My 2 year old daughter seems to stay constipated and when she does have a bowel movement is very hard (like little rocks). She does still drink a lot a milk; she prefers it over juice. Is there anything I could offer her to help loosen it up?
Well, her constipation got worse before it got better. She was crying so hard yesterday that she made herself sick. The only fruit that I can get her to eat is an apple. I watered down her 2% milk and put 2 tsp of Gentle Natures Tummy Soother in it. That finally worked. She finally had a bowel movement and seems to feel a lot better. I still can't get her to eat any other fruits and I've tried cutting back on any foods with cheese. She is a big vegetable eater, so that helps a little. She is even sleeping a little better at night now. Thanks for all of your suggestions.
I used to give my son some prune juice. It tastes nasty to me, but my son drank it and it helped him with his bowel movements. I don't give my children juice. I buy flavored water for them and at the daycare I request that they do 1/4 juice and the rest water. Water is the best thing for them according to Dr. S. Baucom. She is an excellent Physician and comes highly reccomended.
Hope this helps.
I use Karo syrup. It was advised to me by my pediatrician. I use a teaspoon in 4oz. of formula. My daughter can have it up to 4 times a day. Hope this helps.
She may be drinking too much milk.try cutting back a little on the milk and substituting juice or water.I give my kids mostly water(probably 5 oz) and mix with about 2 or 3 oz of juice just to give it flavor. i hope this helps.good luck!
M.
I have a set of BB twins, almost four, one is very petite and had this problem from the start of foods being introduced! The Dr. started with baby Pear juice, don't add anything to it. This helped after the first day and worked for about 3 months. He ended up having to take a laxative, Myrolax, it has no stimulants, which was great. He used that for about two years and has been off it for 6 months now and is working on going everyday to avoid the buildup. I hope everything works out, it is so hard to see these babies in pain or hurting to just pass anything! Good Luck!
Try the Carnation formula. My son had such terrible bowel movements that he would scream for 20 minutes and we had to use enemas every week. (Which was the only bowel movement that he had that week). They tried soy, that made it worse. It wasn't until I tried Alimentum that it just seemed to disappear (almost immediately). But as he got closer to 2 he did not like it as much. I switched to the Carnation formula and the problem still did not reappear. He drinks very little milk and I still at age 2 1/2 use Carnation for his dairy consumption. Good Luck I know how upsetting that can be. I would cry also. It is hard to see your child so uncomfortable when you are so helpless. My son had seen specialists and they finally determined that he had spastic colon that was responding to the milk in other formulas.
I felt like the Alimentum was a miracle. It is expensive, but who cares? I know what you are going through and it is worth EVERY penny. It really works in amatter of days.
Please email me and let me know if it worked for you.
Fiber. Try giving her some fresh fruits.
okay water or the splashers they have in the baby food section, fiber ( apples, prunes,), when all else fails...this is what my nurse toldme and it worked...since she is two this may be harder my daugther was under one so maybe try when she is sleepy. lay her on her stomache and using just the very tip of the themometer (I used a digital)gently swirl right at the opening a few times. have something under her because it comes out like toothpaste (sorry for the visual). I couldn't do it the first time so my husband did it I did it he second time. works like a charm.
My son had SEVERE constipation for over two and a half years. We kept trying different remedies without much siccess. Finally we had to go to a Pediatric GI in Greenville and got somewhere. They did an x-ray of my son and we found out that he had a bowel and intestinal blockage. He was still passing stool, but it would come out in bits and peices and would be very hard. He would occasionally have a large BM, but it would make him scream and cry until he passed it, and it would leave him bleeding at times. They gave him a medication regime for two weeks. Very aggressive medication regime-we were giving him something about every four hours. When we went back to have the follow-up x-ray-all of the blockage in his bowel and intesting had moved down considerably. She said had it not, she would have recommended surgury to remove the build-up. His colon and bowel were four times the normal size for his age. After a month with this Dr, we had a normally pooping child. with the help of a daily does of Myralax. It has been over a year and a half since the resolution of his problem, and he still takes the Myralax 2-3 times a week.
