Child's Poop Always Clogs Toilet

Dear B.,
There could be a combination of things at work here, but I taught my son to flush as soon as something comes out, then go some more and flush, and ALWAYS flush before using any toilet paper. That way, you don't have a toilet full of stuff to try to flush down all at once.
That's a clog just waiting to happen.
My aunt kept a thin branch she'd cut off a tree to keep in the bathroom for my cousin to use when he was a teenager. I never could stomach the idea of the "poop stick" thing, but the flushing has worked great for my kid.

Wow, you just brought back an amusing memory. My oldest son also had the same problem. I remember my younger son once referring to his brother's poop, saying there was a blimp in the toilet.

We just did a lot of plunging. If she is embarrassed maybe you should teach her to plunge it herself.

Don't have an answer -- Maybe more fiber?

HI B.,

Yes, I think this is a typical problem. I also blame the toilet and sometimes the quantity of paper that is used, but it does amaze me what comes out of these "little kids".

My son (6) has become pretty adept at plunging himself and if not, he usually lets us know.

The flushable wipes also help - because he uses less paper that way.

Is your child pooping in the potty or are you dumping poop from a diaper into the toilet? I only ask because when I was trying to show my son that poop belongs in the potty to encourage potty training, I would empty his diaper into the toilet so he could flush it. Those poops were wide and sometimes clogged the toilet, I think because when it hits the diaper it spreads out. I guess there is not a lot that can be done about that!

It's a good sign that your child's bowel movements are still that way.. it 's indicative of their colons not being all clogged up .. look at a child's bm compared to an adult.. adults as they gum up their systems, their bm begin to become less solid and less thick. it's a good sign although it may be embarassing to your child.. however, do this.. flush it FIRST and then clean up.. this way, at least it will go down the toilet without other things to clog it up.. also, it's not her fault.. if you have one of those low water toilets to save water, the pressure at times just isn't that high...... believe me, a regular toilet would flush it..

A lot depends on if these poops are hard and compacted or light and fluffy. My son got himself really consitpated by refusing to poop when he was quite young and it has gone on for years and years. The problem is that the rectum gets so stretched out that they don't feel the "urge" to go until it is so big that it will be uncomfortable and clog the toilet.
I have become a master of the plunger and also agree with the recommendations for these new powerful toilets but that doesn't address the issue if they are away from home (which is when it is really embarrassing)
Addressing issues of digestive and bowel problems can take a long time. using stool softeners or laxatives aren't really a great long term strategy but sometime will help get things back in order.

She is constipated. Take a close look at her diet. Too much dairy and refined food is constipating. She needs plenty of fruits and veggies and high fiber bread and cereal.

I give my kids All Bran yogurt bites, and they love it. We buy double fiber bread from Oroweat. Plus lots of fruit and veg. I also notice my kids are highly irritable and don't behave well if their digestion is not optimal.

Also check out Dr. Oz at RealAge for great info on how to improve health through diet. Get the book The Owners Manual of YOU. Frankly I am shocked at how many parents chimed in on this problem. If your child is starting out life this way, the health ramifications going forward are so serious. Once that colon is stretched out too long, it will NEVER go back. Plus, all of the other health problems that arise from an unbalanced diet.

The way I improved my kids diet, and my own, is that we simply don't have refined junk in the house. They make good choices, because they are the only options we have. The kids will eat all the good stuff, if that is all that's available. And then their tastes will change and they won't want the junk as much. My kids wolf down celery and carrots, tons of fruit, and love it now. We don't miss the junk one bit now. And we all feel so much better. I noticed my kids started behaving so much better when the sugar went out of their diet.

Take care!

With the low flush toilets it is a problem. We've told our boys to flush part way through the pooping, then again after wiping. That way there isn't too much in the toilet at one time. Unfortunately, these low flush toilets don't save much on water when you have to flush more than once to get things gone.

I think it has less to do with the poop and more to do with the toilet. My son also clogged the toilet at least once a week. We replaced our toilets with a TOTO toilet over a year ago and have not had any clogs since. Those toilets are amazing.

B.,

My adult special needs son has this problem. I am sure that it is because he doesn't eat enough fresh fruits and vegetables. His dietary choices are mostly carbohydrates. Our dietary influence on his choices is limited but we do try to make sure he gets nutritional supplements daily with an herbal blend/fiber for constipation. That routine improves his clogged plumbing issue AND our clogged plumbing issue.

You can check out Botanalax and Aloe Plus on my website or call me. Go to Local Business Reviews/ Victorious Living with Symmetry Direct to get the web address.

Victorious Living to you and yours,
D. Hendon
###-###-####

B.,

Depending on her age, maybe she can try flushing as she is going----or going to the bathroom more frequently? I am not sure how often she is doing this, but pooping more frequently usually means less all at once. Hope this helps.

Molly

yes my 9 year old son has the same problem. laxatives dont help. my toilet stays clogged.

