2 Year Old Has Very Hard Bm's

Updated on October 13, 2006
K.B. asks from Toledo, OH
78 answers

Hello again.. my son has had very hard poops for the last couple of weeks, I started increasing his amount of juice of course, and it hasn't really been doing much. The last couple of diapers have been like little "pebbles". I called his ped. and she said to get suppositories.. I was hoping someone might have suggestions before I go this route - lol. Prune juice work for little people?

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So What Happened?

Thanks for all the information and the great advice.. So far my son has had 2 softer poops, not quite all the way but better than they were.. lots of water, fruit and experimenting with the Prune juice in his sippy cup with milk. I think he knows something is in there, but he is drinking it anyway. LOL This is a great site and I am sure I will have more issues to bring up soon!! Thanks again!

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S.L.

answers from Billings on

My son had this problem and we were advised to give him cereal like Cracklin' Oat Brand and Oatmeal Squares. Also laying off of the dairy for a little while helped too. This did help, and sometimes adding some chocolate chips to the cereal did the trick. Good Luck!
p.s. Prune juice may be a little hard, but blueberry juice helps.

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J.B.

answers from Spokane on

I'm a newbie here.... but thought I'd give you an answer. Yes prune juice works for little people. I would just dilute it for him. Sometimes when they get more iron in their diet, they get a little backed up. But be prepared.... once that prune juice hits, he's gonna have a few goooooooood diapers (or potty times on the potty if he is potty trained).

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S.Y.

answers from Portland on

Prune juice does work! I had this problem with my son. His pediatrician said give him a little prune juice, but NOT baby prune juice because it is too much water. I just mixed it in with his cereal. or gave him some to drink with a little water added to it. In my son's case he gets constipated when he does not eat enough. He is so active if he doesn't consume enough food, he gets hard poops. Also lots of fresh apples tend to help too. Oh, and if he will eat broccoli.

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L.S.

answers from Portland on

Put about a teaspoon of Kero syrup in his prune juice! ITS A WONDERFUL THING!!!

Good luck!

L.

1 mom found this helpful
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S.M.

answers from Denver on

This is a recipe that I have used for everything from hard stools to full out constipation for myself and my kids as little as 1 year. It's called Yakima Fruit Paste and it's never let me down. I don't particularly like the taste but I put it on bread or crackers if all else fails with a little peanut butter and my kids love it.

1 lb Prunes 1 lb Raisins
1 lb Figs 4 oz Senna Tea Leaves
1 cup Brown Sugar 1 cup Lemon Juice

Prepare tea. Use about 2 1/2 Cups boiling water added to tea leaves and steep for 5 minutes.

Strain tea to remove leaves and add only 1 pint tea to large pot. Add fruit. Boil fruit and tea for 5 minutes.

Remove from heat and add sugar and lemon juice. Allow to cool.

Use hand mixer or processor to blend fruit mixture into smooth paste.

Place in plastic container and put in freezer. Paste will not freeze but it will keep forever in freezer.

Spoon out what you require each day. Eat it right off the spoon or spread it on toast or add it to water to make a drink.

Alot of times for the little ones 1 dose of 1 tbsp is enough to get stuff moving but you can give them one tbsp each day for as long as necessary. Hope it helps.

1 mom found this helpful
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B.

answers from Boise on

Hi there, K.,
My son has had this problem also, on and off for a couple of years. YES, prune juice is great! I get those little individual cans so we don't have to rush through a big container. I believe they have these hard poops because of what they're eating (or not eating)- My son is a huge carb eater, and some protein, but until the last 6 months or so, he has barely touched any fruits or vegetables. Now that he's finally getting more accepting of them, his poops have softened up. :) Hope this helps! B. (Mom of 2 and 4 yr old boys)

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J.

answers from Salt Lake City on

yes! and lots of water. try raisins, prunes, apples. no cheese or bananas. maybe granola, whole wheat crackers, cantaloupe. i would try fruit before I did a suppository, since he is pooping and it's just the nature of the poop that bothers you. i have a 2-1/2 year old and his go back and forth between fairly liquid and fairly hard. so wouldn't worry :-) good luck!

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T.

answers from Las Vegas on

K.,

Prune Juices works really well for little people. I've also found that my son loves grapes. He takes iron supplements so I give him a hand full of grapes each morning with his breakfast. It helps keep everything moving....

:-)T.

