When your child's gut symptoms are being managed, but life is not improving
Specialist 12-week one-to-one support for children and teenagers with persistent constipation, tummy pain, diarrhoea, urgency and IBS-type symptoms.
Together, we work out which parts of your child's story matter, what to address first and how to adjust the plan as their symptoms respond.
No preparation needed · No pressure to enrol
"Thanks to Bahee we have our happy cheeky boy back!"
Catherine Evans · Google Review
Perhaps nothing looks urgent. But nothing feels normal either.
Your child may still be going to school. They may still be eating. They may even have stretches when the symptoms appear to settle.
But family life is quietly being organised around their gut.
It does not mean you have failed to follow the advice properly. It usually means your family has been given several individual pieces of advice, but no one has had the time to examine how those pieces fit together for this particular child.
You may not need another thing to try
Most parents who come to me are not short of information. They have already read about fibre. They have tried probiotics. They have adjusted dairy, gluten or FODMAPs. They know what their child's stools look like.
They may have followed a disimpaction plan, changed laxatives, recorded episodes of pain or urgent loose stools, or carefully tracked possible food triggers. Some parents arrive with pages of notes and a very good understanding of what their child experiences.
The problem is not a lack of effort or knowledge.
The difficult part is knowing:
- which observations are clinically meaningful
- what needs to change first
- what should remain unchanged
- how long to trial something
- whether a setback means the plan has failed
- when to persist, pause or adjust
- whether a food is genuinely contributing
- whether the gut pattern is being interpreted correctly
You may already understand your child extremely well. What you need now is help turning everything you have noticed into a structured clinical plan.
The Happy Belly Club® is not another source of gut-health information. It is where we work out what matters, what to address first and what to do when the first change is not enough.A normal test result does not mean there is nothing left to address
Medical investigations play an essential role. They help rule out conditions such as coeliac disease, inflammatory bowel disease and other causes that require medical treatment.
Many families who work with me have already seen a GP, paediatrician or paediatric gastroenterologist. They may have been told that the tests are reassuring, the symptoms are functional, or that their child should continue with the current treatment. That advice may be entirely appropriate.
But a short medical appointment rarely provides enough time to examine what is still happening day to day.
- how your child's bowel pattern changes across the week
- whether apparent diarrhoea may include overflow soiling
- whether fibre is too low, too high or unevenly distributed
- whether your child is drinking enough for the fibre they eat
- whether pain has changed how they eat or use the toilet
- whether foods have been removed unnecessarily
- whether school routines are affecting bowel habits
- whether previous illness changed the gut pattern
- how stress and gut symptoms may be amplifying each other
- whether the overall diet supports growth and nutritional needs
A child can be receiving appropriate medical treatment and still need detailed specialist dietetic support. Being treated is not always the same as making progress.
The advice may be reasonable. It may simply be incomplete.
The type of fibre, the amount, the fluid intake and the way it is spread across the day all matter. Generic fibre advice rarely accounts for all of these.
Medication may be clinically appropriate, but families often still need support with the diet, bowel habits and routines surrounding that treatment.
Pain and unpredictable stools can make children suspicious of foods that are not actually causing the problem. Unnecessary restriction can create new difficulties.
This does not explain how to support a child whose anxiety developed because their gut repeatedly let them down. The gut-brain relationship runs in both directions.
A probiotic cannot address every issue involving bowel motility, withholding, fibre balance, food restriction or gut sensitivity. It may occasionally form one part of a plan, but it is rarely sufficient on its own.
The individual recommendations are not always wrong. They have simply not been joined into one coherent plan for that child.
We step back and look at the whole pattern
No two children arrive with exactly the same combination of symptoms, diet, routines and previous experiences. For some children, constipation is the dominant problem. For others, it is recurring tummy pain, urgency, loose stools or a pattern that shifts between them. My job is not to assume that every child needs the same diet. It is to identify the factors most likely to be maintaining your child's particular pattern.
Bowel pattern and motility
How often your child opens their bowels is only one part of the picture. We also look at whether stools are hard, loose or variable, whether urgency follows meals, and whether there are accidents, withholding, pain, incomplete emptying or changes across the day or week.
