Help with Constipated Baby!!!!!!

I had the same problem with my daughter when she was about 6 months old, she didn't poop for like 3 days and she stopped eating, I took her into the dr, and he gave her an enema, that didn't even work! He gave me a prescription for Miralax and then she was fine, we only had to use it for a few days, and now if her poop starts to get harder than normal I just give her one dose of it to keep her from getting constipated, I haven't had to do it for awhile, it seems like her body just had a hard time for awhile trying to stay regular. I hope this or something else helps.

I have had this same problem and it started when I switched her to whole milk. I started experimenting with going back to formula to see what happened and the constipation dramatically lessened. I am now doing half soy half whole milk and it seems to help. Prune juice really didnt work well. Fortunately we are in watermelon season and that works wonders. Another recommendation from the pediatrician is to put a teaspoon of Miralax in her milk in the morning. That will definately soften her stool. We use that periodically and it is harmless and can be purchased over the counter. good luck.

My son was the same way (although I never used suppositories). Our doctor prescribed a prescription laxative called Glycolax. He said it's non-habit forming, so she won't need it all the time. Just mix it with juice, milk, water. It worked for us.

But before you try that, try to add fiber elsewhere in her diet. You can also buy "Fiber Sure" (which is available over-the-counter) and add it to drinks, sauces or puried foods (practically anything).

Good luck.

I had the same problem with my daughter when she was a baby. Try not giving her baby cereal every day. Try high fiber cereals like cherios. Juices are good to loosen things up like apple and pear juice. Corn is also a good veggie to clean out the bowels. Try to stay away from breads, rice, bananas and other binding foods. If it still doesn't help my doctor gave me miralax to give her. It is a powder that dissolves in drinks and it is tasteless. Just use 1/4 to 1/2 capful. You can buy it in the store now without a rx. That worked really well for my daughter. Good luck, I hope this is helpful.

Hi J.,
My daughter has the same problem. Our doctor recommended 1/2 a teaspoon of Benefiber every day or every other day in her bottle or sippy cup. it really did help. good luck!

I know where you are coming from i have two of my three kids have gone thru this and it took me almost four months of going thru this before i finally found something that would work if you want to go non perscription they now sell mirilax over the counter i was giving that to my son since he was seven months old it is used more to help regulate the intestines rather then a laxative. It is very none evasive for the child my son was on it for about four months then i slpwly weaned him off and he has been regular ever since. My new baby well he is a year now had the same problem and the doctor prescribed it is called Lactulose. It does the same thing as the mirilax it is just liquid form and the mirilax is a powder you have to add to juice or water. Both of these products worked well and niether of my sons are on them anymore their bodies just needed help for a little while. Hope this helps a little it worked wonders for my babies. D.

Hi J.,

My poor baby (now 18 months) has had a lot of constipation issues!!! I tried everything too and the one thing that does the trick is a baking soda bath. I read about it on Web MD. I fill the bath with warm water, just up to her belly and then I put in a ton (at least half a box) of baking soda after the bath is full. I let her sit and play in it for 10 minutes or so, maybe longer. I was very skeptical but after the first bath I had barely gotten her dressed and she went!!!! I was amazed. It works wonderful for her. Good luck---it is aweful seeing them go through this!!

Hi,
I have a three year old with the same problem...we tried a lot of different things, but we finally had to go with MiraLax over the counter...our pediatrician told us that when they don't go every day that they will end up with a distended colon. The two final tricks that i will recommend is the "P is for poop" diet...like sweet potatoes. They did help. We also started adding benefiber into her food...it is tasteless and seemed to cut back a little on the constipation. When you change her, try tickling her anus with a cotton ball...it tickles and then everything tenses up...after when all her muscles relax, it seems to ease passing.
Good luck. I feel your pain (and hers).

J., I'm going to have to agree with the previous answer from Peggy. Get some Benefiber and make sure its the name brand. It isn't flavored and it won't change the texture of your daughter's drink and you can put it in anything. I would just use a spoonful or two in every cup or bottle for the first couple of days until she starts pooping better then reduce it to one spoonful per bottle and just stick with that. My son who is 3 also has a really hard time pooping and this is the only thing that has really helped.

My daughter is almost 5 and we have had problems just like yours since she was very young. The only thing that helped her was the glycolax from the doc. Now they sell it over the counter as Miralax. It works great. we just put in her morning juice and she has no probs. We had to have her on it for a while because the constipation really hurt her potty training. I would try the baking soda thing though. I wish I had heard of that! Good luck!

