Baby Is Constipated

My son has suffered from digestive issues since birth, so constipation was a normalcy from pretty early on. His Pediatric Gastroenterologist said apple juice was the best (non-medication) thing for it; it is the sugar that helps. GLycerine suppositories should help rather quickly if you want ot go that route. Soy milk was the fix in our house. Yogurt can actually be quite constipating, so try cutting that out. Also , be sure to avoid honey, since spores in it can cause botulism. Good luck!

Our kids are allergic to dairy (it is one the THE most common food allergies/intollerances) so that could very well be the problem. We rely on meats/veggies/fruits/whole grains for the girls' nutrition and give mostly water or very diluted juice for drinking. Many of the almond and rice milks are fortified with calcium if that is your concern. Pears and apples are great for helping things 'move' again, and offer lots of water to soften things up.

This is an old fashioned remedy but it worked with my son....Karo Syrup (light) in his bottle/cup. Also a splash of apple or pear juice.

Cut back on the things that will harden his stools ie: calcium and protein. The prunes should help, but one serving isn't going to do the trick. You can also give him applesauce, fruit juice, water and fiber. I wouldn't worry about it too much unless he misses a bowel movement for more than a few days.

Hi K., your baby's reactions to whole milk is very common. I have three children, whom are now grown, have experienced similar issues like your son. I am not a fan of whole milk. I think humans should not drink cow milk for variuos reasons. I am curious to discover how the lactose free milk worked, since you have tried it. If it doesn't try sow milk. It is a little more expensive than whole milk, but your son might not have any digestive problems. Wishing you and your son the best. LJB

Hi K.

I use to put karo syrup in the milk or honey and it helps.

When my daughter was three she developed a blockage and the Peditrician taught me to mix mineral oil 1 teaspon in ice cream or whipped cream so they can't taste it. It works as a lubricant from the inside. I only did that when she was really constipated. You might ask how often you can do that. You might also use 2% milk to see if that will help. You still get the vitamins just not the fats.

Some people are just more nervous and they are always constipated. It is usually more common in girls. My daughter is 23 and still has a problem she uses Swiss Kriss every day. Check a health food store to see what they recommend also.

I also had to use baby supositories. I would break them in half and put a little vasaline on them. When they are really constipated you just have to help them.

I hope this helps.

J.

We went through the same thing when our daughter was starting solids and on milk. I tried the the yogert that said it would help with digestion, no that did not work. I found giving her a cup of orange juice in the morning worked best for her. It took her a week to get use to the OJ but now she drinks it no problem. I also give her cheerios with milk or Special K for brkfest. good luck to you

How much water is he drinking.....you may want to increase that, too.

You may want to ease him to whole milk. I had the same problem with my son. We did a few things. We did half milk, half formula at first. Eventually, we put him on soy milk and would sometimes fill his cup with 1/2 soy and 1/2 whole milk. This helped transition him to whole milk without all the constipation. Hope this helps!

The dairy will constipate so I'd slow down on the milks, yogurts, cheeses.

This is something his pediatrician needs to be "in on". It could be that a little Miralax each day for a month or so will get him back into a better rhythm.

My sister had the same problem with her daughter. They took her to the doctor and he had her give her suppositories. It didn't matter what food she ate or what she drank. She still had issues with it. She had to take them until she was 3 years old and then she was weaned off because by then the problem came and went. I suggest you talk to your doctor first. Good luck.

He doesn't really need milk. He can get calcium from other sources. Milk really doesn't do the body good. Besides constipation for some people and diarrhea for others, it can also cause recurring ear infections, sore throats, etc. Milk is very mucus forming and helps aid in getting colds, etc., more often.

Now, having said that...here in our household, we drink soy milk, cow's milk (only one person) or no milk at all. My second son was constipated due to being on milk type formulas (I didn't breastfeed him at all). I did give him a few enemas until he was regular again. That is an immediate relief for some kids. You can actually get the enemas bottles already filled and ready for kids at Wal-Mart. I would only use it this time and not get in a regular habit of giving him these due to his problem digesting the cow's milk.

Well, that's my 2 cents. I hope all goes well.

My daughter had the same problem when we started giving cow's milk. Finally, we just switched to soymilk and she stopped having problems. I have read that many children have problems with cow's milk, because, after all, they're not cows! :) There are also many nutritionists who say that humans are not intended to drink cow's milk anyway.

I think I had this problem once with my first (the only one to drink formula). I had to resort to baby suppositories to get things moving. To be honest I'm not sure what symptoms signal milk allergies but I always assumed that the opposite problem was more common. A doctor also told me to give him oil (I think mineral oil but please don't take my word for this, it was so long ago!). that also helped. You need to put it in a drink though, there's no way he'd swallow it if it weren't disguised. I seem to remember this also helped a great deal.

If you do suspect the milk, I would say goats' milk is easier to digest. Try that first, since lots of kids have allergies to soy.

room temp. water should relieve the dry bowel and help naturally move him.

We have that problem from time to time with our now 18 month twins, and the one thing that always works is prune juice. You can put some in their milk, or mix with water. My kids love the taste (yuk). It always clears them out within the next day. Hope this helps!
J.

Juice, like apple juice diluted with water, is supposed to help.