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H.W.

answers from Omaha on

Hi K.
sometimes too much juice does cause the trouble, try to give him as much water as u can. Fiber is very good for bowl. his diet should have more veges and water, limit the crackers and other things that r made of white flour(it has less content of fiber). I have 22 months old son..it sometimes happen with my son too...i just increase his water intake along with veges and cereal(whole grain is good). I hope this will help u. I will recommend to consult his pediatrician too. good luck.

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M.

answers from Honolulu on

Hi -- I am going thru this right now as well with my 2 year old-and my 12 year old had it at 2 as well - trust me suppositories are very easy -- but yes kinda scary for them and you -- the first thing is you have to remember he is probally blocked and it can lead to being impacted and having to have teh hospital clear him --which is what happened to my older one -- trust me suppositories are way better than enemas --make sure you get pediatric ones and dont even tellhim that is what you are doing -- you can do it while he is asleep --I learned this the hard lots of crying way. First before he falls asleep lay lots of towels or an old blanket on your bed -and gets lots of books and spend time reading etc once he is sound alseep (if still wearing adiaper take it off -trust me it just gets inteh way later) rol him to his side and slip it in then gently squeze his buttoks together to make sure it doesnt pop out --(smile 0sometimes it shoots out) and hold it for at least 3-5 minutes--- It is hard to get kids to eat prunes -even prune juice mixed in good juice but juice can be constipating think about it they reccomment apples as part of the brat diet for diarreha -brat=bannanas, rice, apples, toast -- so if you dont already all juice should be 1/2 water-- I do this by saving one just used juice bottle and putting half water then adding half juice and then half water to the juice that is left -- also you want him to want and like water more than juice - isnt absorbtion no processing needed in body - no sugar -- trust me you want it cleared the fastest way possible make sure you add fiber to his diet later -I put a little metimucile(I know gross) in her oatmeal -she can even tell it is there(smile)

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J.C.

answers from Boise on

HI K. - As the other moms have said, prune juice does work. I'd also recommend trying to get him to drink more water. I've found that apple juice can cause problems because of the sugar in it, but definitely try the water and prune juice.

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E.L.

answers from Salt Lake City on

My advice is to give him water not juice. Applesauce is better than apple juice for bm. I like to try to get my 2 yr old to eat more fruits & veggies if he is having a problem. Canned mandarin oranges & corn or green beans seem to do the trick. I also noticed that cinnamon seems to go right through him. I hope this helps you.

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S.T.

answers from Salt Lake City on

Is he getting enough fiber? I wouldn't do a suppository. My son had pebble like poops, I didn't worry about it. If it looks like it is painful when he poops I would worry a little more, but try fiber cereal first. My kids love Fiber one clusters, they are actually pretty tasty. And they are really good for you.

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M.M.

answers from Salt Lake City on

Hello,

Try rubbing the tummy from right to left in a rainbow pattern, it may help move things along.

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J.

answers from Omaha on

prune juice works well if you can get him to drink it. My two year old has the same problem and so did my two older sons when they were young. My little one likes dried prunes or raisins for a snack, that helps some. We also give him benefiber chewables. They work great for keeping him regular and softening up his bm's a little. They are orange flavored and he loves them. Get the okay from your pediatrician first but they have worked wonders for our little one. Hope it gets better
J.

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A.D.

answers from Omaha on

My daughter had the same problem and the thing that worked best for us was pear juice. I don't know why but it helped greatly and keep us from having to do the suppositories and all that other stuff. Hope this helps!

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C.W.

answers from Salt Lake City on

My pediatrician told me that the best juices to help with this are any juice that starts with P. (Pear, Prune-I had to use apple prune as my son doesn't like prune juice alone, Peach, Pineapple-not too much since it is really acidic, but can work.) My son gets that way too and giving him pear or apple prune usually helps.

Good luck!!

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E.E.

answers from Salt Lake City on

Juice is not the way to go, especially if you don't water it down. The sugar can make it worse at times. The things that have worked for my son, also 2, is giving him foods that start with the letter 'P'. My mother always said, "Foods that start with 'P' make you go poopie." Childish sounding I know but it has worked. Peas, prunes...all work. Also try giving him grapes, it might make it more loose at first. Hope this helps.

