Daughter having trouble going poop

[MegMerc]

My three year old daughter is having a terrible time passing stools. She was doing great (A large BM every night like clock work) up until a few months ago. We moved three months ago, and two months ago encouraged her to use the potty by herself. Welcome problems! Now she goes once or twice a week, but our latest record is 8 days with no BM ending in tears and two doses of milk of magnesia. She doesn't seem to be in pain (except that latest 8 day stretch). When she does got it is usually a lot and doesn't seem to be overly hard to me. (No balls or clumps, but nice logs [for lack of better words!]) Every time she does go she cries and says it hurts. Once she is going though she stops crying and lets it all come out with no more talk about pain.

I know we don't get our "allotted fiber" intake (American!!), but I don't feel like she eats a ton of junk food. Chips are a treat, we eat wheat bread, oatmeal or Life cereal for breakfast, lots of fruits and veggies. (Carrots sticks, green beans, corn, or broccoli every night for supper and strawberries, kiwi, apple, oranges... at least once a day. ) I have her on gummy fiber which says it adds 4g of fiber to her diet. She doesn't drink much, but when she does it is either water or lemon-aid, sometimes milk.

I am starting to wonder if I need to look at food allergies. Dairy maybe? I have been thinking about getting her on prune juice and trying to add more fiber to her diet. I hate seeing her cry over potty time and it is really starting to worry me!

Any advise?

[Renee Radenberg]

An allergy to dairy would be the opposite, diarrhea. Suggest decreasing intake of rice, bananas, and applesauce that constipate. Apple juice helps to loosen the stool as do prune juice. She does need to drink more fluids. Suggest using Benefiber, which is natural fiber and dissolves in all foods, to help her move her stools regularly. Hoped this helped you.

[MegMerc]

Thank you Renee. I will try to boost up that fiber/water intake and get some Benefiber. I got some prune juice yesterday. Thankfully she likes it! She is eating a little box of raisins every day too. I hope to see results soon without milk of magnesia! (I REALLY do not want to make that one a habit!) We are already at day 4 with nothing.... I start worrying about now. (she seems to have no discomfort. I think I would be miserable!)