The Humbled Homemaker: 4 Reasons for Potty Training Regression {Potty Training at The First Years}

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Has your child potty trained...and then suddenly regressed?

I've been there--and done that--more than once!

There may just be some valid reasons for your child's potty training regressions. Check out these 4:

1. New Sibling. As I mentioned in last week's post, I started potty training my oldest daughter when she turned 2--despite her not being quite ready. It was a huge mistake. Her world was just a few months away from drastically changing with the birth of her first baby sister. Guess what happened when baby came? She regressed.

2. A Major Life Change. The sibling addition is in this category, but I felt it deserved a number all of its own! Is your family moving? Has daddy changed jobs and isn't home as much? Is mommy working now? Has their been a recent illness in the family? Take all of these into account if your child suddenly experiments potty training regression.

3. Biological Reasons. I have recently discovered that constipation and other disruptions in the digestive system can cause urination regression. This article, written by an urologist, talks about how children who potty train before they are truly ready often have regressions because of small bladders that didn't have time to fully grow.

4. Falls. My chiropractor recently said that parents often dismiss these "accidents" as behavioral in nature, and they assume it is normal. However, she questions whether the child has had a recent fall or physical trauma:

"When the sacrum (a bone that forms the back side of the pelvis) shifts from a trauma or fall, it can cause these potty training regressions in children," she says.

"The nerve pathways that tell the brain that the bladder or bowels need to be emptied are newly formed in recently potty trained children. They are not yet deeply ingrained from years of use. For this reason, if the nerve communication is slightly disturbed by spinal misalignment in the area of the nerves, the pathway weakens or fails. The child’s brain no longer gets good forewarning that he 'has to go.' Once we realign the sacrum and remove pressure from the nerves, the accidents disappear as quickly as they started." ~Dr. Nicole Whitehead, Advanced Spinal Fitness

Did your child ever have a potty training regression? Were you able to determine the cause?

*Disclaimer: I am not a medical professional. If you have concerns about your child's digestive system, discuss these concerns with your trusted medical professional.

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