Constipated toddler refusing to poo! Help!

My toddler since potty training is terrified of pooing. We are doing all we can to follow all things positive poo and are following the big little feelings course for potty training. Dr gave us this laxative (see pic) but he won’t take it as you have to mix it with water and it tastes funny, he also won’t drink it with squash or anything else as he will only drink plain water and oat milk - (his preference) …. I’ve tried mixing in his oat milk, but won’t touch it either as he knows it tastes different….I’ve tried mixing it in his weetabjx but it clearly says you shouldn’t put it with food as it won’t work …. Does anyone know any other laxatives that can be mixed into food? I’m desperate as he is so scared of pooing but is so uncomfortable and just screaming trying to hold it in 😢 He Also has cows milk protein allergy’s so I don’t believe he can have lactose
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Awe sorry no advice on the laxatives, but little girl had the same problem of being terrified of pooping!! Just wanted to let you know it did pass, lasted for about a month? Luckily she wasn’t constipated but she eats a lot of fruit and I gave her a lot of prunes while toilet training so she was still pooping everyday but literally couldn’t hold it in 😅

Lactoluse is probably fine? Lactose in medicine is usually artificially manufactured, so can not have any protien attached to it as it never has been in contact with any... Unless ingredients say (milk) or (from milk) or something similar, medicines containing lactose should usually be fine for cmpa. Another alternative is movicol, the dr would give better information and prescribe something different if you say this one isn’t working

Second what was said above, my son has been the same and wouldn’t touch cosmocol. He only drinks milk or water and it obviously tastes hideous in it. Doc prescribed movicol plain and he drinks it in his water fine!

use a syringe to give give them sips of it maybe

Let them poo in their diaper and then dump it out in toilet and tell them that's where it goes. Of course if they are able to poo at all. Also give them lots of water and maybe some juice.

I’m sorry, it is so hard! Have you tried apple sauce/purée? My son is 3 in March and potty trained when it comes to pees but is still not happy doing a 💩 on the loo. So now when he needs to go he asks for a nappy. Does it and then we take it off again. We are gently encouraging him to use the loo but no luck yet. I also recommend the book what is poo? It’s got lots of flaps for kids to lift and talks about the whole process! That helped get rid of the fear at the start when he also went on a poo strike

Have you tried giving him an oz or 2 of 100% juice (not watered down after all)? How about some prunes? Maybe you could get miralax or lactulose?

Prune juice, looooots of fruit, yogurt, ask about Metamucil, that's what we have to do with my niece just because she did that and her 💩 clog the toilet every time she goes cause they're a giant potato

I’m in the exact same boat, prescribed the same thing too, it’s been going on with my little girl about 8 weeks now it’s heartbreaking. I looked for ages for a post like this as I’d never known anything like this a child. I had to stop the laxative after 2 weeks because I felt it was making her worse, she was hysterical not being able to hold it in. She’s got a lot better this last week, still whinges when she needs a poo saying she needs one then put her on the toilet/potty and she gets mad saying she doesn’t and just “sharts”, but yesterday she got on and did one on her own so I can finally see the light! It will get better ❤️

Ok so it’s really really important to try to get this under control. I’m a children’s surgeon and I meet so many children that have struggled with constipation that has worsened and worsened since potty training. Sometimes culminating in needing a surgeon for an operation to remove the massively built up poo. If the constipation isn’t managed, their rectum gets stretched and can’t feel when it’s full, meaning they don’t feel the need to poo, and the cycle continues. It is a spiral that’s so difficult to get out of. I recommend the ERIC website which is the children’s bladder and bowel continence charity - they have a wealth of information on there. You can try movicol paediatric or laxido, which I think both come as orange flavour (mix with orange juice or squash) or plain. The reason these are chosen over other laxatives is that they are very gentle and don’t cause any spasm of the bowel.

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