In Need of Suggestions

Go to the pharmacy and get baby-sized glycerin suppositories. They are the best thing for any cholic-y problems, as they only contain glycerin, which melts quickly and will soften the bowel movement, and the very gentle insertion into the rectum will add a little stimulation which helps baby to figure out how and where to push. This very quickly and gently relieves painful gas and straining to move bowels. Usually, use before bath time each night for a week or two will be sufficient to teach baby, but if stool is hard, then continued use isn't a problem, as the glycerin is quite harmless. These were recommended by my grandfather, who was a family physician. My parents used them for cholic/bowel problems, and so did I for my children. They work!

1 mom found this helpful

J., there can be different reasons for a 4 month old to decrease having bowel movements... there are a couple things to assess, like is he straining hard & unable to pass? When he does have a bowel movement is it hard, what color is it? Has the foods he was on changed before this started? Any other changes in his life? Sometimes just the weather & season changes can affect the digestive system. Many people don't realize, when an infant is born, the systems, like the digestive, are still forming, not fully developed yet, so it is important to be gentle & wise with the nourishment one provides.

In addition to many things, I teach infant massage to parents. When my two youngest were infants, both were colicky, so I was grateful when I discovered a book on infant massage & utilized it with them.. it was so helpful! My children throughout their growing years, received massages & it was apparent in how well adjusted they are! I went on to train to become an instructor to share with others.

So here is an amazing technique that works, for young & old!!!
If you visualize the lower back, right where the top of the buttocks starts, if one massages lightly (never put pressure on any part of the spine) a figure 8 sideways for 5 minutes, it opens the channels, so to speak, & gets the intestines moving! Just keep going side to side, up, down & around, in a figure 8 laying on its side pattern. Slowly, rhythmically. It helps to relax the area & it works!

Hope this offers you both relief!

1 mom found this helpful

Hi J.-

I am from the old school and my first recommendation is if at all possible give your son breast milk this is a very quick resolution to bowel problems. Some other things to consider are the iron content in his formula, this caused tremendous problems for my son once I was no longer able to provide him with breast milk(he was a premie and had not developed his sucking reflexes and pumping did'nt work for long). Also children do need additional water, what they don't need are all the added chemicals so about 4oz. of filtered water will be helpful. Karo syrup can be effective, however with all the added sugars in foods I would steer clear of that. Prune juice and green beans should also help by the added fiber.

Hope these suggestions help

Have you tried apple juice or prune juice? Worked like a charm on my daughter when she was a baby. L. M.

Talk to his pediatrician. My daughter had the same problem. The dr. prescribed a medication. Unfortunately I can't think of the name (it was a couple of years ago) It was a white powdery substance that I could put in her juice... now that I think about it, her BMs weren't such a problem until after she was off of the breast (1 yr) Another think that seemed to work well was pear juice.

My cousin's baby had a terrible time with constipation and she found that by giving him one spoonful of pumpkin (Libby's in a can) he'd be pooping within 15 minutes. Good luck!

I'm assuming you mean he's constipated? My little girl went a while without pooping and the doctor told me to stick a thermometer up her bum. It stimulates the muscle and helps her get it out. If your son is in pain though, the best thing to do is feed him normal food. My Father in law is a Urologist and when my baby was super constipated last month he told me to push the fruit. After you give your little man cereal you can start him on peaches or something. That should help his problem, I hope. The other option is to try a different formula (if you're bottle feeding). Good luck!

Baths and relaxation work. More water should work too.

However, if pressed, I would use prunes, rather than prune juice and the fruit has fiber and should help matters. Once baby starts solids, just get fiber in with pears, prunes and other high fiber foods.

Both of my children have had that issue when they were little and the Karo didnt work. If you are using formula try switching to a formula for "milk allergies". Even if your child does not have the allergy, the formula is more easily digested. My suggestion is Nutramigen from enfamil. It worked wonders on my kids. It is costly, so if you are on a limited budget, like I was, talk to your doctor. You maybe eligable for state assistance to help pay for it. Hope that helps!
S.

