Avery's poop problem

well, I can't remember if she had meconium in the first 24 hours or not. I am thinking she must have because I don't remember a big fuss about it. At 5 weeks old, she stopped pooping. She didn't go again until 9 weeks old. I told the doctor and he honestly did not believe me. He told me to stop breastfeeding and start on a hypo allergenic formula. Instead, I switched doctors. We did take her to a gastroenterologist. They recommended I take probiotics and that we start miralax. It was hard to get the miralax down her though. She would never take a bottle and wasn't on solids. She only breastfed. It was normal for her to go 1-3 weeks between bowel movements.

We also did suppositories and enemas when she seemed overly uncomfortable. She began solids around 6 mos old. We put the miralax in her baby food. We lived that way for the next 18 mos. Poor Avery has never ever pooped more than once in a one week before.

She started daycare in March of 2009. Almost 2 yrs old. She adjusted well and even naps for them. She is a happy girl for the most part. When her stomach starts getting distended, we give her more miralax or suppositories. Then she struggles and cries and it is usually really difficult to get her poop out, then it is diarrhea or something close to it. We have a hard time understanding why it is so hard to poop something so soft. Everyone just thinks she is stubborn and good at "holding it".

My husband and I are both x-ray technologists and know what a B.E. is. We really didn't want this for Avery. It is so much radiation, and they are almost always normal. I don't think I had ever seen an abnormal one.

Fast foward August 2009. Avery has NEVER once pooped at daycare. In fact, she rarely pee's either. I never buy diapers. It's crazy. So August 8th, I nursed Avery for the last time. I was happy to be freed and she did well with the adjustment. I continue to give her lots of cuddles (she has always been very clingy). I lay down with her for naps and bedtime. August 9th, we tried to calculate the last poop. It had been at least 2 weeks. We gave her a suppository. She went a little. The morning of August 10th, she went more for daddy. I was so relieved. She still seemed a little uncomfortble but not as bad. August 21st.. no poop since the 10th. we gave her another suppository. Nothing. 2 hours later.. just the liquid of the suppository came out. I began to really worry. August 22nd.. another suppository and fletcher's children's laxative. Nothing. Her stomach was HUGE, she cried all night. Andy and I worried about obstruction. I called her NEW pediatrician. I am not allowed to be put through to the doctor.. only the nurse. She advises us to ... are you ready for this???? Give her a stool softener. Is she mentally challenged? Can she hear me? We have been giving Avery softeners since birth. We tried suppositories and they didn't work. On the back of the bottle it instructs to go to the ER if it doesn't produce results. Time to change doctor's again!!
August 25th. I can't take it any longer. Avery goes to the ER. They do a flat and decub abdomen x-ray. Constipation. No shit!!
I explain the problems to the ER doctor. She doesn't seem too worried. She probably sees this all the time. Constipated children. Yeah I get that. But she doesn't have constipated poop. It's runny or soft. There is a problem somewhere.
September 1st. Pediatric gastro enterologist appointment. We only got to see the NP but oh well. That's arizona healthcare for you. At least she seemed sympathetic. Well kind of. At least she listened to our story. I will give her that!
Of course she said Avery needs B.E. I am ready this time. My family does not think she needs it but they are not living with the sadness of our situation. She moans at night. She cries poo poo several times a day but never goes. =(
September 8th. yesterday. B.E. day. She tolerated it better than I thought she would. The radiologist did not give us any results yet. Everything I read on the internet points to Hirschsprung's disease. From what my husband and I could see on the monitor, it looked that way to us. After the exam, Avery was filled to the HILT with contrast. She is supposed to evacuate and get one last film after that. Not our little Avery. She held every drop for the next 4 hours. She has now gone 4 times since. Thank goodness. We await the results......