The Dr said that it occured when he was an infant and apparently did not pass all of the moconium due to a Lip in the bowel, that with held some of it. I had never heard of this, but she got him over it quickly. I hope that your daughter does not have this problem, but I wanted to share my situation with you just in case.
I have a friend-BTW-whose daughter had chronic conistipation and her Dr gave her the Myralax to use as needed for her. It simply causes more water to pool in the intestines and helps facilitate waste removal. good Luck!!!!!!!!!
S.,
Try giving her the "P" fruits. Like, pears, peaches, papaya, prunes (if she doesn't like prunes put it in a fruit smoothie). I found papaya to work the best, my 3-year-old eats a half a day and it keeps her regular.
good luck
Believe it or not....Karo Syrup. This is an old solution. Just add about a tablespoon of Karo to her drinks for a day or 2 and that will soften it up. We have to do that for our little one every now and then and it softens normally within 12 hours.
Good luck.
Hello! It seems as though you've had some success since you posted your question, but I have a 3.5 year old with the same problem and have done a lot of research, so I thought i'd throw in my 2 cents. We've tried using prescription laxatives in the past, but they've seemed to cause more problems than good (stomach cramps, diarrhea, etc) because its difficult to get the dosage just right. Our pediatrician recommended a ilttle castor oil mixed in with apple juice, which has worked pretty well. ALso, dietary changes seem to be the best long-term solution if you want to avoid medication. Cow's milk, cheese, yogurt, bananas, and cooked carrots are foods that can cause constipation... that pretty much spells out my daughter's favorite foods! No wonder she has problems. If your child loves milk, try substituting soy milk... it's sweeter than cow's milk and less constipating. Also introduce foods that are really high in fiber: beans (especially baked, lima, navy, pinto), sweet potatoes, whole wheat, graham crackers, raisins/prunes, corn, popcorn, turnip greens (yuck), bran (raisin bran is good if your kiddo likes cereal), oatmeal. Avoid bananas, rice, applesauce and toast (also known as the BRAT diet, which is prescribed for diarrhea). Good luck!
A.
try giving her prune juice but if that doesn't work you could try adding more fiber to her diet.
This is going to sound like everyone else, but we too battle this problem constantly.
I've found that if I feed my 2 year old baby food prunes (she doesn't understand the difference between them and apple sauce) with double-fiber wheat toast for breakfast, we seem to be OK even when she doesn't drink enough water. When it gets better, I start alternating with low sugar oatmeal.
Hi S.,
My son started having difficulty with bowel movements as well. He would go days without going and then have a difficult time passing the excrement. The dr. recommended increasing water intake and of course veggies (ie: raw broccoli and foods high in fiber). But I also have used these supplements that are all natural. They are fiber bears that are vitamins shaped and look like gummi bears. They are by Hero Nutritional Products, LLC. I have purchased them online at iherb.com and I give 2 bears a day and it really seems to be working for him. Also, if your child likes applesauce that seems to help, too. Good luck!
L.
Hey S. -
I had the same problem with my now 6 yr. old a few years back. The circumstances may have been a little different. He was peeing in the potty, but WOULD NOT go poop. He thought when he had to sit, the toilet bowl was a monster and was gonna swallow him. At any rate, he would go sometimes a couple weeks without going poop. The doctor gave us something to loosen the stool inside of him and make him have to go. Apple juice helped to - it can become like a laxative.
If the stool stays inside the body too long, it can start to poisen it and can result in very painful stomach cramps and can hurt much worse when it does come out.
If he's doing this on a regular basis (not going for days in a row), and the juice doesn't do anything, I would ask a pharmacist or nurse at your pediatrician's office if there's an over the counter stool softener for kids. Or at worst - an enema is sometimes needed. We had to use these, and I know you can get them at a drug store.
Hope this helped, and good luck!
