# suggestions for over the counter "stool softeners"?



## Jess_n'_the_bean (May 12, 2006)

DD is potty learning, doing great but we have hit a bump with pooping on the potty. although she did it twice with minimal drama, she is now holding her poop - for like a week. She has waited so long that it now is painful when she starts to poop - clenches and says she's not gonna do it.

she eats at least one big bowl of yogourt and prunes (she thinks it's chocolate yogourt) every day, often 2. she eats TONS of fresh fruit and veggies, cereal etc. Someone mentioned to me an over-the-counter all natural product - white tasteless, odourless powder to mix into drinks and stuff. anybody know what this is? my friend couldn't remember the name of it. I think I need something 'stronger' than the usual food items that usually help us in this situation.


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## ckmannel (Oct 16, 2008)

well, it's not "natural" but half a dose of Miralax mixed in the full amount of water did well for DS who has chronic hard poop problems. Good luck, I know it's painful to watch your little one struggle with that.


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## AbbieB (Mar 21, 2006)

Udo's oil supplements. Full of stuff you need, guaranteed to make you poop.

It's not natural, but also another guarantee to make you poop, and to make things a little easier, Try a Fleet's suppository. The stuff got me through a horrendous bout of constipation postpartum (OMG, I thought I was going to die!) I also use half for my DS (23 months) when he is backed up. It works very quickly so there is not worry about it getting things going when you are in the middle of something else.


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## Holiztic (Oct 10, 2005)

Magnesium is a softener. DS gets magnesium for magnesium's sake (because of all the calcium he gets in dairy) and it softens his poop if I give him the full dose (so I give him half).

The "Calm" products are what we use. http://www.petergillham.com/ They have Baby Calm and Kid's Calm http://www.petergillham.com/product-...-kids-calm.php .

BTW, it is white and powdered, but it has a tangy taste (like a sour candy I guess) Easily stirred into water, juice, food, etc.


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## Erica09M (Jul 28, 2008)

My suggestion is Miralax. My older daughter has major constipation issues which became very severe about a year ago. I'm talking she was maybe having a bowel movement once or twice a month. She was whiney, in so much pain, "leaking" liquid stool around the backed up stool, that liquid stool was extremely acidic and breaking down the skin on her bottom to. She now sees a gastroenterologist and takes 2 tbsp of prescription Miralax (cheaper w/ our insurance than buying over the counter) in 7 oz of apple juice each morning. It keeps her stools very, very soft (not to be TMI but they want it pudding consistency so she can't hold it in, but it's not so loose that she has accidents) and very easy for her to push out now.

Miralax isn't a stimulant or a laxative. It just softens the stool. It's completely safe. If you do give your child Miralax, the doc told us to only mix it with APPLE or WHITE GRAPE juices.

When she was taking 1 tbs of Miralax, we mixed it with 4 oz of juice. But that wasn't doing what we needed it to do, so we upped the dose and upped the oz of juice.

PM me if you want to chat!


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## Jess_n'_the_bean (May 12, 2006)

thanks everyone. i went to the pharmacy and spoke to the pharmacist who recommended a stool softener - drop/liquid form. it worked!


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## MamaNan (Jan 14, 2008)

I have been dealing with this for the past 6 weeks and we are finally over the hump. It started with potty learning and a little constipation and then dd started holding it in. I had to use a couple of suppositories and it was miserable for everyone. Since we have added all of the below suggestions to dd's diet things have been so much better. Here are the things we have done to keep dd's stools soft and regular. Even if she wants to she can't hold them in and we are now past the "pooping is scary and it hurts" stage. I am going to keep up with all of the stuff we are doing to make sure we don't take any steps back.

1. Kids probiotics. I bought them at our whole food store and they have made the biggest difference. I put about 1/4 teaspoon in a little cup of juice every morning for dd.

2. Flax oil. I also bought this at our whole food store. The brand is Barlean's and the flavor is strawberry/banana. DD thinks it is the most special, delicious treat so I have no problem getting her to take 2 tablespoons a day (one in the morning, one in the evening). I tried regular flax oil and dd wasn't having any of it, so the pink strawberry potion has been awesome.

3. Drinking tons of fluids. In the past, dd rarely got juice, but now I let her have it daily because it is liquid. I tried prune juice and she didn't like it so we stick with apple or grape. Lots of regular water and lots of fizzy water. Dd will drink a glass of fizzy water without hesitation because she likes it. I just try to get as much liquid in her as possible.

4. Epsom salt baths. The magnesium is absorbed through the skin and helps soften the stool.

Good luck, I know it can be so tough, frustrating and heartbreaking. Dd would get agitated and cranky when she had to poop, but she would still hold it in. After she pooped she was like a different child. We have had about a week and a half of soft easy poops and I am hoping we keep up with it.


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## MissMommyNiceNice (May 1, 2007)

I'm glad to hear about miralax! I'll have to look at it the next time I'm at the store! We've been using some fiber gummi bears and had really good success with those at first. But it isn't cutting it anymore.

He gets so backed up and takes these giant poops that look like they hurt, they're bigger than golf balls! I'm afraid he's going to do some real damage and I was considering taking him to the doctor. I'll have to try this first. Thanks!


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## sapphos (Nov 9, 2006)

I'm going to try what you did for my dd. She's almost three and has been using the potty for poop since July but will hold it now for about three to four days each time. She will literally start to dance around and say uppa uppa uppa and I know she wants to poop but she won't go. I know exactly what you mean about being a different child too. maybe I'll have to do magnesium pills though because there is a lot of chlorine in our water so we don't do as many baths but it is one of the ways we relax her to finally poop.

It's amazing because she'll say she feels better after pooping but it doesn't matter she still won't poop when she needs to. She runs around with this huge round belly that you can feel the poop in - it's horrible and I didn't know a kid could poop so much at one time









So here's hoping it works - I prefer this to adding things like Miralax but I suppose if we end up that route it's at least another option.

Thanks!

Quote:


Originally Posted by *MamaNan* 
I have been dealing with this for the past 6 weeks and we are finally over the hump. It started with potty learning and a little constipation and then dd started holding it in. I had to use a couple of suppositories and it was miserable for everyone. Since we have added all of the below suggestions to dd's diet things have been so much better. Here are the things we have done to keep dd's stools soft and regular. Even if she wants to she can't hold them in and we are now past the "pooping is scary and it hurts" stage. I am going to keep up with all of the stuff we are doing to make sure we don't take any steps back.

1. Kids probiotics. I bought them at our whole food store and they have made the biggest difference. I put about 1/4 teaspoon in a little cup of juice every morning for dd.

2. Flax oil. I also bought this at our whole food store. The brand is Barlean's and the flavor is strawberry/banana. DD thinks it is the most special, delicious treat so I have no problem getting her to take 2 tablespoons a day (one in the morning, one in the evening). I tried regular flax oil and dd wasn't having any of it, so the pink strawberry potion has been awesome.

3. Drinking tons of fluids. In the past, dd rarely got juice, but now I let her have it daily because it is liquid. I tried prune juice and she didn't like it so we stick with apple or grape. Lots of regular water and lots of fizzy water. Dd will drink a glass of fizzy water without hesitation because she likes it. I just try to get as much liquid in her as possible.

4. Epsom salt baths. The magnesium is absorbed through the skin and helps soften the stool.

Good luck, I know it can be so tough, frustrating and heartbreaking. Dd would get agitated and cranky when she had to poop, but she would still hold it in. After she pooped she was like a different child. We have had about a week and a half of soft easy poops and I am hoping we keep up with it.


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## columbusmomma (Oct 31, 2006)




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