17 Month Old with Major Constipation. HELP!!

My mom always said a little Karo in his drink will help not have such a hard time and they like the sweet taste.

I have just discover blueberries. My daughter is not afraid to push any more and every stool is soft, thankfully!! Di

Have you tried giving him juice? My son had trouble going and the pediatrician told me to give him a little bit of juice and it worked for him.

Sometimes the more you worry about it, the worse it gets. I've heard that Miralax is wonderful (and I'm sure others have suggested it). It may be a bit painful for him to excrete and therefore he puts it off as long as he can. Be sure to praise him (but don't get too excited) when he does 'go'. Try having him drink more liquids (water, juices, etc). Have him eat anything he'll ingest that's high fiber (bran flakes, prunes [or prune juice -- maybe mixed with apple juice to taste better], sweet potatoes, spinach, broccoli, cabbage, beans, corn, celery [cut in slices, if necessary], grapes [cut in half to avoid choking hazard], apples/pears/peaches WITH the peeling, etc). Usually cheese and bananas are 'binding', so avoid them. Maybe try glycerine suppositories (or even 1/2 or 1/4 of one sliced lengthwise). Try sitting him on a potty with a little hot water in the bottom. Helps relax the rectum. Good luck and God bless. Don't stress!

I think that since he is eating real food now to give it lots of rruits and vegetibles, and mostly apples.

Hey, I am going through the same thing and by son is 4 now, He has been constipated his whole life, You don't want him to get backed up because what happens is they can loose sensation of pooping and not feel they need to go. When that mass of stool sits there at the rectum it put pressure there, and your body continues to make stool so it can leak around that mass and he may pooped just a little. I have had my son on Miralax for 3 years now and it has been great, you can bye it over the counter or get a rx from your doctor, it is the only safe one and no addicting out there. He takes 1/2 capful in the am and 1/2 capful in the pm. He poopes once everynight about the same time. We are still working on potty training due to this because he lost sensation and could not feel he needed to go so he was having accidents. We had to do this thing were I had to clean him out, He pooped 13 times in one day and I don't wish that on anyone. He remembers that when he poops it hurts so thats why he holds it because he is afraid it will hurt. Please let me know if you have any more questions because I know what your going through. Thanks Pediaric Nurse. Jennifer

Hi J.,
My son experienced the same thing when I switched from breast feeding to whole milk. First of all there are lot's of different whole milks to choose from. Try the organic whole milk with added DHA and Omega-3s manufactured by Horizon's. Then give him CALM, which is calcium and magnesium, a natural supplement you can mix in his juice. Can be purchased at Whole Foods or herbal retail store. Use as directed and watch your son begin to have regular bowel movements and not have to strain. It would be better to meet this constipation challenge before trying to potty train. Take care, A. B., Hillsborough, NC

Our daughter was the same way until we figured out she had a dairy allergy. Once we removed all dairy (butter, milk, cheese...etc) she has had a BM every day and on her own. Up until then she was on medicine to help her go. I hope this helps.

My grandson has had the same problem since he was born. It always worried me and I began making sure he had foods all day that would help him. Apple slices and juice etc, it did help but he still only goes every other day most of the time. Now that he is potty trained it is improving, so good news he may grow out of it. Hang in there.

Hi J.. It sounds like your son may not be hydrated well enough. Does he drink any water? If not, find a way to get him to take more liquids, especially first thing in the morning, when his stomach is empty. Fluids tend to go through the intestinal tract better, when the stomach is empty. Through trial and error, you may find a juice that helps his bowels. Encourage foods that have bulk, like raw veggies if he can chew them. Get a great dressing, cut up dark green lettace and spinach. D. G

I agree with Miralax. I had to use it with one of my girls and it worked great.

My son had chronic constipation since a newborn. He has taken 1 teaspoon of Miralax in 8 oz watered down apple juice everyday for the last 18 months. Works great. Ask your pediatrician if this is an option. It is perfectly harmless and does not cause bowel dependence like laxatives. It merely pulls water into the bowel and makes the stools softer and easier to get out. No straining required. Tip: add the miralax to the drink, not the Miralax into the empty cup. It will not stir in well. Dissolves quickly the other way. Good luck. I know it is frustrating to deal with.

