The childhood ritual and routine

Seems many write that they were allowed to go days without a BM before something was done about it. Cannot imagine that, even today, I have to go every morning else I feel uncomfortable.

Now I feel uncomfortable after 2 or 3 days, but remember as a kid regularly waiting 3, 4, 5 days. Maybe even more occasionally. Really hurt going after that, both at my anus and also an ache inside my abdomen that went on for 5-10 mins after, not sure exactly what that was but I guess something was being stretched. I can't imagine waiting that long now, I don't wait over 3-4 days unless there's a reason, but then I guess I figured it was just the way it was.

Seems many write that they were allowed to go days without a BM before something was done about it. Cannot imagine that, even today, I have to go every morning else I feel uncomfortable.

Kids are apparently often detached from feeling aware of their body and the signals it sends out. They will scream and cry like bloody murder if they take a fall (on grass even) but are unaware of being constipated for days at a time sometimes. Different standards of what constitutes pain for them obviously.

I can still remember a few situations when I was out with friends and needed to go to the toilet. At times it was inconvenient and disruptive as it would have interrupted our play, on the other hand there was no opportunity. At some point the pressure was gone. So it happened that you didn't have to go to the toilet for two or three days.

No one thought seriously about it. It either went away on its own, but unfortunately Mom usually appeared, armed with the dreaded rubber bulb, which then had to perform at its best...

When I was in elementary school, I would get constipated every so often. At times, I had blood on toilet paper, which was attributed to straining and hard stools. My mom was determined to avoid such condition, thus insisted I did not strain and instead sought help (meaning glycerin suppositories plus mild oral laxatives).

Now why was I getting constipated? I'm unsure. It largely stopped in teen age (I mean, it still happened but more rarely). I think it had to do with my reluctance to go poopy in the school toilets : they were squat toilets, and there was one single paper roll at the entrance so you had to aim for the right amount before going to the stalls. I think that in 5 years of primary school I went poopy there only once, due to diarrhea. I thus must have been “withholding”, which would lead to lack of defecation reflexes.

But, hey, we're talking of things 40 years ago, so it's difficult to know now.

There are things that get stuck in the brain... 😎

Aquarius your experience parallels that of our kids. We had lots of potty problems with constipation and wet pants. My wife finally set a schedule to stop play and go potty.

My experience and routine growing up has many similarities to others who have shared here. As early as I can remember I have received enemas. By about 5 or so I was looking forward to hearing those words….let’s go on to the bathroom and get your enema going. I knew every Friday night or early Saturday morning I was going to be joining my mom in the bathroom for an enema session. The first thing that happened was the rectal thermometer found it’s way up inside my rectum for a temperature check. The next thing was to fill up the red bag with some ivory soap liquid (very mild dose) and warm water. Standing there watching her put it together for me and knowing that in just a couple of minutes that black nozzle was going deep inside me and fill me up caused my “tingling “ to kick in. Over her lap and that wonderful feeling of my cheeks parting and the nozzle entering was heavenly to a little girl like me. Soon that familiar “click” as the warm water made its way inside me feeling it traveling thru my tummy. Occasionally I cramped but mom was all to ready to massage my tummy area with love and help that water keep moving forward. Even the cramps were okay because it meant such warm feelings and contentment. After the bag was empty I tried to hold it as long as possible, but usually about 3 minutes later I was needing to go! Mom would help me get on the toilet and I’d let my enema out as she sat on the edge of the tub with me and waiting for me to finish up. Part of the time I’d get another one with just baking soda. After that one if she was satisfied with the results then I could get a rinse enema and again , try to hold it for a few minutes. It was during these times that I knew I would love enemas forever, as silly as that may sound at the time.

I think my mom knew that I was enjoying my enemas and tried to make it as pleasant as possible. Like many here…. I would try to invent something that would cause me to end up with the thermometer in my anus and the enema nozzle buried deep inside my butthole. I’m sure she was the same way, because it seemed like any reason, sniffing, cough, tummy ache, etc. would find me over her lap without much discussion. I know it was the same way for her growing up. My grandmother gave me many, many enemas and was very willing to “help me with it”. I still have her rectal thermometer and red bags from my childhood. In her honor I still use them on occasions and hope to pass them on to my girls someday.

They would sometimes talk about how much solution to make up for me at different times. Gran always wanted to make up more than what mom was going to make up for me.

Loved your post 127 @Baileybird. Coming from a long line of enema lovers, Mother and Grandmother, I can relate sure enough. How fortunate you are to still possess a bag, thermometer and hopefully nozzles from your Grandmother.

Once school was out for the summer, my siblings and I spent four to six weeks at grandmas. Grandma taught moms two teenage sisters how to take care of us early on. I was around six when she taught them to administer enemas using my brother and I as subjects. Afterwards, enemas became the girl's responsibility at evening bath time. Occasionally, grandma or the girls gave us enemas in private. However, enemas were mainly done together during evening bath time by both girls. In the beginning the girls put us across their lap for enemas. Around age nine, grandma had the girls change our position from across their lap to the knee chest position. While at grandmas, during the summer, we got weekly enemas from the girls at bath time. There were times when grandma had the girls give us enemas every day or every other day for a few days, sometimes a week. The time I remember best happened the same year she switched us to the knee chest position. Mom had complained to grandma that year we'd been getting constipated far too often. Grandma was a retired RN and gave us 3H enemas before having the girls give us enemas every other day for two weeks. Afterwards, grandma increased the enemas at bath time from once a week to twice a week.

To this day I don't know why my mother or my baby sitter gave me enemas. I never felt sick. I just thought enemas were something that just happen to little boys.