Bowel Movements...sorry, Not Trying to Be Yucky!

Cut back on anything with apple in it--can be constipating. Up his fluid consumption--water is great. Graham crackers work well, and stirring a little Benefiber in his juice for added fiber would be helpful as well. Cut back on cheese--hard for a toddler, I know, but it's usually the biggest culprit. (My husband has a funny saying when he sees my daughter eating something with a lot of cheese, like a quesadilla,: "That's enough cheese to stop up a plumber!" LOL--:o)

Hi T.!
Adults should by a rule of thumb have a bowel movement for every meal they eat, or at the least once a day. For children it should be about once a day, but 2x per week is not very good especially for a child.

More water, first of all...will help lots! The apple/prune juice is good...but actual prunes are even better! Apples also have fiber in them, and the "real deal" is always better than a juice.

I know kids don't like green veggies as well, so the fruit is probably the better bet for now, even though they should definitely get their servings of veggies too. :-)

Hope this helps!

My nephew had a similar problem with constipation when he was young. His problem ended up being partly do to food allergies. Specifically, I think wheat was a problem.

You might want to ask his pediatrician about it and see if a consult is in order.

I believe he outgrew the allergy.

This is a very common problem. My daughter has been under the care of a pediatric urologist for the last 2 years because of "over-control" of her bowels. I never realized how many kids have bowel problems until she was diagnosed. Then other moms started telling me about their kids. She was not as obvious about "holding" but we couldn't get her completely potty trained and she was almost 6! She had a BM every day so we didn't suspect that she was only releasing enough to relieve the pressure and then holding the rest. Needless to say, she became impacted. We have FINALLY cleared her out enough that she has potty trained at almost 7 but she still tries to "hold" everything!

I would find a good Urologist to do a quick ultra-sound (it is NOT painful AT ALL and only takes a couple of minutes!) and to give you a course of action. My daughter takes a daily dose (mixed in milk) of Benefiber. She started with Miralax which is more expensive but more effective. It makes it just soft enough that she CAN'T hold it and is completely safe! We switched to the Benefiber when we went to maintenance. These are both over the counter.

Please don't continue to struggle with this. It will only snowball and will take twice as long to correct. You would not believe the problems that can be created by "insufficient" clearing of the bowels. Good luck!

My son who is 12 now had those issues and the ped said as long as it happends at least 2 a week not to be alarmed UNLESS they were hard and dry movements..... he got it from his dad who had a BM only 2 times a week....... He's fine today!

I also have this problem with my son. It's so bad that I have to give him a pedilax every couple of days. But our DR told me to give him Miralax, it's a powder that you can buy at Walmart. I give him 2 tspn in 4 oz of juice once a day and he poops!! My son is only 16 months and weighs 23 pounds so I would suggest talking to your DR to get a correct dose. I have tried all the raisins, prunes, and apple juice I could, this was a last ditch effort to get him to go on a regular basis. Good luck

I am a SAHM of 3 great kiddies and a military spouse for 10 proud years.

Hi -

My son does the same thing. My pedi told me to give him apple juice or orange juice each morning on an empty stomach and to give him miralax (if he has not going on a regular basis) to make his muscles do the trick. He now goes 4-5 times a week and is no longer freaked out by it. He still has an occasional accident when he is out of his normal routine. He is almost 5 now. I also had him decorate his bathroom himself and put books and his leapster in there for when he had to sit down potty. That really helped too because it gave him something to do and kept his mind off of what he was doing. I hope this helps!

Me and Hubby with go with the kids and play games and sing songs until mission was accomplished and then I moved their potty to a different bathroom and when they made a potty we danced around the house doing poo in the potty dance followed by a treat

There is a powder that you can put in his juice everyday. But the key is doing it everyday for at least a month. I used to be a prescription but you can buy it over the counter now. Miralax. It really works!

