me this is normal toddler behavior and to give her Little Tummies Drops. Does anyone have any experience with this or other advice.
Thanks

Answer 1

I'm going through the same with my daughter and my doctor told me to give her lots of bran muffins, lots of water, if she loves juice then give her clear grape juice or peach. and lots of fruits (grapes work wonders)
Its a control issue and she will eventually get over it. Just know that your not alone. My doctor also told me to try and put her on the potty 20 mins after she eats, because its a body's natural response to eating. Just give her time and lots of praise when she finally goes.

Answer 2

Yeah, it does happen sometimes. A child becomes scared of going - maybe at some point they were a bit constipated so it hurt, or maybe they don't like the smell, or maybe some other child has said something gross about it.

I knew of one child who was in this situation, then someone said to him that if he went on the toilet (rather than a potty) the poop would make a great big splash. He thought that was a great idea, and the problem was solved instantly. You'll probably find that something like that works if you keep it all low-key.

The other thing is to ask if she wants a nappy/diaper or pull-up when she needs to go, if she's scared of going on the potty.

Answer 3

She may be constipated, and the poops are too painful for her to pass. Make sure she has plenty of water during the day. The tummies drops should help. Also, if poops are reffered to as yucky or dirty, she may be affraid of them. Take her to the bathroom in the morning and at night, ( or whenever her usual BM is) read a book, sign songs, make poopy time fun and pleasant.
If she is constipated a lot and withholds poop all the time, this can lead to problems down the road like incontinece.

Answer 4

There is something not right going on here. First, you need another doctor and why would your toddler be able to get poo from the toilet if you are watching him and if you flush your toilet?! You need to be on top of everything your child does. You need to be watching him (her) at all times. Toddlers can get into some very dangerous situations so do a good job as a Mother and watch him at all times. He probably needs some other distractions, maybe you could spend some time playing with him and showing some attention to him.

Answer 5

This is very common! My daughter needed to be completely comfortable to have a bowel movement. What worked wonders is The Potty Stool http://www.thepottystool.com I started by just setting it at the toilet. This stool makes every toilet kid-sized. My kids immediately climbed up on this stool and discovered that they could safely and securely use the toilet. This got them very interested in using the toilet and they were potty trained very quickly.

My kids like to use what they know mommy and daddy use. And it really is wonderful having your kids independently use the toilet on their own. The handles and sides make all the difference! My son and daughter felt very secure and the sides makes them feel comfortable and closed in when they use the toilet.

I did not want to double the steps of potty training by starting with a potty chair just to turn around and train them to stop using a potty chair. Plus I cannot clean those potties. The best thing is children use this stool for years. Hope this helps you.

Answer 6

well.... no not really i just turned 12 2 weeks ago well 1 and a half but there is a toddler staying at my house who has the same exact problem. its just a phase if she says she isnt going she will eventually get it over with and even if she is holding it in it has to come out somewhere right?? so if shes not going it might be she doesnt need to. but if she stops completely and ur sure its not becase she doesn' t want to then she needs a perscription from the doctor for medicine

Answer 7

My little cousin (she's now 4) used to do this and her mom absolutely HATED it!! Well, my cousin would end up "going" on herself and they actually had a few incidents where my cousin would try to clean herself up so "mommy wouldn't be sad" and she reached into her underclothing, and pulled her hand out, feces everywhere. She then vomited, then, her mom would walk in (who is really squeamish) and then, SHE would vomit HERSELF!! My little cousin got sick of this, and she eventually outgrew the habit.

What I'm trying to say is, ask her why she doesn't want to use the big girl potty when she goes poopy anymore. Does it hurt her?? You may need a toddle stool softner, maybe she's constipated. my friend's little sister had a disorder where she was always constipated. But, your daughter will outgrow this stage (she'll get sick of waiting) so just keep encouraging her to go potty.

But, please don't push her too hard to go potty or else she'll feel the force and she won't want to go.

Answer 8

it is normal I have four kids and 3 potty trained they do revert back when they are that young. my first child was trained at 2.5, second 3.5 he revertet twice, third was 3 but reverted once before trained. my fourth is only 18 months. what helped us was we encouraged potty training with the promise of a potty party when they do not go in their pants for 7 days straight. it helped with the middle two. you can also try to give her lots of raisens and natural stool softeners, it may be that she just has to push too hard and it takes her too long to go.

Answer 9

My 5 year old daughter waits until she gets home and almost explodes. I know adults who won't poop anywhere but home. I think it has more to do with not being comfortable with body functions than anything. 2 year olds don't understand the whole elimination process. It is kind of scary when you have so much to learn and have this stinky stuff coming out of your butt. Let her watch you or read "everybody poops." It is kind of off the wall but helps children to learn that everyone does it and it is ok.

Answer 10

Maybe she is afraid to go because she is afraid of the toilet.

When I was a toddler I used to hold my poop because I was afraid I would fall into the toilet. I only went when I had no choice.

Perhaps you can talk to her about why she refuses to go - is she afraid to go...

My mother never knew until I was older and told her.

Talk to her. Holding it in can cause problems later on. I know because it did for me.