WARNING: The following blog entry contains pooh content. Don't read any further if you don't want to hear about it.
Starting at exactly 4:30 pm on Friday, we started our diaper-free vacation. Everything was going well until the little guy had to poop. Instead of just listening to his body and sitting down on the potty, he decided to hold it in. All weekend long. Even after feeding him a dozen or more prunes. By Sunday night he was walking around holding his butt and complaining that it hurt. We kept encouraging him to sit on the potty. A few times he sat down on it but then refused to go.
On Monday morning we decided that since we weren't in a rush to be anywhere, we would stay home until he pooped. It was a battle of the wills. Hours passed. Nothing. He got crankier and crankier. Then the moaning and groaning started. I couldn't bare to see him in so much pain so I went to the pharmacy (no, not to buy diapers!). The pharmacist recommended using a suppository. He said that because he had held it so long, his stools were probably impacted (sorry for being so graphic). I wasn't sure I like that option so I also bought some oral medication too.
When I got home I told the little guy he had two options - he could take the medicine by mouth or bum. To my amazement he chose the latter! I was really afraid that the experience would scar him for life so, before I gave it to him, I put on my communicator hat and came up with a really good story line. I told him that the suppository had to go talk to his pooh and tell them that it was time to come out. I said that it might be uncomfortable for a few minutes, but that it would be all better just as soon as they finished talking. Five minutes later he was sitting on the potty and voila! All was good in the world again. The little guy was delighted with himself and told us that he was a big boy now etc. We of course heaped on the praise and rewarded him with ice-cream.
Today, the whole scene all over again. Again he just held it and held it.
Our new strategy is to feed him tons of fiber so that he gets lots of practice over the next couple of weeks. We figure that once he gets over his fear, the whole potty training thing won't seem like such a big deal anymore. We've also told him that letting the pooh out is his job -- a job that he has to do everyday. I read some advice online that using this kind of language really helps. So far he's responded really well to us saying this, and likes the idea of having an important responsibility.
We're going camping tomorrow. I'll report back on Friday.
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