My daughter had major issues with constipation when she was that age and she ended up seeing a pediatric gastro doctor who put her on Miralax. We ended up weaning her from the Miralax when she started solids at 4.5 months. We started with oatmeal as rice cereal can be constipating and all foods after that were high in fiber (prunes, pears, peaches, peas, etc.) If you are really worried you could see a gastro doctor, but it seems to me that once she starts solids (and your pediatrician has given the okay for solids) it will work itself out!

Hi J.,
When you say he "has a terrible time", do you mean that he just doesn't go very often, or that it is painful for him to go, or that the poo is really hard? My son had a lot of constipation at times too at that age and we were worried about him so I do completely understand where you are. Are you breastfeeding? Often the iron in formula can be binding for babies. Not sure if there's much you can do about that, but it sometimes explains the problem. (I don't know if some formulas have less iron than others???)

Anyway, our son only went poo about every ten days or so, which people were horrified about at first, but the docs said that's fine if that is HIS routine. (It wouldn't be fine for a kid who usually went every day!). So first, try not to stress. However, if he's indeed in pain, you might need to look at other solutions. Have you tried prune or pear juice as the juice you give him? Those are much more helpful than just apple or grape. Of course you have probably also tried bringing his knees up to his chest gently and rocking him, right?

As for starting on solids, you don't have to do that until you're ready, but when you do decide, DO NOT give him cereals first-- if he has the tendency toward being blocked, yes, this will make it worse. (Esp.since they're mostly all iron fortified!) We started Max on squash and he adored it! You could even try baby food prunes which would have the advantage of cleanign him out more. However, just remember that whatever food you start with, don't mix it with anything and don't try too many at once. Use one at a time for several days to check for allergies. (Of course, you already have a 2 year old so you probably know all this!)

I hope some of this helps. I definitely remember what it was like with my little guy when I could tell he was straining!

Hi J.,

My now 6 month old had a similar problem or at least I thought it was a problem. To give you some background, my twin boys are breastfed with one supplemental bottle of formula per day. One of the boys was eliminating every day while the other grunted and pushed daily until he had a poopy. I started giving him prune juice (2 parts water/2 parts juice) and pureed prunes for breakfast everyday. Prunes simply are not very tasty so I would give him prunes with apples or pears. Now, he has a poopy daily. I continue to give him the prunes but I now vary the type of fruit that he gets with his prunes. He doesn't seem to mind and breakfast appears to be his favorite meal of the day. Give it a little time before you get too upset over the issue.

My daughter used to have trouble going also. A doctor suggested that I rub your tummy with vaseline and put on her clothes. This warms the tummy and sometimes makes it a lot easier to pass.

I also have a 4 month old. My doctor recommended just regular prune juice added to her milk and that did work. I also give her the first stage juices by Gerber(apple prune). Try giving him the juice at room temperature or even a little warm.

I would definately go to your doctor if this is not an occasional problem. Children are all different when it comes to pooping, but if he apears to be straining and uncomfortable he may need a different formula (unless breastfed). You can bicycle his legs while he is going to help at the time.

Also I would NOT feed your son solids yet. He's too young and it really isn't good for him. Most children are not ready until 6 months, and it sounds as if your sons bowles are definately not ready. Unless your son is very big and can't be satified with milk you should really hold off. I read that you only have to start feeding solids when your child is consuming 50oz of milk per day. (when my parents were having kids you only gave milk for the entire first year - and we all grew just fine).

Hi J., I had the same problem with my son when he was a baby, the Dr said he was "literally anal retentive". There was not much I could do for him, he pooped every 6 days, and screamed in pain all the time for several months. The good news is it doesn't last, he just started pooping regularly one day and that was it. If you are breast feeding, try to eat for fruit and veggies, and keep to a good diet. If you are formula feeding maybe you should switch formulas. I used to try and relieve some of his troubles and get his bowels moving by putting him on his back and making bicycle legs for several minutes several times a day, and also rubbing his belly gently two fingers below his belly button for a few minutes at a time several times a day. The Dr recommended the last one because you are massaging the bowel at that point and that should help get things moving. Also, try taking his temp rectally, not fun, but it gets things moving sometimes. Good luck! I know this is a difficult time for you and baby, but it won't last forever!

