Chronic constipation - very distressed mum and toddler

My DD recently went through this. I know she has a good diet and eats and drinks well. We tried switching her to normal milk (she is lactose intolerant) hoping it would help empty her bowels but to no avail. What worked for us (the liquid parafin assisted but didn't REALLY help) was a microlax. It is an enema which is bought over the counter. You insert half the applicator tip into the rectum, empty the contents into the bowel... and wait. You usually get a result within 15 minutes. I had to give DD one 2 nights in a row and then after that she has been fine - she just needed a little help to clear the back log.

Before anyone runs out to purchase microlax - please keep in mind I am a Registered Nurse and have no drama in administering this to my own child. However, if you are interested in going down that path please discuss it with your local pharmacist first. There is an age limit (I think 2 years of age?) and it can be a little uncomfortable for them. It produces mild cramping in their abdomen. It is much gentler than a FLEET enema. This kind of treatment is not up everyone's alley - it can take a bit to get over the mental barrier of inserting something into your own child's rectum.

In relation to too much fibre - it is not so much the quantity of fibre but not consuming enough water to match the amount of fibre being consumed.

HTH

MG

I'm in South Africa and rooibos tea are safe to drink for everyone. It's safe when pg and breastfeeding and does not have any caffeine (sp) It's drank with sugar and milk, or just black. You can even leave the bag in the cup as long as you like, without it getting all icky-tasting like english teas. The longer you leave it to seep the more anti-oxies it gets. It's even said to have a soothing effect on colicy babies. Bottom line, it's as harmfull as boiled water, it just taste MUCH better.

Well, no bowel motion today... so I am worried that that means a bad one in a few days again. DD has been drinking diluted prune juice all day and even had rice bubbles in prune juice for breakfast!

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jackrose - my DD3 (who is almost 2yrs old) is going through the exact same thing. :( And like you, I know all the "normal" things to try with constipation. We eat lots of fibre, fruit and veggies. My oldest DD (6yrs) has the same thing. My second DD is just fine. Same diet, same lifestyle.

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Exactly!! It is so frustrating that the normal things that should help do not which leaves you scratching your head. At least you can see clearly that you are doing nothing wrong and have clear proof that each child is just different.

Mother Goose, thanks for the advice from a Nurse and a mother's perspective. It is good to know there is an answer when things get to the worst possible place. Yesterday after 2 hours of attempting to poo, I was really getting worried about what to do. I am glad I haven't had to get there yet but I do worry about her anal sphincter being stretched for such an extended period of time!!

Janie, I am on the other side of Melbourne so Croydon is a long way away. However, I am willing to do whatever it takes to sort this out so I might look you up in the near future. I really do believe in finding the right person to help.

Nadine216, I actually think you might be onto something with the psychological aspect of pooing at home. I have certainly realised there is a real fear factor with pooing for her.... poor little poppet.

And I absolutely agree, Rooibos is lovely tea! I was so pleased to find something when I was pregnant that is good for you and tasty!

charmalea, I have bought rooibos in the supermarket, but my favourite is from a tea store called lupicia (just cos I like going in there and being wowed by the choices!) or from a health food shop.

Now I just have to deal with my own pregnancy and progesterone related constipation :doh:!! Luckily, I have a wonderful Chinese doctor who is helping with that!

To all the lovely people who responded with helpful suggestions back in October when my DD was going through such horrible constipation, I wanted to pop back and give you an update.

Although I tried all of the usual solutions for constipation and DDs diet was exceptional with more than adequate fluid intake her constipation continued - and is still a problem.

I finally got in to see a specialist at the RCH today and I am feeling over the moon. He was wonderful and listened carefully then told me the answer is simple! His explanation of what was going on made such perfect sense and the plan of action he suggested is both manageable and - I can see - likely to make changes. The biggest benefit, it is not radical and does not involve medications!!

I am feeling confident in this for the first time in months.

I just wanted to let any mothers who have children with ongoing constipation issues know that there is a wonderful Specialist at the RCH who can help! When extra water, good diet, pears/apples/prunes etc don't work long term - get some more advice.

thanks for all of your support a few months ago, it was appreciated and I wish you all the best with your LOs.

That's great news, Jackrose, I'm glad to hear things are looking up. What did your specialist suggest?

Thanks Michael!
He explained that it was most likely a psychophysiological response at this stage. She would have had a constipation event earlier on (check) and learnt that pooing can be painful (check) then held on (check) leading to more constipation and more pain (check) which only reinforced the whole thing in her mind. He explained that I need to work on getting her stools soft for a long time to break this association.

This all made so much sense to me as I know her diet is fine now. She has a decent amount of fibre for her age, lots of fluid, a good mix of fruit/veg/carb and protein and I tried foods with a laxative effect - still constipated. A Dietition was bamboozled based on her diet.

So we are using parachoc to help lubricate her bowel and have a plan to use it for an extended period to break the psychophysiological response of poo = pain - so hold on. I had been doing this but was unsure it was the right course of action and sometimes forgot a dose - leading to more constipation and my clever little 2yo going aa-haa: "poo is pain" all over again :wall:.

She has been pooing easily the last few days and is even toilet training herself.

It was so nice to get confident advice and a clear explanation for what was going on.

I've just read through your thread, Jackrose, and I'm really happy to hear that you have a plan and way to get through everything that has happened for your DD and you! I hope that the association that has formed is broken before long and things are calm and without the distress you've been experiencing.

It's been really helpful for me to read your thread as my DD usually always has hard, constipated-like poos even though we are still demand BFing and she has many good foods in her diet, including natural laxatives. She doesn't act constipated in that she grunts and strains and often takes a bit to eliminate, but she is not distressed as such. She normally eliminates at least once a day, but I often worry about the time where it might start up where she associated poos with pain of elimination, as there are times when despite trying she won't be able to poo until several tries/some hours later, and occasionally with some assistance (bending her knees to her stomach whilst on her back). I think she naturally has had a slow bowel from birth (a lot to do with very bad wind problems in her bowel from birth) and I often think that once she is somewhat "backed up" that she tends to stay that way for extended periods of time, whether by choice or not, whatever she eats/drinks.

Thank you for sharing your update and treatment that your Dr has advised - and again I'm really happy to hear that you have a solution and I hope it is lasting and you've seen and end permanently to the problems for your DD :hug:

Thanks Acacia, I am glad my experiences have been of some help, this is exactly why I came back to update! When we were going through the worst and I was trawling the internet for help, I was astounded that the only real solution offered was to treat toddlers like little mini adults. It just did not make sense to me.

Your post did remind me of things we went through such has having to assist with a movement, its so traumatic. I am so glad you can take some things from my experience as you will know what to look for if the situation gets worse and what to do about it. For us, the problem really began to emerge when DD was old enough to tie the whole thing together cognitively, poo=pain.

Things are going along really well here. DD appears to have no trauma when she needs to go and all bowel movements have been soft. Phew!

That's great news, JR! I'm very happy to hear that the cycle is well and truly broken for your DD now :)