My niece and nephew went through the same thing and by the time they can't hold it anymore it hurts them so bad to go and that's why they hold it because they think it is going to hurt every time. They bought Metamucil graham crackers and that help a lot. They also bought flushable wipes so it was wet and cold when they wiped instead of dry and hard like toilet paper.

You might try contacting a licensenced nutritionist. We did this in order to make sure my grandson had a natural
bowel movement,(This is an issues with several family members so we knew what to do.) My Grandson takes a vitamin supplement, now he has no issues. In fact, I started drinking
64 oz of water daily, had no real luck , I eat lots of green vegetables and have for years, lots of raisins, etc. to combat this. I also got this supplement and for the first time in my life I have NO ISSUES. I cannot tell you how nice this one change has made my life. No pain when going to the bathroom.

How much water is your child drinking? Water is so vital to health? Also, does your child get enough fiber? You might want to take a look at his diet by adding more fruits, veggies and whole grains and water.

T.,
I know a handful of people have already recommended the Miralax but I wanted to praise its value to you as well. For my son, we gave him some each day for a week or two to get him regular and now he just gets it on occasion when I notice his poops are getting a bit firm and difficult to pass. He's only two and doesn't have the best diet to help him stay naturally regular so the Miralax is such a stress reliever for him and me! Don't be afraid to give it a try, I'm sure your pedi would recommend it as well.

My son had the same prob. when he was a baby. We gave him Miralax in his bottle. It is very gentle and works within a day or two.

I give my kids OJ. My 2yr old daughter has just potty trained. She didn't like to go poo-poo in the big potty, but I finally figured out how! I will sit her on the potty and leave her there. When she's alone, I guess she feels more comfortable and is able to go. Since she can't reach the floor she has to call me to get down. I've taught her not to slide off, and remind her to call me when she's done. She goes every day at approximately the same time. I wonder if your son had a "schedule" before potty training...You might use that for potty time...

My children have the same problem and I had to end up taking them to the peditrician and getting a powder that you put in their drinks that will add water to their intestines and make their bowels softer so they will be more regular. Nothing else will help - beleive me I have tried everything. I am not sure what the name of the powder is but it sure has made my life and my children's life so much better. Good luck.

I would cut back on the juice and give him LOTS of water. If he gets too much fiber based foods/drinks and doesnt have the water to help move it through his body, it has the adverse effect. My son has the same problem.

Metamucil makes a cinnamon wafer, much like a graham cracker that my pediatrician actually recommended when my daughter was younger and we had a similar issue. Also having him drink lots of water will help. Good luck! You can find it on the grocery isle with other fiber products.

My daughter gave her children a liquid calcium/magnesium supplement. This really worked well. Just be sure it is a good organic brand. She got hers at a health food store -- sorry I cannot remember the brand. Also, a really good probiotic will go a long way in helping with this problem. Shaklee has a great probiotic and it is a very small little pearl that is very easy to swallow.

It is not good that he refrains from going to the bathroom when he needs to, so get him a small potty chair where he can keep his feet on the floor and he will feel safer and more comfortable, and probably less reluctant to go "potty".

Always be supportive and validate his fears, just give him a way around them!

My granddaughter had a very hard time going potty and after trying childrens laxatives without good results, I came across this in a natural home remedies book:
oatmeal for breakfast at least 4 times a week
wheat germ granules sprinkled over cereal or even icecream
And I also had to curb her input of cheese and/or cheese products.
I also gave her prune juice but she didn't like the taste so we mixed it with some Pepsi.
She's 20 now and going to college. On a recent visit with us she told how she remembered 'the cure' we used back then and that she still does the prune/pepsi drink when needed!
Good luck!

miralax is an over the counter medication, previously only by prescription, that pediatricians have used for children with constipation. You really do want to address this issue now, because this can cause further problems in the future. I hope this helps. I would definately give your pediatrician a call for any advice, they may want you to bring him in for an evaluation.

