Advice for a Almost Five Year Old Who Has Bowl Troubles While Sleeping

Does he try to go right before climbing into bed? Does he have bowel movements during the day in the potty or is this the only time he has bowel movements?

I used to teach a little girl that had a great fear of making a bowel movement in the potty. She felt like she was loosing part of her body and it freaked her out. I paired her up with a potty buddy and she was able to work through that pretty quickly.

HTH!
C. WAHM to ~5 y/o virtual twins
Owner: http://www.BeHappierAtHome.com

This sounds to me like he may be holding it too long. Like he may be hung up about going while he is awake. Many kids have issues about going number 2. I would second the advice about asking him to try before going to sleep. Have him drink some water before trying. That will help the peristalsis action of the intestines to start. This is action that helps us feel like we have to go and usually happens after we eat or drink. Do you have an open door policy on the bathroom? It often helps kids to realize how normal it is if they can see an adult or other kids do it. The closed door often puts a screen of mystery around it. Once he gets comfortable going on his own, you can instill cultural norms with him. Good luck!

It sounds like it could be an issue with the muscles. Same thing with a bladder...childrens bodies develop at different rates, but with the bowels, thats not so common. I would talk to your pediatrition and get a refferal to a Pediatric GI. If he doesn't feel it happening there is a muscle issue. Especially since he was so little (premie) when he was born. There could be some issues with the development of his bowels and the control of them.

Even though he does fine in the day, I would take him to your pcp & maybe a pediatric gastroenterologist to at least discuss the "problem." My daughter has a bowel disease and has had a pediatric gastro DR since she was 2, she's now 10. If anything, they could give you advice or helpful things to do at home.