Four and half years ago when Big O was born, I would have never imagined that something so seemingly trivial as regular bowel movements would be a major achievement and thrill for us. But, here we are – celebrating each BM and working daily to keep his (and Little O’s) bowels happy.
It was not an easy path. It was not a clear path. Looking back, there are things I would take back and a lot of things I would have done differently.
The bribes. . . If you consume this [nasty concoction of smashed senna tablets and honey that I can barely touch to my tongue without vomiting], you can watch a video at bedtime.
The frustrations . . . How can he still hold it in after a glycerin suppository?! After a second suppository????
When a toddler goes 13 days without pooping (pardon my ‘potty-mouth’) and starts yelling at his belly – “POOPIE STAY IN!” – it is a stressful time for the whole family. When he screams and cries as the stool finally passes, it is a heartbreaking moment for any parent.
Until having a chronic and severely constipated toddler, I never fully appreciated how the term “anal retentive” came about. I would laugh along with pals about an “anal retentive” friend who just had to have something a certain way or they became overtly distressed. I would joke with classmates about an “anal retentive” professor to relieve frustration with the unrealistic assignments or expectations. I never once thought about the actual origins of the phrase.
Now, I know. Someone who hasn’t pooped in several days to weeks is really irritable. They are fidgety. In some cases, they are obsessive compulsive and want to control things around them like they want to control their urge to poop. They are sometimes completely irrational and unreasonable. Especially when they are only 2.5 years old.
The two weeks without a poop incident was when our pediatrician recommended we give Big O a laxative named Miralax™. This triggered a strong “mommy intuition” reflex. I could not just give my kid some drug whose chemical name (polyethylene glycol (PEG) 3350) implied that it was a polymer of a highly toxic chemical - ethylene glycol (i.e., antifreeze) - without fully researching and considering the options. Polyethylene glycol is not actually ethylene glycol, or antifreeze, but I needed to know exactly how different it was and what studies had been done to determine its safety for use in childhood constipation.
Having regretted not listening to my ‘mommy intuition’ in the past – I was determined to thoroughly investigate this drug and the options for severe chronic childhood constipation. I was fortunate to come across this site early in my research, which led me to this online support group. After posting an introductory message and reading some of the message archives, I quickly gained enough knowledge to feel confident in trusting my intuition which told me that I should not give my child this chemical. I found many kind-hearted, supportive parents at the Miralax group and got lots of ideas for alternatives to PEG 3350 to start me onto more research.
I called our pediatrician, expressed my concerns and told her I would like to try supplemental magnesium instead of Miralax. She was understanding and supportive.
Thus, we embarked on our nearly two year journey to regular, comfortable, and "normal" (oh, what is normal anyway?) bowel movements from Big O. Supplemental magnesium was just the beginning.
Knowing what I know now, we could’ve gotten where we now are a lot more quickly. I hope that sharing our experiences in defeating chronic childhood constipation will help other children and their families resolve their constipation battle more rapidly than we did.
Stay tuned, more of our story will be posted here at my blog.
p.s. – Please be aware that I am not a medical practitioner and am not offering any medical advice. The information provided in my blog and at my website is for informational purposes only.
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