Hi J.,

Have you tried Benefiber? I've had good luck giving it to my kids, in both powder and tablet form. The powder can go in any drink... doesn't change the flavor or texture. I give it to my kids in apple juice. (Will your daughter drink juice?) Benefiber also makes these chewable tablets that taste really good, but I don't know if a 13 m.o. could chew it up yet?

We've also given our daughter Miralax, which is a stool softener. It used to be rx, but now you can get it over the counter. Our doctors assured us it's safe and non habit-forming, unlike laxatives. And it's so important for her NOT to have painful bm's because you don't want her to be terrified to go. My doc explained it to me as we were "reprogramming her body" with the Miralax for awhile.

Some other ideas:
- Warm bath to soothe and relax baby & her bottom before she poops (I guess this would only work if you know she has to go)
- Put a little cream or vaseline on her bottom to help the poop come out
- Make sure she drinks lots of water
- For the prune juice, do 50/50 prune/water, add a drop or 2 of lemon, and warm it in the microwave. The mixture cuts the intensity of the prune flavor, and the warmth is supposed to get the bowels moving!
- Abdominal massage: lay baby on floor in front of you, put some lotion on her tummy, and rub the whole abdomen in a clockwise motion. Foot massage is also supposed to get the bowels moving, but I'm not sure I've ever gotten that one to work
- Get fiber into her diet wherever possible: Cracklin' Oat Bran cereal and high fiber toast are great
- You can also add mineral oil to her diet... we used to add it to yogurt or apple sauce. This helps lubricate her system. If you do this, you'll need to research first b/c I don't remember the dosage and I know too much can be harmful.

Good luck to you. Trust me, I've been there!

love, P.

I'm so sorry that your little one is going through this. You have gotten so much good advise but I will add yet one more. I know that many people go with white grape juice because it is supposed to be softer on the stomach but that never worked for us. The 100% pure concord purple grape juice makes a huge difference for my kids in cleaning them out.

Apple juice is good for sure but you might want to add a probiotic to her diet. www.natren.com is an excellent company, they have a product called "LifeStart" for babies. My son has been on it since he was 12 months and he is almost 3. They are very helpful and will give you proper doseage info.
He has no problems anymore!
Good Luck

Hi J.,

Apple Juice! I have a son who will soon be 6 and was constipated from newborn on. The doctor said I should use my pinky but I really hated to do that! When he was that young, and until he was 6 mos., we gave him 1/2 water & 1/2 apple juice in a bottle. It works. To this day if he hasn't had apple juice in a long time (and he likes to eat bananas & cheese which adds to the constipation problem) he will get constipated again. Good Luck! I know it hurts you that your baby hurts.

Hi J.,

I am actually dealing with this issue myself with my three year old at the moment. I went to the Dr. last Wednesday and she said that although he is not constipated he stool may be harder than normal because he is not getting enough water. My son loves milk and she said that too muvh milk may also be the problem so to give him only about 16 ounces a day. Try encourqaging fluids and increasing green veggies (the ones with more fiber) avoid bananas, apple sauce and rice (the things that bind babies up) and see if this helps.

White grape juice will help... Much better than apple and soothing to the stomache..

Blessings,
C.
www.AHomeCareer.com

I would stick with the prune juice. Put up to 1 TB in a bottle/or glass mixed with juice or milk. I would do that atleast 2x per day until she starts going regularly. Then you many continue at least once a day. It certainly won't hurt anything.

I would not use a suppository unless it is an emergency.

This does not sound fun for either of you. My husband is a chiropractor, and he sees lots of kids and babies for constipation and hard stools. It really works. In fact, he had a 3 year old that had problems for months, and within 2 visits, was better. Months later, she told her mom she needed to go to the doctor again, because of this. When they were in the car, they were heading to the medical doctor, because her mom had forgotten, and the little girl said, "NO! Not that one, I want Dr. Grady!" Try to find one that is good with kids. What state are you in? We might know of one to refer you to. Good luck!

I took my son in after he started on formula for constipation-it had been 3 days & he was screaming when he tried to go. He was 4.5 mos at the time. The doc told me to give him apple juice & if he hadn't gone by Monday (this was Thursday) to bring him back in. I passed MY doc in the hall & she said it was (for him) a combination of the formula & the rice cereal. She said to give him oatmeal for the next 2 weeks & no rice-the fiber in the oatmeal helped & he's not had problems since. She also said to try diluted juice, especially apple, & to do the bicycle w/his legs (that exercise that all aerobics instructors used to do-stick your legs up & pedal your imaginary bike)
Good luck to you!

