my daughter is almost three, which is right on time for perfecting going to the potty, but we are having trouble with poop. she is 100% no accidents with peepee. she is even dry overnight, for the most part. she is 0% for the poop. she poops in her underwear every time. she doesnt' seem overly bothered by the poop, even though she rashes really easily, and knows it. she started suing the potty around a year. she was cloth diapered and is aware of bodily feelings. she truly seems unaware that she needs to poop. the few times she has done it in the potty, it was a total surprise to her, i could tell by her face. it doesnt' at all seem like a control issue with her, since she says she wants to keep her underwear clean. another part of the mystery is that her poop is extremely soft, almost like diarrhea. she nursed for almost two years, and our dr said that when she stopped nursing her poop might firm up, but it didn't. she LOVES fruits and veggies, and would eat them exclusively if i would let her. everything i buy is whole grain, organic or all natural. is it possible she is getting too much fiber? i am comfused.
Hi A.-- My daughter is 3 years old now and when we were potty training, I used the Elmo potty training video which really held out. I also bought her some character panties (Dora, Disney Princesses, Arielle (The Little Mermaid) and told her to try to keep poop from off of her friends and they would really appreciate it. It seemed to work for her. Good luck to you.
L.
www.stcmemoriesfriends.ning.com
well Christian, feminist,attachment parenting,baby-loving mommy, A....lol...It sounds to me like you have a wonderful healthy child. She eats all the right foods! That's amazing to hear of a small child who loves fruits and veggies more than anything else she could possibly eat. Congratulations! My 3 children loved the fruit and veggies also until their dad expressed his distaste for both. That changed their opinions on most veggies with some exceptions. To this day I don't think they eat many fruits either. Fortunately, I managed to have 3 now full grown healthy children, by the Grace of GOD I'm sure!
I don't think your baby is eating too much fiber. Sounds like the fiber intake is only making it seem like she's not adjusting after nursing. It's not been very long since she's nursed. Give her time for her body to adjust. And be sure she's eating a healthy diet, not just veggies and fruits but meats and good oils as well. The body needs a balanced diet to grow in a healthy way. I am big on Holistic Health, meaning health of Body, Mind, and Spirit. The three must be balanced. If one is off, the others will show signs of being out of order so to speak. Sounds to me like you have a handle on things all around!
God Bless you and your family abundantly!
sincerely,
D.
ps..sorry i forgot to mention the pooping! my middle child also had very soft stools. he nursed but not nearly as long as your baby girl. I think it's a matter of knowing the feelings of the bowel moving. It's a bit more complex to recognize than the urge to urinate. My son would run to reach the potty on time. it was that quick for him. Once he learned the feeling of the bowels moving, it was a matter of seconds before it was out. He didn't like being dirty so it was always a race to reach the potty on time! Your baby girl will become more familiar with the movements and eventually make it in time. Relax and praise her for what she has accomplished. The rest will follow suit very soon.
my duaghter well be 2 the day after christmas and her stools have been loose also the doc took her off of fruits and milk. they said for her to eat yogart and lactaid mild the one in the red carton tastes like milk. she still has probs but they arent has often as they use to be let me know how it goes or if you find something out i was worried about her when we start pottie triaing, she well pee in the potty but we havent pooped yet.
I would definitely say if her poop is not normal/firm that she is getting to much fiber/grain in her diet. There is certainly a recommended level to monitor. Check on-line or with her doctor to see how many servings and/or ounces she should get in a day. This would have a huge impact on her getting to the potty on time and her loose stool.
Hi A., I'm going through something similar with my 3 year old boy. We were trying everything to get him to go (rewards, punishment) and finally just gave up our efforts. We prayed for wisdom, and I remembered learning that something has to happen chemically in a child's brain before they are ready to be potty-trained (poopy). Well, a couple of weeks later he started telling us he wanted to go poopoo, and it just keeps improving. I know every child is different, but the time will come when your daughter is ready. Just keep encouraging her, and don't get discouraged. About the consistency of the poop: if she does eat alot of fruit, it will definitely help soften her stools. As long as they are not pale and bulky, I wouldn't be too concerned about her health. Some foods that actually help form the stools are cheese, bananas, and whole grains. Making sure she has a good amount of probiotics (like from yogurt) can help with her GI health too. Just a little advice from a Registered Dietitian :)
Hope that helps you in your journey!
L. C. MS RD/LD
Hi A.,
My son isn't potty training yet but I did have the same loose stool problem with him because he is such a fruit and veggie lover. I added 2 extra servings of grains to his diet because complex carbs help diarrhea. This worked like a charm. Maybe if her stools are firmer she can feel them coming and make it to the potty. My son likes Annie's whole wheat bunny crackers along with muffins and cookies I make at home. Let me know if you'd like the recipes. Good luck.
It may be too much fruit or fruit juice. Sometimes a lot of fruit will cause loose stools. Keep a food journal on her for a week or so and see if you see anything. Make notes on how often she poops and if it loose/normal/firm. You can take the journal to her next well-baby and talk to her doc. Sometimes they can see something that we are overlooking. Good luck!
I have a set of 3 year old twin grandsons. They started potty training at age 2. The poop was a very big problem with them also. It took much longer, but eventually they caught on. Hang in there.
You might want to talk to either her pediatrician and/or a dietician. A dietician could definitely tell you if she's getting too much fiber and how to change that. Loose stools can also be a sign of a dairy allergy, or other allergy, so she might benefit from allergy testing. You can always try a week without dairy to see if that changes anything, but sometimes it takes longer to clear out the system to see any real change. Good luck!
Potty training is about development, not parenting. Perhaps she is not physically developed to the point she is ready for poop potty training. Keep trying. When everything is in place, it will happen. No need to stress until she is ready to go off to school.