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G.C.

answers from Portland on

Hi, prunes and prune juice are the best thing for constipation. An awesome book to read for this and other things related is Natural cures they don't want you to know about by Kevin Treduea

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C.R.

answers from Portland on

I would give him foods like lentils, avacodo, peas, french fies w/ a little olive oil...high fiber/high fat foods like this help "grease" the passage way, and slide the digested food out easier. It worked for the little girl I used to Nanny when she had that problem. Also, if you haven't already, icreasing his water intake-I know, obvious, but he might just need even more. Hope I was some help!

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A.R.

answers from Las Vegas on

Hi! I don't know if anyone gave you any ideas but I give my daughter some 'Green Machine' juice - it's the Naked Juice Brand and you can get it at Albertsons or Whole Foods. It doesn't look very palletable but it is actually very sweet and all natural. It has a great apple/mango flavor and my daughter just can't get enough. Time it right though - with any luck you'll need a bathroom shortly after! If your child is weary of anything green put it in a cupy with a straw and let her taste it before she sees it. We call it 'yummy juice' at our house!

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D.R.

answers from Omaha on

Hello,

When my sons were little we had the same problem. I found that juice was the problem. I had to move my son to water more often and add a half a teaspoon of sugar when he wouldn't drink it. This helped his system work properly and free his bowels. I also found that many things I was giving him had alot of iron. Check the content of what you are feeding. It could be a simple food causing the issue. Have a great day. I hope he gets better.

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K.D.

answers from Salt Lake City on

My son had the same problem but started when he was about 6 months old, so our ped. recommended we mix prune juice in with his formula. Eventually he started drinking Gerber's apple-prune juice and we even got a prescription laxative called Glycolax that you mix with water or juice. Works wonderfully and can be used long term. You might ask your ped. about it. But definitely make sure he is getting enough fiber in his diet.

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D.T.

answers from Portland on

pebbly poop means he needs more water. lots more water. you should also try children's acidpohilus powder (1 teaspoon in milk or yogurt daily) makes a huge difference, as does aloe juice (1 teaspoon daily in juice or water). suppoitories are maybe the last thing i'd personally try. but prune juice does work well. good luck.

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C.S.

answers from Salt Lake City on

Hello, my son has the same problem and we tried everything. Prune juice didnt work it just stained all his clothes. The one thing that worked great for me that my doctor recommended was Bene-Fiber. You can get it at any store. 1/2 tablespoon morning and night in his bottle. You might just want to start of with once a day and if it is still not working go to twice a day. I guarantee you it will work. I only have to use it once a day because it works so good but sometime it works a litte too good so watch out.

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T.N.

answers from Portland on

Hi K.,

Try lots of water and lay off the carbs. Too much carbohydrate and too little water is usually the culprit. You are only exacerbating the problem by giving him extra carbohydrate in the form of juice. Water, water, and more water will help. You might ask you pedatrician about Perdiem if you can get him to take it mixed with food or soemthing.

Good luck.

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J.

answers from Portland on

K.,
The one thing that I found that works like a charm every time is Aloe Vera Juice. You can find it at any Health/Natural Foods Store. Just mix some into your baby's juice, grape juice works best because it disguises the the taste better, (Aloe has a grassy-perfumey flavour), I don't know about Apple juice because it always made my son constipated.
Good luck!

Julia

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R.L.

answers from Provo on

K.,

My son Brayden had a similar problem. Does you son mostly drink milk for his meals? Brayden was 18 months when he would get constipated and scream when he'd do his business. Our Pediatrician recommended us to start getting him off bottle dependence. He is 4 now and has never had a problem since.

My mom is a RN and has warned me about suppositories. She says if you use them on a regular basis (especially on small children) then your body will get use to them and depend on them. They should only be used sporadically to comfort the child.

If this applies to you then I hope it helps.

R. L.

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K.

answers from Portland on

If he likes cantalope try that. My son also has had that problem. Also any types of fresh veggies or fruit watermelon is very helpful. I also have my son and daughter on kids emergence-c for thier vitamin, started them at 1 year and that has been a big help.

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M.J.

answers from Las Vegas on

My 16 month old went through the same thing. My problem is that he really isn't a juice drinker, he mainly drinks water and milk. Instead of the prune juice I bought the baby prunes and fed those to him. They take a while to work, but once he gets going, it's all over! I have had to use suppositories before and those work as well. They aren't too comfortable for the baby, but they sell small ones for infants and toddlers.

