Sneaky signs your child is constipated
Did you know…
Constipation can be a major factor in bedwetting, daytime urine leaks, poop leaks, and toileting battles. It can even impact your child's mood and behavior.
“But she poops everyday, she can’t be constipated.”
It's a common myth that daily bowel movements means there isn't constipation.
And the truth is, your child can have a bowel movement everyday and still be constipated. Constipation isn't about frequency; it's about getting all poop out on a regular basis.
The "norm" is to have bowel movements anywhere from 3x/day to once every 3 days.
With such a wide range, how do you know what's normal?
Common signs of constipation in children
Frequent abdominal cramping or pain
Decreased appetite or a variable appetite: Your child doesn't want to eat as much when there is excessive stool burden
Fear of toileting/negative emotions around toileting: Pain with bowel movements and negative emotions around it may contribute to withholding which can worsen constipation
Unpredictable bowel habits: This may show up as frequently fluctuating stool consistency, fluctuating frequency of bowel movements, variable sizes, or some combination of these
Only having bowel movements under certain conditions or in certain places: This may show up as withholding during school or when at someone else's home
Fecal incontinence: This often shows up as streaking in underwear or very small spots of leaking stool from something called encoporesis
Urinary incontinence: This may show up as being unable to achieve daytime dryness, regression of previous continence, or bedwetting. Bedwetting should resolve within 6 months of daytime continence.
Large, toilet clogging bowel movements that may look like logs or pellets OR frequent small bowel movements (this means they are not completely emptying)
Recurrent UTIs
An itchy anus, as it is difficult to get bottom clean
What to do if your child is constipated?
So your child is constipated - now what?
The cause of constipation is different for every child, but here are some things to start with:
Make sure your child is drinking enough water - 8oz per year of life, up to 64oz at age 8+ (ex/ 32oz at age 4)
Help your child get into a good position on the toilet - This means feet are flat and supported, and ideally knees are higher than hips. Did you know that they make a squatty potty for kids?!? The floor potties are great for little kids who can’t get into a comfortable position on a big toilet.
Support full emptying of bowels through taking deep breaths - this can be fun with bubbles, blowing bubbles in water with a straw, a kazoo, or a pinwheel.
As each child is an individual, an assessment with a pediatric pelvic floor physical therapist or occupational therapist can be valuable.
At Root to Bloom I get to the root cause of your child’s constipation so that they can move past constipation and bloom.
To schedule a pelvic health therapy consultation click the button below:
