It's the poo issue again - can anyone tell me what *has* worked?

[somethinganything]

I know there are tonnes of threads already re bowel training issues (fear of pooing in potty/witholding etc) but thought it might be helpful to start one where people can share tips that have actually worked. Maybe it's lining the potty with a nappy, maybe it's just waiting it out until DC overcomes fear, maybe it's some magic formula I don't yet know about!

If your DC had poo training issues and something helped to overcome them, please share.

Thanks ladies

PS I'd like to get the ball rolling myself but we're still at the witholding poo until night-time nappy stage...

[EvilTwins]

The only thing that has worked for us is letting her come to it in her own time. We've had all sorts of problems with DTD1 - we've been down the movicol route (great - works a treat, but the problem really is her immense stubbornness in holding onto it)and even had to use a pessary once, but the only way through for us is patience, patience, patience (and cheap knickers we don't mind throwing in the bin ) She's still not 100% there (was 4yo last week) but it's much much better than it was.

[DebsCee]

Same as ET - with DS1 he would do a poo overnight every night in his nappy, potty trained (wee) at 2.5 and then he just did it one day, no bribe, no coercing, just did it.

DS2 - potty trained (wee) at 3.4, completely dry overnight and withholding poo during the day until 4 weeks ago and again just did it - we simply laid off, never made an issue of it, didn't even say the 'P' word and again he just did it one day when he asked to sit down - we tried to get him to stand at the loo (thinking it was a wee), spent ages persuading him and felt bad when we realised what he wanted to sit down for!

My only advice - lay off, don't even mention it except in a positive kind of 'do it in your nappy overnight, don't worry about it' kind of way.

[EvilTwins]

If it's any help, I really wish I'd been more laid back about it right at the start. DTD1 has been dry for well over a year and a half, and we never put her back into nappies, so she's done a lot of pooing in her knickers. I fully accept that my frustration with the situation, once it became clear that it was not going to sort itself out quickly, has contributed to the continuation of it. We twice got to the stage where she was so badly constipated that she was sick, and then of course it was hideously painful for her to actually produce anything (TMI) and even now, when her stools are much softer (still HUGE though), she is so worried that it MIGHT hurt that she will hold it and hold it for (sometimes) days. I do think that if I was more laid back about it at the start, we wouldn't have got to the really bad bit. Now I try to be laid back and patient, and she's relaxed an awful lot, but we're still undoing the damage, IYSWIM.

[somethinganything]

Thanks eviltwins & DebsCee - so no quick fix then!! Still v helpful to hear about your experiences, I guess I just wait it out until she's ready.

[Roo83]

We read Poo Goes Home to Pooland on a regular basis and after every poo accident, also a treat bag left on display with lollipops and kinder eggs in (both things he'd never been allowed to have). Every time he asked for a treat, I'd tell him he could have one when he did a poo on the potty.

When he started going in pants, scooped him onto toilet/potty and always emptied poo from pants into the toilet and said 'poo goes in the toilet'

Also lots of fresh fruit salad, and particuarly strawberries which usually made him go within about 30mins of eating them.

[EnglandAllenPoe]

lots of drinks (orange juice) & increase in fibre in diet. Make it easy.

then holding up chocolate button and asking for poo-poo on potty.

after this, reward reward reward every potty or toilet poo.
every time there is a slight regression (usually caused by change in diet/ circumstances) we buy more buttons, and the problem goes away.

[Scootergrrrl]

Recording, on my phone, the "huge enormous splash" ds could make and then allowing him to compare it with his sister's in a revolting competition -'you did ask!

[whomovedmychocolate]

Sing songs on the loo worked for us. Coupled with fruit with breakfast. But now we can't get her off the bloody loo and she constantly goes to the loo to 'sit and have a think' (and usually sings 'I'm doing a big poo, a big poo, a big poo, it's going to go plop, it'll be a big poo, big poo, big poo, listen to my big poo splosh' )

[LadyBlaBlah]

Withholder here for 2 years

To 'unblock' the system used chocolate laxative from chemist

No bollocking

No nothing

Just left him to it

(that is after a year or 2 or torment)

In hindsight, he just wanted us to butt out and do it himself (but I still think the lax got the ball rolling)

[LadyBlaBlah]

Sorry just read your op properly

This was an issue way after potty training - ignore !

[Scootergrrrl]

The rules were that only I was allowed to hold the phone near the toilet and that the recordings were never to be played in public!