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A.F.

answers from Portland on

K.,
Actually prune juice does work. Try putting a little water in it first to see how he reacts to it. At the advice of my younger son's Doctor, we did that even when he was really small. Bran cereal, fruits, vegetables or anything else high in fiber will help too.

Best of luck!

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R.D.

answers from Omaha on

Yes or even dried prunes. My son is 2 and that is what I use everytime and it works.

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C.C.

answers from Portland on

My 18 month old gets constipated a lot, and the best thing I've found that helps is increasing his water intake and feeding him a lot of the 'P' fruits (peaches, pears, prunes, etc.). He doesn't really like whole fruit, so I mix a pack of baby food fruit purees in his morning oatmeal. Hope that helps...

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J.S.

answers from Salt Lake City on

My brother was just telling me the other day that he gave his daughter Metamusil, but I would always ask a Ped. before giving a child anything like that. I had to give my son those baby enema's and once had to do a suppositories because his bm's were causing him sevier stomach cramping and we edned up going to primary childrend hosp. Good luck.

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K.S.

answers from Sioux Falls on

My little 2 year old has the same problem, but his are big and hard; if he can poop at all. He is a cheese fanatic, but we've cut it down to one slice a day. He loves the trail mix if it is the salted kind and then he eats lots of raisins. He won't eat the raisins out of the box (weird, I know). He also loves the strawberry flavored cranberry juice. I can't get him to drink prune juice even if I dilute it. Our pediatrician suggested mini-wheats and Total cereal - Xander won't eat either. I hate having to do the baby suppositories and the cranberry juice once or twice a day seems to be working for us. Good luck to you.

Sincerely,
K.

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L.B.

answers from Omaha on

I've heard Karo syrup tends to soften the stool. My friend used it all the time for her daughters. I'm not quite sure of the dosage for a 2 year old though.

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T.P.

answers from Richland on

Prune juice or gerber's prunes baby food. Just make sure you have enough diapers for when it takes effect. Good luck

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J.L.

answers from Sioux Falls on

My oldest daughter has ALWAYS had pebbles, even when she was exclusively breastfed! I've found that she's REALLY sensitive to dairy. By 2, she'd drink half a gallon of milk a day if I let her, and loved yogurt, cheese, cottage cheese, etc. But then it would be days between poops. Now, at 3.5 years, she does really well if I limit her dairy to 1-3 servings a day.

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M.C.

answers from Las Vegas on

I think prune juice works for everyone! Also, I would increase his water consumption and try adding some roughage such as salads and vegetables. Good luck.

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C.

answers from Salt Lake City on

Yes you can use prune juice and it might work. My daughter had that problem as an infant except when she did finally go she would scream and sometimes there was blood due to the size/hardness. The pediatrician also suggested pear juice cause like prune juice the sugars aren't broken down and it works as a laxative (so much that I had to be careful with pear juice). I never had suppositories suggested, there is a prescription laxative called Miralax that works amazingly and my 5 yr old has had to take it before. My daughter took it once when she was 2 and thankfully I only gave half a dose. They prescribe this laxative often for children. I would say it would be safer and more comfortable for a little one than suppositories, just a suggestion. Good luck! C. O.

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T.C.

answers from Las Vegas on

My 4 yr. old goes through this too. And I use concentrated apple juice. When making it it calls for 3 cans of water but instead I use 5 cans. Not only does he get alittle extra water but within a few hours of drinking it he goes to the bathroom. I don't see why prune juice in small quantities would be any harm. The problem with suppositories is that they can dehydrate the child and then you have a whole other problem on your hands. Good luck.

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R.

answers from Eugene on

Just fyi Apple juice is constipating.
My doc put my son on Chocolate citrucel with milk, and mineral oil in applesauce,pudding,etc. Check with your doc about these things before you do it. But it totally made a huge difference. benefiber doesn't do the same as citrucel, it just coats the intestine, where as citrucel adds fiber to the stool. good luck!

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E.M.

answers from Omaha on

Prune juice works, so does milk of magnesia (sometimes), soothing baths, tummy rubs, and lots of fiber and water (juice is a poor substitute for whole fruit and lots of water). Add pureed prunes to everything you can get away with, add prunes to his water (they will release into the water and not pose a problem in most sippy cups. But if your son is having rabbit pebbles for BM's he is having real problems. I have used suppositories before for my daughter. While they are a bit uncomfortable at first, they guarantee at least one BM to help them clear out a little (especially if the tummy is hard). But the one suppository wont solve the long term problem. I have taken to doing all the above at the same time to try to get my daughter back on track.

