One of my daughters hasn't pooped in two days.
I've been trying to think of an interesting blog topic for everyone today, and I can't because over and over in my mind I hear myself worrying. I hear the same sentence.
One of my daughters hasn't pooped in two days.
First, this can't be good for her little intestines. She's acting normal and happy, running around, playing, and yet, she must be full up.
I haven't changed her diet at all. I have no idea how this could have happened. Did she hold it because she didn't want to interrupt playing for potty time? Has her body chemistry changed so that her normal diet is insufficient in some way?
Before the stoppage, she was clearly having trouble for a few days but still going.
The doctor told me to give her Miralax. Great idea in theory. Have you ever tried to get a toddler to drink a chalky disgusting mix, though? We've not been incredibly successful with it over here.
The implications of this are dire. I assume I'll eventually fix the problem, so right now I'm not worried about her long-term health. I know a lot of toddlers go through this. My mother consolingly told me that I went through it as a toddler, too. Only, that wasn't consoling at all. This could set us back months in the almost completed potty training. This could put us back to square one only worse because she'll be fearful of pain while going.
My daughter has not pooped in two days.
If you need me, I'll be at the grocery store, stocking up on prunes.
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S has been taking miralax for a couple weeks now. Are you getting real miralax? It doesn't have any flavor or chalkiness. I Just put it in his sippy cup, 1/2 OJ 1/2 water and shake, he drinks it every morning without issue.
ReplyDeleteApple Juice is also good.
no cheese, bananas, or milk.
What about yogurt? I stopped giving them yogurt b/c I'm unsure.
ReplyDeleteAnd I didn't know that about Miralax. TBH, she doesn't drink all that much, so it's not like she's been avoiding it, she just doesn't drink all that much to begin with...less so with the medicine in there.
yogurt is hit or miss, really depends on the person it seems. I am avoiding it with S just to be sure.
ReplyDeleteEqual parts applesauce, raw bran, prune juice. Pedatric enema (had to do this once, still squicked out but it worked).
ReplyDeleteThis may sound crazy, but I give my little man a banana a day, and when he doesn't have it, he doesn't poop. So bananas are dependent on the person, I think. Just fyi.
ReplyDeleteMirlax dissolves better in a warm liquid. When I was worried about my little one I gave her some hot chocolate (warm water with the instant mix) and she drank it all up. If you are worried about the sugar there are sugar free ones.
ReplyDeleteI also gave her some high fiber foods - flavored triscuits work real well for getting in the fiber on a good tasting basis.
My daughter did got all backed up because she didn't want to stop playing. I thought she was straining to get it out, but she was straining to keep it in, the little turd. We did the applesauce, prune juice and bran mixture, but it did nothing. I got her some Pedialax chewables and that helps but doesn't force the issue. I tried some stimulating laxative too and that didn't do it either. She eventually pooped because she couldn't hold it any longer. It was huge and hurt. The thing that finally worked best was stickers for trying and a reward for going.
ReplyDeleteThis is a topic I'm all too familiar with.
ReplyDeleteAvoid/limit constipating foods - bananas, applesauce, white rice, breads/pasta, dairy...
I was surprised people mentioned applesauce as a remedy b/c it's known to CAUSE constipation. Apple *juice* is a good remedy for constipation, but not apples or applesauce.
Push water, juice, and fruits - especially ones with a high water content and skins: grapes, blueberries, plums, nectarines, peaches... Dried fruits like prunes, craisins, dried blueberries, dried apricots, etc. are also good. Beans/legumes are also a great thing to try - black beans, kidney beans, and peas are favorites with my daughter.
Yogurt is hit or miss - it should help with diarrhea or constipation, for some can make either or both worse.
Miralax should dissolve like sugar into a cup of water and not be noticeable at all, so you may be using too much Miralax with not enough water.
With my daughter, we also talk about how her body makes poop every day and it's her job to push it out, yada, yada, yada. If she had a particularly painful poop, it's very common for a young child to start holding it in after that, which of course, makes it worse. I try to insist that my daughter poop daily at a set time (right before nap) or she falls into that cycle.
There's some more good info here:
http://www.askdrsears.com/html/8/T081100.asp
As I myself sit here in the same situation... lol... I really hope for both of our sakes that our systems figure it out SOON!!!!
ReplyDeleteLucky for her she is not seeming to feel yucky yet :) Here's hoping....
Oh, I hate poopy problems! Honestly, two days isn't going to make most kids sick or sore...another day or two, though, might start to hurt. There's lots of good advice here. I might add tummy rubs. You can massage the intestines to help the muscles relax and let things keep flowing. At least, I think it helps. ;) I'm a huge fan of high-fiber foods too--whole grain breads and brown rice can be really helpful. Good luck! Let us know how it works out.
ReplyDeleteCarla
Miralax is tasteless and textureless- I say this as an adult who has had to consume 64 oz of it at once, mixed with Gatorade. It didn't change the flavor or consistency of the Gatorade.
ReplyDeleteI would watch to make sure she isn't dehydrated, especially because you say she doesn't drink much.
We've had major constipation since the boys turned 1- we have Miralax every other day to keep things running, ahem, smoothly around here. They love it in almond milk- no flavor or texture change.
ReplyDeleteIf miralax contains Triphenylmethane, it is abrasive to the digestive system and not a good idea to keep her on it for more than a few days.
ReplyDeleteIf she doesn't seem to be in any discomfort, it might be normal for her, but it can't hurt to supplement her diet with yogurt (or probiotic pills, if she will take pills) and extra fiber (they sell fiber in powder form these days that dissolves into almost anything!)