Fibre and fluid balance
More fibre is not automatically better. We look at how much your child eats, which types they eat, how the fibre is distributed and whether fluid intake is sufficient.
Food triggers without unnecessary restriction
We examine whether there is a consistent relationship between food and symptoms. Where a short dietary trial is appropriate, it is planned carefully. Foods are not removed simply because they appeared on an unvalidated intolerance test.
Eating patterns and nutritional adequacy
A diet can look healthy but still be poorly matched to a child's gut symptoms. We look at meal size, meal timing, food variety, nutritional intake and whether pain or fear has reduced how much your child is eating.
Gut-brain interaction
Stress can affect the gut. Gut symptoms can also create stress. A child who has experienced pain, urgency or accidents may begin to fear eating, school toilets, journeys or unfamiliar situations. We address both sides of that relationship.
School and family routines
A plan must work at school, during weekends, on holidays and in a busy family home. Advice that only works during a perfect week is not a useful long-term plan.
Previous illness and treatment
A stomach bug, antibiotics, a period of constipation or diarrhoea, food restriction or a difficult toilet experience can sometimes mark the beginning of a persistent pattern. We consider what changed and what may still be influencing the gut now.
The goal is not perfect digestion. It is a normal childhood.
Parents do not join the Happy Belly Club® because they want an impressive symptom chart. They join because they want ordinary life back.
They want their child to:
- get through a school day without worrying about the toilet
- eat without immediately expecting pain
- attend parties, clubs, trips and sleepovers
- travel without every stop being planned in advance
- feel confident in their body again
- enjoy a wider and more relaxed diet
- understand what to do when symptoms flare
- stop feeling different from everyone else
You want to make a meal without wondering whether you have got the fibre balance wrong. You want to respond to a difficult bowel movement without fearing that everything is unravelling again.
The aim is not a child who never experiences another digestive symptom. It is a child and family who understand the pattern, know how to respond and no longer allow the gut to control every decision.
What parents noticed first
"Bahee solved my son's tummy troubles within weeks! She was then able to support me with introducing new foods into his diet with informed and helpful advice. Thank you Bahee!"
"Bahee helped our son with tummy issues and has been not less than incredible. It took her very little time to identify the potential issues correctly and the bespoke plan she crafted for him worked like magic! Highly knowledgeable, responsive and recommended to anyone facing issues she can help with."
"Within a few weeks the change was incredible. The advice hadn't gone into the detail and reasoning that Bahee gave and we realised we hadn't made the significant changes we thought we had. Now his pain has gone and we don't have to worry about his stomach on every outing."
Individual outcomes vary. No particular result can be guaranteed.
You are not handed a plan and left to make it work alone
A one-off appointment can provide useful recommendations. But children's gut symptoms rarely follow a neat, predictable line. A change may appear to help during one week and become harder to interpret during illness, school stress, travel, holidays, a disrupted routine, a change in appetite, a period of reduced fluid intake, or a new food introduction.
That does not necessarily mean the recommendation was wrong. It may mean the plan needs to be refined.
You know what is changing and why.
We look at symptoms, bowel patterns, eating and daily life.
A difficult week does not automatically mean the plan has failed.
We persist, pause or adjust based on what your child is showing us.
This is the part that information alone cannot provide.
A structured process for understanding and improving persistent gut symptoms
Every child receives an individual plan. The pathway remains deliberate.
Identify
First, we build a clear working understanding of the pattern. We review your child's symptoms, bowel habits, diet, medical history, daily routines, previous interventions and the impact on family life. We decide what deserves attention first.
- Clear working hypothesis
- What I think may be contributing
- What we are going to address first
- What we will monitor
- What progress may realistically look like
Restore
Next, we introduce targeted changes and review how your child responds. This may involve work around bowel regularity, fibre and fluid balance, constipation, loose or urgent stool patterns, food triggers, dietary variety, meal structure, gut-brain support and toilet routines.
- More predictable bowel patterns
- Reduced pain or urgency
- Fewer accidents or sudden episodes
- Plan adjusted to real evidence
Thrive
As the pattern becomes clearer and symptoms become more manageable, we focus on normal life. That may include broadening the diet, rebuilding confidence around food, preparing for school, holidays and social events, and building confidence about how to respond when symptoms flare in future.
