Pooping in the Bathtub

hi L.,
this happened to us a few months ago, and i also just scooped it up with hand and gracefully tossed it into the toilet, lol. yeah, gross, but it's just poop after all. what we used to have in the tub years ago when my other kids were little was a dollar store plastic hand strainer. we used it to 'catch' all the little sock fuzzies floating in the water. i suppose that would be handy at times like these :).

My son used to do that ALL the time. I think it has something to do with the warm water and it making them relax. Yeah nothing stands up to poop in the water. You are absolutely right! LOL

This hasn't happened to me (yet) but I know many people who it has happened to including my nephew so its completely normal, I wouldnt' be too embarassed or grossed out. Of course when its your own child its not as gross. A cup sounds like a good idea, then you could scoop it right into the toilet and not have it in your trash.

Oh my goodness!!!
I had a little girl ( one of seven) who LIKED to play with her poop. At least I think she did. This was in the days of cloth diapers so it was pretty hard to get them so the baby could not pry inside if they wanted to.
I would put her down for a nap and come in to get her up..there would be poop all over her, the crib, the curtains on the window. Talk about GROSS...it was not unusual for a little one to do this once but Michele seemed to enjoy it. Many times I would find her like that no matter what I did to try to avert it.
Thankfully it did not go on for a long time.
When a little one is immersed in warm water it encourages them to poop ( nice to know if you have a slightly constipated baby)
Who knows why? This is why at the YWCA they insist on swim diapers and if a child is an offender of poopy in the pool, they prefer two swim diapers on them. If the little one poops in the pool then the pool needs to be closed down for at least 24 hours.
You could put a swim diaper on her while she is in the tub, then remove it and and wash her equipment with a facecloth after the general bath, yes?
And how about buying a cat litter scoop? That would do for the removing of poopie from the tub, yes?
LOL oh my, there are so many things they do that can gross us out and not trouble their little hearts one bit..you will get used to it.
My poopy playing little girl came in the house when she was about six perhaps, after a rain storm, she had been at the gutter drain...she said, "Mummy, I kissed every one of those toads out there and not ONE of them turned into a prince."
hehehe
Tincture of time and she will move on to more sophisticated gross outs.
Best wishes and God bless...
Thanks for the chuckle and memories
Grandmother Lowell

Poop in the tub is one of my least favorites ever. We averaged one poop in the tub per week for months. It seemed like our little guy was determined to wait until bath time. We were always sure to have a towel station at the ready to plop him on after a quick removal. As to poop removal, gross as it may be, we found manual to be the most efficient solution. Hold your breath and work fast. Drain, wipe down the tub, and restart. Ah, the joys of parenting!

Something funny to help you feel better: http://www.metacafe.com/watch/487990/bath_time_101_poop_i...

Sorry L., but I am laughing right out loud! Only because I totally recongnise myself about three years ago! I am actually picturing the look of horror on my face as I watched something brownish float to the top of my son's bath!! LMAO - He was a bathwater drinker too! LMAO. Oye.

You seem to have gotten good advice so I just had to share the fact that you brought a smile to my overworked, superstressed, gum chewing yucky, lips! thanks

My son ONLY pooped in the tub for months!!! Yeah. Wouldn't go on the toilet. I learned to watch for the "signs" and yank him out of the tub and put him on the toilet quickly. That got him to go on the toilet and also taught him the warning signs himself so he could let me know. He still had always had to go during the bath -- guess it's the warm water and all -- but not IN the bath! Try to relax about it and this phase won't last long.

MW: OMG! That video is HILARIOUS!!!!

L.,

HAHAHAAHAAAAAAA.....only because I remember this happening to us here. I used my hand because I was so shocked.

Did you try a baby wipe? It could get very costly if you are throwing out wash clothes every time it happens. If it does start to become a more frequent thing though then sticking her on the potty before her bath might not be a bad thing. Lots of kids do it though. The warm water is relaxing. I'm sure you've dealt with much worse poopy accidents too ;). And wait until she does start potty training. Cleaning poop out of underwear was the worst. Trying to get the poopy underwear off without getting it all down her legs and then with one hand trying not to drop the poop onto the floor in said underwear while the other hand you're trying to keep the child from touching any poopy part of her body. Sorry, I suppose I'm not painting a pretty picture of what's to come ;). In all honesty though that has been one of my most hated parts of mothering is potty training ;). I've done it twice so far with my soon to be 10 year old daughter and just turned 7 year old daughter. Once more to go with my 17 month old son ;).