My mother, a registered nurse, laughs when I tell her that something similar happens sometimes with my 3 y.o. daughter. She says that's how poops should look and it means my girlie is healthy! It's hard to believe such big poops come from such tiny bodies. As for the clogging, wow! Tell her not to be embarassed -- it means she's healthy! -- and then maybe use something to break it in half and then flush it.
Good luck!
K. in EC

Go down to the craft store or beauty supply and buy yourself some popcicle sticks. Then when she goes tell her not to flush and to call you. You have to break the poop up with the stick then flush. This is what I do and it works. I know it's gross, and believe me I have gagged a few times but I figure it won't last forever and we just need to have working toilets. We also changed our toilets from American Standard to TOTO toilet and the problem seems to have gone away.

Hi,

I'm going to go out on a limb here in a totally direction than everyone else, but is it possible that she isn't getting enough of the right kinds of dietary fiber in her diet?

I've had this problem myself, both as a young person and an adult, and my recommendation would be to speak to you child's primary care doctor or a dietitian.

Some kids also wait too long to use the bathroom. This can cause moisture to leach back into the body, making the waste harder and more difficult to pass and flush.

It's the toilet. If you're able consider replacing the toilet.

I would suggest stool softeners so it will break up easier when fluishing.

My little grandson who i raise he is 6 yrs old.... he has the same issue. i seen you posted this in 2009. How is your child today ? He does at times have blood. What do you suggest ? thanks so very much...

You need a plumber and maybe additional help.

Blessings....

Hi B.,

I was just thinking of putting the same question on Mamasource because this has been a problem with my oldest son for years and years (he's 13 now). Now my 11 year old is having the same problem. EVERY single time, the toilet gets clogged and if they are too embarrassed or lazy to tell me or clear it themselves, the house stinks up! I'm soooo frustrated! This last weekend we went up to my in-laws cabin in the mountains and my son went and it went down but plugged the toilet up (no mess but wouldn't flush anymore) so we had to have a plumber come out. I'm glad to read that there are better toilets...I'm going to check those out. We've tried fiber bars (the boys aren't fans of them) and I'm going to make sure they drink more water and eat more fruit. I'll keep reading the responses to see if there is any other great advice. Rest assured you are not the only one...I'm relieved to read that we weren't either! Good luck! M.

Dear B.,
Yes, I have this problem also. I try to get her to eat more vegetables...you noticed I said "try". I've also let her know that it's important for her to eat foods with fiber in it. Is your child also constipated? How old is your child? Mine is 14 year old and I've tried showing her how to use a plunger. But she still doesn't seem to have the strength to use the plunger...so I end up using it after her.

S.

a relative had this problem. they purchased a new toilet and voila no more problems. the old toilet just wasn't wide enough for the BM to pass thru.

When my daughter was three, her poops used to be very wide and they gave her an anal fissure (tear). The doctor said if her poop is this wide, it's streching her intestines too big, too. We had her on Miralax (for constipation) for awhile. Flax seeds on her cereal also really helped. My advice it to give your child plenty of water and high fiber foods. Good luck.

Is she having problems with constipation at all? If she is getting enough fiber in her diet, perhaps you need to up her water intake as well. You may also consider a probiotic regimen for her. Jarrow makes a chewable one that my son loves (sugarless) - he had started becoming a bit constipated with larger stools. It took about a month on the probiotics and he was/is clog free.

GL

We have the same problem. It is just a matter of keeping a plunger by the toilet these days.

sounds like she may have megacolon (where constipation may have stretched her colon out). Our pediatrician suggested Miralax (one can take it long term. It's available at Costco, Walgreens, etc.) when our daughter had this issue. We just mix it with warm chocolate milk and she drinks it with a straw. Makes the poop VERY mushy.

(in general more fiber and water in her diet would be good... whole fruit? But I know that isn't always easy with all kids!)

GOOD LUCK!

Hi B.,

Thank the Lord this is normal!!!! I always wondered how these big things come out of these little bodies :O)

Anyway, we have to blame it on the "old potty", and NOT my son's poops! He was developing a complex because it was so regular. He actually became afraid to flush. So, we blamie it on the potty's.

We just have plunger's ready, and my husband tries to "snake the toilet" on a regular basis. He says we actually do need new toilets to eliminate this problem.

I hope this eases your mind that other families have this issue.

~N. :O)

I want to start out by saying that this is definitely not a unique problem. Both of my children had the same problem. They have never been constipated, but their poop is incredibly large. My daughter's three best friends, and two of the four siblings I babysit also have this issue.
It is most likely NOT your toilet. Over the last five years, we have lived in five houses, visited family and friends, and stayed in quite a few hotels. Every toilet clogged if the kids had a bowel movement. We bought this house new, and made sure we did not buy water efficient toilets (we don't like our in-laws' ones).
I first tried laxatives, found that that didn't help at all. So I moved on to fibre and lots of water, that helped, when I could get them to eat enough fiber. I mentioned it to my doctor, he said to go back to a laxative that they can drink in their drinks, and just up the dose (with more specific guidance). First I doubled the mixture in one drink. After a week of no change, I added another glass a day (of the doubled mix). That was too much for my younger one, but great for my oldest. Water intake is really important. Also, lowering their dairy (milk is BAD for constipating). We have the oldest on probiotic supplement as well. You don't want to leave them, or yourself, with large bowl movements, even if they aren't causing discomfort. So definitely look for answers. Talk to your doctor if none of the suggestions help.
Hugs!