I am hopeing that some one out there can help me. I ahve a 7 year old boy ans going te the bathroom has always been an issue. When he was little he just didnt want to go, but as we got older he got good about going during the day but going at night was the problem. When we started school most of our potty issues worked them selves out, but 2 still remain. The first one is he still wets the bed at night. I think its cause he is sutch a deep sleeper. The other is he has a hard time going poop. Its not that his poop is too heard but its big. My mother who is a RN was watching the kids last week and was upset when my son gave him self a nose bleed from pushing too hard. I ahve tryed fiber and it dose not seem to be helping. I am plaining on taking him into the Docs to talk about both problems but also wanted to know if anyone out there has had this probem with there kids and what worked with them. I would love any help anyone can offer!
My son had similar problems and the doctor said to get an over the counter med called Miralax and it helped. Now he's regulated and its easier for him to go more often and they aren't so big. Good luck.
My 8 year old son has had a hard time with this his whole little life.
The poop is big beacause it is not moving though his system and builds up. The casing of his tract is stretched and the muscle to push has become weak. FYI- It takes a long time.
Keep the poop extra soft and give his body a chance to get stronger and the tract to shrink down.
I give my son a chewable fiber tab every night and that keeps his system moving. You can try oils too. Whatever you choose, keep the poop soft, be consistant and give it some time.
Clearing up the constipation issue helped my son with the peeing problems too. No liquid before bedtime.
I feel for you and your son. My daughter has the same problem and has for 7 years. The doctor she was seeing had her on miralax, she was on it for almost 5 years before I said no more, it was doing nothing, but putting her in pain. Not the same for all kids. Now she is on Kristalose, its a powder you can mix in almost anything, she loves it in her activa yugart, she calls it her sugar, plus she is on amatiza that is a pill, and those three mixed together is doing great for her. She is now 8 and is learning what its like to go to the bathroom without pain, which is the best feeling for a parent to know thier kid isnt in pain. Plus her doc has told me, that its normal for them to not feel when they have to go pee sometimes becuase the poo is to big. I truly hope that helps you.
The poop thing will take time to clear up. You'll probably have to use something mild to help make his stool softer, then his digestive tract will take time to shrink to a normal size. This may clear up the bed wetting at night. If it doesn't, our doctor recommended buying a little alarm for their underwear at night. It wakes them up at the slightest hint of moisture in their underwear. Most parents say it works in about two weeks. Perfect if he's just a deep sleeper. My daughter's the same way. She would wake up in the morning thinking she'd made it through, when really she'd just slept in it and it had dried. Don't worry too much about the bed wetting. Some kids just take awhile. Our doctor said it can be as old as 12.
I would use flax seed to make muffins and have him eat one each morning. Fish oil will also help, you can get that in liquid or pill form at a health food store. I would get him to drink lots of water and avoid the soda. Fiber one makes snack bars and my kids love them. Whole grains are important, you should try to cook with them instead of the bleached white flour. For the bed wetting, I would take him to a chiropractor.
Take him to a chiropractor. I have a son that wet the bed every night until he was 13. I took him to the Chiro. and miracles happened. All the embarrassment was gone YEAH! He could have sleep overs and go to camp and all the stuff kids do. Get him off sugar and white flour make sure he is getting greens.
I agree with Mikel O. I think that beyond the bedwetting problem, I think his colon and surrounding muscles have been over stretched. My little girl had this when she was a baby and our doctor explained that she was having such a hard time because her muscles were too weak to keep the movement in her bowels going. So the poop would build up, get hard and just sit there till the body had to get rid of it, but by then the muscles were so over distended that it hurt or it was almost too hard to do. And then it becomes a cycle and just gets worse and worse. The solution was to give her some medicine that we dissolved in her bottle that would almost completely soften her stool so it didn't take much to push out. Then the muscles could heal naturally and start building up their strength again and now she doesn't have any problems. I would talk to your doctor about it and if he doesn't agree I might get a second opinion. (I go to Utah Valley Pediatrics at the Timp Hospital Physicians Plaza in Orem, we see Dr. Matthew Cornish. Amazing Doctor!). Your little boy could do some serious damage if he keeps pushing like he is. Good luck and hope this helps.
Until you get to the doctor, try Laxative Drops by Little Tummys. You can find it at any drug store and even WalMart. It is made from natural vegetable senna. Constipation can contribute to urinary issues. Also, increase his liquid comsumption and then cut him off at about two hours before bed time. You may also want to take a peek at bedwettingstore.com. I think that is the right website. Good luck.
The constipation and the bed-wetting may be connected. Many people find that constipation can irritate the bladder and desensitize the child to bathroom signals. A small dose of Miralax may help him get cleared out so he can be comfortable. It's non-stimulant and over the counter and just helps add additional moisture to the stool so it's easier to pass.
Your doctor can help you know if the bedwetting is typical, primary enuresis (never dry) or something else (such as a bladder infection) that needs treatment.
We are just finishing up with helping my son (also age 7) stay dry at night. The book "Seven Steps to Nighttime Dryness" helped us so much. We used a Malem alarm and it took patience and determination, but we are now having dry nights. I purchased it at www.bedwettingstore.com and there is a lot of excellent information there about bedwetting that is helpful and medically accurate--it's not just a sales pitch. If you search on bed wetting on Mamasource, you'll find my more lengthy response about my experience to another mom about a week ago, and also find other helpful responses. Ten percent of children have bedwetting issues that can last into the teens, so please do not feel like you're the only one or it is somehow your child's fault.
If your doctor rules out underlying health issues, alarm treatment may be helpful--it took a couple of months but has been the answer for us. Message me if you want to know more. Best wishes!
I struggled with the poop problems as a child. Sometimes it gets too big because the child holds it in and it keeps building. I was too busy having fun and didn't want to stop playing to go to the bathroom. Dehydration could cause it to be too firm to pass comfortably. Taking time out to get drinks of water might help. I would get some guidance from a pediatrician, too.
Probiotics work wonders!
I personally have experienced this and found that eating an apple and a cup of yogurt a day helps with regularity. I try doing natural things before opting for medicine, so I definitely recommend trying this out. It must be done EVERY day to be affective. If I skip a day, the system gets all messed up again. Good luck!
Make it a GREAT day!
S.
I was just listening to a podcast on this very issue the other day. You can go to pediacast.org (I think) and see if you can find the podcast (#145 or 146, I think!) or go to iTunes and look up Pediacast (podcast). If you have questions about the information I gave you, you can send me an instant message or whatever they do on here.
I think the problem is biological in nature if that makes you feel better.
Get a Bed Alarm - it is awesome! Unless your son is having a medical issue, it should work - we just got through using one with my 6 year old son a few months ago - and it worked amazingly well. They are found at a medical supply store - just call your doctors office, it was well worth the 80$ or so I paid for it! It is basically a conditioning method that trains their brain to feel the sensation of needing to urinate and wakes them up. My son feels so much better about himself and it only took a couple of weeks to get through. Not sure about the other issue, I would ask your doctor. Good luck!
dr. christopher's has a formula for bedwetting : kid e dry, you can ask for it at any herb store
Check out this site also:
http://www.herballegacy.com/Bed_Wetting.html
As far as the difficulty pooping, I think this one will help also:
I wet the bed until I was 10. Sometime that year my mom bought an alarm. It had this special belt and a little alarm that went in my underwear. The problem was that I was such a deep sleeper. It was basically a sensor and when I wet the sensor triggered the alarm which was just a loud annoying buzzing sound like an alarm clock. I'm sure they are more sophisticated now. I would definitely look into something like that. Good luck.
