Potty Training Regression

Warning!! I’m going to talk a lot about poop in this post. As a dietitian and mom, I’m comfortable talking about it, but understand if it’s not your thing 😉

The Backstory

We potty trained Quinn when she was almost 2.5 years old and it went pretty smoothly. Sure, a few accidents here and there, but that’s to be expected. Usually on the first day at school or a new camp she would have a pee pee accident and that was it. She’s always slept in pull-ups because she is still in her crib (she’s never tried to climb out, so will ride that out for as long as possible!!).

A few weeks ago we traveled to CA for Thanksgiving and the Monday we returned she went to school and had 2 poopy accidents and 2-3 pee pee (I lost count). She ended the day at school in pull-ups because they couldn’t keep up with her. I was obviously mortified and very concerned about what was going on with Quinn. Since then she has been having at least one accident a day (pee or poop) and mostly happening at home. She had two accidents days at school, but mostly accidents were happening at home. No real pattern to when/where the accidents were happening.

I researched potty training regression, read articles, and discovered it’s normal and usually happens when there are big changes in a child’s life. I was confused because we haven’t had any big changes or stressors at home (minus a little trip to CA which she’s done many times before without any issue). We give her a ton of attention (only child life) so we didn’t think this was a cry for attention like some articles referenced. So, we ended up making an appointment with her pediatrician to explore this further with a professional. We wanted to learn how we could best support Quinn during this clear potty regression.

Her Pediatrician’s Plan

Her pediatrician examined her and said she looked healthy and is growing normally. He totally normalized what was going on and said we would get back on track. That was refreshing to hear, but there was work to be done. While she wasn’t exactly constipated, he suspects she was backed up from travel and put her on a 3 day “clean out” protocol. GOD HELP ME!

For three days the goal is to to reset her system…this means laxatives, Miralax (stool softener), and probiotics twice a day for 3 days. Then she is have Miralax twice a day for MONTHS. Eeeekkk!! He said she wouldn’t be on it forever, but he did want it on her for several months.

Why Did This Happen?

He guesses that while we traveled to CA her eating schedule and foods consumed were likely different, she was not drinking enough water, holding in urine/poop, and this caused a dis-regulation between the messages being sent from her bladder to her brain. Often her accidents occur as she running to the bathroom, so she was late registering the urgency of needing to go.

What Else We Are Doing to Help Her Get Back on Track

After the 3 day “clean out” she will continue to take the stool softener daily and we are pushing fluids to keep her hydrated. I’m also really working on giving her less processed foods (graham crackers, chocolate bunny crackers, cheesy puffs, etc) and more fiber in her diet (whole fruits and vegetables). I’ve definitely noticed she is eating more “snacky” foods than I ever anticipated giving her. She was having even more during travel because #survival. I was concerned about the amount of dairy she consumes (whole milk and yogurt are her main protein sources because #pickyeater) but her pediatrician wasn’t concerned. He said that was normal for kids her age and that white foods (rice, potatoes, bread) and cheese are the most common food source causes of constipation he sees.

She is to sit on the potty right after she eats for at least 2 minutes then back on a regular schedule of sitting on the potty every 2 hours. We are also back to giving rewards for making it to the potty on time. The pediatrician said he’s usually not big on food bribes, but to pull out out all the stops with this one. So we are!

It’s only been a few days of being on the protocol, but I made the mistake of taking her to Trader Joe’s over the weekend while she’s taking laxatives. Funny story…we went straight to the potty when we got there and she got some tinkles out at swore she was good. Ten minutes later she had like explosive diarrhea in the middle of the frozen isle and she’s loosing her mind. Luckily, I had all the things in my purse, but it was so fricken gross and lesson learned. We were just happy it didn’t happen on Santa’s lap a few hours earlier 😉

It’s important to note that we aren’t punishing her for accidents. She’s very concerned if we are mad at her after she has an accident and is aware that is not how she’s supposed to go potty. We try our best to calmly clean it up, reassure her we know it was an accident and she will do better next time, and move on.

Obviously consult with your child’s pediatrician if you’re going through a similar situation for a specific treatment plan I just wanted to share what actions we are taking to try and get Quinn back on track.

Anyone else going through a potty training regression?? Would love to know any tips and tricks that worked for your kiddo!

xx, A