Several things - drink more water. Also Miralax is wonderful. Its over the counter (my pediatrician prescribed it for my son before it became available) You just put a little powder in what they drink - they never taste it and it helps so much.

In total desperation try a teaspoon of mineral oil every day to get things going.

my grandma used to give her kids (all 10 of them) and some of us grandkids when we were "clogged" blackdrop. it'll make you poop like nothing else. dont know if its still around. goodluck.

Well, we used matchbox cars to motivate our son. During our potty training time, they were his favorite thing. So, we kept a stash of them and each time he went poopy on the potty he was able to pick one out of the stash. Don't worry, you won't be giving him matchbox cars when he goes off to college :) After a while my son forgot about them - I think we spent a total of $20 - that was so worth it.
The other idea I have is to set a time everyday (at about the same time - maybe after lunch) that is potty time. You two can go into the bathroom with a timer - and have him sit there for five minutes. You can read to him or sing songs with him. When the timer goes off, if he has done a good job of sitting there the whole time (poopy or no poopy), then give him 3 m&ms. We used m&ms for going TT and again, he quickly forgot about them. He stopped asking for them after a while and I stopped giving them to him.
Sitting there at the same time everyday will set a habit and tell his body that it is time to go. You may not see results right away, but if you are consistent then I think it will work. He will be motivated to do these things by the rewards.
Be sure and tell him the plan. Go out and buy his favorite things and let him see the stash - but put it away...he'll be thinking and thinking and thinking about them.
Hope all goes well!

I would suggest giving him some castor oil, I know its nasty but it works.

My daughter is a CNA and she suggests that giving him Insure on a regular basis just might help. It also has vitamins in it. It also helps them gain weight. They come in different flavors and they taste great.

K. R

Activia yogurt! The strawberry is yummy.
The more you eat.. the more active your bowels will become.
J.

My little daughter had the same problem, and the Dr. thought her last intestines secretated too much water, is why her bowl movements were so hard , and hard for her, and had me get some drops, don't remembr the name, but think it was colace, it wasn't a laxative, just something to help with the water in last intistine, and it cleard her up. We always had to watch later to make sure she had foods that helped and tried to give her a drink of water now an then as she didn't like water. but she got o.k.

My doctor advised giving Miralax. I would put some in her drink in the morning about half a lid full and it helped my daughter. It took about 2 months and now she uses the potty with no problem.

Talk to your pediatrician about this; he or she will probably tell you to give him some Miralax, which is now over the counter. He may be holding it in due to fear about going potty, or because it hurts, or something, and that may have caused him to have problems with constipation, which then makes it hurt more when he goes and thus he holds it more. I had a nightmare with my 3.5 yr old girl last year and Miralax was the cure. She had to take it for about six months or more to forget her habit of holding it in, but now all is just fine.

Hi T.,

It seems to be getting more and more common for children to have digestive issues, but they can be helped. It is commonly due to decreased digestive enzymes, an overgrowth of yeast, food allergies, or possibly a parasite. I am a chiropractor and I use Applied Kinesiology (aka muscle testing) to find the problem and then I prescribe the proper nutrition to counteract the condition. It works tremendously well. Also, if areas are on the lower back that can put pressure on the nerves that supply the digestive tract resulting in digestive issues. If you have any questions, or if you are interested in scheduling an appointment for him, please give me a call at ###-###-#### or you can visit my website at sullivanchiropractic.com. Thank you! Dr. Sandra S.

Don't worry about it-- he'll go when he needs to. I know LOTS of people who go once a week only-- everyone has a different definition of "normal". If he begins to complain a lot about discomfort, then and only then start to worry. Good luck!

Good Morning!

While my son does go to the bathroom more than two times a week, he has what the doctor calls "monster poops!", which is another sign of constipation. He recommended Flax Seed oil, I tried in the liquid form and he almost threw it up and then I tried the capsule and to my amazement he even enjoys swallowing them!!! He is the one who reminds me!! But the doctor also mentioned adding the oil to the food that way they dont notice. Hope it helps!