I went through the same thing.... give him prunes if he will eat them and lots and lots of juice, and fruit.

Milk products are naturally binding so don't try to fix the constipation problem with more binding, dairy products. If he were allergic to the milk he would typically have exactly the opposite problem and the smell would be a tell tale sign. Make sure that he gets enough fruits except bananas (also binding) and not too much milk. He doesn't actually need milk in his diet if he is consuming enough other dairy products. As parents we tend to place an unnecessary importance on the amount of dairy our children consume. It is much more important for a child to intake fruits, vegetables, and proteins. Another quick fix for constipation is Dark Karo Syrup. Just add a couple of tablespoons to oatmeal or a drink. Good luck I always feel so bad for a child when their little face gets all red and they get watery eyes. :)

Careful what you feed him. My daughter had something similar and the dr said bananas and applesauce can also be constipating. We are giving her about 4 oz of Plum Smart once a day to help and it worked quickly to resolve the matter. Also watch his diet. I would talk to his dr and make certain what's right for your son, but pebble poops and harder large ones can be very difficult for toddlers to pass and may not only cause discomfort but tearing. Get expert advice from his dr.

The best thing I've found for constipation is apple juice, though the prunes should be helpful. If he continues to be constipated, I would call his doctor to see if you can use a stool softener. He could have a reaction to dairy, you may need to go to 2% or even lactaid, or just limit his dairy in one day while givign him natural softeners.

Fruit helps with constipation as well.

Good luck!

A milk or lactose allergy would do the opposite. Make sure he's drinking plenty of fluids. I spent so much time focusing on the milk, that I forgot about the water.
Lots of fruit, no cheese (but plenty of other dairy), along with more water should help.

My daughter had the same issues. We did the baby lax for immediate relief. You should consider putting Benefiber in his food or milk. That stuff is wonderful. You may also consider putting DARK Karo syrup about 1 or 2 teaspoons in his sippy cup or bottle when you give him the milk but not in every one of them, try every other one. We have used all these "tricks" and they really do work. Good luck!!

Cow's milk doesn't work for everyone. Have you considered rice or almond milk?...not soy milk, which is not good actually. Maybe make some smoothies regularly and add flax seed, or flax seed oil. You can make smoothies from fresh pinneaples (which is good for digestion) and almond milk, and even some flax, which keeps you very regular.
Kim
Mother of 4

His little body is just adjusting to the change in diet. Apple juice is a great source to help move his bowels. Increase fruits, try some cereal with fiber. I think Cheerios has fiber.

I had to use supposotories for my son when going from breast milk to formula because of his constipation. You can get them at the drug store. It is what his doctor advised & it worked well. The problem is you get the wonderful pleasure of holding it in the tooshy and waiting for him to poop & yes watching him poop too. At least you know he has relief though and isn't in pain any more.

C.
www.purelybalanced.com

Hello K., there are several possibilities that can cause constipation, is your baby getting adequate fiber and fluid? If your son was recently weaned off the breast or bottle then he might not be drinking as much as he did before weaning. It can also be the milk since the calcium salt in it can harden the stool. At my home we don’t do cow’s milk (personal choice) At his age your son needs roughly about 38-48 oz of fluid a day, that is inclusive of all fluids from cereal milk, water, juice etc. I would caution that you talk with his doctor if this is been going on for more than 5 days. Don’t try home remedies at his age without the recommendation of his doctor as well. Hope this helps.
Cheers
www.yummyspoonfuls.com

I think the baby prunes are a good idea. Just keep it up. You also may want to try plums and pears too. Stay away from bananas as they cause constipation and/or gas sometimes.
Good luck.

Katrina, the prunes are good, but try prune juice as well. I have also heard apple juice is helpful. Stay away from bananas, they can be constipating. As many other folks stated, I might slow down on the milk products. I have read that anytime you change a baby's diet, it is common for them to have digestive upsets. The prune juice diluted in water and adding a little white grape or apple is very helpful to my twin girls who are 8 months old. They are breastfed and never had constipation until I started rice cereal and solids-then I began to see the problems with constipation and had to start the prunes and prune juice... good luck! F.

Give him All Bran crackers. They have tons of fiber. Also try raisans and banannas. Milk will keep doing it so you need to make the high fiber items a constant in his diet like the milk is.

I didn't see anyone say anything about pear juice. It is very gental and easy to get children to drink. You may want to try it. It worked for us! J.

I have a 2 1/2 year old who struggles with constipation. The Dr. finally put her on Lactulose to help her. First advice is stay away from yogurt!! My daughter would have one and be constipated for days! Try putting as much fruits and veggies in his diet. Bananas, dairy and apple sauce are things to stay away from. Good luck!! It is awful to see them so little and in pain!

Try adding a little clear Karo Syrup to the milk. (a tablespoon for an 8oz bottle should be enough) It should help. When my son was a baby, instead of formula, we gave him the canned Carnation evaporated milk (added water to it) and then added the Karo syrup to it too, to help with the constipation. I hope this helps some :)

Amber

Hi,

Make sure he is drinking lots of water! If he is eating a lot of fiber but not drinking water it may cause his pain. Milk is binding too, so the water would help. Just a thought..Good luck! When he turns 2 I have a great vitamin that helps with this issue. Also, try blueberries and blackberries.