22 Month Old Frequesnt Pooping

Updated on October 27, 2010
T.P. asks from McKinney, TX
5 answers

Hello,

My son poops 5-6 times per day. Regular ones, they are not soft or runny at all. It's not that I mind changing his diaper, but he is getting a rash from going so much, and me using the wipes on him, even though I change his diaper immediately.

Also, my big issue is that it is waking him up at 5 am and then he can't go back to sleep. Some days he goes 3 times before 7 am! 6 am is our limit as to when he can "wake up" or get out of his crib. I feel bad though because I'm sure it is hard for him to settle back down after getting up so close to wake up time. And, it is interrupting his sleep and making both of us a little cranky!

He does not drink any juice and dnks aout 12 oz of Lactaid per day.

No pain w/ pooping and this has been going on for a long time.

He eats 1- 2 bananas per day (he loves them and they obviously arent constipating him so I figured he could) and he does have a high fiber diet

Is there anything I can do to reduce the frequency or do I just deal with it and hope he potty trains soon? We are working on potty training, but he will be in diapers for at least a couple more months

Thanks for any insight any one might have!

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M.P.

answers from Portland on

Sounds like his digestion is very efficient or not efficient enough. Does he eat a lot of fiber? Fiber does not get absorbed and instead passes our of the gut as poop after the nutrients are extracted. This is good! It's possible, I think but am not sure, that if his intestines are not absorbing nutrients his body will make more poop. I'd talk with his pediatrician and/or a pediatric nutritionist.

I suggest that he doesn't need to eat less banana. Bananas and dairy products can be constipating and he's not constipated. The BRAT diet is for diarrhea and he doesn't have diarrhea. If he does eat a lot of fiber you could try reducing the fiber but consuming fiber is really healthy and I wouldn't recommend eating less of it.

For the rash, I suggest smearing vaseline on his bottom after his skin has dried. I also suggest just using a damp washcloth. His skin may be sensitive to the chemicals in the wipes.

His waking up at 5 am may not be related to the bm. If he's actually aware of having a bm, then he might be ready for potty training. However, it's very rare that a 22 mos. old baby would be mature enough for bm training. Urine awareness comes first. Is his diaper soaked to the point of being uncomfortable? Do you use disposable diapers that pull the moisture away from his skin? Perhaps dealing with the wet diaper would allow him to sleep longer. Perhaps using a heavier or night time diaper would help.

1 mom found this helpful
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R.M.

answers from Portland on

Hi T.,

It sounds like your son has good bowels, that's the good news. The rash is normal for his age, his skin is loosing it's natrual protection from moisture, which is typical for this age group.

Is he ready to start potty training? If he is showing any interest, it would be a good time to start. Pooping is the hardest part of potty training, and since he's pooping several times a day, it would be a lot of practice.

If not, try whole grains. A high fiber diet will help "form" the poop better and maybe make fewer sessions during the day. He will probably still poop several times a day for the next few months though, especially after meals.

Good Luck

R. Magby

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M.R.

answers from Dallas on

I would try the BRAT diet and decrease to 1/2-1 banana a day. I would also call his Pedi and see if there is anything you can do.

I hope this helps..

M.

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E.M.

answers from Johnstown on

He's obviously eating alot to constitute his frequent bowel movements. Remember, what goes in, must come out. The amount of banana may be too much; I'd decrease to no more than a single banana, perhaps even only 1/2 of one per day. Now on to the waking up/going during the night/frequency: Try to keep him as physically active during the day as possible. Limit his sugar intake--this can make him go more often than normal as well. Cut him off from any food intake at 7 p.m. Move his bedtime back an hr and see what happens there. HTH

S.P.

answers from Los Angeles on

Maybe less banana?
What else does he eat?
Did you mention this at the last (few) well-baby check-up(s)?

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