My son had the same problem when he was an infant...so much so that he underwent testing for a blockage. The "magic trick" for him was plain old apple juice! After many sleepless nights and lots of crying a male receptionist at the hospital told me he had several children and his best advice was to water down apple juice, starting out w/ half water, half juice....if the desire effect isn't there yet, strengthen it until you have just juice. If I gave him a daily bottle of it, he was fine. And when I moved him onto solids I mixed all of his cereal w/ apple juice and put apple sauce into his baby food(veggies) just so he would stay in "working order". I later found out his constipation was coming from allergies to dairy( in my milk and in formula) so I restricted him to soy and kept the apples in his diet and he was healthy:) Hope this helps!
Blessings,
L.

Hi J..

interesting enough, my second son became more regulated when I started him on solid food at 4 months. You can give him fruits, sweet potato, etc (not just the rice cereal that might not help the situation much)

hang in there. my first son woke up every 1.5 hours till he was 11 months old! very fussy, very bad sleeper, but I could leave him at mom's and go. He is now a calm, delightful little boy. The second me, will not leave my side during the day, but sleeps contently for 12 hours straight. They are all so different, but expect changes. They will not stay the same. Good luck!

J.,

My son had a horrible time with constipation as well. I used to give him water in a sippy for maintenance, instead of juice or Karo, but I found that many times -- especially until his bowels really kind of "settled down," that a glycerin suppository would help. I used them on the recommendation of my pediatrician, and found them to be a lifesaver. You can get them at any CVS, and they are generally made for adults. You will want to slice them in half, lengthwise, to make them smaller. Insert and hold it for a minute or so, and then just diaper him back up again. Soon he will have his "release." The glycerin is totally safe, and basically just melts to lube up the pathway, so that it's easier for him to go.

When I first starting having this issue, I would use them about once a day. After about two weeks, I started only having to use them about once every three days, and eventually we only rarely needed them. I gave him an ounce of water per day per month of age, as well, on my pedi's advice.

Good luck with solids!

I used to use a tablespoon or two of mineral oil once a day.. My girl was older so you might want to try a smaller dose. I know this sounds sick but she LOVED it..."It's oil time Mommy". When she was much younger, my doctor also recommended glycerin suppositories. We never really tried that. You don't mention if you are breast or bottle feeding. Perhaps a diet change for you or a different formula might help. And with the baby food, you can certainly wait with no harm done before you add anymore variables to the mix.

I have a 4 month old daughter and went through the same thing when she was about 2.5 months old (when I switched to formula from breast feeding). I don't know if you breast or bottlefeed, but I started putting 1oz of the gerber apple-prune juice in her mid-morning bottle every day (so I just mixed it into a bottle of formula) and she drinks it down. Within a few days she started having a much easier time going to the bathroom. She used to turn bright red and scream like crazy... but now she just gets a little red and it comes out a lot softer. You can vary the amount depending on how well it works. We had tried Karo Syrup and it did not work. Hope this helps... good luck.

My daughter was the same way...she used to go only once every 3 days sometimes at that age. I remember having to practically pull the poop out of her! I also did the dark karo syrup in every bottle, prunes, apple juice... Anyway, around 5 months I started her on solids and to my surprise it actually helped her go more regularly and less painfully. My doctor said solids would make it worse, but in her case the solids actually helped. Good luck...I know it's hard to watch your baby go through that.

Hi J.,

My niece had the same problem when got her from her mom for a few weeks. Because my niece didn't drink water, I gave water and gerber prune juice mixed. Careful not to give her too much prune juice or you will be changing diapers all day long. It eventually passed.

TA

My first baby had the same problems. She was always constipated as a baby. We did the Karo syrup thing which seemed to help with her. For my second daughter, we tried Good Start formula and that worked wonderfully. It is easier to digest and my second daughter didn't have any issues going potty.