Good luck.

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R.A.

answers from Omaha on

K.-

Here is what I have found about both diarrhea and constipation and a website that explains what causes constipation in small children and why you see it more in formula fed babies than breastfed babies. It really breaks it down in terms you can understand. As a nurse I have found this info has helped many of my mommy friends and patients.

For Constipation:

any juice or baby food that starts with P. Prunes, pears, etc. and apricot juice or fruit will get a bowel movement going. Gerber has stage one prunes, my son loved them. And any form of pear (juice or fruit) gave results within an hour.

I would start with these painless, non-invasive tactics first and get more aggressive if they don't work (under the direction of a doctor of course). Also, just a mommy tip, after giving any of these foods or juices I would put a supreme diaper (like a Huggies Supreme) on your child in case the next BM is diarrhea, because it can turn around that quickly, and I wouldn't want you to have a mess.

It is a myth that simply giving more water will keep a baby having regular bowel movements, but it is very difficult to explain. Here is a good website I have found that helps:

www.drhull.com/EncyMaster/C/constipation_infant.html

For Diarrhea:

Plenty of fluids and the B.R.A.T diet to manage diarrhea. B.R.A.T. is an acronym, which stands for:

Bananas, Rice, Applesauce, and Toast

These foods work well for controlling diarrhea because they are low in fiber and digestive residue.

Some doctors now recommend the C.R.A.M. diet (cereal, rice, milk) because the milk provides fat and protein (lacking in the B.R.A.T. diet) and the C.R.A.M. foods ease the diarrhea faster.

Good Luck, hope this info helps.

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M.

answers from Boise on

If it's a temporary problem, try dietary changes as suggested by others... prune juice, raisins, cherries, etc. My daughter had hard bm's consistently for while. Our Ped. gave us a prescription for "Miralax". It is a tasteless, oderless sugar-like powder that you can put in their juice and it helped immensely! Her system eventually figured out how to deal with the solid foods she was eating, but it took about 9-10 months. At the time, this was the best option for us as I had been giving her suppositories and trying everything else diet-wise (She wouldn't touch prunes or prune juice). Good Luck!

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C.B.

answers from Las Vegas on

If you use prune juice it helps to water it down alot. You don't need to use alot of prune juice because you'll have really runny diapers. Sometimes watered down orange juice helps too.

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G.F.

answers from Omaha on

Since a surgery I had 3 yrs ago, I have had that problem, too. The natural way is to eat a lot of fiber. Try any of the Kashi products. It has high fiber, low sodium, and low fat.
The Quaker granola bars are good, too.

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C.E.

answers from Reno on

My son had the same problem. After taking him to ER one time, because he was so badly constipated, they said to give him juice that starts with P. Pear, Pinapple, Prune, Peach. They are all High in natural fiber and if you give him a daily diet of it that should work. At least 8 ounces at once or spread through the day, it should keep things "loose". You will have to help him with suppositores first, because he is "bound up" and all the juice in the world won't help until you get out that intial blockage. Use glycerin suppositories, you can use as many as you need till he is unbound, and it won't hurt him. He won't like you doing it, but it may take a few "applications" till he's "free". Also, eating blueberries, works really well too, like a cupfull. They are really high in fiber. I haven't tried blueberry juice, but that would probably work too. Also, get the Organic Juices, like R.W. Knudesen brand, because you are assured of it being JUST JUICE, with all the good stuff still in it. Don't water it down either. I found my son liked the pear juice best by R.W. Knudesen.

Food that works, believe it or not, is peanut butter, the real stuff, not Skippy'. A good brand you can get at most regular stores is the Adams brand (100% natural). Also eat Bannana's. Avoid things like those little baked fishes, crackers and white bread, because they have alot of white flour, and that will clog them up. Whole grain breads and whole grain snacks only, and even then keep it to a minimum. I started giving him raisens as a snack and that helps too.

Lastly increase his water intake, and decrease is milk intake. At 2 they don't need as much milk as you probably think they do. If you are still using whole milk switch to 2 percent.

Let me know if this works. I know what it's like because my son really struggled with this. A lot of this advice is my own experimenting, finding what worked & what didn't. Doctors just seem to say suppositories and better diet. I had one doctor say I wasn't feeding my son a proper diet if he was constipated. Some kids struggle with this at least till they are potty trained.