My daughter had a similar issue a couple of years ago (it started as a control thing ...she's stubborn like her mom ;-)
Anyway, the pediatrician prescribed MiraLAX, which is now actually available OTC. I gave her the childs dose (which was about 1/2 the measuring cup) every day mixed with water. It had no flavor and she took it willingly. It takes a couple of days to work, but once it does, she had a BM every day. According to the pedi, it makes the stool soft and it makes it virtually impossible for them to hold it. you will need to be prepared for that part - when he has to go, he'll *have to go* pretty urgently. Good luck!

Okay now this I feel like an expert on. My daughter will be 7 years old next month and we have had issues with her since she was about 3 or so. When we first started having problems my pedi put her on something called miralax. I put it in her juice every morning and for a while that worked, but anytime I even thought about taking her off she would get all stopped up again. So after about 3 years of that we went to a specialist and he put her on kristalose and we have had pretty good results from that. I think it is a psycological issue that just has to be reversed by making it easier to potty. My pedi told me from the beginning and so did the specialist that probably what happed was that she had a painful bowel movement once and started holding it in out of fear and that has stretched the lining of her colon. So by using this medicine and being very careful about making sure she has regular movements will hopefully eventually fix it. We are still fighting with it but it is definitely getting better. Hope this helps.

My mom suffered her whole life with constipation. She was told to eat yogurt.

I also have an old recipe of hers:

2 cups All Bran
2 cups Applesauce
1 cup prune juice

Take 2 tablespoons each day

Good Luck!

My 2 yr. old has the same problem, so I have to give her glycerin suppositories every few days. I would also check with his doc.

J.

I just took my little girl to the doctor this morning for the same issue and they told me to try Miralax. The doctor said that it does not taste and I can just put it in her milk her juice. I have not bought it yet and tried it but I thought I would pass it along. Hope it helps both of us. Good luck.

I would give him something like Metamucel. Something you can just sprinkle on his other foods that he does like. And keep giving him high fiber foods. Hope this helps. The poor baby needs to go!

Try "Sunsweet California Prunes". They are individually wrapped and taste wonderful. Almost like candy. 4 usually works for one day. Good luck!

Hi T.,

Try buying that small potty pad (toilet seat) that fits into the big potty so he can sit on it and not be afraid.

Since you tried most of the stuff, does he drinks lots of water? If nothing works don't wait.
You need to have him check w/ his pediatrician just to make sure if everything in his bowels is working. Ask his pediatrician if a yogurt w/ acidophillus is ok for his age. Better to have him check...

Takecare,
A.,RN
Women-Children's department
Presbyterian Plano

My daughter has been on Miralax once a day since she was about 6 months old due to bowel issues. We put it in her morning cereal, which is mixed with prune juice and it helps keep her regular. She goes at least once a day and is so much happier! Call your pedi for correct measurements.

I second Miralax if it's okay with your doc. It's been a miracle drug in my experience with little ones.

Diddo to all the "Miralax" advice. My pediatrician advised it for my 19 month old who was terribly constipated and having painful poops. Another good reason was that he would probably be potty training in the next year or so, and didn't want to see any issues with the potty training. I would call your peds office for them to advise on the amount and frequency, but I give my 19 month old 1 - 2 teaspoons daily and it is definitely helping!

I was like this as a child - try Digestive Advantage IBS formula. It is a natural biological formula (probiodics), and it is not hard to use. There is a chewable form, and probably a half dose is all he would need, though a whole dose would not be bad. You just take one a day, and it regulates things. They also have this for Lactose Intolerance.

My daughter went through the same thing while potty training. My doc had us limit dairy for awhile, increase water intake and take walks. Also we had her eat pears and she still eats a prune every couple of nights after dinner. She thinks they are a treat! Good luck.