The peas makes the babies stool hard for some reason so maybe give your baby just half of what you normally give your child and make her drink lots of liquid.

Have you tried pear juice? That tastes better to them. I froze it in ice trays, then added a couple cubes to water. Good luck.

Does your daughter drink enough? Our son was seriously constipated and it was because he did not nurse enough. I didn't know. He nursed long enough, just not efficiently. The main cause was GERD. Our pediatrician didn't catch it. If her weight gain is slow, or she has breathing issues, I'd get in either for a feeding evaluation or with a pulmonary specialist. We've done both. He's on meds, but only short term and for the first time in 6 months he has normal stools and is gaining weight well. I know it is frustrating and can make you worry. I hope you can figure it out. The other problem we found with the specialists is that our son is seriously anemic. I would push the doctors to get to the bottom of it. Good luck. I can give you the names of our doctors here in Denver who've been such a good help if you like.

I would consider that she may have some food allergies. Constipation can sometimes be the only symptoms of a cow's milk allergy, for example.

Have you thought about food allergies? What about dairy or even a wheat allergy? Many allergies can cause problems with digestion and it may be worth talking to your doctor about. With the wheat, they used to think that you had to have celiac and show weight loss in order to be allergic, but now they are finding lots of other ways that people display their wheat allergy. Hope that this helps.
Sincerely,

K.

my son had the same problem...turns out he is allergic to milk...once we quit the milk in every form that fixed it. you might check that out.
to give your little one some quick relief try gripewater,i have used it many times with my children and everytime it is a life saver, you can get it at walgreens (you want babys bliss brand).

Hi J., my daughter has has the same ongoing issue since she was about 13mo. We eat a lot of fruits that start with the letter "p" (pears, peaches, etc). Green veggies have a lot of iron which tends to constipate so we eat a little more colorful veggies. We do use the laxative by fletchers when we need to and it works wonders. Miralax only worked for a few days with her. :( I also dilute her drinks of juice with 1/2 water so she gets the extra water in her body. Also, if you ever have a stool that just won't come out try sitting her on the potty and reading a book with great enthusiasm. It will help her relax and go easier. Hope this helps!!

Hi Jaime!

There are things your doctor is not telling you.
Please take the time to read this carefully!
I teach classes on this and taking care of ourseLves and our children.

When we do not drink enough water, our body takes what it needs out of the intestines. Results = Constipation
Everyone, including babies, needs a minimum of 1/2 thier weight in ounces of water daily.
A 30 LB child needs 15 ounces of water every 24 hrs.
A 150 LB adult needs 75 ounces of water daily. If there is caffeine or alchohol consumption you need to replace these with double the water. Example, a 8 ounce coke needs replacement of 16 ounces of water because caffeinr & alchohol dehydrrate the body.

If your water does not tast good, buy purified.
I but purified ozone water for my Licensed Childcare from
Purified Water to Go. Aquafina is a good purified water also.
Read the labels. Look for reverse osmosis purification and better yet OZONE.

Also, I would consider adding acidolphilus to your childs diet.
Not in yogurt because the digesting of the yogurt destroys it.
You can purchase Baby BIFIDUS or Chewable Acidolphilus
at Vitamin Cottage. Thes e are called Probiotics.
These are normal strains that should be in your childs Intestinal System but are appearing to be deficient (Thus, Constipation)
You can not hurt her or overdose with this. Do not let a agressive store person talk you into anything else.

Adding the Water and ProBiotics will HELP it.

I suggest stopping any juice, it is empty calories and can risk infiltration of yeast in her body.
Problem can be worse if she has had antibiotics.
(Antibiotics destroy the healthy strains = CONSTIPATION)

Avoid processed foods. It makes problems worse.

The last suggestion would be add fresh ground golden flax seed
to her diet. A 1/2 tsp added to her morning hot cereal or sprinkled on yogurt and fresh fruit would be great. Grind it in a coffee grinder daily.

I can guarantee this will work, these are god guidelines for you too. They are intended to be lifestyle changes for the better.