Hi J.- I know this concern well. My son (now 15) also did that. In fact, he would stand in the corner with his legs crossed and swear he did not need to go. My doctor had us add mineral oil to his drinks. His thinking was that it would 'Grease his insides" and he would not be able to hold it. My doctors have also recommended milk of magnesia in age appropriate amounts for my children. They say it will not hurt them.. I was still a little cautious. I am sure you know all about getting plenty of fruit and veggies and drinking water. You may also want to look into a probiotic for him. You need to do things that keep his stools soft and easy to pass. If it hurts him or he develops a fischer, he will really be scared to go. You can also lay him on the floor a couple of times a day and do "bicycle" exercises with his legs. Somehow that seems to get things moving. If you get really concerned that he needs to go, you can do a Fleets enema but it is most unpleasant. However, since life and death begins in the gut, he really needs to get all that waste out of his body. We struggled for a few years with this but my son grew out of it. That or he got really tired of mineral oil in his drinks!! Hope this helps.For more ideas on how to have a healthier home, visit www.saferhome4u.com and click on total wellness.

J., I am no expert on this type thing as my boys are grown now, but it does sound to me like he could be missing fiber in his diet. I'm not real sure what is out there for infants and toddlers now days, but you might want to check with a health food store in your area that could recommend something, similar to what Metamucil would do for an adult. Encourage him to eat fruits, such as apples and pears and green veggies, such as peas and green beans and the like, even if you have to somehow alter the taste of them at this point. If you could prepare this yourself, as apposed to canned stuff or baby food, the fiber content would be so much greater. You could even puree it or chop it real fine and use the peels when possible. He needs that fiber, as we all do in our daily diets.
Hope this helps hun. Hang in there, it will get better.
God bless,
R.

J.,First start out the morning with plain water. Our stomachs are filled with bile from the previous nights digestion and need to be flushed.
Have you tried: warmed pear or apple juice(1/3 juice rest water), then wrapping him in a blanket warmed in the dryer? As far as the straning goes...bananas,home made apple sauce or(Not Canned) raw and cooked pears,plums,carrots, cole slaw, turnip, mustard or other greens like spinach(fresh is best)and Prunes! Be creative mix these with his normal food in small amounts gradually until he no longer realizes that they are NEW! If everything else fails...Only As A Last Resort get some suppositorys. If the dose is too strong acording to weight, cut them in half... length wise NOT through the middle.
It sound like you will have to keep trying to find what makes him GO, then adjust it to keep him regular.I know this is No joke ,but... Do Not Dispare....HA! This too shall Pass!!! LaDonna/Henry, Tn

Hello, My 4 year old daughter has the same issues...her dr. recommended adding a teaspoon of light Karo syrup to her juice each morning, for 4 months. It has helped regulate her and she doesn't mind taking it. Hope this helps!

Hi J.,
My daughter had the same problem but has now grown out of it (she is 22 months). Like your son, she was just holding it. Typically when she went, it was hard at first, but normal after she got going. Our pediatrician said that this is because the stool was sitting and dried out. As long as its not hard the whole way through, its not likely a matter of the diet. We mostly waited it out, and tried to sooth her when she did go. On occasion, when she did go, we would put her on her changing table and lift her legs up to help her release. However, on occassion if too much time would go by, we used infant suppositories (behind the counter at the pharmacy) suggested by our pediatrician. The few times that we used them, she went within 30 minutes. I think that it stimulated her to have to go, but it was also pretty oily so I think it made it more slippery and easier to release.

We did try giving her prunes and prune juice, apple juice, etc. but found that it didn't matter because she wasn't constipated, she just wasn't going so this didn't seem to have an impact.

Good luck. I'm sure he'll grow out of this stage.

N. T.

Increase the fiber - fruits & vegetables.

Consider food allergies like gluten. Cheese can be constipating.

Consider supplementing with an Omega 3 supplement.

