Warning - today were looking at how Downs Syndrome effects pooping....

Warning this is a Poo subject!!!!! How Low muscle tone stops Lani pooping.

Pooping is one of our big issues, Lani struggles so much with it. When she was dinky in hospital she couldn’t go for a few days and I vividly remember when I changed her first nappy and thinking...Now I am a mum. Well its turned into a right fiasco, when Lani needs to go she will tell me – now I hear you thinking “ye right she is 11 months old!!!! She can’t tell you anything!!” well I disagree she does in her own way let me know she needs a poop and no it’s not the pushing and the red face, Lani can’t get to that stage without my help, I will explain all in a little bit.

Right from the start of her life she has only gone for a poop every three to four days (unless she has an upset tummy and has the squits). Where Lani has low muscle tone its hard for her tummy to process it and push it out so I have to be quite involved in helping her.

Firstly if Lani hasn’t been for a day then the next morning we start baby massage, using extra virgin olive oil (how posh lol!!) I do an all over body massage but concentrate on her tummy and her lower back, I also bring her knees up to her tummy with her ankles and knees together and rotate in both directions. Daily I have to get Lani to drink a lot of liquid and if she does not want to drink I give her jelly to help get liquid in. Very very occasionally I have to give her some medicine to help. So when she is ready to go she will catch my eye and then make a strange little squeek at me, its the only time she ever uses this noise and it always means “mum help its happening and its hurting” so no matter where we are I have to act very quickly – Lani gets very distressed and will start crying / screaming and thrashing about which makes the whole process a complete nightmare.  Off with her nappy and up with her knees and just try and control her by holding her and talking to her.  From this stage it can take quite some time to get things going and often Lani will take half an hour, all of this time is distressing for her, she does find it very painful and has suffered from splitting and lots of bleeding. This all breaks my heart, I don’t find it physically hard to deal with because as her mum I just have to get on with it but seeing anyone you love in pain is just horrid, and when she is inconsolable and I can’t even give her a cuddle (because it will hinder the process) it all gets me very flustered and I often just want to cry. As soon as the pooping is done Lani calms down and we always have time for a little cuddle to help make things all better.

I always try and find a silver lining to every cloud and for Lanis pooping the thing that always brings a giggle to me is when we were learning baby massage and the lady who was teaching me was brilliant, she showed me how I can help Lani to poop. Lani hadn’t been for 6 days when we did the lesson and the teacher said not to worry it doesn’t usually have an immediate effect.... Wrong!!!!  lol Lani was having the back massage when she exploded ... it actually hit me!!! It was vile but hilarious, I was retching, people in the class were coming to my aid with wet wipes it was just so funny. Bless Lani for being such a Jazz hands.   

Blog diary

16th October 2012

Morning

News Flash.... We arrived on time !!!!! having made a decision to really try and sort the whole morning thing out today we managed it. By 9.30 Lani and I had been up had breakfast, been to the sorting office which is about 10 miles away and back to the next town ready for the opportunities group, get me lol little Mrs. organised – ha ha probably the only time ever its going to work!!

The group was good today, Lani and I played loads with all of the toys and we spent quite a lot of the time in the sensory room. Lani enjoys it so much this is where the majority of our time is spent, she seems to love to see herself in mirrors and is always fascinated by her own reflection, I don’t know if she yet realised if it is her or not but its great that she will look at me in the mirror and smile back at me which shows her eyes are good. All of the ladies who work there use makaton which is great and I try and ask one new one a week to learn so this week as Lani and I were off to Tesco shopping I learnt shopping – cool. 

This is a strange world!!

 This feels so strange to hold onto. 

Its like being at a disco.......

Ok I will sit here if there is yummy food for me....

Where's my food you promised mummy????

 

The reason I told you earlier in the blog about Lanis pooping is because it happened while we were out today at Tesco... great... she was having full on issues and I just find it so hard to cope with at home let alone when it happens when were out, still it only lasted 20 minutes so it could have been longer I guess.

Afternoon

At 3pm I was telephone interviewed for a local radio station.... The Breeze...... it will be on tomorrow, so embarrassed yet so excited to know that people are interested. I will add a link in to tomorrows blog.

Lani has done some home physio today and we have also done loads of speech therapy together.

For the rest of the afternoon / evening I am working so Lani will be with her Daddy watching Golf then football !!!!!  She is currently asleep on her dad lol says a lot for the trilby tour..... wonder if she will wake up for tea?? 

Dont forget any questions are very welcome xx