Number 2's - update 27th may

We've stumbled on a small problem with Eleanor's potty training.
She was v reluctant to start using the potty and come out of nappies. So she didn't PT until just before she turned 3.

We started about 3 months ago now.

She's done absolutely brilliantly with wee's and picked it up soooo fast (I'm glad we waited until she was ready rather than pushing her... Despite In laws trying to tell us otherwise :rollseyes:)
We barely get any wet accidents - and if we do it's when she's on the way to the potty/toilet or overly distracted.

However she absolutely refuses to do poos on the potty and toilet.
She holds it until we get home and has an accident in her pants. It's daily, she's not constipated (and never has been!) and it's never been painful for her.
When you talk to her she knows poos go in the potty or toilet but still keeps going in her pants.

Not sure what to try to encourage her to go in the potty.
Incidentally I was apparently just the same as a toddler - but my parents cannot remember what they did to solve it.

A few ideas that have been suggested are - leaving her with no pants on (so there's nothing to "catch" the poo),
Making her clean herself up (which she isn't capable of doing properly yet) - so I don't want to do that.

Any help ladies?

I had exactly the same problem with 3 of my 4. (A, R and M) Its quite common apparently. This explains the reasons why. Amy and Ryan either waited for their night nappy to go on or asked for a nappy to do a poo in. At first Mia just held it all in and kept having accidents in pants like Eleanor but then I told her I'd rather she pooed in a nappy for now so that's what we are doing. She still refuses to try and poo on the toilet but I do try and get her to every day. With the others I just waited until they were ready to use the toilet and will be doing the same with M.

As you probsbly know ive had big issues with the toots and poo, lots of withholding. With riley I had to start again and almost train her body to relax and go every morning. She would watch a favourite show on the ipad while sitting on the loo with her feet on a high stool to straighten out her bowels. It didnt take too long to get into a good habit. We still have some issues with her but its a lot lot better.

Apparentyly according to the book I read its better to get them in a morning habit, but you could try at whatever time she normally poops.

With lockie I really had to work at getting him used to the sensation, and we do lots of games, make it a race etc. I also take his mind off when I can tell its a 'big one' by pretending to blow up a balloon which also helps the right muscles to work. He also has a smell issue but rather than not talk about iy ive started calling tge bad ones real stinkers etc and making a joke about it.

He's also not keen on pooping out of the house! Its enough to drive you insane

I believe this to be very common. With my eldest son (who would do his pee on the potty/toilet and then disappear behind the sofa and do his poo in his pants) I tried bribery! He got to pick his treat, he choose those little chocolate covered animal biscuits and he got one when he used the toilet/potty appropriately. For him this was enough.

[clothmama]

Louis used to leave little presents on the living room floor I never saw him doing them and I can't remember how we got him out of it to be honest.

Any progress Jen @docmaggoo ?

Both of mine were the same. I did the same as Louise - let them ask for a nappy when they needed one. I preferred that to accidents. I got a book called Liam Goes Poo in the Toilet, which helped both of them - they liked to read it while on the loo.

Update!

Something has suddenly clicked!!
The last 2 weeks we've had no accidents - no poos or wee's!!

She's pooping on a daily basis and asking to go to the toilet.

I can't say what's happened - she must have just needed longer.

All your comments were really helpful and gave me more confidence in that it was still normal for her to be slower to get number 2's right.

[clothmama]

That is good news Jen @docmaggoo ! Is she still doing well? I remember the weeks that Louis was pooing on my living room floor on a daily basis a very long few weeks!