# 11 days, no poop!!! -- toddler "holding in"



## dunicakes

Help!
My 2.5-year-old daughter has been "holding in" her poop for ELEVEN DAYS!!! We're about to try a glycerin suppository -- I don't know what else to do, short of taking her to the ER. I'm sure an ER enema experience would not make any more fond of pooping, though... We try to give her liquids and fiber, but she does it on purpose. She stands, presses her buttcheeks together and actually says, "Push in!" She's never held it in for this long before, though. Does anyone have any suggestions? Someone told me to give her mineral oil, but some people seem to feel that that isn't safe...


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## samanthasmom

prune juice worked for my nephew.....


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## Kayde

My first post!! I am a virgin so be gentle.

This is/was my daughter to a 'T'. She would stand in one spot, squeeze her butt cheeks together and hold it in. She would get really red in the face and then it would pass only to happen again minutes later. The would go on for days. We probably got close to the 11 day mark here and there.

After a trip to the doc, he suggested Miralax. However, this is a petroleum product and I wasn't keen on giving it to her. We just stuck with lots of Naked Juice and other 'smoothies'.

But, the one time it so got really out of hand, I gave her a suppository. She had been holding it for days and each time she would try to hold it in, a little would come out. After doing this over and over, it gave her the WORST rash which made the problem even worse. So suppository time.

It worked wonders on getting out the poo HOWEVER, we still have this problem. She has poo anxiety that we just have to work through. It comes around every couple of months or so.

Hang in there. It will pass. I hope this helps. You are not the only one out there!!


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## JBaxter

11 days is way to long. Try prune juice today. At this point I dont know if a pedilax ( glycerine suppository) will work you may have to do a pediatric enema. If she doenst go tonight I would call her health care person.


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## KD's Momma

I agree with pp, 11 days is way to long. I would try supp and juice tonight and call hp in am


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## dunicakes

Hi, everyone!
I just tried to put the suppository in and it was a total failure -- she kicked and screamed so much that my husband and I couldn't keep her down. I'll have to wait until she's asleep to slip it in. Meanwhile I'm considering the doctor option. There are two problems with it, though: 1) we are going on a plane trip tomorrow and 2) I'm afraid of creating further trauma around pooping by subjecting her to an ER enema experience. I don't know how to handle it -- can't let it go, but I doin't want to make her feel too man-handled -- she's such a control freak.


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## JBaxter

you dont need an ER for a pediatric enema. They sell them at the drug store. Croninc constipation /long term constipation can cause something called mega colin. You really need to get her to poop either before you go or when ever you get to your desination. She will get impacted and that will make her sick.


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## dunicakes

Hi, again!
Well, I'm happy to report that the suppository worked. Once we finally managed to put it in, it took only about half an hour for her to produce an enormous poop. She still tried her hardest to keep it in, but she couldn't. She did seem to have some cramping and started crying, which made me feel terrible, but then she passed a ball of poop the size of my fist and seemed to feel much better (surprise, surprise...). Well, I certainly hope it won't come to this again, b







ut at least I know that there is something that works on her if things should get this bad in the future. Thanks for all your support and advice!


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## JBaxter

I went through the whole hold of poop thing with 2 of mine between 2 & 2 1/2 when we were potty training. I had a great ped give me a suggestion
Every day for a month or 2 give them 1 or 2 oz of prune juice ( mix it with other juice/ dilute it how ever) every day. It will keep their poop softer and harder for them to hold. eventually it clicks in their toddler mind that pooping doesnt hurt and its better for them. It worked for us








My now 4 yr old we even had a special bob the builder cup so we called his bob's poop juice







Bob juice made his poopy slide out easier ( or so he told people LOL)


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## alfabetsoup

We had good luck with a homeopathic remedy, we had a long consultation with a homepath and she prescribed sea salt. That got DD going and we're off it now. Still have occasional problems but as long as she doesn't eat too many bananas she usually goes every day.

You might want to limit the fiber as it can sometimes make things worse. DD eats monstrous amounts of fruit and veg and I think that helps, as well as drinking lots.


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## Mommal

Not wanting to hijack the thread, but does anyone know anything about adding flaxseed meal to a constipated toddler's food? My DD (another control freak) has definite problems with constipation and poop "withholding." When we were up at my mom's, mom started feeding her oatmeal from her own dish, made with a generous helping of flaxseed meal. All of a sudden DD was going once per day!

So, flaxseed: does it work?

Also, y'all might be interested in this article from American Family Physician, on the mechanics and management of constipation in small children.


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## JBaxter

we did flax seed oil with Nathan also. He liked the 2ozprune/2ozapple concoction so we went with that instea. I also added flax seeds to lots of his stutff. muffins, pancakes oatmeal etc.


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## greeny

My dd did that for several months. It was horrible for all of us. She was miserable. So were the rest of us.

We finally went to the ped (who happens to be pretty alternative), and she recommended Miralax for a few days to a few weeks, depending on how long we needed it.

It worked really well. We gave dd a small dose every other day, and within a few days, she was going regularly. She still tried to hold it in, but eventually she started going again with no drama.

I know Miralax isn't without risks, but for us at that time the benefit of making dd comfortable again and getting things moving outweighed the risks. And we didn't have to use it long-term.

Good luck. This poop-holding was one of the hardest parenting things we've gone through so far, as weird as that sounds (and dd is not an easy child).


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## prettypixels

Quote:


Originally Posted by *dunicakes* 
Help!
My 2.5-year-old daughter has been "holding in" her poop for ELEVEN DAYS!!! We're about to try a glycerin suppository -- I don't know what else to do, short of taking her to the ER. I'm sure an ER enema experience would not make any more fond of pooping, though... We try to give her liquids and fiber, but she does it on purpose. She stands, presses her buttcheeks together and actually says, "Push in!" She's never held it in for this long before, though. Does anyone have any suggestions? Someone told me to give her mineral oil, but some people seem to feel that that isn't safe...

Try Miralax. It's OTC, it's so gentle, it is really wonderful. Seriously. My daughter had a few painful poops and I was worried we were going down this road, Miralax saved the day!


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