Hi T.,

I had the same problem with my daughter at about the same age. My mother-in-law is a nurse and she nearly freaked out because she has seen children get impacted from this and they actually had to perform a procedure to get the bowel cleaned out. You obviously want to avoid this, like I did! Something that I tried and it really worked well was to add Epsom Salts to the bath water. Sounds like a simple thing to do. The salt added to warm water somehow produces an urge that cannot be denied! There was one time that she had to jump out of the water and go poop immediately! Other times it did take about an hour to work. I also tried explaining to her that it would not hurt so much if she would go more often. She eventually got on an every other day routine and now, she is 5 and has regular bowel movements with no problem. The salt was our life saver!

Good Luck!
B. B.

My sister went through this as a child and the dr told my mom to give her Metamucil. There's also Benefiber which has no taste but not sure on the suggested age. The extra fiber can make him feel like he needs to go and can't hold it.

Lots of kids go through this though, sometimes because it hurts and then they want to do it less often. It may be a stage he will outgrow.

My son had the same problem when he was younger. Our doctor recommended the Metamucil wafers. My son liked the apple/cinnamon flavor. Usually one cracker a day would work. It is full of fiber and worked for him. Also, if he eats bananas, they could make him constipated.

Poor guy. You can try all the fruits that start with P; peaches, prunes, pears, etc. you can also trying slipping some benefiber into his milk or juice. this has no taste and should help out a little. good luck.

I don't know if this will get him regular but when my son was born his stomach looked swollan Dr. said he had colick...(sorry im not sure of spelling) He also cryed alot when he had bowel movements. He told me to read about it... gave me no medicine for him just a book. I called my mom since we had a large family I thought she would know, she told me to give him chamomile tea. He had bowel movements more often and was able to sleep. I hope this helps your son. I'm surprised apple juice doesn't help him, that normally helps children. What does his Dr. say?

Hi T.,
I will swear by probiotics. We started using them for my daughter's yeast infections and all started taking them and they work wonders for constipation! You can get them at Whole Foods. They come in a capsul and work much better than trying to get them through yogurt. In addition, try daily fruit and veges.
Good luck,
A.

My child too was like this! Unfortunately, at seven years old, she still is like this! Our pediatrician put her on Miralax. It really helps her a lot. It is now an over the counter drug. I put the crystals in her juice & she never knows that she is taking medicine. Good Luck with your little one.

Try Miralax it worked really well with a fiend of mine whos son had the same problem, the pedi suggested it.

Hi T.:
My son went through something similar right around the age of your son, I believe his Pediatrician called it the anal retentive stage and boys seem to go through this -- not girls. He is now 6 and has grown out of it but what his pediatrician prescribed was a powder called glycolax which we mixed with his milk, etc. Another thing that we tried was bran, I would mix in with oatmeal and other foods that you can hide the brown color, like muffins etc. I hope that this helps!

Ask him to go poop like a big boy.

My son did this and its was after he was a bit older. He just didn't want to stop playing! Our doctor gave us the advice that we up his water consumption and for a while he got fiber tablets. The doctor also explained to him that the longer he waited the bigger the "poop" got and made it very hard and painful to go. If he would just go when he felt the urge it would be easier and faster and he could get back to playing sooner. We had to watch him for the signs and take him to the potty for a while(grimace on his face and posture changes)He had terrible tummy pain when he held it. He was about 5 when we went through this. Maybe your little guy can get some relief from this. I sure hope so!

Hi,
My daughter had the same problem. The Pedi called it functional consipation. In other words, she just didn't want to go. He prescribe Miralax which is now sold over the counter. It is a manufactured powdered prunes and nonaddictive. My daughter went as many as 13 days without going. She would hold it for so long it that she would have leakage. This could become a serious problem and my pedi took it very seriously. I would suggest talking it over with your doctor and see if he/she has the same advice.

Good luck,
K.

