DD Pooping in the Tub Every Night!

My daughter has done this twice, but that's been it - when it did, we just pulled her out of the tub, fished it out, flushed it, , drained the tub, then scrubbed it down thoroughly with cleaner and bleach and put the toys in a bucket with bleach water. We called it a "code brown". Friend of mine called it "poop soup." Just to let you know you are not the only one!

I think the warm water relaxes the muscles. My daughter has done this a few times. She occasionally sits on the potty before the bath but has not used it yet. She's 22 months now but doesn't seem ready to potty train yet.

I agree with some of the other posts - it started suddenly and then it stopped just as suddenly. My son did 3 or 4 times and then never did it again. Luckily, my daughter hasn't (yet?)

I take my 2-year-old son out of the tub mid-bath and make him sit because he was doing this for a while. I have no idea why. Now he thinks the toilet is "pooping on the water," so maybe he figures the bath must be the same. I am open to toilet training with him soon if he stays interested, but otherwise I would keep the baths short and make the "play" bath once in a while until she stops doing this. I sometimes bathe my kids without stopping the drain and just use the running water--if we are doing a "play" bath I still usually do this and then fill it with fresh water so they're not sitting in the soap. Good luck with this one.

My daughter did this off and on for about two months, but she was on the more constipated side so I thought that had to do with it. I think in general they need to learn the feeling that it is happening, but that if you resond in a negative, (but not punishing way) it eventually stops. I would immediately stop the bath, drain the water and turn the shower (which she didn't like) on. Then I would get her all washed up and immediately out of the tub.

I found that the best thing to do is to pick out as much solid as possible, wash the rest down, and then fill the tub back up with a bit of bleach and let all the toys soak in the bleach water for a while.

I thought my kids were the only kids to do this!!

Both of them went through a phase where they did this... my oldest is now 5 & youngest is 2 &1/2. It freaked the older one out, but I told her to relax, we'd fix it!!

As soon as it started, it seemed to stop just as suddenly. Both kids did it probably 4 times. Other than scrubbing the tub, I have no advice... but, you are not alone!!

Sit her on the potty chair BEFORE you put her into the bathtub.
Explain why.
PRAISE HER TO HEAVEN and beyond if she poops in the potty chair.
This does NOT mean you're going to toilet train her now,
if you haven't already started.
It's just this particular pre-bath situation.
For now.

MY DD used to do this around the same age...she doesn't anymore. We ofcourse ended the bath immediately after she pooped and I think it taught her not to do it anymore.

My son did this too - the warm water relaxes the body, including the muscles in the abdomen & rectum. I think it's normal, unfortunately. Don't let her freeze in a cooler tub. You can put her on the potty beforehand, or halfway through the bath (wrap her up in towels), but she's too young to potty train. (Some people will debate this, but developmentally, the ability isn't there yet.) Definitely separate baths for the kids. Short of sponge baths or showers, there's nothing you can do! Try not to freak out about it - it's no fun but it's common.

My daughter went through that, it lasted about a month. It was at a time when she was having constipation, so the warm water helped her move things along. After that she kept going, but eventually stopped.

I would do separate baths till the phase passes - thanks!
: )
D.