P. Ann
www.braveheartwomen.com/P.
(click on about me)
Heavenly Hugs @ BABY ANGELS Childcare
KIDMITMENT CHILDCARE TRAINING

Our daughter who is 2 1/2 now, went last Dec. to a gastro. doc who told us that her bottom opening was in the wrong position. Because of this having a bowel movement is extrememly painful. Some children can get used to this prob. and go regularly, others have to be operated on. Just recently in the last few weeks she has started going 2-3 times a week which is a HUGE improvement from going every 8 days. I'm not sure if this is what is wrong w/ your child, but you always ask your ped. to be referred to a gastro. doc and get their opinion! Hope you find out the problem, I know how bothering this can be as a mother. It got to the point I would cry w/ her!

I agree 200% with the advise to use Baby BIFIDUS or Chewable Acidolphilus. I use it and my children do - it is amazing - and safe!

We have had great luck with a product made by "Fletchers". We call it "Root Beer Medicine" and the kids take it easily when necessary. You can find it at Walmart or any pharmacy. I hope that your little one feels better soon!! Our son had a terrible time with this problem before we found the "Root Beer Medicine".

My neice had the same problem... the only thing that worked for her was white grape juice.

Hi J.,
First of all have you went to a Health Food Store and talked to someone there who is knowledgable in this area. I don't know where you live but one good Health food store I know of is Vitamin Cottage. If you don't have them where you are you might try www.vitmincottage.com.
The other thing is I have to take something as I have a few medications plus iron I'm taking and this is very helpful, although it does say to talk to your Dr if your child is under 2. If you have a Safeway near you they have a product called Natural Vegetable Laxitive. It is just Safeway's brand of Senokot but much cheaper and works just the same. It is possible they (Senokot) might make something for children your age.
Another thing. Does your daughter drink lots of water. If not I'd would try giving her water alot throughout the day.
Does she not like any fruit whatsoever? Maybe try some kind of fruit she hasn't tryed.
Perhaps there is something in her diet that is causing her to have hard stools. If you don't mind writing me and telling me all the foods she does eat I may be able to help you figure out what food might be causing this problem.
I can tell you that white bread, cheese in any form, red meat of any kind are things that I avoid as they really plug up my system.
You may write me at ____@____.com I am praying God will show you the answer to the problem your having.
God Bless.

J., I have totally been there! We struggled for years with this (our daughter is now 3-1/2). It started when she was 1 month old. We tried everything too. Suppositories, juice, home enima's, you name it. I even took her to a holistic doctor and the whole house went dairy, wheat and yeast free for 3 months. This woman told me she was "clairvoant" and my daughter was allergic to everything from pork to corn. There was hardly any food left I could give her! I know it sounds crazy, but I would have tried anything if it could have worked. When she was about 2 we took her to a gastric specialist at Children's and lots of blood work later everything is fine. I was concerened about liver problems, allergies, etc. The bottom line is a prescription of Miralax saved our lives. It is a mild, non-addictave stool softner. Polyeth Glcol is the generic. Originaly the Ped. told us 3-6 months would be enough to get her regulated. Constipation can be caused from one painful experience and from then on it is a cycle. Basically my little girl's rectum was screwed up from holding on too long and she had to retrain the muscles. Well, she ended up being on the medicine for about a year and half. We would try periodically to take her off and be right back where we started. The specialist told us not too worry and she has seen children with infant constipation go to kindergarten on the medicine. She said sometimes they had to see other kids doing their business before it all clicked form them. Eventually we gradually lowered the dose until she didn't need it anymore. It is just a white powder we put in her milk before bed. No big deal considering all we had done in the past!

Good luck! I know this was long winded, but this is a BIG issue for me. My husband and I both would have nights we were in tears (or screaming at each other) because of this. It is so hard to see your child in pain. Thank goodness mine is healthy. My heart pours out to parents dealing with bigger issues. I don't know if I could handle it. Send me an email anytime if you want to talk about it more. My sister had major bladder problems including surgery as a child so my mom went through similar struggles. My mom actaully became very active in the Kidney Association as a result.

My daughter had the same problem and finally my father in law suggested trying yogurt. Just the same stuff you would eat, sure enough within 2 days she was going regularly without the painful screaming. Before this we tried suppositories and miralax and other things but this is the only thing that works. It has been 4 months now and when I run out of yogurt and she doesn't get any for a few days she will have a hard stool. I believe it has some thing to do with the bacteria in it that helps to break dowm food correctly. I'm no doctor but I swear by it. Good Luck!

I would try giving her more juices (apple or orange) and more water. Try to stay away from applesauce, cheese, and bananas. Maybe even go to the vitamin store and see if they have anything that is natural that they recommend.