Re: HELP! 7yo - reconsider the enema

Hi April!

Just wanted to throw my 02. in. I had chronic constipation as a child. It began around age 3 and lasted until I was around 6. The only answer back then my mom's doctor had for her was to give me a fleet enema every time I was backed up.

I remember how traumatic this was for me, because I would scream and cry, and my parents would hold me down to give them to me. Not only did this cause problems for me emotionally, but it caused physical problems as well. I remember hurting badly in my rectum. The enema made me even more terrified to have a bm, and as a child it caused me to distrust my parents. They felt they were doing the right thing. But in a sense my body felt violated and I felt I had no control in the situation. (NOT SAYING THAT YOU WOULD IMPOSE THAT ON YOUR CHILD) but seriously speaking, my parents didn't know what else to do. We're talking a decades ago.

After all those enemas, I began suffering with IBS, and I've had it all my life. I don't know if the IBS is attributed to so many enemas, but I have to wonder.

Fast forward years now, and I have a daughter of my own, who also suffers chronic constipation! Interesting that she has this as well. I'm doing food diary with her, to see if there is a trigger. We avoid a few things that we know triggers it, but sometimes even then, she gets constipated. She also tends to hold on to bm's out of fear of how much it will hurt when she finally goes.

So...the best thing we do is, when she is constipated we used the milk of magnesia. It softens her stools enough to where she has confidence to go.
We are still working with this nutritionally, but when the constipation becomes acute, we break out the Milk of magnesia.

I hope your little one is feeling much better soon. I know this can sometimes be emotionally trying for the child and parent! Good Luck to you.