I don't have personal experience, but I would keep a watch on her. My stepbrother's son is in the hospital now. He is very constipated, and he got so sick, that he actually threw up a bowel movement. He was so blocked up. I would, for everyone reading this, keep an eye on the constipation.
ok not to be sick or anything but what color is her poop.. does she sweat alot or get tired easily... my son was 2 when he had constipation problems and it was due to low iron from drinking alot of milk.... i would take her to the doc and get her hemogloben checked...
I have struggled w/ that w/ my 2 yr old and I finally had to take off dairy completely, switch her to soymilk and soycheese, also I have to make absolutely sure she gets her 5 fruits and veggies a day (remember, a serving for her is 1/2 an adult serving). I also give her apple juice every day--that helps keep her moving. My dr also told me a gluten allergy could be the issue. You should check into food sensitivities / allergies.
It's quite common for children to react to dairy products with constipation. Try cutting back on the milk. Water is a great substitute!
Hi, When i was little my mom would give me prune juice on a regular basis ( I know don't everyone say "YUCK" all at once) but at 2 years of age you never know she just might like it and it's a natural solution to a very natural problem! Just make sure that you only give her a small glass of prune juice. Too much could definitly cause ANOTHER type of problem LOL!!!
Good Luck!
My daughter had the same problem when she was 2. I cut back on her milk intake and when I talked to her doctor about it he suggested to put a tablespoon of milk of magnesia in her milk every morning. It really worked because if I missed a day she would get constipated again. I also used a tbsp of Karo syrup (if I didn't have the M.of M.), an old-fashioned remedy but it worked. Rest assured she should grow out of it. Mine did once she was potty trained. Good luck!
hello. my daughter is 3 and has suffered with chronic constipation since birth. i ahve tried EVERYTHING... fruits, veggies, cutting out dairy and cheese... nothing helped.... I discussed all this with her pediatrician and we decided to put her on MYROLAX!!!! ITS AMAZING!!!!!! it is a natural laxative and it helps my daughter tremendously. if you continue to have problems speak to her doctor about it. ITS GREAT!!!!!!!!!!
If you can get her to drink straight pear juice it might help. (Once my daughter started drinking milk, we had to make sure she had about 4 oz of straight pear juice a day to keep her bowel movements normal.) Also lots of fresh fruits and veggies, especially those that start with p's (pears, apricots, peaches, plums, peas, blueberries).
If she continues to have problems, call your pediatrician. He/she may want to prescribe a stool softener.
Your daughter is the age that you can switch her to 2% milk. This may help some. I read in my parents magazine that you should limit their milk intake. They should have milk at all 3 meals and other times should drink water. You can give her juice if she will drink it. There are different flavors of juices out there. Mine like Juicy Juice white grape and Juicy Juice fruit punch. Try finding a flavor that she likes. Like someone earlier suggested, let her pick out a special cup from the store that is just for juice. Also, just try to keep water in a cup around so that she can drink on it throughout the day. You can also get glycerin suppositories over the counter to give her if she is having problems. We had to use these some when our 15 month old was 4-6 months old and have BM problems.
Milk will definitely constipate a child. What works for my kids is to eat pears or applesauce. Prune juice is pretty gross to most kids but if you get something like the Ocean Spray apple juice with pears or something mixed with it, that would work. The best way to get them to drink juice is to make it fun. ;) Buy her a special JUICE cup. Only juice can go in it. Let her use a funky straw or add some fruit to the juice like a cherry, etc. Make it exciting. She'll want to drink out of her special cup with special fruit or ice cubes. :)
Hi....My oldest child had the same issues. His dr had me mix water and karo syrup daily to give to him which seemed to help. He also suggested apple juice or apple sauce. It did all help, but it took a while for his system to get straightened out.
My two year old son is the exact opposite as far as drinking juice goes, it's all he wants so we've had to make "juice time" and in the evening it's "milk time". I've found that when giving him juice, I can still dilute it half and half with water and he has very good BM's. Also, just eating more fruits can help with constipation.
I had to give my baby who was constipated some Milk of Magnesia under the recommendation of my doctor. If you are unable to push more juice and water, call your doc about Milk of Mag... good luck!!!!
