In feeling a bit odd about giving DS a suppository(sp)

[TheJollyPirate]

Okay - long story in short. DS (aged 7) is autistic and one of his more difficult behaviours is to withhold his poo (and I am aware many NT children do the same). Generally we manage as I have various strategies in place to ensure he does poo most days.

Sooo - this week for the first time ever we had a four day gap and for the past two nights he had been sobbing and vomiting due to constipation.

I rang the out of hours service and took DS to see a doctor last night who prescribed Movicol and Glycerine Suppositories. In the doctor's words " you just wet the end and insert them".

Now as a nurse and midwife I am an old hand at inserting Glycerine suppositories but have to say I felt a bit weird about doing this for DS (it worked a treat btw). In my past experience this was done by a nurse or a doctor if a child was constipated. Is it now the norm for parents to be asked to insert them and AIBU in feeling odd about it?

Or has it always been the case that parents were asked to do this? Have I just been unobservant?

[PerpetuallyAnnoyedByHeadlice]

we had to give DD calpol suppositories when she was 3

she had a realy bad temp with raging tonsilitis and would not/could not keep any medicine down

i suppose it is less traumatic for them if its a parent not a stranger?

[YunoYurbubson]

Well done for doing it anyway.

I don't subscribe to the English squeamishness about bottoms, and shove supositories up my children's bottoms with cheerful abandon when they are ill. But they are younger than 7, and I can see that as they get older you would have more reason to feel intrusive (is your odd feeling about being intrusive?). Also, because I've always done it, it doesn't seem odd.

Did ds mind?

Glad it worked and he's feeling better.

[Katisha]

It's very much the culture on the continent. If it works, go for it!

[TheJollyPirate]

Tbh as a survivor of sexual abuse I suspect I am just more sensitive about it all than I should be. Love your description Yuno - DS didn't mind and went straight to sleep after he pooed - just said "my bum doesn't hurt anymore Mummy".

And yes Perp - you are right that it must be less traumatic for the child than having a stranger do it.

[noblegiraffe]

I have to do it all the time for my constipated 11 month old. The doctor just prescribed a packet for use as and when.