Talk to your Dr. about Miralx it worked great for my kids.

Miralax is the best I've found. All my boys were contstipated from the time they were days or weeks old and Miralax is the best. Just put a little in the bottle and it works like a charm. It's over the counter now.

Prune juice. Seriously, it works like a charm. From very early on I formula fed my bed (had some problems with breastfeeding and when he was one month old, we switched). Anyway... We give him 2 ounces of prune juice everyday (1 ounce of prune juice, 1 ounce of water) it works well and he doesn't seem to be in anymore pain. Now, your child may be able to take more seeing as how he is older, but it should work.

A young friend of mine has a son with similar issues at less than a year old. She actually puts about 2-3 teaspoons of prune juice in one of his bottles of formula few days. If they miss it, the poor boy has a terrible time.

Hope this helps.

Try miralax, put a half a teaspoon in his drink once a day and it will help get him regulated. I had to do this with my little girl and she is still breastfed! She just wouldn't go either but now she's like clockwork. I keep the miralax around though and when it's been more than a day I dose her. It's a powder and will dissolve in a drink really well. My pediatrician recommended it and I have to say it works well. Also apples can actually constipate... stick with the p's prunes, peaches, pears etc. Apple Juice is great but there is so much fiber in apples and applesauce that it can make things worse. Bananas are the same. You can also mix some dark karo syrup in with his juice and that will help as well. Those two things always worked for us and now that she's used to going she doesn't have any problems.

Increase the fruit, fruit juice, vegetables, yogurt, whole grain breads, brown rice, oatmeal, fiber rich foods.

Decrease the white bread, white rice, cheese, processed cereals, bananas, and prepared foods that you put in the microwave.

Try a little Karo syrup.It is sweet and will help him go. This is what my pediatrician recommended for my daughter.
Good luck!

He is probably in pain,so stop the iron fortified formula!Iron causes constipation, try soymilk , you can get it at walmart,i use walmart brand.it will be much healthier. Most of all make sure he gets about a quart of water a day.Our bodies are 70 % water.

Hi J.,
sorry it took so long to get back to you on th. I just wanted to check my sources and make sure that our "FiberWise was safe for little ones. And yes it is. Just sprinkling it in your baby boys juice will help get things moving for him without causing bloating and gas. I have a membership with a wellness company. if you want to call me I can give you the details. They have so many products to help along the way with raising your son, that are safe for him!

Sincerely, T. ###-###-####

www.livetotalwellness.com/T.
www.workathomeunited.com/T.

J.... try diluted prune juice about twice a day. 2 parts juice to 1 part water. My youngest had that problem, to the point where I was afraid he was going to get hemrroids from straining. He's going to 14 soon and at times still has problems. He drinks nearly a gallon of water a day now to help keep himself regular.

Our 18 month old is on Miralax in the pharmacy section with the laxatives. Poor just a little bit half-way up to the bottom line in the cap and mix in with his juice/milk. It will work like a charm within 2 days. Dr. Blum at Madison Peds recommended it to us and said there is no harm in her staying on it for a while.

She has stopped crying now and bracing herself when she has a bowel movement which is a huge praise. Would love to know if it works for you. Go ahead and buy the medium bottle (about $8.00) b/c the small one runs out fast. Good luck!

I have a friend and her daughter went through the same thing....she was told by the doctor to give her a teaspoon of mineral spirits and it would help "go". I can't remember how many times a week she had to give it to her exactly but I think it was 2-3 a week for a month.

well my daughter is about to be three and yea i had serios trouble she wont go at all. she would hold it in for day after day untill i just stop it.

now i give her orange juice low citic, and i force her to eat veggy or fruit a day and constant water , and when i gave her milk i would put half water and half milk and know she goes on a regular basis

The doctor called my Grandson, a lazy pooper when he was small and had same problem. He's 21 and still like that. But we just let it go, by what Dr. said.
By my other 2 Grandsons later. I've learned more. They now, go regular (usually daily after school).
If you can find the same time everyday, to just set him on the pot and relax, maybe look at a book or have radio on. I tried to get them to set about 10 minutes. I set on edge of tub at the beginning. As they got older, they were on their own. Now soon as 13 yr. old comes in from school, hits the pot. Same thing for my 18yr. old, after work. But the other will set on side of shoe, anything to put-off going.
Also try papaya tablets daily. They taste good and helps the digesting and fiber foods too. Sweet Potatoes, bran cereals.