- Predictable stools
- Calmer mealtimes
- Flare-ups become data, not crises
- Family no longer organised around the gut
The stages are structured, but they are not rigid. Your child's response determines the pace and priorities.
Why this cannot be reduced to a meal plan or a single consultation
An initial assessment gives us a place to begin. It cannot show us how your child will respond once the plan meets real life.
What one consultation can provide
- a detailed assessment
- an initial working understanding
- clear priorities
- a personalised starting plan
What 12 weeks allows us to do
- see how the plan works in real life
- identify genuine patterns rather than temporary fluctuations
- adjust when illness, school or routines interfere
- reintroduce foods where appropriate
- build confidence around setbacks
- build confidence in how to respond when symptoms flare
What meaningful progress may look like
- fewer accidents or urgent episodes
- less frequent tummy pain
- more predictable stools
- improved eating
- greater confidence at school or away from home
- understanding why the pattern keeps returning
I will not promise that your child will stop medication, become completely symptom-free or achieve every goal within 12 weeks. I will give you a structured process, honest clinical judgement and ongoing support to make meaningful progress towards the goals that matter most to your family.
12 weeks. A clear plan from the first session.
- 60-minute initial assessment
- Weekly check-ins during the first month
- Three 45-minute follow-up consultations
- Email support between appointments for brief questions and clarification
- Personalised tracking tools, food guidance and practical resources
- Email summaries after most appointments, documenting key recommendations and agreed changes
- All appointments delivered by video call
Your child's plan develops as we learn from their response. You are not expected to wait until the end of the programme before changes are reviewed.
Assess and prioritise
Comprehensive initial assessment, 60 minutesWe review your child's symptoms, bowel pattern, medical history, diet, lifestyle, school routines, stress, previous treatments and the effect on daily life. You leave with a personalised starting plan and clear priorities.
Establish the plan
Weekly check-ins during weeks 2 to 4The beginning of a plan is often when the most questions arise. These shorter calls review the early response, solve practical problems and prevent uncertainty from building. Many parents feel relief at this stage, not because everything is fixed, but because there is finally a structure.
Review and refine
Three 45-minute follow-up consultationsDeeper review appointments across the programme. We interpret patterns, refine recommendations and introduce the next stage. Timing is guided by your child's needs.
Prepare for life beyond the programme
Personalised tools, practical resources and written email summaries- Bowel and symptom tracking tools tailored to your child
- Fibre, fluid and food reintroduction frameworks where appropriate
- Email summaries after most appointments, documenting key recommendations and agreed changes
- Greater clarity about when to seek further advice and how to respond if the pattern changes
Talk through what has been happening and whether this level of support is the right fit.
What families often notice when the pattern begins to change
The most meaningful outcomes are not always dramatic. They are the small signs that ordinary life is returning.
Bedtime is no longer dominated by tummy pain
One parent first came to me because her six-year-old was crying most evenings, needed a hot water bottle and could not settle without her rubbing his tummy. As his bowel pattern, fibre intake and routines became more predictable, the nightly pain stopped.
The child begins trusting their body again
When constipation, loose stools, urgency or accidents become more predictable, children often become less fearful of school, journeys and unfamiliar toilets. They start joining in again rather than organising their day around the possibility of something going wrong.
Parents stop searching for the next answer
Families often finish with a far better understanding of how food, bowel habits, routines and other triggers interact for their child. Instead of changing several things in a panic, they have a framework for deciding what to do.
How this can look in practice
School-age child with frequent loose stools, nausea and increasing school absence
Her stools had become unpredictable, nausea was affecting her eating and she no longer trusted how her body would behave at school. Rather than removing several foods at once, we stepped back, reviewed the full pattern and introduced targeted changes gradually. Where a short dietary trial was appropriate, it was introduced carefully and followed by structured food reintroduction once symptoms had become more settled.
By the end of the programme, her diet was broader, school attendance had improved and she felt more confident managing her symptoms.
Young child with persistent loose stools and a diet that had become increasingly restricted
The family had removed several foods while trying to identify what was causing the loose stools. Mealtimes had become stressful and they were no longer sure what was safe to offer. We first reviewed the child's overall eating pattern and nutritional needs, then restored foods that did not appear to be contributing before testing possible triggers in a structured way.