Good Luck

C.

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M.

answers from Reno on

I bought some Benefiber (like Metamucil)chewable tablets for my husband and I. We don't like the way they taste but my kids do. I give them to the kids when they take thier other chewable vitamins. Another thought is that dried fruit, plums (formally known as prunes : ) and apricots have alot of fiber and some kids like them. Is your munchkin getting enough water during the day too?
Those are all of my thoughts on the matter : )
Have a great day.
M.

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K.

answers from Billings on

My daughter has had that a couple times. What I've done is just give her lots of fruit, mainly oranges, grapes, watermelon etc. All will make looser stools. Stay away from bananas though as they will make him constipated. Also, hold off on anything fiber-y like grains, breads etc. Of course only do this for a couple days to see if it helps.

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L.

answers from Boise on

Gerber does make an apple/prune juice that I give to my daughter for this problem. I also avoid bananas and I give her foods with wild rice which really seems to get things moving.

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P.S.

answers from Las Vegas on

Hi K.!
My name is P., and a parent of three girls. My youngest is 17 months and she is a handful. She has had problems with potting too, and prunes in baby food works good, but so does grapes, actually quicker too. Give one of them a try, one of them should do the job.
P.

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A.

answers from Portland on

K.-

I would suggest fresh fruit instead of juice, but I want to caution against prune juice - our pediatrician told us it works by irritating the bowel.
Good luck!
-A.

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S.

answers from Las Vegas on

Hi K.,
I have an 11 mo old so I know this is kind of easier for me, I mix in the gerber baby food prunes to his cereal when he has this problem...maybe if you son likes oatmeal, try mixing some in with it. Prune juice would probly work too, but he most likely won't like the taste...could ya blame him though...ick!
hope this helps :)
S.

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J.E.

answers from St. Joseph on

The only thing I can tell you is that my pediatrician recommended prune juice for my 2 month old who has very solid, sticky bm's. It has seemed to help a little bit - so I would say that it's worth a try.

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J.

answers from Portland on

My son is just about two and what we've tried is prune juice. He drinks it up (when combined with some other sweet juice, like apple). It seems to help. Also, grapes are another good route. My son likes red grapes because they are a little sweeter than green grapes. If you can tolerate seeing the peels in the poops, I highly recommend it! Good luck!

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M.P.

answers from Las Vegas on

I have the same problem with my daughter and the Real Papaya was the best, you can give him the fruit or make juice, it's delicious and it is going to work, not inmediatly but in a couple of days.
Good Luck
Pilar

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Z.

answers from Salt Lake City on

I agree with you on the suppositories. I would be hesitant to start them too.
I would suggest to examine your son's diet and add fiber and water - both of these are in fruit. Peaches, apples.. anything which has a lot of water should help.
My son had hard BM several times and we always fixed it with him drinking more water and eating more fruit and fiber (whole grain bread and cereal�).
Good luck. Z.

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T.M.

answers from Cheyenne on

hi my son is two almost three and i know its different for every kid but when my boy poops like that i give him apple sauce and apple juice because every time i have give it to him it has helped but like i said every kid is different.

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C.M.

answers from Portland on

Hi K.,

Suppositories are icky n no fun I would imagine, so you might want to try cutting back on a few things: Is he having a lot of carbohydrates or cheese? Those can make it hard to go very quickly. Another thing that you should avoid would be bananas, rice, applesauce, toast and yogurt (BRATY), that's what they use when people are having no trouble at all, if you get my drift :) It's a good idea to try to get him to eat some good whole wheat fiber (ie., bran, wheat bread, apples, etc.) but make sure he gets plenty of water with those foods, otherwise you will be in the same situation. Good luck with your little one, and would you mind letting me know if my suggestions worked? They've always worked for my kids, but it would be nice to know if it works for others too :) Take care, feel free to get ahold of me if you need anything else :)

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C.

answers from Salt Lake City on

Have you tried prune baby food and mixing it in with food that he eats? Or even feeding it to him plain? I know he is not eating baby food anymore but this works for me quite a bit.

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C.-.

answers from Omaha on

K.,
Try giving him Baby food prunes. I give them to my 3 yeard old daughter and they seems to help "get things moving" and soften them up. She actually requests them at times. She likes the taste and it's similar to the consistency of applesauce.
Hope this works for him!