Our ped. recommended prune juice - not watered down - at a 1/2 ounce each time he needs it (when poop becomes tubular). It works within aprox. 6 hrs. and causes no discomfort. And our baby loves it! :-)

I had the exact same problem with my son who is now ten. I wish now I had not done the karo syrup because it is so high in the bad sugar content. We have a funny family story, now, though, that I'll share. I was completely distressed, called the ped and he said to go up to the drug store and purchase the baby suppositories. After using one, my baby's poop shot out like a golf ball and the cat ran after it! The glycerin baby suppositories really work.

Hi J.,

I assume since you said your baby is using a bottle, that he is drinking formula. You may want to try a different formula with more iron. It sounds like something in his normal diet is upsetting his little tummy...

I am not sure about the karo syrup. My son was just the opposite, he was a pooping machine. We started him on cereal right before he turned 4 months and progressed with other solid foods but I nursed him until he was about 5 1/2 to 6 months old. When he went to just formula and baby food we gave him juice about once a day to help him stay regular and he did slow down with the poops but he still probably went at least once a day or once every other day. I would check with your pediatrician, they might suggest trying a different formula or check him to make sure there is nothing physically causing this. A friend of mine suggested even a small bottle of water once a day. Good luck!

My son also had some trouble - his first "solid" food was pureed prunes! They really do work. You can also give small amounts of prune juice - diluted with breast milk or formula if necessary. Just look for organic or sugar free/additive & preservative free. Not to be too graphic, but I always thought that constipation meant that you just can't go #2. In fact, constipation refers to the "consistency" of the #2. My son still has very hard stool from time to time, so I try to be careful with foods like bananas and cheese which make it worse. Good luck... Even one or 2 spoonfulls of prune puree can do wonders!!!

Apple prune juice worked for my 7 month old son when he was that age i didn't cut it i gave it just like it was in the bottle. Gerber makes a 4 pack with 4oz. Containers i would try that it is still a little early for solids except rice cereal hope this helps

My daughter was horribly constipated as an infant, and we went through "heck" trying to find a solution. Here are a couple of things that finally did the trick:

- Suppositories. You can get them at the drugstore. They're made with glycerin, no medicines or drugs. Gently push one up his little bottom, and very soon, if not immediately, he will be able to have a bowel movement, passing the suppository along (if it takes a bit longer, the suppository will just dissolve and come out in liquid form). (You can also use a glass thermometer, however, it's generally discouraged on account of possible breakage. We used it a lot, though, with no problems and good results.)

- Prune juice. Use it straight or dilute it as necessary. We'd give her a 4-oz bottle between her regular feedings as needed.

For some reason, constipation wasn't addressed in most of the baby books we had, except Dr. Sears' book.

Good luck, hope it helps!

I have no idea if this will help, but my first daughter had a lot of bowl movement issues when she was an infant, and it came down to just needing to find the right formula for her. If she is bottle fed, possibly the formula isn't working well for her? Have you talked with the baby's doctor about this? We tried several different formulas, and eventually ended up on a soy based formula, and everything cleared up. At least if it sounds like it could be a reason, look into it with your doc.
K.

I don't know who suggested Karo syrup, but I'd seriously stop giving your child sugar. Also, your son doesn't need to start baby food yet. Most don't recommend it until six months. I don't know what you mean by "hard time" but I'm assuming he's straining and/or constipated. Are you breastfeeding? If so, it could definitely be something you're eating. If I eat too much dairy my son gets constipated. Also, his stomach gets upset if I have milk. If formula, it could be the iron. Ask your pediatrician, but there are usually some options available. There have been a couple times I've used glycerin suppositories for my son. It wasn't the most fun thing ever, but definitel helped move things along.

I think it would be best to let your pediatrician know what's going on; infants can develop blockage that prevents their bowels from moving correctly. He could have a serious medical problem. Other than that, you can try giving him water (infant water). Children as well as adults need to drink water, it helps regulate digestive functions. Since this is a persistent problem, seek the advice of the doctor. Soemthing is making it difficult, since he's not getting baby food.
That's the best advice I could give for a 4 month old.

