Toddler Won't Poop. Encopresis??

He needs a lot of water and fiber...not so much the laxatives. Will he eat an orange every day? That will do the trick, as will white grape or pear juice. Let him sit backwards on the toilet--make it a game.
It doesn't sound like encopresis to me...he would be pooping (leaking) into his undies.

One word - MIRALAX.

It's not a laxative, as laxatives contain a stimulant that stimulate you to go, and they can be habit forming. From what I understand from my son's pediatrician, is that Miralax pulls moisture into the stool, making it easier to pass. This has worked like a miracle for my son, who was also beginning to hold it. And I did that as a child, so I KNOW firsthand the nightmare that causes. It's even safe for young babies, so your son would be fine using it. It dissolves completely into any liquid and it's totally tasteless. They sell it over the counter, and stores like Walmart even have generics of it now.

Do yourself and your son a favor and try it. And once he is cleaned out, you can use a little everyday to keep him regulated.

I would talk to his pediatrician first for a recommended plan of action. It definitely sounds like encopresis. We've dealt with it off and on for a number of years now. Different doctors like to try different things, so tap into the expertise of yours to see what he/she thinks.

Honestly, what worked for our son was not the laxatives, fiber, mineral oil or suppositories. It was getting him to overcome the mental roadblock to wanting to go. We bribed him big-time to get him to go (something "wow" like a Lego set), got over that ouch hurdle and then from there made him go every night just before bath time. We offered smaller rewards until it was all routine and no longer painful for him. The rewards helped distract him from the potential pain ... he was motivated. Once things became routine, he's started going on his own at times, although most days he still goes right before bath time.

Our son is also extremely picky and his diet is lousy, but I can tell you that adding in more fiber didn't do anything to help. If your child isn't pooping every day, it's going to hurt no matter what. So, it's all about making it a daily thing.

Good luck!

add some benefiber to his food or drinks will help, too. Also, let him go in his diaper if that will help get things moving along. He could also sit on the potty with a loose diaper on.

Sounds more like constipation than encopresis at this point, but that could, of course, change if the withholding continues. I've heard strong recommendations for the book It Hurts When I Poop to help kids deal with the fear of difficult elimination. And of course, good hydration and as much fiber as you can get into his diet will help, too.

Successful potty training is not age-dependent; kids train somewhere between 18 months and 5 years, depending on an array of physical, nervous, and emotional factors. Every child is different. Some kids need more time to get the pooping thing worked through, and will withhold if they feel pressured, resulting in constipation, painful elimination, further withholding, and possible encopresis (which is a medical problem that's hard to correct). These difficulties in turn slow down the poop training, so pressuring a child before he's willing may end up lengthening the whole process, and certainly adding stress for child and parents.

I've known a number of moms who do let their kids use a diaper for pooping for however long they need it. When these children are given the time they need to sort out the sensations and their feelings about the ongoing responsibility to get to the potty on time every time, they do eventually decide they can handle it and develop a genuine willingness. At that point, training is often complete, and child-led, in a couple of days or weeks.

Reaching that point of readiness can take awhile, especially if they had become resistant to overeager parents. The latest I personally have known a child (boy) to fully day train was age 4 + 10 months, and that child is still not night trained at 7 years. But two different pediatricians convinced his parents to follow his lead, and assured them that when his body and nervous system have matured enough, he'll be night trained, too.

It sounds like you have just recently begun to insist that your son not use diapers. And that just recently he's been withholding again, and developing a fear of pooping. It would be useful for you to take note of that connection, because it suggests that what you think should work for your son is not working (and therefore cannot work for you, either).

There will probably be responses advising you not to "go back," or to "stick to your guns." There's a long tradition of that kind of thought. But the most commonly accepted medical and psychological advice on potty training is to support the child's interest, don't try to rush the process, and keep attitudes light and positive. There are also many stories on mamapedia that when moms did back off, the child was finally able to train himself.

Once it becomes a matter of "making" the child go, failure and resentment become part of the whole dynamic, and resistance is almost sure to set in.

Good luck. I hope you find an approach that results in a healthier outcome for your son (pun intended!).

I don't think it is encopresis, unless he is leaking in his underwear. Read: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/encopresis/DS00885

I would give him fiber-rich foods. Beans, broccoli, 100% whole wheat bread, apples (with skin), flaxseed (can be sprinkled on cereal and added to soups, smoothies, yogurt, etc), oats and oat bran, grapefruit, cooked carrots, cooked kale, pears, avocodos, cooked sweet potatoes, lentils, and kidney beans (mmmm chili) are all high in fiber.

You can also get him to "go" by drinking more liquids: water, milk and 100% juice. No sugary drinks, sodas, or 'fruit drinks.'

I just called my son's ped about this less than a week ago (same age boys), and I was told NO BENEFIBER! I have some and was this close (holding fingers together) to giving him some until I was told not to and instead given the advise I am passing to you.