xScrunchee Posted August 30, 2007 Share Posted August 30, 2007 My daughter had a toilet problem which lasted quite a while. She started holding her poo when she went to school because apart from the fact that the loo's were dirty, she would get upset when the children would climb up to look over at her in the loo. Anyway, to cut a long story short-she would have an accident almost daily but rarely managing to do a poo on the toilet. We tried sticker charts and Lord knows what else but to no avail. She would not poo for weeks at a time yet was constantly soiling!! It was a very frustrating time if I'm honest and there would be days that I'd be shouting at her and we'd both end up in tears. One day I happened to be looking on the internet and found out that this is a really common problem!! Children quite often hold their poo for some reason or another, then when they eventually do go-it hurts because they held it for too long which puts them off of going meaning that they hold it again!! The soiling is simply because liquid poo leaks out around the blockage which they have no control over!! In time they bowel stretches because of the blockage which then stops the child feeling the urge to poo-so the cycle goes on and on. I found out that it's the constipation that needs dealing with and in time the bowel will regain its original shape and the child will gain their confidence back!! Apparently rather than giving something like Califig which makes the bowel even lazier-we should give milk of magnesia which doesn't change the workings of the bowel it just draws fluid from the gut into the stools making them softer and easier to pass. (You must make sure that the child drinks plenty whilst using the milk of magnesia) You could ask in the chemist about stool softeners as milk of magnesia is not the most palatable of medicines for children!! Anyway, my daughter was taking milk of magnesia every single night for months and as much as she objected due to it tasting nasty, it cleared up the problem and she now goes daily and hasn't been on milk of magnesia for about a year!! I still feel awful because our problem was going on for sooo long before I found out how to help her and I caused so much upset and anxiety on and off in that time!! I'm just pleased that she's fine now though Sorry if I have gone on and on but maybe my story will save someone else having the problem for a couple of years like we did before finding out how to help Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted August 30, 2007 Share Posted August 30, 2007 Good post from xscrunchee. It reminded me about my cousins child, who is now well into his teens, but he was always having problems and was labelled a "stool holder" (who comes up with these tags? ) Anyroad up....she noticed blood on his underpants once or twice, and his refusal to go to the loo and his screaming with pain whenever he did got him a referral to the hospital....an it turned out that he had an anal fissure, caused by exactly the situation xscrunchie described getting totally out of hand. He had treatment and with a reward system every time he poo'd, he was ok. They were told that it might recur if he got back into his old ways so they kept on top of it and he is ok. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted August 30, 2007 Share Posted August 30, 2007 I just feel double bad because I'm one of those mothers that doesn't really like small children. Now teenagers are a different matter, I get on really well with them, they enjoy their time with me and I often help them in ways they don't expect (I teach secondary school). But small children I find boring and total time-bandits. Its my best summer so far, I'm finally enjoying some time with James but I still hate doing any childrens stuff. Oh when he had friends over the other day I was ready to run from the house screaming - after 5 mins! Don't feel bad Kathryn, you're a fab mum James is such a sweetie, but as I can confirm, being a single mum is hard work when it's always just you to deal with all the day to day issues; it gets wearing.... tell you what, I'll have him and you can get him back when he's 13 I just love littlies Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trish Posted August 30, 2007 Share Posted August 30, 2007 Forgot to say we gave our son something called Regucol from Holland and Barratt. It's mainly psyllium husks and is safe for kiddies, you just give less. And it's one of those things that the bowel doesn't get addicted to so you can reduse and stop using once the issue resolves it's self. Poor mite and poor youm it's not easy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
