Category: How Our GI System Works

define constipated

Define Constipated

Don't worry. The photo is of some AMAZING homemade, gluten-free fried chicken. Not… something else (💩)! But unfortunately, sometimes when poop stays inside our bodies for too long, poop dries, hardens, and takes the shapes of balls - as small as golf balls, and as large as softballs or grapefruit! (Yes, I've seen both of […]

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J’s Constipation

I'm a pediatric pelvic floor physical therapist, specializing in pediatric incontinence and constipation. Prior to J being born, so many people made comments about our child's future toileting abilities. "You kiddo is going to be an amazing pooper." Well, God had a lovely little chuckle in response to that. Lo and behold, at 6 months […]

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Drip, Drip, Drip. Urinary Leaks.

Drip, Drip, Drip. Urinary Leaks.

Alrighty. I know it's been a while since I posted. Forgive me! But BIG things are happening in our little family, and we're expecting our first little one this fall! We're first time parents, and there's a lot going on. We're doing lots of reading, preparing, and most importantly prioritizing – our family comes first, […]

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Stress

Stress

Stress is a real thing. Just do a few minutes of research online, and you will easily find many research articles citing correlation and possible causal relationships between increased stress, hormonal changes, as well as longevity and quality of life. A basic concept: stress may possibly lead to some pretty serious outcomes. But stress isn't […]

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The Poo in Review (Part 2) - Poo Posture

The Poo in Review – Part 2

“The Poo in You” is a wonderful video that briefly explains (in kid friendly terms) what happens when someone gets constipated, as well as why fecal leaks occur. This is part two of my review of the video. On the whole, I love this 5-minute movie. But there are still some things I would like […]

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The Poo in Review - Part 1

The Poo in Review – Part 1

The difficult part of explaining why I think I can help someone with bowel and bladder dysfunction, is that there is an enormous number of factors throughout the body that are involved. Abdominal pain, abnormal muscular development, limited strength, gastroesophageal reflux, or indigestion are all possible secondary symptoms. But they also may be contributing factors […]

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A Cold. Allergies. Coughing.

A Cold. Allergies. Coughing.

Your child is doing great. They are increasing the amount of stool they get into the toilet and having less fecal leaks. Momentum is building as they continue to improve. And then it all comes crashing down, and they regress. Why? Coughing. Well, let me clarify. Coughing is ONE answer (to cover them all in […]

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BowelMOVEment

BowelMOVEment.

Bowel movement. That's the medically appropriate wording to describe evacuating poop out of your body. Poop leaves your rectum, through your anus, and is expelled. Bowel movement. Movement. Move. Move. Your. Body. People often prescribe movement to someone who hasn't pooped in a while. (Working in hospital, I often hear "they haven't pooped yet. Get […]

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Magic is for Wands. Not Pooping.

Magic is for Wands. Not Pooping.

One of my first questions I ask when I'm speaking with a child about what they do on the toilet to help their body evacuate stool, is what they do to get the poop out. I ask them to show me the position they use, how long they sit – but I always ask about […]

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Knee-jerk. Or Pooping - They're Reflexes!

Knee-jerk, Or Pooping – They’re Reflexes!

What’s a reflex? Yes, the doctor banging a little hammer on the tendon of your knee is, in fact, a reflex. But it’s not the ONLY reflex that exists in our bodies. A reflex is basically your body’s quick and automatic response to a stimulus – you don’t need to think about it, it just […]

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