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K.J.

answers from Salt Lake City on

LOTS of water and more fiber....For a quick fix I still use FLEET babylax liquid glycerin suppositories. Comes in liquid gel form with insertion tube very easy and no discomfort like others forms.

Also Fletcher's oral laxative for kids tastes like rootbeer.
My son does very well with this.Works quickly so be prepared!

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C.H.

answers from Las Vegas on

Prune juice WILL work but you may want to dilute it.

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S.H.

answers from Pocatello on

I have found that fig newtons work pretty well for my daughter...

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S.M.

answers from Chico on

I was told to try dietary changes before resorting to suppositories (eek)...I was told that green beans, peas, and especially spinach and of course, fruits (peaches, plums and yes, prunes) were a good place to start. And my friend, who is a maternity nurse gives her son a tee-nincy bit of light caro syrup in his bottle (???). Good Luck!

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S.

answers from Eugene on

Have you tried mineral oil?

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A.B.

answers from Lincoln on

K.
I went through the exact same thing with my oldest.She would go days with a bm and then hours of screaming befor she had one. We were doing suppositories every other day and then we went to the chiropractor. He said that there is a sopt that will get out of line and when he fixes it she will be able to have a bm in 20 minutes. So now I just know that if she has not gon in the last 2 days that we need to go in and then she is fine. I know it doesn't sound like a great way to fix the problem but both of my girls have had this and it really helps.
Good luck questions let me know
A.

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R.

answers from Las Vegas on

My daughter had the same problem when she was 2.
The ped. recommended a fiber mix. We found that it was the lack of fiber and water that was causing the problem.
I thought she was getting plenty of fiber because she eats fruit all the time, but we weren't giving her as much vegetables and leafy greens.

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J.F.

answers from Missoula on

K. - I know that is is miserable for mom's to have to deal with this also. We hurt when our kids hurt. My son is 18 and still has problems and has his entire 18 years. I did read the comment about chiropractic help - it helps! My son also eats graham crackers with apple juice for snacks (after school or before bed) and it seems to help. We had tried the suppositories, mineral oil, etc but they only worked for short periods of time. As he moved into his teenage years he now uses a fiber supplement everyday and prescription Miralax as needed.

Hope this helps! Good luck and hang in there.

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N.B.

answers from Salt Lake City on

Pear juice is very effective...and more palateable, too. Just don't overdose. One thing I've done is pour pear juice into an ice tray and then you have nice small "doses" of pear juice to put into water.

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C.

answers from Honolulu on

Hi K. B.,

I would recommend to reduce the bottles of milk, if he is still on the bottle. No more than 2 bottles a day for his age. Then increase his intake of water, fruits, vegies and grains such as rice and cereals. Minimize the juice as it has the same amount of sugar as soda, which can harden bowel movement. And yes, prune juice really helps if the above measures still does not help. And yes, if this still does not work then consult your pediatrician.

Hope this helps.

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T.C.

answers from Lincoln on

I wouldn't go with suppositories unless he is holding it in for days, and then can't get them out. Otherwise increase juice, fruits, veggies. Watermelon works wonders for us!

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A.F.

answers from Salt Lake City on

Pune juice, Yes! I found my 2 year old daughter would drink it best mixed with apple or pear.
A.

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M.L.

answers from Salt Lake City on

Something I did for my son was get laxatives. It has worked for all my kids. There is a chocolate flavor put out by equaline from Albertsons that works well. I gave my son at that age a half a square at night and by morning he was better. Just a thought.

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S.K.

answers from Reno on

yes prune juice does work...try the gerber juice. it is prune and apple juice mixed together..so the taste isnt too hard for the kids..also you can try a little brown sugar and warm water in a sippy cup..either one of these should work..also for my daughter straight apple juice works to soften her BMs.

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A.

answers from Boise on

have you tried dried apricots? Sometimes the sugar in juice just makes it worse. Try dried apricots with lots of water and then try green foods like veggies, along with limiting the white flour products like bread and crackers. :)

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L.N.

answers from Portland on

I've been through the same thing....
Prune juice works GREAT if he likes it. If not, use a small amount (1 tsp or less) of mineral oil. It's tasteless, but you can mix it up with some whip cream and spoon feed it to him. Better to soften them asap before he has painful association with pooping - we've been down that road and it's bad! Also, I discovered a medication that works GREAT - it's called: Enulose Syrup. There are no side affects and it really works - wish I had discovered it years ago. It's prescription, so ask your doctor. Good luck.

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