Have you talked to his doctor? He could be getting too much of something else. Prune juice is good, so is eating prunes. High Fiber foods like apples, fruit, green veggies. I'd talk to the doctor and see what he thinks!

Good Luck

T., my son would have the same problem and part of the reason he didn't want to go is that by the time it couldn't wait anymore..when it would come it would be very painful. It is not good at all for anyone to go without bowel movements 1 huge time a day or at least 2 times a day. I have started giving my son a fiber protein shake. I have to do it for medical reasons and my doctor told me it was okay for him to have some too. I also stopped giving him wheat because that stops up bowels pretty good, especially when trying to get regular. And I am sure you already know that fresh fruits and/or veggies with every meal will help, as well.

I feel for you, because my son had the same transitioning hardship. Good luck!

L. G.

Oh my, I am sure my husband will love me for this one, but, here it goes anyway......my husband has had chronic constipation for his whole life, when he was a baby he had to go to the doctor to get enemas and in his awkward teen years he wouldn't tell anyone about it so he just lived with it, until he was 14 and got very ill he then went to the doctor for a rectal exam and he was so backed up that they had to do what he tells me they call a purge the way he described it was like a colonic, but anyway he has since been on a prescription fiber supplement and it works very well, I guess, or so he says. Anyway I would ask his pedi. and see what he/she says because you don't want it to get to that point it may be nothing but if it is a sign of a problem you will want to fix it quickly.

Best of luck!!
K.

a couple of ideas...yogurt, or some form of junior acidophilus (health food store on s. 7th in abilene, or united market on s. 14th) also, is he eating enough raw greens? salads, apples, spinach, any form of roughage?
all these should be implemented on daily basis..

My daughter went through this too. I gave her blueberries (like natural ex-lax) and within a week she had plenty of experience and confidence. Blueberries are likely to make him HAVE to go and forget about the anxiety.

I had a nice little cushy potty insert with handles that sits on top of the big potty so she felt secure. I got mine at Target. Good luck!

Dear T.:

Follow your Doctors advice, but I wonder if this is worry about nothing. I rarely have bowel movements. I have gone as long as 40 days without one, and it doesn't seem to cause major problems. I only have problems with cramping every couple of years.

Perhaps some of us are on a different "schedule".

Good Luck!
J.

T., this is important to his long term health! I am a clinical nutritionist and would suspect food allergies. Get him off dairy products. Try Silk for his milk...no cheese. He is probably lactose intolerant. The next most probable allergy is wheat, then eggs, then corn. Just keep trying. Let me know if I can help. Visit with me at the Health Fair in Rockwall, May 3 at the Center on Washington. ____@____.com A.

Try to incorporate more vegetables such as corn, carrot, broccoli, and more whole grains like bread and cereal(oatmeal,bran) Waffles come whole grain w/more fiber. My daughters doctor always told me to stick to things that are natural not man-made/processed. My daughter will not eat cooked vegetables so I always cut her's up and give them to her raw sometimes w/ranch dressing. And to keep it interesting, I pick vegetables of every color. Purple cabbage, red/yellow,orange bell peppers, cucumber, cauliflower, Also let him help break off the cauliflower and broccoli or tear the lettuce, and when he is a little older cut the veggies himself. The more things they can do on their own the apt they will be to eat it. If you start them eating vegetables young they will not think anything of it. Keep the sugar to a minimum...READ YOUR LABELS!!! You'll be amazed at how much sugar is in everthing..especially yogurt!! If his diet is consistantly healty he should have no problems w/bowel movements! But it has to be consistant!!! Good Luck

i would do pure apple juice every day my 2yre old is having the same problem

If he drinks milk it could be the problem. I'd try removing milk for 3 days to see if there is a difference.

Has your son see dad sit on the toilet? I had a good friend a number of years ago with a similar problem. IT was solved as soon as son saw dad sitting to go poop.