Hi,

My daughter was the same way when she was a newborn and even now, she still has bowel troubles. My pediatrician suggested that I use a glycerine suppository. They make smaller ones for children but even those have to be cut down to smaller for an infant. Try one of those to get you started. It's almost as though it kind of gets things moving, so to speak. At first I had to use one for my daughter about once every other day until she started going regularly. That combined with applesauce or green beans..something with fiber in it, since he is about to start baby food. I know that most drs suggest that infants get all the water they need from thier formula but just giving him a little water in a bottle also helps. I hope you find this stuff helpful. I know it can be frustrating to see your little on having a hard time. Take care.

S.

Hi J.,
Stop the karo and the juices! Sugar is not the best way for such a young baby. What do you mean terrible time? Is he straining? Not passing stool at all? If you are giving him formula, trying changiing brands (slowly). Are you nursing? Check with your pediatrician about aids for constipation, it's really the only way without making the problem worse. I had the same problem with my daughter. She ended up being lactose intolerant. She is six now and still must take lactase with dairy. Good luck!

My son had problems with gas and Bm too! So at age 4months his first food was prunes. He loved them. Rice creal really messed him up really if he isn't acting all that hungrey there is no need to start food until 6 months. Thats when we started. I think it has to do with the matureity of the bowel So things that normally harsh I would wait to give because it ends in gassy fights

Try the gerber prune baby food and the gerber prune juice if your dr says it is ok. I think all little ones go through this issue at some point....

It could be the type of milk your child is on causing him to be constipated too. When you start solid foods the more vegetables and fruit you give may help. You should also let the doctor be informed as well. You don't want him to get use to having sweet water all the time either. My mother used an old remedy on my twins when they were little. She took a bar of dial soap and water to make a liquid soapy solution and a dropler and squirted the solution into their rectum and all the back up stool came shooting out. I was frighten at first because my babies were so little but it worked. My babies are now 31 years old.

KaTrina R.

J.:

Contact your pediatrician. Four months seems to be a little young to be giving fruit juices and karo syrup. Are you still breast feeding him? If he's grunting while trying to do a bowel movement, it does happen. But at 4 months, I would not give fruit juices nor would I give karo syrup to him.

If you are using forumla instead of breast feeding - the formula may have too much iron in it, which can cause constipation in infants.

My best advice would be to contact your pediatrician to see what they advise. Our pediatrician didn't let us put our kids on solid foods until six to nine months. I breastfed exclusively for the first six months. And didn't introduce solids until six and nine months and only one food at a time to check for food reactions.

Take Care!

My one yr old daughter has had a very difficult time with this too. She had a nasty impaction when she was about 10 months old. The doctor told me milk can actually cause constipation. I have found this to be true in my daughter's case. He also mentioned apple sauce can do it, but apple juice helps, go figure. I manage the problem by giving Amy lots of fluids beside her 1 cup of milk a day. I also makes sure she has a full strength cup of apple juice 1 time a day with the liquid vitamins added.

Hi J.! This is B. Deck. My daugther has the same problem since birth. She is now 4 and Oh My!! I just took her to the doctor this week, because she could not poop or pee. When the Dr. laid her down and felt her abdomin area, he took my hand and pushed it down on her. You can feel the poop. It is so large and compacted! He gave her a stool softener in powder form to put in her drinks. It really hasn't helped that much. He said I could use a suppository, but you can't get it in far enough. I am pretty sure I am going to have to take her back. We also tried juices and lots of fiber. If I were you, I would probably talk to a doctor. I would definitely stay away from giving him the peas and green beans. He will get so much gas from those. I would start with lots of fruit. You are so not alone. A constipated child (much less a baby) can be really frustrating. I hope he feels better!

B. Deck

My 7 month old son has had those same issues. His pediatrician recommended giving him pear juice - not watered down! There is an inconsistency with the sugars in pear juice that pulls in water from the gut which makes bowels easier to pass. My kiddo has had no issues since we've been giving him the pear juice.

On the solids issue, I would agree with most posts here. The general rule these days is to wait until the baby is 6 months to try solids. When you do, be careful of those things that constipate -- rice cereal was the WORST thing I ever tried to give my son. It was easier to start with oatmeal. Just my $.02, good luck!

