Potty Training & Celiac

[rmhansen]

[Hi there eveyone!

My name is Becky and my DD was diagnosed with Celiac at 16 months. We've done our best to be gluten free since then. I do admit that we probably have a long way to go though. DD is now 2 (tomorow!!) and we are at the Potty Training Phase. My personal opinion is that the pull -ups are a waste of money. So for a few months now, we've been training (with MANY ups and downs) in panties. A few times now DD has gotten gluten and IMMEDIATELY she gets the reactions of diarreah and a severe rash. It is SO hard to teach a little one to use the toilet when she has diarreah for 5 days straight. I don't mind cleaning the dirty panties but pull ups in this situation are much easier. She now has a bad , red, burning, and almost raw bottom. She screams in agony when she has to go to the bathroom. I clean her up, apply diaper cream so at least nothing can get in to irritate it more. I guess my question is , Is there anything I can do more to relieve her of her discomfort on her bottom? Anybody with suggestions??

Thanks in Advance,

Becky

[Guest taweavmo3]

The rash you described sounds like a yeast rash. My kids used to get these all the time, my 18 month old still does every now and then. It gets red, blistery and very raw, sometimes a little bloody. It is a terrible rash, and hurts like he!!.

The best remedy I've tried, is over the counter Lotrimin, mixed with Aquaphor. I got this from a mother of a chronically sick child, who had tried all the traditional creams out there. It is the only thing that will actually stick to Ben's bottom when he has a really bad rash.....all the other stuff just slides right off since his skin is so raw.

As far as potty training goes, we are still working on that ourselves. Luckily, things have gone smoothly the past month. Emmie wasn't even ready until this summer, and she's 3 1/2, but she is also behind for her age. I just let her wear a diaper if she's having D. It makes her more comfortable, and less scared of what's happening. Once she's well, she goes back to wearing panties during the day without a problem. Every kid is different of course, but what I have found in the past few months is that we've had to take it a day at a time, and let her tell us when she was ready. If she was feeling cruddy on some days, and was having a meltdown at the thought of wearing panties, then it was a diaper day. We went back and forth for a little while, but now she is pretty much potty trained during the day. I think p/t a celiac child is a whole different ballgame.....and sometimes the traditional methods just don't work! Good luck with it.

[Merika]

Ah, potty training! You might want to check out the principles from a new/old method called elimination communication AKA natural infant hygiene. There is a website www.natural-wisdom.com that explains it well. I understand there will be an article coming out in People magazine soon as well on it, but the web site is probably more helpful.

Parents of babies/toddlers of ALL ages would do well to check it out - it is part of the reason we were able to detect my son's soy allergy, and keep tabs on it. Keeping your child dry would help, I would think, and letting that poor little booty stay air-fresh as much as possible.

hth,

Merika

[Kailynsmom]

For my girls' rashes I used to use Maalox mixed with Baby powder to make a paste. The acid reducer in the maalox (is that gluten free) helps take down the redness and stinging. I haven't used this since we've been gluten free, but surely someone else reading this knows if maalox or even mylanta is gluten-free!

[Kasey'sMom]

Computer was doing something weird!

[Kasey'sMom]

Bless her heart! We dealt a lot with severe diaper rash with my dd as well. Going gluten-free helped as well as eliminating her other food intolerances and allergens. We've seen several Dr.'s and they've had very similiar approaches. They all have recommend a barrier such as a thick layer of Vasoline to prevent her bottom from getting wet. We stopped using baby wipes and started using baby wash cloths with warm water.

We've used both traditional approachs and alternative ones.....The traditional one that worked the best was using an over the counter anti-fungal with a mild steroid cream. We liked using Lotrimin and Elocon. They combination of the creams help the infection and the inflammation. The Dr.'s had us mix the two items and apply 2 or 3 times a day. Then at night we would apply vasoline other the medicine as a barrier. However, we did have a couple of creams from the compounded pharma. that burnt her skin do to the preservatives. We used the perscriptions when we new it would heal with the alternative approach.

