Mystified by 5 yo poop

[Anonymous]

DS has been perfectly potty trained for several years, but we are still struggling with a poop situation that seems to be getting worse instead of better. Basically, it's like he can't tell he has to poop (?) and always ends up with some pretty dramatic skid marks. The only time he actually proactively goes to the potty to poop, it's because he has some tracks in his pants already and THEN he realized he has to go.

I make him sit on the potty every night before bed if he hasn't gone earlier that day (which is usually the case), and 9/10 he poops, so he's not constipated and I don't think it's "leakage." That said, I have to FORCE him to sit and it's a drama EVERY. SINGLE. TIME. (because he doesn't want to stop playing, even though I give him a million books and toys while he's in there.)

Some days take longer than others but I never make him sit for more than 10 minutes. I cut out dairy because DH is somewhat lactose intolerant and I thought that might be making it worse -- it got somewhat better in terms of poop consistency, but has not changed the behavior at all. He seems genuinely baffled as to why this keeps happening and does not seem to realize he has to poop until it's too late.

I am at my wits end too! Any ideas?

[Anonymous]

I’m pretty sure he’s constipated. Try prunes and dietary changes to see if that addresses it.

[Anonymous]

He's constipated. Google it - this is actually pretty common.

[Anonymous]

Everything I've read about constipation indicates that he should poop at least once a day to *not* be constipated - which he does at least 6 days a week! Which is why I am thinking it's not constipation?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Everything I've read about constipation indicates that he should poop at least once a day to *not* be constipated - which he does at least 6 days a week! Which is why I am thinking it's not constipation?

Ma'am. Google it. And then ask your doctor what you can do. It comes up on this board periodically. The telling statement is "he can't tell he has to poop".

[Anonymous]

Constipation can be like a train of poop, and only one or two boxcars comes out, but the bulk of the train is still in there. You can even poop relatively small amounts 2 or 3 times a day and have a heavy fecal load remaining inside.

[Anonymous]

My daughter at age 6 complained regularly about her stomach hurting but pooped daily so I did not think it was constipation issues. Took her to the Dr. who ordered an x-ray which showed a significant amount of backed up stool so it turns out she was badly constipated. Like the PP said, you can poop regularly but still be constipated. Worth checking in with your pediatrician.

[Anonymous]

I could have written this myself. Your kid, like mine, is constipated. The treatment is Miralax and time on the potty after every meal.

He will fight about this! It is not fun. He will be behaving like a person who doesn't know how his body works, because he IS a person who doesn't know how his body works. Good luck.

[Anonymous]

If he can't feel he has to poop he's constipated. And it's gone long enough that he's lost the peristaltic reflex. Clean out using miralax and then a daily regimen for a couple months. More fiber and more water. Good luck.

[Anonymous]

https://youtu.be/SgBj7Mc_4sc

I found this video helpful about kids withholding poop and then leaking (from children’s hospital)

[Anonymous]

Your kid isn’t perfectly potty training.

Get a squatty potty and have him sit for 5 minutes after every meal to stimulate the elimination reflex.


Increase fiber and water intake.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If he can't feel he has to poop he's constipated. And it's gone long enough that he's lost the peristaltic reflex. Clean out using miralax and then a daily regimen for a couple months. More fiber and more water. Good luck.

+1. Do this and take him to GI also. He is backed up and if he has unusually huge bowel movements that clog then he is definitely constipated in addition to the fact he cant tell when he has to poop. This is from a mom who has struggled with DS on this. I did Miralax, focused on his diet, and regularly made him sit on potty after every meal and saw a big improvement.

[Anonymous]

Constipated. Your body just stops sending the signals.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Constipated. Your body just stops sending the signals.

p.s. The fact that you seems to think that 6 times a week is more than enough suggests to me that you need to learn some stuff about poop. For reference, our kids poop usually 2, sometimes 3, times a day, and that seems perfectly normal. Once a day would be pretty rare, I'd think. And not pooping for an entire day? Definitely not unless very sick and just not eating. (And they don't usually get sick, so it doesn't happen much if at all.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If he can't feel he has to poop he's constipated. And it's gone long enough that he's lost the peristaltic reflex. Clean out using miralax and then a daily regimen for a couple months. More fiber and more water. Good luck.

+1. Do this and take him to GI also. He is backed up and if he has unusually huge bowel movements that clog then he is definitely constipated in addition to the fact he cant tell when he has to poop. This is from a mom who has struggled with DS on this. I did Miralax, focused on his diet, and regularly made him sit on potty after every meal and saw a big improvement.

DP. What did the GI do that was helpful, other than advise the Miralax and diet changes?