Hi, I would add the following to Linda Shaw's comments.   First is to find
out what the child regularly eats by taking a 24 hour food intake recall of
the previous 24 hours.  Look at whether the child has any fiber foods!
  Regular stooling AND good health habits require this.  Look for at least
5 small servings of fruits and vegetables, and 2-3 whole grain products
such as wheaties, cheerios, 100% whole wheat bread, potatoes, brown rice,
etc.  A quick look at many children's diets will reveal white bread, white
pasta(glue to the intestines),  juice, cheese, snack foods made out of
white flour, cookies made out of white flour, crackers made out of white
flour, meat (no fiber), and so on.
     Mineral oil as a stool softener can draw fat soluble vitamins out of
the body and should not be given on a regular basis.
        All dried fruits are nutritious, sweet, and delicious, and are great stool
softeners.  Add them to rice, oatmeal, dry cereals, breads, cookies,
muffins, pancakes, and eat them like the candy that they are.  Remember
they stick to the teeth like candy and should be followed by brushing or at
least a rinse of water.
        I think perhaps we should be careful with behavior mod recommendations
since folks have some crazy ideas about what this is, and can institute
some rather cruel and inhumane procedures.    Simply serving thin slices of
apples including the skin, sharing them with the child, offering dates
stuffed with peanutbutter as a treat, then providing time to toilet the
child after he has eaten and perhaps drunk something warm to stimulate the
bowels, will often be just the ticket to regularity.  Regular
time=regularity! And keep nursing!
    Just some thoughts I had.   Michelle Scott, RD,MA,IBCLC



Three year olds can certainly use cups--fluids other than breastfeeding
should
be given by cup for any child over 12 months of age.
She should remember to watch cheese intake, also.
The child may well be stool holding intentionally.  This is quite common in
children of toilet-training age.  Mom needs to devise a behavior-mod
technique
for encouraging regular stooling (stickers on a calendar in the bathroom,
with
rewards for daily stooling would work--and rewards could be an extra
bedtime
story, etc., not an object).  Mineral oil can be given to ensure soft BMs.
Sounds like the child isn't ready to wean from the breast, either, and may
be
stool holding in protest.
My suggestions:  1)  Get rid of all baby bottles.  2)  Reduce or eliminate
cow
milk.  3)  Try a behavior mod system for regular stooling.  4)  Wait for
awhile to wean from the breast.
Linda L. Shaw MD FAAP