The Alternative approach we used was the from The Whole Approach, www.wholeapproach.com. We used a gluten-free/CF/SF organic diet and a natural antifungal. They have information about using the products for children. We also used Red Cover Plus Salve from St. Francis Herbs, which is a natural way to help with inflammation. I also used George's Always Active Aloe liquid mixed with a drop of organic, tea tree oil. I was careful not to use too much because it gives a warming sensation. I mixed the solution in a spray bottle and would use it on the baby wash cloths when she went potty to help kill bacteria, he

[lbsteenwyk]

Hi Becky:

This is strictly a personal opinion, but I think it may be too early to potty train your daughter. I didn't even start with my child until she was past 30 months. She has celiac disease and still has problems with constipation and I just felt she wasn't ready, even though she was right on track developmentally. When we started training, though she had it down in a week. (still has occasional issues with pooping, but the peeing was a snap) I think the whole process goes much more quickly if you start later. My son just turned 2 and I will not even try potty training until at least 2 1/2. I don't think most kids are ready developmentally until that age.

I would work very hard on getting the gluten free diet under control so that you don't have the diarrhea issue to handle. It's just not realistic to teach potty training when you child has diarrhea.

Good Luck. I know we all look forward to the day when we can say goodbye to diapers!!

[JacobsMom]

I am so glad that I am not alone on this potty training issue!!! Jacob will be 3 in November and he knows but he is very stubborn...Gets that from his daddy!!! I too agree that wear the real thing works best than pull ups but I am like you....You never know how the poop is going to be!!! If it were normal it would be alot better but ya never know!!!

I am just taking it one day at a time....He will do it when he is ready....I am wanting him to go to 3 year old K next August so I am hoping he is trained by then....That is one of the requirements BUT if not....We will wait another year....Cant rush him:)

Good luck to you and if you find any tricks please let me know...I am going to check the website out that was mentioned...

God Bless!

[robbiesmom]

My Son just turned 3 at the end of August. I did not even try to potty train until now when I knew his poop was solid 95% of the time-and it back fired! He did pretty well in the underwesr until the explosion came from nowhere! I found out the next day he had been accidentally glutened at school the day prior to our potty training attempt. He was so scared we aborted the mission-I am going to have to wait another 2 months to try again! I am soo mad that he got glutened! His teacher was using CEREAL for a project forgetting Robbie could get into it if he wasn't watched the whole time! She turned away for 2 seconds and looked back to see him chewing something! Of course the cereal-Sorry I had to moan about that!

Anyway wait until she is about 2 1/2 or more and has normal bowel movements consistently-rushing her will only scare her especially since she can't control the urgent loose bowel movements-also it will be less work for you cleaning up after the accidents.

[Braunson's-mom]

My son has been gluten-free since Feb. He turned 2 in July and he is showing signs of wanting to be potty trained.

I have 5 kids and they have all potty trained at different ages. My first daughter pt at 18 mo, 2nd dausghter at 20mo, 3rd son 6 days before turning 3, 4th daughter right after age 3. Braunson wants to but he is not consistent enough. One day he did fine and other not so good. I leave him in a diaper or pull up and when he says he has to go I take him. If I learned any thing with potty training is wait for them.

Our ped gave us a sheet on how to pottytrain a resistent child (only resisteant after age 2 1/2). I had 2 ahahah.

Don't rush it and let her tell you when she is ready. Good luck because we are right behind you in potty training and I know it will not be any fun.

[rgeelan]

With my older 2, once I got them completely gluten-free they had no problem learning to potty train. William was fully potty trained day and night shortly after diagnosed with celiac disease at 3 yr 3 mo. He was mostly potty trained except for the diarrhea we couldn't figure out (DUH) way before he was 3 though! Emma is 2 years and is potty training right now. She has - blood results but reacts + to a gluten-free diet... Once the gluten was out she started wanting to potty train cause she knew in advance and could control it better...