I am using baby magic tea with my constipated LO and it is working great. You also try it, hope your DD will get relief.
i went through the same thing with my son when he was that young.the whole milk can stop you up. you need to slow down on the milk products or just get 1% or 2% milk. it might work . try that to see if it works. kero syrup does works wonders.
hi :) we have the same problem with our toddler and it was her milk. I fixed it by only giving her about 4 ounces a day watered down (sometimes by half) and to make up for the watery taste I put in a touch of chocolate syrup (or strawberry) ..... the syrup itself acts as a mild laxative for her. Sometimes when it gets really bad (under doctor advice) i put a TSP of milk of magnesia in that chocolate milk. My daughter has such bad constipation it would take her hours to pass it and she would cry and cry with pain. I hope this helps!!
PS popcorn is also a great way to keep yourself regular. Try a half a cup a day to keep it at bay.
Hey
I give mine cranberry juice and it seems to help a lot. I was told that I could use stool softner at can be bought at almost any store and in almost any flavor but my kids are not big on taking any med ( even if it does taste like mint or bubble gum). I give them the juice and there is no fighting to get them to drink it and there is no more problems. Good luck.
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T.
Milk could definitely be contributing to the cause. Cut back on the milk a bit, and replace it with maybe juice to soften things up. Good luck!
I give my son a little kero (sp?) and water, and he isn't constipated much longer!
Remedies: apples, prune sauce or juice, a small pinch of ground flax seeds mixed in yogurt.
I had the same problem with my little one and ended up taking her to a pediatric g.i. physician. She suggested a teaspoon of mineral oil per day in mixed into her juice or other liquid in her sippy cup to help loosen it up. As she has gotten older, we continue to have an issue with it and have begun giving her Benefiber, which is totally soluble and has no taste in liquids at all (I put a small amount in her milk each morning). When it started, we were in the middle of potty training and thought she was holding it in because she didn't want to let it go into the potty (a common fear) but it has continued now until age 5. I fear it may be inherited as I've asked other family members and they all seem to have constipation problems or have children that do. Try the mineral oil at first and ask the pediatrician about using Benefiber instead since it is tasteless and has no texture. HTH
Okay, I just went through this, back away from bananas if you give them to her, it's a binding food, you can use Kayro Syrup, 2 teaspoons in milk, juice, or water, oh, and a new trick that I learned, sprinkle brown sugar on her food, that works as stool softener. And last, but not least, pear juice!! I gave my son two sippy cups of Gerber pear juice, and watch out!! He went in under an hour after I gave them to him. Good Luck!
S.,
Thanks for your question. I don't have any other advise to give you, but I know that I have found some of it to be very helpful for me as well. Thanks other moms who have shared. My 3 yr dd is having a similar problem lately and I think she holds her bowel so that she doesn't hurt. I am going to stop by the store today and get her some prune juice. Best of luck to you.
I was having the same problem with my little girl. It was about the sametime she was starting to potty train. She would associate the pain with the potty. My doctor perscribed a stool softner for her. It was a powder that we could put into her milk. You may also want to try prunes. I hear that they work well. You could also try mineral oil or pumpkin. Good luck.
A. Lester
My two boys had similar problems. One of the things the doctor had us do with our oldest was to get lactose drops from the pharmacy to put in his milk. This cured the problem. Both of my children were lactose intolerant when they were smaller. It could just be as simple as switching to 2% milk. You don't have to have a prescription for the drops and they are super easy to use. Hope this helps.
S.,
I have been advised to put some Karo Syrup in the warm milk and it actually helps my litle one. You could try too.
Also, give her dry prunes or prune juice. Drinking lots of water also helps loosen the stool.
Last: my mom used to bake yellow apples with some sugar in the middle and a dry prune...that works too!
Good luck!
My nephew has this problem. The doctor recommened minereal oil in juice or water we started off with a half of teaspoon this is not a laxtive but a stool softerner i would proably see the doctor first and see whats recommened prune juice worked for my daughter and for some reason they love the taste
