Thursday, November 5, 2009

I LOVE my kids but...

I HATE POTTY TRAINING!!!

So, we are going to take a break from the cancer talk for a second because I needed to share part of my mothering journey with everyone. That and I seem to be making a lot of people cry so I figured it was time for a lighter story. LOL...sorry about the tears everyone, that is definitely not my intention!! But I am so flattered that everyone is actually reading my random thoughts!!!

Ok, back to the woes of potty training. I know you have all been there and we could all talk about the endless stories of stubborn children but I think I have met the Queen bee of stubborness and her name is RACHEL!!!

I figured I would leave it up to her to let me know when she was ready to be trained because we went through 2 years of insanely frustrating training with Taylor so I swore that I wouldn't go through that again, or put any of my kids through it. But, since she just turned 3 in October and was displaying NO signs whatsoever of wanting or needing be trained I started to encourage the thought. Up to this point she was having moments of even changing herself instead of deciding to do her business in the toilet. We have tried smarties, stickers, you name it!! STUBBORN!!!

We were going pretty hardcore when all of a sudden I realized that she had gone almost an entire day without peeing...hmmmm, I said to myself...that can't be good. Then I thought of the last time she had done number 2 and realized that it had been at least a couple of days. Well, she started to complain when she sat down of pain so I took her to the hospital. We sat in the waiting room for 5 hours with all of the flu patients (good times). She tried her hardest to go to the bathroom but with no luck. So, we finally get into the doctor and he says he has to give her an enema and asked me what has changed in the past little bit. I say nothing really, just us trying to train her.

I have always heard of children taking control into their own hands when it comes to potty training and deciding to just NOT go but I never in a million years thought it would happen to one of my kids. Although if any of you know me or how I was when I was younger I guess it really shouldn't have surprised me. My lovely 3 year old had decided to withhold her bodily functions to apparently take a stand against me and my potty training attempts...again, good times!

I have NEVER experienced an enema myself so I couldn't imagine what her poor body went through but I have never heard her make that sound in her life...I can look back on it now and smile about it but at the time, it was NOT COOL!!

So, they clear her out and send us on our way. The doc tells me to keep her full of fibre so she won't have any other choice but to go. But my stubborn little girl sure showed him and his theory. I was pumping her so full of fruit and everything else I could think of that it was unbelievable...and NOTHING!! She was so terrified from her ordeal at the hospital she kept holding it for another 4 days...grrrrr!!! But man, was she ever proud of herself for peeing in the potty, but the other duty was out of the question!!!

After calling the HealthLink we decide to give her mineral oil and that finally did something...but only once...and she was back to holding it!! ARE YOU KIDDING ME??? So, I hit the wal-mart pharmacy and ask the pharmacist for her opinion. She gives me Colace and tells me GOOD LUCK!! Ha!! Thanks!

Now we are trying to pump her full of stool softener on top of her water and fruit and other goodies. NOTHING!!! She holds it for another 4 days which is when Daddy makes the threat...if you don't poop by the time I get home from work, we are going back to the hospital and they will give you more medicine! This was followed by a NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This morning I had an appointment so Auntie Kari kindly came over to watch the kids and when I came home she happily told me that Rachel did her business!!!! AMEN!!! She must have realized that it was a GOOD thing to do this because she did it on her own again tonight...but this time IN the potty!!! WHOOOOOO HOOOOOO!!!!

Sorry if this was too much info but this adventure has boggled my mind and now it seems like we may have conquered the potty training with the most stubborn child of the century!!! Just had to share!! LOL

2 comments:

  1. YAY Rachel! What a relief. Potty training STINKS. There should be a switch for it. OK - you're two....... good to go. flip the switch and let's roll!

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  2. YIPPY we had problems with chelsea and in safeway we gave her this stuff that looks like jelly and was red. it has a waxy taste to it but it worked on her. it starts with an l so when i remember what the name is i will send it on to you.
    glChrissy



    TODDLER HOLDS ON TO BOWEL MOVEMENTS
    Constipation is one of the most uncomfortable and perplexing problems in the young child. This is how the system is normally designed to work: The presence of a lot of stool in the large intestine signals an urge to defecate. The child either responds to this signal or chooses to ignore it if he is too busy playing. Unlike the urge to urinate, which a child usually cannot control for long, he can choose to ignore his signal to defecate. The longer he ignores it, the more the fluid in the retained stool is absorbed and the harder the stools become. It then hurts to go to the bathroom, causing the child to hold onto his stools even longer, and the vicious cycle begins – he holds onto his stools longer and longer and becomes more and more constipated.

    Try the following with your child:

    Make a diagram of the large intestine, showing large "golf balls" of stools at the end of the large intestine. Show your child that voluntarily holding onto his stools makes them harder, and that is why it hurts to pass them.
    Encourage him to have a bowel movement at set times during the day, mainly after breakfast.
    Encourage him to respond to his urge to go promptly. Convey to him that he should "go when you have to go."

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