The child finished with a wider diet, calmer family meals and a clearer plan for responding if the loose stools returned.
These composite, anonymised examples are based on clinical patterns seen in practice. Details have been combined, limited or altered to protect confidentiality. Every child's assessment, recommendations and outcomes are individual.
Real experiences from families
"Bahee is nothing short of a miracle worker! My 13-year-old son had been suffering from ongoing stomach pain for the past year. After months on Laxido for an impacted bowel, we were stuck in a cycle. Then we found Bahee. Within just a month, we were able to stop the Laxido completely. After a year of my son barely being able to attend school due to pain, he's now thriving. I can finally relax, knowing he's happy and healthy."
"Bahee was a Godsend. We were struggling with my 9 year old's post infectious IBS — constant stomach pains, migraines, missing many days of school, anxiety around eating. She addressed all his issues in detail and gave us simple solutions and the confidence to believe that things will get better. My son is now thriving. He is more confident around food, attends school every day and is enjoying PE and sports again."
"We chose to work with Bahee after our daughter suffered some extreme digestive issues. Whilst working with Bahee we didn't need to reintroduce laxatives, and by the end of the programme our daughter was pooing regularly and appropriately. She has gone from a pretty restrictive diet to eating a varied diet and being confident in trying new things. She also taught us as parents how to better help our daughter, alleviating some of the parental mental load."
Individual outcomes vary. No particular result can be guaranteed.
I specialise in the children who are medically stable, but still struggling
I am Bahee Van de Bor, a Registered Paediatric Dietitian specialising in children's digestive health. I have over 20 years of clinical experience, including 12 years at Great Ormond Street Hospital. Today, I work with children and teenagers experiencing persistent constipation, diarrhoea, tummy pain, urgency and IBS-type symptoms.
This is not one small part of a general paediatric nutrition practice. Children's gut health is my specialist clinical focus.
I presented at the European Society for Paediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition in June 2026 on nutritional microbiome therapies after antibiotics.
I also live with IBS-D and urgency myself. I understand the practical reality of wondering where the nearest toilet is, questioning what is safe to eat and feeling unable to trust your own gut. That lived understanding sits alongside my clinical experience. It is one of the reasons I care so much about helping children develop the knowledge and confidence I did not have when I was younger.
My role is not to sell you a restrictive diet or convince you that one ingredient explains everything. My role is to look at your child's story carefully, apply clinical judgement and help your family make changes that are realistic, proportionate and evidence-based.
You do not need to wait until the symptoms become severe
Your child does not need a formal IBS diagnosis. They do not need to have seen a gastroenterologist. They do not need years of medical records or a rare condition.
This may be the right next step when your child has
- constipation
- tummy pain
- loose or unpredictable stools
- diarrhoea
- urgency
- soiling or accidents
- bloating
- IBS-type symptoms
- a confirmed or suspected food allergy, intolerance or food-related sensitivity contributing to gut symptoms
- reduced eating because of gut symptoms
The important question is not whether the case sounds complicated. It is whether the symptoms are affecting your child's eating, school, sleep, activities, confidence or family life.
The programme is likely to be a good fit when
Clinical fit- symptoms are persistent or recurrent
- symptoms are affecting everyday life
- medical red flags have been reviewed or appropriate investigations are underway
- general advice has not provided enough progress
- the older child or teenager is willing to be involved at an age-appropriate level
- you want a structured clinical plan rather than more information
- you are willing to keep a simple symptom and bowel record
- you can attend regular reviews
- you are ready to make gradual changes at home
- you are willing to give each stage enough consistency to assess it
The programme is not
- an emergency or acute medical service
- a replacement for your GP, paediatrician or gastroenterologist
- a food intolerance testing service
- a generic meal plan
- a supplement protocol
- a two-week gut reset
- a promise to remove all medication within 12 weeks
- a highly restrictive diet without a clear clinical reason
- appropriate for a child with uninvestigated red-flag symptoms
- designed primarily for weight management or an eating disorder
You do not need to be a complex case. You just need to be stuck and ready to stop guessing.
