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[KittyTomp]

Hi

My daughter has just been diagnosed with chronic constipation. She has been soiling for a year now but the gp wouldn't really do anything as until she was 4 it was a toilet training issue (despite being fully trained at 3)

She is now on movicol, sennakot and liquid parifin. I guess I just want to say hi, it's nice to finally have somewhere where people understand and don't judge.

I have one question though. I can't get her to have the movicol any way apart from mixing it straight into her apple juice (as in not mixing it with water first) is this ok or do I need to mix it with water and add it to the juice? It seems to be working in that her poo is very loose and liquidy atm so it seems to be ok I think.

[Georgina1475]

Hi there.

You can mix it into any liquid she likes, milk or milkshakes too even jellies. My son has a glass of milk a day and even when knows it's in there he still drinks it. It can alter the taste of some cordials if they contain artificial sweeteners.

Keep in touch here everyone here can empathise with you and it's good to know it's a safe place to discuss anything without as you said being judged by people that just don't understand what it's like to have a child with Incontinence.

[Luella19]

Welcome to the group where no information is too much! We all get it and the stress it can cause. Let us know how you get on with the new prescription from the doctor...it can get better, it did for my daughter x

[KittyTomp]

Thank you both. It's nice to be somewhere where there's no such thing as tmi!

She seems to be down to 2-3 poos for the past few days.

We had a meeting with her reception teacher for sept who suggested either her doing part time or me going in to change her when she gets to school. Neither of which are great options tbh. Developmentally she's more than ready for school and the part of the day they are talking about her missing is group time so phonics and maths etc (I'm also a reception teacher so I know how it works although I don't think she knew that)

I can change her 3 days a week (although it would mean me staying at home all day!) but I work 2 days a week. My senco at my school suggested asking for a care plan to be put in place.

Has anyone else had these issues with school? I know in our school we just change children who are still in nappies although we don't advertise the fact

[Luella19]

You should not have to go in to change your child, you should be able to get the school on board to help you with this. It's not a totally uncommon problem. Perhaps wait and see how she is nearer the time and then when she starts school if she is still soiling her knickers then organise to meet with the teachers again. The school nurse can be a useful contact.

I had this exact worry at this point before my daughter was due to start school in reception. Nursery had not gone well on the toileting front and her pooey knickers were not handled very well and we were made to feel quite unique that my daughter still pooed on her knickers sometimes at 3 years old. This was before we realised she was constipated.

By the time she started in reception and had started treatment for the withholding and constipation things had got a bit better but things have only at the start of this year really resolved to the point where I can almost see it as history for us. She had poo accidents on occasions through until year 2, always dealt with by her teachers or teaching assistants who have been wonderful.

I found it became easier with age. Try to get her to sit on the toilet as much as possible after meals, make it fun time, that really helped and doesn't matter if no poo happens, just reward/praise the sitting time.

Senokot was the treatment that helped the most for us, more than movicol so it's good to hear that you have that already, my daughter didn't get prescribed that until last year x

[KittyTomp in reply to Luella19]

Thank you. That's good to know.

I think the hard thing is that her preschool are so wonderful with her, it's not bother, absolutely normal, they've seen it all before, don't stress etc so the school attitude is a bit of a shock.

I'm hoping that with time she will become a bit more regular and predictable. She is now sitting on the toilet for 5 mins after breakfast lunch and dinner and she's allowed to watch my little pony on the iPad which is a big treat. She also gets stickers for sitting on the toilet too. No poos on there yet but I'm going it will happen by chance and she'll see it's not so bad.

She's very bright and so we can really explain things to her. Her diet hasn't been great but afternoon explaining diet and her poo link she is now much better at trying new things and eating more vegetables which hopefully will help it itself.

[Luella19]

I also bought my daughter a lift the flap body book (I think by Usbourne?) she loved it especially the digestive system page where there was a poo in transit! It helped her understand it all.

You sound like you are doing all the right things. My daughter is nearly 7 and for the past 3 months has been totally fine and accident free and off all laxatives. It's been a long slog and after being referred to a lovely consultant last summer it started to really improve. You sound like you may be a bit ahead of us at that age which is good. All the best...

[Georgina1475 in reply to Luella19]

Sounds so familiar!!

An intimate care plan would help if in place and as it's made between you and the school as you have a say in what they should/need to be doing, you shouldn't be expected to go into school at all as is their responsibility to take care of her needs while she's there. I didn't know this until my son had moved years. As Luella said try contacting the school nurse system and see what they suggest also look at the local authority for info as ours has guidance for situations like this under schools being "inclusive" etc.

[FranAdam]

Have a look at the website thepoonurses.uk

Everything you ever wanted to know about poo, macrogols, Senna etc.......