[Indea88]

I totally agree with waiting until they are ready. My oldest son was 3 and a half. I really believe that if its pushed it will backfire. I listen to my cousin ( she has to control everything) with her first child say "Were regulating a contolled potty training routine" Oh boy!! I just bite my tongue. I do know that with my toddler who has Celiac it will present greater challenges but it will happen eventually. Good Luck and hang in there...

[mike and dante]

[Hi there eveyone!

My name is Becky and my DD was diagnosed with Celiac at 16 months. We've done our best to be gluten free since then. I do admit that we probably have a long way to go though. DD is now 2 (tomorow!!) and we are at the Potty Training Phase. My personal opinion is that the pull -ups are a waste of money. So for a few months now, we've been training (with MANY ups and downs) in panties. A few times now DD has gotten gluten and IMMEDIATELY she gets the reactions of diarreah and a severe rash. It is SO hard to teach a little one to use the toilet when she has diarreah for 5 days straight. I don't mind cleaning the dirty panties but pull ups in this situation are much easier. She now has a bad , red, burning, and almost raw bottom. She screams in agony   when she has to go to the bathroom.  I clean her up, apply diaper cream so at least nothing can get in to irritate it more. I guess my question is , Is there anything I can do more to relieve her of her discomfort on her bottom? Anybody with suggestions??

Thanks in Advance,

Becky

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[Guest 00roma]

[Hi there eveyone!

My name is Becky and my DD was diagnosed with Celiac at 16 months. We've done our best to be gluten free since then. I do admit that we probably have a long way to go though. DD is now 2 (tomorow!!) and we are at the Potty Training Phase. My personal opinion is that the pull -ups are a waste of money. So for a few months now, we've been training (with MANY ups and downs) in panties. A few times now DD has gotten gluten and IMMEDIATELY she gets the reactions of diarreah and a severe rash. It is SO hard to teach a little one to use the toilet when she has diarreah for 5 days straight. I don't mind cleaning the dirty panties but pull ups in this situation are much easier. She now has a bad , red, burning, and almost raw bottom. She screams in agony   when she has to go to the bathroom.  I clean her up, apply diaper cream so at least nothing can get in to irritate it more. I guess my question is , Is there anything I can do more to relieve her of her discomfort on her bottom? Anybody with suggestions??

Thanks in Advance,

Becky

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

[hilaryw]

Computer was doing something weird!

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My daugher (newly diagnosed) has chronic constipation and STILL (at age 4) wants to go poo in a diaper. We ask her to try first on the toilet, then let her go in a diaper. At two years old, I wouldn't even be worrying about it.

[Guest nini]

When my daughter was going through learning to PT she was still on gluten and having constant attacks of explosive diarrhea. I was forced to keep her in a diaper for the longest time because of that. She used to also get those terrible yeast rashes that were raw, bloody and extremely painful. I ended up with using a concoction of Monistat and Vaseline on her poor raw bottom. I cleaned her off with a squirt bottle of room temp water and blotted with Puffs (lotion free) tissues.

My opinion would be to forgo trying to PT right now, she'll let you know when she is ready. Get the rash under control though. When you can let her run around with out anything on her bottom, do so, let her air dry! (Do NOT attempt if she is having D!!!) We let my daughter guide us as to when she was ready to use the potty and we didn't try to force it. It was unrealistic when she kept having chronic D, to keep trying to PT.

You really really need to make the effort to be 100% gluten-free for her sake, yes, you are going to make mistakes, but you must be absolutely vigilant that no Gluten gets anywhere near her.

[Guest Lucy]

ohh....the poor thing. Does sound like yeast to me. That is a big problem I believe with celiacs too.

If she is ready, two is not to early to train. I had my daughter trained easily at age two. But my son (who has celiac) didn't get trained until a month before he was 3. It is different for every child.

If she has rash problems, training is a good idea. Diapers keep the area moist, where cotton underwear will allow air to get thru.

Try taking her her every hour at first, that is what I did, then as they get used to the feeling, they will start telling you when they have to go. Good luck.