Hi,
I had a retentive child too. Check with your doctor first, but you could give him child's Milk of Magnesia. (Maybe Miralax is the latest popular stool softener...check with your doc.) Depending on weight, give him one to three teaspoons a day. It's a stool softener...NOT a stimulant or laxative which are bad for kids. It will soften his BMs and he'll go regularly without any stress. You may have to experiment with the right daily dose so they don't get too soft. My daughter was on this for two years....until she got so used to going that she didn't think about it any more. Also, her diet became more varied and this helped.
Don't get uptight about giving a stool softener to your child...If they need it, it will be a huge help!
This will probably solve your problem.

We had the same problem, and my doctor recommended straight purple grape juice, non-diluted. He was so excited to have nondiluted juice, he drank it right up and asked for another glass. Not knowing any better, I gave him another glass. The doctor was right. It works. Now, we only give a single glass at a time, when needed.

I have not read all of the responses, so If I repeat myself, sorry. My sister had this problem with her daughter, so bad, that she would actually relieve herself at night, when she was a sleep. The daycare center said, that she has to be potty trained all the way, before they could take her. My sister being a working mother, was desperate. She had dealt with constipation issues with her daughter since she was a baby. She gave her prunes, and all the foods that are supposed to make them regular, but no luck. So one weekend she bought some metamucial, I think it was orange flavor. She made up an adult dosage, gave it to her daughter, and said drink up, and she drank it like a champ, and she finally got some relief, and has done fine since than.

Try adding ground flax seed to his foods. Increase his fiber and get plenty of water or apple juice diluted with water.

mirilax (sp?). very mild, works great, odorless & tasteless in drinks. was perscription but think it is now over the counter.

T.,

I am not sure if someone has already told you about these, and if so then I apologize for repeating it.

Go to your Health Food Store, and ask them for Chewy Bears & Friends Children's Chewable Acidophilus. These are just like vitamins, but they are strictly for promoting intestinal health. They are a probiotic supplement, taste good according to my 4 yo daughter. They are a vegetarian formula. It says for over 4 yo's take 1 tablet 3x/day, but your son is close enough to 4 it won't matter, and you can start out at 2x/day instead as well if you prefer.

The ingredients are: Fructose, Natural Flavors, Beet Juice Concentrate, Citric Acid, Vegetable Magnesium Stearate, Silica, Proprietary blend of cultures, fructooligosaccharides, proprietary blend of raspberry juice, grape juice, pear juice, cherry juice and black currant juice.

So it's all natural which is great, and sometimes laxatives (even miralax which I love) can make them dependant on it to use the bathroom. Just talking from experience with my daughter.

But she had to take these for a few weeks and then she was fine...now she only has to take some every now and again. She has regular bm's now.

Good luck to ya!
~S.

My sons had a similar problem and unfortunately it gets worse if not treated, since holdingit in longer makes the stools harder and more hurtful to come out.. The food you are giving is good, and I wish my sons would eat it but he does not like fruits and veggies!!! I made regular pancakes with ground flaxseed (about 1/4 cup per batch). Try it for a couple of mornings for breakfast. Also, like a garabage disposal nothing will happenwithout water. So wean away from milk for awhile and push water. What he needs are loose stools that are not hard to come out. Then he can get back on track. Just keep him near a bathroom for that week so he can get to it quickly enough. I am sorry that this is so graphic but it should help.

Ttacy:

Consider his diet. What he eats may be what is affecting his bowel. Try giving him some Senna tea, it has a natural laxative effect without the stimluants found in laxatives. Also, give him more water during the day. He may go pee more often, but it may help soften his stool and he may have more frequent BMs. Good luck and I hope he finds some relief soon.

Love and blessings,
N.

Plumsmart Plum juice has worked miracles for my daughter. It's alot better tasting than Prune juice. We just make sure she has a cup a day of it. She poops every day now, sometimes more. It also helps keep the poop soft,(Sorry to be icky)so she doesn't have to strain. Also, a little dark kayo syrup in his milk helps too. Good luck!