I believe you'll find that once he starts eating fruit, he'll go! Then you may have the opposite issue! We made it easier by mixing the fruit and cereal with formula or breast milk in a bottle (adjusting the thickness), and made a larger hole in the nipple for easier flow. My son and my grandson started eating cereal at 2 weeks old, fruit at 1 month and vegs at 3 months! Of course...doctors these days tell you to wait, matter of fact through the years doctors have changed their minds on the food issue many times! If you start him on food, give him only one type of food for a couple days, that way you'll know weather he's allergic to it. We started with rice cereal at the last feeding at night before bed and found they slept all night. Good luck!

Try an ounce of prune juice in 3-4 ounces of milk or breast milk. Suggested by my pediatrician and it worked for my daughter when she was constipated.
Good luck!

Starting food at such a young tends to lead to allergies.
Do be cafeful. Now if he isn't going poo often but does fine is one thing. Some babies intestine are more developed and they don't go as often, others go in most every diaper.
Which is the case with yours?
Let me know. God Bless!

Hi J.,
Infrequency of bowel movements at that age doesn't necessarily mean trouble. At that age, babies can go once every five days and it that could be normal for their systems. Also, no need to start food so early. Your ped' should have told you to wait until six months for this. Good luck!

Prune Juice!!

I had the same issue with my son and prune juice will really do it. If you've tried it and haven't seen a result, warm it up a little. This was something that I learned from my grandmother.

So many times we focus on all the changes in the best way to raise our children from the "old days", but there are still some tried and true tricks. When my son had the problem (at about the same age as yours) I warmed the prune juice a little and then added the water, just to be sure it wasn't too warm. Then I gave it to him in a bottle and it worked like a charm. I have no idea what it is about warming it, but it really helped.

Good luck!

I know you have lots of responses, but I have not seen what we did. My daughter also had these issues at this young age. She has always been stopped up. She was breast fed until 11 months old. The pediatrician did recommend prune juice. But she also first recommended suppositories. The do make them for infants. It is no fun to do, but I can promise that it will take care of the problem with in 15 minutes. She recommended this if it has been 4-5 days with nothing. You didn't mention if they were hard or soft stools and how often, so I don't know how serious it is. Miriam always would go 3-5 days and with the suppository she would have soft stool never hard, but thicker then my son's who was also breast fed. Once she drank juices about 6-8 months it has been better, but still not 100% solving the issue. Once he starts cereal (which he could do now, but it is better to wait till 6 months) start with oatmeal as it is not binding like rice cereal. Hope this helps. Feel free to contact me if you have further questions. At now 2 my daughter still needs prune juice everyday or she gets VERY painful BMs.

Hi J.,

Are you giving your family water?

What kind of formula are you giving your baby?

Look up on the internet about alternative therapy for baby constipation and see what they suggest.

Good luck. D.

With my daughter we did either baby prune or prune juice which helped some but her doctor finally but her on miralax which did wonders & now we have no issues

First is he formula fed or breast? If he is formula I would try to change the formula, If not then I would call his doctor and see what else you can give him since he is only 4 months. I also have a 4 month old and from all the ladies on here they have told me it is way to early for rice or food, that he will let you know when he needs it. hope this helps
J. S

He is likely allergic to what you are giving him. That happens in allergies (constipation) Though it is expensive, it is totally worth giving him some nutramigen or alimentum (hypoallergenic formulas) for 2 weeks to flush out his system.
My daughter had the same thing, we did that and for the first two weeks of it, our doc said we could add an ounce of prune juice to the formula. (up to 3 oz of prune juice in a day) and it helped get things moving.
In the mean time, schedule an appt with a pediatric gastroenterologist. It takes a while to get in, unfortunately, but to ease his discomfort, you could try him on the hypoallergenic formula and prune juice. If you breast feed, continue to pump and save it so you don't lose your supply - but he may be allergic to something you are eating- so this way, you keep your supply up but he will be on the hypoallergenic formula. You should notice a difference pretty soon.

It sounds like your son could be allergic to the milk you are giving him. My suggestion would be for you to do lots of reading on children and allergies. Also, you may want to contact Gary Null at www.garynull.com. Gary is regularly on WPFW radio 89.3.