As children learn to hold their pee and poop, sometimes they struggle to reverse that tight grip while on the potty. That can lead to them holding their poop in those first few days. Holding can lead to constipation, which leads to more holding, and a bit of a spiral can take place.
Sometimes this spiral begins with fear of the poop “falling out,” rather than being up close to their butt and warm and familiar. Other times the child deeply does not want to make a mistake or disappoint anyone, but they’re not sure how to release that muscle once they get to the potty.
The two most common fixes for this in the first couple months that I have personally seen is to cut back on dairy and add full fat canned coconut milk in smoothies, or coconut oil. If the child does need to continue dairy, try to choose full fat options. The result of these two things for many kids is soft-serve poop that is easier to release for the child.
Below is Jamie’s Coconut Milk Smoothie recipe. If the child’s constipation and/or withholding has become more severe and these ideas aren’t enough, check out my Poop Support Program at ohcrapwithashley.com/challenges
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