We have that too. The doctor told us to get Mirilax and give her about 3/4ths cap full in juice or bottle and it is not a laxative but a softener and it works. Try it.

J., have you ever tried Natural Aloe Vera Juice. You can buy it at any grocery store that sells natural products. Whole Foods, Henry's, etc...Also, I am an Herbalife distributor and you can go online and buy a bottle at www.herbal-nutrition.net/suedoyle. You can add it to juice, or shakes and or formula. A simple 1/4 cup can do wonders for digestion and constipation. If it concerns you, you can certainly ask your physician, based on his age. Also, soy vs. milk products may aid in his digestion.
There is also a childrens shake product available from herbalife. Of course encouraging him to drink more water is also very helpful. There is nothing worse than constipation; I send you my best and hope he gets regular relief soon. All the BEST, S. Also, Hang in there...women can be both Mom and Dad to their children; that is not possible for men...seek Mom's groups for support and know there is always a network of women to support you!!! It takes a village to raise a child...Blessings to you both!

My son had constipation too. I found what helped was baby oatmeal with baby prunes and some yo baby yogurt mixed in. And I mean A LOT of prunes-like 1/2 a container. Then I fill up a sippy cup with water and leave that out all day for him to sip off of. The fiber in the prunes and the oatmeal seem to do the trick. He eats that every morning for breakfast. If your still feeding formula-I would cut back to once or twice a day. Make sure he drinks water during the day. Juice has sugar in it and sometimes that can make it worse. Hope this helps.

J.,
Have you tried glycerine suppositories? Both my father and brother are Mayo Clinic physicians and suggested that to me when my daughter was constipated. Worked like a charm for us. Very simple and the suppositories are just glycerine, no medicine. (I just bought them over-the-counter at Kroger.) Good luck!

he will grow out of it, my daughter had the same problem, she's now 17. Check with your doctor, I actually bought an over the counter stool softner which was an oil. I can't remember the name (been too long) but she did grow out of it.

Careful... I think Alisha meant mineral OIL not mineral spirits, which is paint thinner. Anyway. I like 1 tablespoon of dark corn syrup daily. Sugary sweet so there's no fight, and natural, too. Works as a stool softener.

Try Miralax, an over-the-counter laxative. It's in powder form and quickly dissolves in juice or milk. That's what our pediatrician suggested for my little guy and it's worked well. The only drawback is that we had hoped we would be able to ween him off of it, but we are still using it to 'maintain', so to speak, though we have cut back on how much we give him. Best of luck. I understand how painful it can be to watch your little one suffer with constipation.

First, relax. Babies bodies work just like ours. Increase hsi fiber and water intake. It will loosen his stool and make it more comfortable for him to go. It will also help prevent hemorroids from too much straining.

Feed him oatmeal for breakfast and make sure to push fluids. I promise after 1 week you will see a difference.

It probably will not stop his fears but when he does go, it will make it more comfortable.

