Potty Training Guide | Diet Alternatives for Bowel Control

Diet Alternatives for Bowel Control

There are times when your child simply won't be able to gain control of his/her bowels. Often this is related to his/her diet.

By altering their diet, it may be possible to have a better chance of helping your child to poop more effectively on the potty.

Here are some dietary changes you might want to consider:

* Decrease intake of milk products including milk, cheese, ice cream, etc.

If your doctor should recommend eliminating milk products for any period of time, you should consider adding a calcium supplement.

* Decrease or eliminate such foods as apples, bananas, rice, and gelatin because they're binders. Go for peaches, instead.

* Chocolate is a constipating food, especially if your kids are consuming it in large quantities. There are medications that have this effect as well.

* An increase in whole-grain breads, muffins, cereals, plus other foods containing bran is a good move. You can even add bran to other foods. If your child only eats bran cereal with milk, and you're cutting down on milk, dilute the milk with water. Provide graham crackers instead of soda crackers. Adding more roughage, such as lettuce and carbs will help.

	Introduction
	Is Your Child Ready?
	Help Your Child Get Ready
	Finding Your Child's Throne
	The Right Time to Start
	Bladder & Bowel Control
	Diet Alterations
	Staying Dry in the Daytime
	Giving Rewards and Praise
	Good Hygiene
	Nighttime Training
	Training When Travelling
	Helping a Resistant Child
	Physical Complications
	Potty Training Regression
	Special Needs Child
	Multiple Children Training
	Training Tips for the Boys
	Potty Training Conclusion

* You might decrease their fluid intake (milk, juices, sodas) which should increase their appetite for bulkier foods. But keep in mind that fluids are important when dealing with constipation and shouldn't be reduced drastically. Encourage your child to drink water.

* Prunes -- the old stand-by, and dried fruits are excellent if your children will eat them. You can try mixing prune juice with a small amount of milk. Your child should be encouraged to eat lots of fruits and vegetables with skins on, seeds and berries for the fiber value. Fruit nectars are good as well.

* There's likely to be about a two week period before you'll see a noticeable change in their bowel movements once they've started their new diet. You shouldn't resume their bowel training until these changes occur.

* Very loose stools may also inhibit bowel control, but this is often a sign there's other problems such as an infection, milk allergy, etc. that indicates a doctor should be consulted. If a food allergy is present, it could cause chronic diarrhea which also causes "wear and tear" making it difficult to have bowel movements.

A diet change is often recommended, but it should be done along with additional medical advice. However, just try eliminating apple juice at first plus other sweet juices -- especially if your child drinks them a lot -- to see if this helps firm them up.

Some children just naturally have problems letting go of their feces. They may feel it's something they've made and they just don't want to watch it go down the drain -- so to speak. So always take to heart what your child is telling you and the manner in which they're telling you what they need to express.

Often, your child will benefit from a routine when it comes to potty training.

GO TO: Staying Dry in the Daytime