Chronic Constipation Issues (Almost 3yrs Old)

kelleighxnicole

My daughter is going to be 3 next month, and has been suffering with constipation since before 6 months of age. Since that time, she has been on Miralax powder. 17 grams daily, though now that she's older, and potty training, I play with the dosage so that her stools aren't TOO loose.

She cannot go more than two days without this medicine, or she can legit not poop, and will stand in a corner, legs tightly crossed, butt cheeks squeezed together like vice grips, and crying. She won't willingly go poop on her potty, but will pee no problem.

Her pedi won't refer her to a gastroenteroligist until she is 3, which is right around the corner, but this constipation issue keeps dragging us backwards in the potty training department. She either goes too much, too little, or not at all. Never a happy medium. I've cut down her intake of binding foods (cheese and bananas, primarily, because she LOVES them - but I have to just not buy them often or she'll always want them.) I don't know what else to do. I want her to not associate pooping with pain, and to be able to go to school without doing this and feeling embarassed and scared when that time comes.

Anyone else have similar issues with their toddler? If so, what remedies did you try? And how did you work with it while potty training?

aglenn

We have the exact same situation and I wish we had a solution!  It is definitely holding her back for potty training.  She will occasionally poop in the potty but it is a huge event filled with lots of drama.  She definitely won't do it at pre-school.  I think the whole idea of the potty is overshadowed by this anxiety.

The pedi just said to keep doing what we're doing and she will eventually grow out of it.  They call hers "functional constipation" because she is not really constipated but will hold it with all her might until she can't hold it any more, and that makes it more painful to pass.  They have not found anything wrong with her digestive system.  Even as a little baby she would get upset whenever she pooped (and it was still liquidy).  I think she just didn't like that sensation from the beginning.

Wish I had some advice to give!  I'll be watching this one to see if anyone else has gotten to the other side of this issue.

ETA:  DD is also on Miralax and we can't decrease the dose much without her having issues.  I hope some day she is able to get off of it.

NJLH

My DD is almost 4 and we have been going thru this for years. Its awful. I hate watching her suffer. She goes thru so many spurts where she crouches in the corner of the room squeezing for days. Her preschool teachers see it too.

She is not poop trained and still wears a pullup because she poops only a couple of times a week and it comes when it comes (long sentence). I've been to 3 local GIs who just say to give Miralax. I feel like the Miralax does nothing. I'm finally going to a specialist further away in November and hope to get some answers. I really feel like it affects her life and activities.

I'd recommend going to a GI and maybe you'll get better answers than Miralax.I'm hoping to.

chocolatechippy

Us too!!  As soon as we started solids my DD had constipation issues.  We went to see a GI specialist, which put her on Miralax.  Apparently DD has a rectal "shelf" so she has to "poop around a corner".  Since we have started PT this issue has reared it's ugly head again. I'm back to using Miralax and playing around with dosage.  Apparently I gave too much because sh went in her panties today nd daycare had to give her a bath . I am no sure what else there is to do, just hoping as they get olde they grow out of it!

mrhorn

I felt so relieved when I saw that we are not the only ones going through this same situation.  Our daughter will be 3 on the the 24th of November.  She has been going pee on the potty for about a month and is doing quite well.  However, given her constipation issues, she has not been successful going poop on the potty.  She has been getting Miralax for quite some time now.  However, I'm not sure if it does anything.  We are constantly catching her crossing her legs and what appears to be holding it in.  However, she has multiple 'accidents' with poop (not always a large amount, maybe just a little mark on her underwear).  When you ask her what she is doing when she is caught in the act she either says 'nothing' or 'i don't know.'  I am at a loss.  And although I don't want to put her back in diapers I'm on the verge of giving up.