Keep a poop journal

The best way to monitor your child's progress is by keeping a poop journal.

With everything you've got going on in your life, I'm pretty sure that keeping a poop journal is not high on list of priorities.  But it really is the best way to see what works and what doesn't.

Here's what you need to do:

1) Grab a word document or excel spreadsheet or just a plain ol' notebook. Use whatever method is going to be most convenient for you.  It's not going to be super fun to keep a poop notebook, so make it as easy on yourself as possible.

2)  As best you can, record the date and time for each of the following:

*Any medications taken (including Miralax, Ex-lax, etc)

*Every time the child poops (also include a brief description of what the poop looked like and amount)

*Any poop accidents or crumbs/ smears in the underwear

*Peeing events (if you've also got peeing issues going on)

*Any medical visits or tests

3) If possible, also record what the child eats and drinks.  This is especially important if you are making dietary changes, like trying a dairy-free diet.

Why a poop journal is helpful:

1) A poop journal will help you make connections.  The intestinal tract is long and it can take a while for medication and dietary changes to show up in the poop.  A journal will help you make connections that you might miss otherwise.

2) A poop journal will help you to talk to you doctor.  If you show up at your pediatrician or gastrointestinal doc with a poop journal, they will be able to give you much better advice. 

2) Healing from encopresis can be a long journey.  A poop journal will help you see how far you've come!

Have you kept a poop journal for your child?  Did you find it helpful?