My son just turned 3 years old. We are trying to potty train. When we are at home, I put underwear on him, and I usually take him to the potty about every 25 minutes. He usually tells me no, but I make him sit on the potty & try. Usually he will go, at least a little bit.
However, I have noticed that since I've been putting underwear on him, he won't poop. He doesn't poop on the potty or in his underwear. I am wondering how to handle that. He will now go days without pooping - I am not sure if I should worry about that.

My son did the same thing at first but eventually just pooped in his underwear, but since then he has went poop twice on the potty I do not think he liked the feeling.

Do you know of any foods that make him have to go more? My son it is bananas. Anyway maybe try to give him some of that kind of food to help soften it and make him have to go. He may make a mess the first time but hopefully will see that it is much better to go in the potty.

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(He even went poopy in the potty without me bringing him yesterday) Yeah!!!

NancyT- YAY! that is great news. I hope that it will continue going great for you!

Bizeemomma, you are not being preachy at all. Please give us more insight on your experience. I love the idea of pullups over undies when out and about. Great tip!

my daughter hates to poop too. but she's still in diapers. the thing that works for me is prune juice. if she is at that final constipation stage i give her small amounts of prune juice and make her drink it. if she has missed 3 days straight then i make her a chocolate milk shake or chocolate milk and mix prune juice in it. you can barley tell it's in there. i really try hard not to use laxitives. and if she is constipated the last thing she want to do is eat a bananna.

Those sound like good ideas. I think I will try the Prune Juice to make him poop.
Do you know how long after drinking it, he may need to go. Maybe, I can try to put him on the potty at that time. Thanks for the advice.
I also like the idea of putting a pullup over the underwear - I hadn't thought of that.
It sounds like a good idea for when we go out.

i have had the prune juice take anywhere from 15 mins to overnight. i think it depends how much you give them.

THE PRUNE JUICE REALLY DOES WONDERS. LITTLE MAN DOESN'T LIKE TO DRINK IT, BUT HE WILL EAT THE PRUNES, I JUST TELL HIM ITS A REALLY BIG RAISIN. BUT HE REALLY DOES LIKE THEM.

Keep in mind - they aren't pooping in the potty for a reason. Most of the time it's pure fear. Imagine how you'd feel if your lunch was spiked with Ex Lax and you had to use the grossest gas station toilet on the planet before you exploded! Not something you'd want to EVER repeat.... right? Now imagine a child - they hold onto fearful things and keep it growing in their little brains until it's just plain ole unreasonable. I've found nurturing the child's fear and talking them into using the potty works the best. And it can take some time!

Things that make a kid scared to poop: It splashes. It makes noise. Someone might have (unknowingly) made fun of a 'toot' when the child was actually MOR.TI.FIED. When they wipe, it's dirty and freakish. It stinks. Or - maybe a combination of things and now the child's belly is hurting and he's constipated.

Something I do for poop accidents? Cut the underwear off like a diaper with scissors and throw it out. As it's happening, I tell the child, "Poopie goes in the potty. When you get your big boy underwear dirty I have to throw it out." If there are characters on the undies - play that up. "OOoOoh, NooOoOo! You pooped on ELMO?!?!"

If the child uses the big toilet - try a child potty... and vice versa.

Use positive reinforcements - a potty chart with stickers and an extra special treat for pooping on the potty 5 times in a row.

Whatever way you try to go about it - make it "their" idea.

Regardless - remember they won't go to kindergarten in diapers.