If I do not believe the Happy Belly Club® is appropriate, I will tell you honestly. Where another medical assessment or a different service is needed, I will explain that.
The goal is not to put your child on a special diet forever
Some children benefit from a carefully planned, short-term dietary trial. Many do not need a broad elimination diet.
When food restriction is used without a clear rationale, it can create new problems: the diet becomes unnecessarily narrow, the child becomes more frightened of food, nutritional adequacy becomes harder to maintain, families lose confidence about what is safe, and reintroducing foods feels increasingly difficult.
When a dietary trial is appropriate, we agree
Exactly what is changing
Why we are changing it
How long the trial will last
What symptoms we are monitoring
What would count as a meaningful response
How and when foods will be reintroduced
Assessment comes before restriction. The aim is always the widest, most varied diet your child can comfortably manage.
What you are investing in
Clinical synthesis
Your child's history, bowel pattern, diet, previous treatment and daily life are examined together rather than as separate issues.
Specialist interpretation
You receive clinical judgement about what appears meaningful, what should be addressed first and what should remain unchanged.
Ongoing adjustment
The plan is reviewed as your child responds, rather than relying entirely on recommendations made during one appointment.
Confidence beyond the programme
You finish with a clearer understanding of the pattern and a framework for managing future flares.
Happy Belly Club®
12 weeks of specialist one-to-one support
Or three monthly payments of £515, total £1,545
- 60-minute comprehensive initial assessment
- Personalised starting plan
- Weekly check-ins during month one
- Three 45-minute follow-up consultations
- Email support between appointments for brief questions and clarification while you implement the plan
- Personalised tracking tools, food guidance and practical resources
- Email summaries after most appointments, documenting key recommendations and agreed changes
- All appointments delivered by video call
Most families begin with a free Discovery Call.
Book a Free 15-Minute Discovery CallTalk through what has been happening and find out whether the programme is the right fit. There is no obligation to enrol.
WPA recognises my service. Please check the terms of your individual policy before booking, as the level of cover varies.
Ready to enrol without a call? Reserve your place directly and I will contact you to confirm your start date and next steps.
Specialist oversight requires space to think
Time to review
I need time to examine symptom records, responses and changes between appointments.
Capacity to adjust
Illness, school, routines or a new symptom may mean the plan needs reconsidering rather than automatically continuing unchanged.
Personal oversight
Limiting new starts protects the thoughtful, individual support the programme is designed to provide.
Places are limited because the work is personal, not because I want to create artificial urgency.
Why families chose specialist support
These families came after conflicting advice, continuing pain or diets that had become increasingly difficult to manage.
"Bahee was recommended to us when our 13 year old was having IBS symptoms — she made an incredible difference in a short space of time. I found her easy to work with and full of great ideas. Our son now has the knowledge to make wise choices and plenty of ways to increase fibre in his diet. Bahee is kind, supportive and professional and completely reviewed our approach to food. She has improved our son's physical health and attitude to food and he is more positive and less anxious now."
"We spent a year and a half trying to figure out why my son was having so many issues. After the first consultation with Bahee, she set us on a path that gave us immediate results. My son went from having terrible stomach pain several times a day to virtually none with her advice on diet and supplements. I underestimated how much those things mattered but Bahee was very kind with getting some very frustrated parents and a 10 year old to some easily manageable solutions!"
"I approached Bahee as I was struggling with managing my daughter's many food intolerances. Having spoken to other nutritionists both through the NHS and privately I found I was getting differing advice and struggled where to turn next. Bahee's simple and understanding approach got me on the right track and has allowed me to reintroduce nearly all the foods my daughter previously couldn't have. The experience has been life-changing for my family as it means we can eat a much more healthy and balanced diet together."
Individual outcomes vary. No particular result can be guaranteed.
A short conversation to decide whether this programme matches what your child needs.
Questions families often have
Is the programme appropriate?
Treatment and dietary care
Booking and payment
If you have read this far and recognised your child in some of what is written here, a short call is the right next step.
You do not need another list of things to try. You need to know which parts of your child's story matter, what to address first, and a plan that works during school mornings, family meals, holidays and ordinary busy life.
Free 15-minute video call
No preparation needed
No pressure to enrol