Child Constipation: Beyond The Laxative | Sonya Reynolds

#322 Constipation in children is one of the most common — and most misunderstood — issues parents bring to a practitioner's door. What if the medication your child has been prescribed isn't actually teaching their bowel how to work? My guest today is Sonya Reynolds, a Sydney-based, degree-qualified Nutritionist and Life Coach with over 17 years of experience. Sonya specialises in gut health, digestive disorders, and paediatric nutrition, with a particular focus on natural epilepsy management, something that stems from her own family's journey after her daughter's epilepsy diagnosis in 2012. Sonya is also the founder of Paediatrics in Practice, a practitioner education summit for those working in children's health. In this episode, we cover the real drivers of childhood constipation, why osmotic laxatives don't teach the bowel to work on their own, and how food, hydration, magnesium, and targeted probiotics can be layered in alongside conventional treatment. In this episode, you'll discover: ✅ The most common causes of constipation in kids, and how it differs from adults ✅ What fecal impaction actually is, and why it can look like diarrhoea ✅ How withholding behaviour develops, and how to support kids through daycare or school toileting anxiety ✅ Sonya's food-first approach by age group, from stewed apples to resistant starch ✅ Why partially hydrolysed guar gum (PHGG) works well for fussy or sensory-sensitive kids ✅ When to reach for lactulose vs. Macrogol, and how to avoid long-term dependence ✅ The specific probiotic strains Sonya uses clinically, and why ✅ The red flags that mean it's time to refer to a GP for further investigation ✅ Whether there's a "critical window" for shaping a child's long-term gut health Sonya Reynolds is a Sydney-based, degree-qualified Nutritionist and Life Coach with over 17 years of clinical experience, specialising in gut health, digestive disorders, and paediatric nutrition. Her focus on natural epilepsy management stems from her own family's journey — in 2012, her eldest daughter was diagnosed with a rare and aggressive form of epilepsy, and is now seizure-free and medication-free following dietary and lifestyle intervention. This content is for educational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. Please consult your healthcare provider before making changes to your health routine.