hey J. i am so glad i read what you wrote and i want you to know you are not alone i have a little one that just turned 3 (boy) anyways i was having the same problam mine had gotten so bad that everytime he would try to go he strained and would scream and cry pretty much like a woman in labor would and i did i got concerned and worried i went and asked a doctor and he told me the same thing ( that he would grow out of it nothing to really woory about ) so i gave it a few more weeks thinking ok surly a doctor would know boy was i wrong like i said i gave it a little while longer but it was breaking my heart to watch him hurt like that and something inside of me just told me that something was not right so i took hime back to his (fnp) told her that i was really worried and felt like something was wrong she sent him to do an xray come to find out i was right my child was so constipated that it was clear up into his chest boy was i mad only because i listened to the doctor that told me to just give it time he will grow out of it blah blah anyway heres what my sons (fnp) told me to give him and YES it does help along with prayer anyway its called (FLETCHER'S LAXATIVE for KIDS ) the stuff smells like root beer and i guess taste like it to i just put it in his cup and mix it with his drink but in a few days and i dosay a few days cause it takes a little bit to get going but i tell you it did help please dont wait cause if you do all its going to do is keep packing up and thats why it is hurting im cause it becoming very hard
it took my son being sick trowing up running a fevor and having diareha before the doctors would do something that to me is wrong and as a mother i didnt think when he had diareha that he was badly constipated but he was he nurse said what it was doing was sliding down the sides and what it comes down to is the reason why he got sick was because he had gotten badly constipated
so anyways please try the fletcher's laxative for kids
i hope this helped and please let me know how everything works out oh yeah you can buy that at a freds store
S.

cup of warm water ( not hot!) mixed with 1 ts honey( local) from your area to drink every morning on empty stomach 1 hour before breakfast.

Really examine his diet.

My kids eat tons of whole and fresh foods, virtually no processed foods, but my daughter (now 2 1/2) can have problems when she strays from a good diet even for one meal.

Tons of fresh fruit and veggies & plenty of water, probiotics (those little bacteria found in yogurt) you can get a chewable for children at the health food store. Avoid commercial yogurt, as most have so much sugar & other junk it defeats the purpose. Do not offer him any other beverage than water. Cut the processed foods & sugar, they'll bind just about anyone. I would avoid a lot of dairy. Broccoli is a great source of calcium. Use a little real butter to make the veggies more palletable if need be.

If he is not receptive at first, don't worry, he'll get hungry & eat. Grapes, strawberries, broccoli, beans & brown rice, are a good start.

Good Luck!!

Grind up veggies & hide them in other foods. Make fruitshakes with fresh/frozen fruits & flaxseed.

Hi J..

Pure pumpkin will help with constapation and loose stools. Start giving him a spoonful in the am and one in pm. Give him more as you feel necessary, but I know for a fact that this will work.
Have you tried soy milk instead of dairy? Or goat milk?
W.

http://www.meyenberg.com

Meyenberg goats milk-better for them than milk, cheaper and easier to digest. I by the powder from Vitacost.com and my 1 yr. old loves it.

I was told to avoid bananas and apples but apple juice is fine. It is something about the balance of sugar. Rice ceral is costipating-use oat. Prunes in the babyfood section w/ warm oatmeal worked for us. Avoid cheese-just some thoughts
Good Luck,
Val

My son has chronic constipation, too. Apple Juice usually "loosens" my son up. If that doesn't work, a little bit of Dr. Pepper tends to do the trick. And if all else fails and he's really straining or several days have gone by without a BM, I use a glycerin suppository to dilate his rectum. My Dr. Ok'd that, but check with yours first. Good luck!

I suppose there could be the possibility that your son is lactose intolerant. I am. If I have milk I end up with an upset stomach but also will trouble "going!" Maybe try to take him off milk for a couple of days and use soy milk in its place. Also try to work in some fiber rich foods so that he doesn't have a choice but to go!

Apple juice, prunes, almost any fruit should help. Stay away from contipating foods such as banana's, rice, applesauce and toast.

There may be a dairy allergy. Try taking out the dairy products in his diet. You can use soy products. There is "Silk" which is the replacement for milk. Also there is soy cheese and butter. You can find all this at Wal-mart or any grocery store. The soy butter might not be at every store.

My son is almost 4, but he has had a constant battle with constipation. He is on Miralax daily. I mix it with juice and the amount varies from day to day as I monitor his bowel movements. Sometimes he is still straining so I increase the dose and other days he has almost diarrhea, so I decrease the dose. We are still working on potty training because of the constipation issue. Miralax used to be a prescription, but now you can get it over the counter. I'd call your pediatrician first before you start using it. If that doesn't work, I call and get an appointment with a nutritionist to work on diet. There are intestinal diseases that have vague symptoms like constipation. If it doesn't get better with any of the recommendations I have suggested, I'd go to a gastroenterologist for another opinion.
Good Luck!