My daughter only did that once (thank god!) and I totally froze. It was like my brain shut off and I had absolutely no idea how to get the poop out. I ended up using a spoon to scoop it in the toilet (I threw it out when I was done). When I got to work the next day, I shared my adventure with a co-worker. She said "Why didn't you just use a plastic shopping bag to pick it up, and then turn it inside out to throw it away?" Of course the answer was so easy, I didn't see it right in front of me! Anyways, good luck, that is a trying thing to deal with!

maybe next time just have a paper cup handy to scoop it out. oh having little ones never ceases toamaze us now do they:)

My son did this often - the warm water relaxes the muscles around the sphincter I think. You could try a large ladle or sand shovel, I think. I know it's hard, but try not to panic or over-react, less she think poop is horrendously vile rather than a natural function. I think a really good soapy washing will take care of the spoon or other implement you use - after all, after you wipe her bum (or even your own!), you don't throw out your hands, do you??? LOL - it's more important that she see you wash properly - soap and 30 seconds of lathering is important. Turn off the water - don't let it run - a lot of kids learn to just put soap on their hands and then stick them under the water right away, which does nothing! The experts say to rub and create a lather - and kids love bubbles! - while singing the ABC song or even "Happy Birthday" twice thru to measure the right amount of time. Anti-bacterial soaps aren't necessary and actually are considered much more harmful - it's the lathering and amount of time that are really key.

You could use the plastic bag trick too - or go for doggie poop bags - put your hand inside it, grab the poop, and invert the bag, trying the top part of it in a knot. The only problem with that is, she doesn't see the poop go in the toilet where it belongs.

Just try to be matter of fact about it so she doesn't make a game out of it or completely recoil from it -- either of which will cause problems for you later on.

Hang in there - it's no fun but it will not go on forever!

This happened to my kid a few times as well--i was afraid it was going to be a habit. Then i realized that this was prob when she was a little constipated, and the water helped her relax. I used diaper wipes, which worked well, and I kept a spare box in the bathr bc sometimes I'd undress her for a bath after she'd just pooped. Also, I have a removable shower head with a long cord so I could just "hose down" the mess even with her still in the tub--and clean her and the tub up pretty well, even after the tub was drained. Giving her massages to her belly (on days she hadn't pooped in the afternoon) with plenty of time before the bath--also helped her move her poops out before she got into the tub.

I totally understand. My daughter did the same thing. Its the warm water that relaxes her...It should end soon as your daughter gets old enough to control it...

Its happened to me a handful of times with both my kids. I can't remember how we got it out - I want to say a handful of paper towels. And we would just drain the water and start all over again - it was inevitable it was right when my kiddos got in :) Just know MANY of us have written or spoken that sentence.....

When my little one pooped in the tub- and it was about twice a week- I'd just pull out the plug valve and wash it all down the drain. It goes the same place as the toilet water.
Give the tub a quick swish with bleach water and refill it.
I did start only giving her 2 or 3 tub toys at a time though. Those would need a bleach soak before I'd give them back.
It's such a pain- but at least I could anticipate it! My husband sounds like yours- his gag reflex is stronger than mine!
Good luck!
-S.

Hi,

That was one of the rules my husband has been telling my daughter since she got her first bath "don't poop in the tub". He texted me one night when he was putting her to bed. "she broke papa's rule"

I would think it would be important not to act too grossed out or angry at all. I think that could come back to bite you when you start to potty train. I hear that some kids don't want to poop because they think it is gross, not just a natural thing we all do (but still isn't something to play with!)

And as far as the wash cloth, I use cloth diapers and can assure you that poop comes out of wash cloths in the washing machine. No need to throw it out. But if you can't handle the thought of washing something, I would use a paper cup.

good luck

I second the paper cup...maybe even and old strainer you have laying around seeing that it doesn't happen often. *Gross, i know* There's really not too much you can do to avoid it. My only suggestion is change her bath time to after she poops, if at all possible/convenient.