Toddler Having Issues

I wonder if she is making herself a bit raw from wiping so well, which will make it itchy? Does she take baths or showers? Maybe letting her have a bath to just play in, no washing, will let her soak the area to ward of any potential infections and soothe any rashes. Have her eat yogurt if she can eat that and make sure she is getting enough water/fluids and isn't dehydrated, a discharge from the vagina can be a sign of dehydration even in little ones which would be the feeling of still being wet without getting her undies wet really. Powder is a good idea but if your daughter is like most little girls they don't wipe or wash in all the creases and folds down there and it will cake up and get in them if there is any moisture. You could also give her a panty liner if she is worried about getting her panties wet. You could also ask her to sit on the toilet for a minute after she is done to make sure she really is done, what I mean is sometimes when people haven't gone in a while their bladders and kidneys are full and they empty the bladder and get up before the kidneys empty and have to go right back to the bathroom to empty the bladder again where as if they would sit for a minute then they could do it all in one trip. Maybe the bladder being full again might feel like wet to her because I am sure she thinks she shouldn't have to go again after just going.

Maybe putting a little bit of powder in her panties after she goes to the bathroom would make her feel better. If nothing else, you can try it to see if that makes any difference before making an appointment with the doctor. Good luck!

T.,
I don't want to freak you out but I just thought I would throw this out so you are aware so you might look into it. I have a friend that has a child that had those same issues in the bathroom, going through rolls and rolls of toilet paper, to the point they had to keep a lock on the bathroom and distrubute her toilet paper. She was eventually diagnosed with obsessive-compulsive disorder. Now that she is medicated everything is much better. I am not saying that your daughter is also OCD but it just sounded too similar to not say anything to you. Hope everything works out.

Hi T....
my reply might seem a little less on the factual side.

I believe I may have been this way when I was little,.. my folks were always trying to teach me to use only 3 squares at a time and not to wipe so much.. not uncommon.

~~ Does your daughter wipe while still sitting down? I find sometimes after one stands up a few dribbles may make their way downward even after the oringal wiping was considered dry.

so you could see if she would like to wipe one more time after she has stood up. Just once - a little extra dab and then be done.

I like the powder idea too :)

good luck.

Hi T.--

One thing that helps with my kids, is that I gave a very structured wipe routine. It might satisfy the (I agree maybe OCD-type) instinct to wipe and wipe ...

Our girl-routine:
roll the TP to the floor (ONLY)
hold it still at the top with your left hand, rip it off with your right
crumple it, LOOSELY (this can take quite a bit of focus)
touch front and hold for a couple of seconds ("touch front": so they aren't wiping front and risking BM germs in their vagina/urethra), holding a couple of seconds lets the urine soak in *without roughing themselves up*
wipe back, drop in toilet
second roll-to-floor, rip
touch front a second (and last! time)
wipe back--if poopy, look to see if the TP (and therefore your butt) is clean.

If poopy, the they can keep rolling to the floor and wiping their butt until they are clean, but they shouldn't do the front again ...

There are a couple of other thoughts I had:
1) there is a general sense I have, although I haven't done any reading on it, that the sexual nerves start programming themselves around 2/3/4 ... her clitoris may be 'firing' and she doesn't know how to 'define' that information to herself (and rough rubbing is probably not going to help it 'calm down', although pressure seems to be one instinctual way to deal with that.
2) Dunno if you use thin or thick panties ... the thick training ones might make her feel more 'supported' with whatever her concern is (we called these "comfy pants").

Good luck!

(Oh, PS on the structured wipe routine: I know, it's probably a bit much, but I was the oldest of five and so I knew AHEAD of my first toddler that I wanted to minimize TP/wiping chaos-potential--especially since I knew we would be having more than one kid ;). )

Hi T.
One thought that came to mind is to have her checked for Likenskalorious it is a fungis that can make women itch. If she has any type of fungal infection a good Volva DR can help not a peadatrition. Your girl could be itching or burning and thinking it is wet becouse she has no other referance point. You say she is digging at the aeria and than after a while she stops. That could be becouse the itching stops enough for her to be able to divert her attention to somethong els. Diapers can agrivate or even cause a fungal condition. Check to see if the aeria between the libia (lips)of the volva are red and iritated or rashie looking or even discloard, that would be an indicater.
The best to you and yours

I would explain to her that it is absolutely normal and wonderful to be somewhat moist! you could tell her it's like how the inside of your mouth is wet, and you lick your lips to keep them moist too. and eyes and nose too need to be moist. I'd show her how to wipe just really minimally, maybe more by dabbing than rubbing. it sounds like maybe she has gotten the idea that her genital area is supposed to be totally dry and is trying to make it so by wiping too hard. this idea could have come from something about how potty training was handled, or just a misunderstanding. i assume you use only cotton underwear, that will allow any extra moisture to wick away rather than being held in.