Constipation Archives

Stool withholding testimonial

Hi,Walt and everyone -
I just want to tell you that my granddaughter is finally pooping in the toilet instead of the pull-ups, and I can definitely say that if it weren't for your wonderful advice about the metamucil and mineral oil, I feel certain that this would have been a problem indefinitely.
She first started withholding when she was about 2 years old. Her pediatrician recommended giving her MOM, which didn't help at all and was almost impossible to give to her.
I decided to look on the Internet for a solution and was very surprised to see your site and that many, many other children had this problem!
I then immediately sent an email to you, I thought. It turned out that the email was to Bill, and he was kind enough to email me and explain how to use your Bulletin Board. I learned there that my granddaughter had had a fissure, which caused her to have a fear of pooping (my daughter had seen a small amount of blood in the diaper, but the pediatrician didn't make the connection because it didn't happen again.)
The outcome, even though it has taken five years, was just perfect. On her fifth birthday she decided to sit on the toilet and has been fine ever since! The thing was that she developed a fear of going in the potty because she got used to standing up and going in the pull-up. My daughter didn't try to force her, even though she was getting very nervous since in the Fall she will be starting Kindergarten.
As Walt noted, it was also a battle of wills. Even when TV was stopped and when she was promised a hamster, she still refused to sit on the toilet (except to urinate). But the last time I visited she promised that when she was 5 she would poop in the toilet. Nothing was said after that, but, as I said above, that's when it happened. All along my daughter has been giving her the fiber tablets daily, and when I would have my nightly Metamucil when visiting her, she would drink some not seeming to know what it was for. She hadn't needed to give her the Mineral Oil after her stools started getting soft and she went often.
This is very long and rambling, I realize, but I know how worried parents are when their children are withholding, and I just want to let them know that there is a light at the end of the tunnel if you are just patient and don't push too hard with the toilet-training. I realize that 5 years old is nothing to brag about in toilet training; however, there were no more problems with fissures, hard stools, etc. after she started giving her the MO and Metamucil; and that was very important. It took about 6 months for her to realize that it didn't hurt when she pooped, but she always was a little fearful. Hope this helps someone. I do thank Walt, especially, and also all the other parents who answered my posts about this. Raisa

Re: Stool withholding testimonial

Re: Stool withholding testimonial

Re: Stool withholding testimonial

Re: Stool withholding testimonial