Pooing anxiety! Need a good paediatrician.

One of the things I love about being a Mum is you can talk about poo and its ok! lol.

My little boy is 2 and he has previously had some severe constipation problems. This was to the point they were getting stuck and I had to help. Since seeing an amazing childrens naturopath )as Gp's just didn't seem to care), he has been on a diet free of any animal milk, and taking probiotics daily. His poos are soft now, but he still had a fear of pooing. He will wait for 4 days + and gets upset about going. He HATES me changing them and gets really upset. I am always really positive and say things like what a good boy you've done a poo, and Mummy will just help you clean up so we can go and play.... but he still cries and is SO upset. We hides too, and once when I tried to look in his nappy we cried like he had been hurt. Funny thing is, my Mum watches him 1 day a week and he is happy to poo for her (3 times, poor mum!). The GP just said give him laxatives and stool softeners and will not give me a paed referral..... so I think I will just see a private one. I don't feel good about giving him these (he said a softener for 3 months) because I don't want him to have a lazy bowel.

We have tried flower essences to ease his anxiety but that did not help. If only I could explain to him that its ok etc..... Poor little man.

Any advice? And anyone know a good paediatrician in Brisbane South (well anywhere from Bris to the Gold Coast really).

Its so upsetting to see him feel that way, in every other way he is happy and healthy, eating an excellent diet and developing so well. He is one of those boys who is always smiling and laughing.

Thanks in advance everyone!

Neet.

I actually would give him the softener personally. A paed really isnt going to be able to help - as his diet is already good, it is more a mental issue at the moment, rather than a physical one. A softener wont make his bowel become lazy, yet a laxetive may. Pooing likely still hurts him if he is holding onto it, where the softener will make that less painful & hopefully ease the poo anxiety - IYKWIM. Cronic constipation can go on for years & cause all sorts of other issues, so better to get it sorted young. Sooo hard being a parent sometimes.
GL

Have you tried Parachoc? I had major problems with DD1 last year and my gp put her on Parachoc. She had to have it regularly for 6 months. It's a softener and the aim is to retrain the bowels. Chronic constipation can cause the bowels to overstretch. It contains parafin and you have to adjust the dose accordingly.
I also gave her a freddo and a sticker everytime she did poos in the toilet.

I'm wondering if perhaps he needs a child therapist rather than a paed? If he goes happily for your mum and when he does go it's soft, it's probably more an anxiety issue that has developed because of his past problems.

Obviously a child therapist is not going to be having lengthy discussions about it with him, but might be able to give you tools and insights into why he is doing this. I have heard that toddlers who are ready to toilet train will stop going in their nappy or they can become bashful about it and try to hold on. Not sure if that helps, but I don't think this is a medical issue therefore I don't think a paed will help you much

I had this exact issue with my DD1. She had a huge fear of doing poos in the toilet (had previously been going fine). She would hold on for days and become so uncomfortable and then would do a poo (lots of tears and screaming because she just couldn't hold on to it anymore). When she did go it would hurt and she wouldn't want to go again. Her diet was great and she wasn't constipated was just literally walking around with her bum clenched.

We eventually got over it using a rewards chart (she was toilet trained). Every time she did a poo she got 2 stickers and a wee she would get one sticker and when she got 10 stickers she would get a prize.

Maybe you could try a reward system for him. Charts are great as they can see the progress.

I was also giving my DD1 pears and prunes to make her go until she was going everyday.

Good luck I know how awful it is and it took us a few weeks to get good progress. smile