K. H.

My 2 year old son had the same problem. We went through apple juice( which seemed to make it worse), prune mixed with apple juice (did okay) and then I stopped apple juice all together and started giving him apple cider each morning and we are now on a smooth track! Maybe your son is scared to go because it hurts him too much (caused by not going daily). My nephew is 4 and has the same problem. He recently went to the doctor and the doctor said to give him mineral oil on a daily basis (1-2 teaspoon...mixed in his juice). Hope this helps!

I have two suggestions, which we've been using with my daughter for a long time:
-instead of regular juice, give mixture of 1/4 prune juice, 1/4 apple juice, and 1/2 water
-see if you can find info about infant/child massage

My daughter was having issues with bowel movements, and we started the juice mixture; it gives them a good dose of water, as well as the helpfulness of prune juice. I learned how to do infant massage when my daughter was 6 weeks old, and I still use it sometimes when she (now 4 1/2 years old) occasionally gets constipated. It's really amazing how the massage moves things through the system!

Hope that helps!
D.

When my son was just a few months old he had the same problems it sounds like your son is having. My doctor told me nothing was wrong with him and that I didn't need to worry about it. My mom on the other hand was very concerned and went out and bought him some children's supp. and then put it in his bottom but not all the way and just leave it there for a few minutes and he always would have a bowel movement within minutes. It helped him cry a lot less and sleep better. After seeing how much more comfortable and happy he was after going, I was very thankful for my mother's advice. Hope this helps you.

my daughter takes mirilax for her constipation, it is flavorless and you mix it into her juice.it is very gentle. but i will say that all people, children and adults alike, have their own pattern. as long as your son is not in pain when he does go, he may just be a once a week pooper. many adults are, and kids too. especially formula fed babies. if he is not bothered when he does go, you may just take a deep breath and try not to worry about it. i know it can be hard, since many of us are much more frequent poopers, you feel like he should go more, but he may be just fine.

i feel you. my son had some major constipation when he was a baby. he used to cry and cry and i felt so bad. no need to say anymore, you understand. i did many different things to help him. one is put a tsp of dark corn syrup in his bottle. my grandma suggested it and i couldn't believe it when i asked my dr. and he said it was okay. the trick is to only put 1 tsp in no more than twice a day. otherwise, you end up with a baby that's on a major sugar high and coming off of that is no treat (believe me, been there). another trick was to feed him a tsp or two of prunes or refried beans. watch out though, i did more than that and my son didn't stop pooping the entire day. another option (i used it as a last resort) is to give them an enema with a small sliver of dove soap. i had a hard time sticking that you know where, but it worked.

good luck!

Sometimes babies seem to have extra nerve endings around the rectum and anus. Does he seem to have a lot of gas? Suppose with the constipation, that's a given. But what about when he was really small? Sometimes the intestines don't develop the muscle tone that they need to move fecal matter in a timely manner. Early milk and soy sensitivities could have caused irritations and your son's automatic response was to tense up. This could have started a pattern of tensing up every time he felt even the slightest urge. Even with just gas.
You probably have tried all of the marketed stool softeners, but along with that have you tried any relaxation techniques with him? I know he's very young, but there are therapists out there that work with very young children. As he learns to relax he will soon associate bowel movements with relief instead of anxiety and pain.
My granson (24 months old) does not injest any dairy whatsoever. He gets either constipated or has diarreah, sneezes, gets watery eyes. He drinks pure fruit juices and water. But that's just him. Maybe you could try removing all milk and dairy for a while and see what happens. Your son can get vitamin D from the son and calcium from spinach. Cow's milk is not medically necessary for good health despite what a doctor may tell you. Are there any Holistic pediatricians where you are? You could try one maybe just for a consultation and see if you agree with what you hear.
I'll pray for your sweetypie baby.

Prune Juice is good, but if you give too much sometimes it can cause cramps. You might try adding Flax Seed to your son's diet. You can buy it already ground. It has no taste and can be added to almost everything. I always give my some to my son in his breakfast. I add about a teaspoon to his oatmeal or put more in pancakes or whatever I make. It can also be added to almost any other food and will be hard to be detected because it has no taste. It also has many other health benifits.

