Tears Don't Describe

I wanted to share something with you today that our family has been dealing with for the past year and a half. Ever since I started Izzy on solids we've had a love/hate relationship with the potty. Initially, it was just constipation but now it's developed into a psychological problem. She was so afraid of it hurting that she started holding in her poop as long as she could. It just made she problem worse because by the time she would finally poop it was hard as a rock.

We've been working with her old pediatrician from the beginning by changing her diet, increasing her fluid intake and even adding fiber supplements. No matter how many times I went to my pediatrician about it she opted for a conservative approach. Every well check, every drop in for colds I always told her Dr. that she still was having painful poop. She kept assuring me that I was doing everything right and she didn't think it was a good idea to be too aggressive.

I felt SO helpless. Every time Izzy would try to poop she would scream in pain. All I could do was rub her back and tell her "mommy was there". It's been a year and a half of everyone ELSE (family) telling me what I was doing wrong. DON'T YOU THINK I F-ING KNEW THAT ALREADY?!?!?!?!  I did everything the doctor told me and still I couldn't convince my baby girl that it was okay to poop.  I could tell that all the changes I made to her diet made a difference.  I could see every time she felt that urge to push and she would stop and wait until it passed.  I could see all the looks of fear on my baby's face every time she couldn't hold the urge to push any longer and she was scared of the pain. I felt so frustrated that I couldn't make it better.  I felt so angry that EVERYTHING I was doing wasn't working.

We have a new pediatrician since we moved and I brought her in for a cold this past Wednesday. Fortunately, I mentioned to her Izzy's poop dilemma. The Dr. gave me a plan and explained why the other one didn't work.  She explained the WHY! Within 36 hours she has her 1st poop without tears.  At day 5 she's poops SOFT stool every other day. I can't begin to explain how relieved, grateful, and emotional I feel. It doesn't hurt anymore.  She's still a little scared right before she starts pushing but she doesn't SCREAM in pain. That has been the BEST Christmas present I could have gotten.  Merry Christmas!