We are having a poopy issue over here at the Graber household. Last week Maddie had a bout with constipation. Ever since, she is absolutely terrified to go #2. Maddie has never been constipated in her life. In fact she is normally like a pooping machine - sometimes going 2-3 times per day.I was on unfamiliar territory with this constipation issue. Not entirely sure what to do, I tried Prune Juice. She drank it here and there. I mixed it with some Apple Juice. I tried to increase her fiber. Brian was even sent to CVS to get Pedia Lax - which is a stool softener for kids.
I fretted and wondered and became obsessed with her poop schedule. After a while, I soon realized that she wasn't constipated anymore. Rather - she was afraid to poop and living in fear that the same constipation thing would happen again. So -she was purposely holding in her poop. We all know that is not good. Nothing good can ever come out of holding in your poop. I mean - when you gotta go - you gotta go!
So - it basically comes down to this: she is so terrified of being constipated that she holds her poop in until the last possible minute and then paces like a madwoman when she has to go. While she paces, she holds her fanny and moans and cries. This gives me my cue to force her to sit on the potty until she goes. The whole time she is screaming and crying. I feel so bad. It is not fun to watch your kid scared or terrified. After she finally goes - she just wants to be held and seems tired. The whole thing is very exhausting.
The issue is not constipation anymore. The issue is that she is refusing to go. After she FINALLY does go - I reason with her that she must feel so much better and her tummy doesn't hurt anymore. She agrees with me -but yet - this keeps happening.
How come once you have kids - it is all about the poop?
1 comment:
I have been dealing with this for a REALLY LONG TIME now. I'm giving my son Miralax every single day now. Even if he tries to hold it in (which he still does), he doesn't seem able to. Which means that he's pooped in his pants TWICE now, but I'll take that over screaming in pain for 3 days. I tried the fleet children's laxative and that didn't really work. His pediatrician said to get the miralax. You start with a capful and then slowly taper off until things go back to normal. The problem is when they hold it too much they stretch out the muscle--so it has to be fuller before they feel the sensation to go--and then that hurts, yadda yadda yadda, vicious cycle. The miralax softens it and makes them go so the muscle returns back to it's normal size, over time.
Post a Comment