Good luck!

It looks like you have gotten a lot of good advice...but here's my two cents. :) My son had problems going from the time he was about 7 months old until just recently (he's 3). He was on a prescription stool softener for about 6 months and that didn't really do anything about the frequency just made it softer. We tried apple juice, adding more fiber (oatmeal), flax seed oil, but in the end it all didn't really work. He would cry and scream as he was pushing, but nothing we tried really worked so...we just had to comfort him and wait it out. Now he's potty trained and still only goes once every 3 or 4 days, sometimes once a week. That's just the way his body is. Good luck!

Try giving him a spoonful or two castor oil in his juice for a day or two and that should help to release all thats clogged.

I have lived with IBS for 12 years and at 30 I had no idea what was wrong with my body, but come to find out I was constipated, now his won't measure to mine but all 3 of my children dealt with the same situation, thank God they grew out of it but thats what we did during the course of constipation.

Good LucK!

try a teaspoon or a bit less of mineral oil in his milk each morning. that worked very well for my grandson.

also try substituting a non-spillable sippy cup for the bottle (not related to constipation, but aimed at moving away from bottle)

Hi there:
Sorry to hear about your son's problem. It's hard to go through that.

I have a friend whose daughter was born with a fissure (sp?), and who has to take Mirilax to help her go potty. I"m not sure if this would help in your case, but maybe talk to your pediatrician about this. If he or she is blase' about the whole situations, I'd advise talking with another doctor.

This condition can lead to problems down the road, as far as your son really, really being afraid of going to the bathroom.
Meanwhile, try all the "loosening" foods and stay away from too much fiber in his diet. The fiber is actually what allows the waste to coagulate and may end up stopping him up more. Keep with the prunes, apples, and whatever else you can learn about that will loosen his stool.

Insist on talking to someone who will acknowledge this issue -
you're a good mommy who is doing a great job!

Best of luck~

My suggestion is LOTS of fresh fruit! A ripe plum should do the trick. My son eats fruit every day, and has never been constipated, but fresh plums meant 4 BMs in a day instead of the usual one or two! One of his classmates took medication for constipation--I thought, why medications when fresh fruit will do the trick?

Try giving him more fiber healthy foods such as pears, apples, and more green veggies.

try increasing his fluid and fiber intake. and avoid binding foods like babanas, applesauce, and cheese. mix a little prune juice in with his other juice or white grape and apple juice can also help get things going. also having him sit ina warm bath can help him relax his muscles enough that he'll go more easily. when my daughter was 1st switched to formula she had constipation problems too and the ped said to mix a couple of spoon fulls of dark karo syrup in her bottle...this too might help. i'd try doing some natural rememdies before resorting to something like miralax. laxitives should only be used as a last resort becasue the body can become dependant on them.

I would check with a pediatrician but you may try changing him to soy milk. Dairy sensitivities often result in constipation. My niece had a very difficult time with going to the bathroom and after she was switched to a dairy-free diet, she has no problems anymore. My son also has a dairy allergy and had difficulties. He is breastfed and I've had to cut dairy out of my diet to keep everything "moving" along properly. It's worth the change in diet and the aggravation that comes along with that to ensure their digestive systems work smoothly. This is apparently rather common although I'm not sure how many doctors will address this as a possibility. Best wishes to you. I know it must be challenging to watch your son go through this.

Hi J....do you live near a Trader Joe's? If so, try their prune juice. It works miracles. I suffered from severe constipation all of my life. Sometimes it really hurts. Just adding two four ounce glass a day to my diet for about two weeks totally turned me around. Then I reduced it to one four ounce glass in the morning and I'm regular. Like your son, before then I would go once every 7-10 days. If you don't live near a Trader Joes try the all natural apple juice from a health food store. That's works but just a little slower. If he has a significant amount of processed food in his diet you may want to try replacing it with whole grains, vegetables and fruit. We call our son the pooper:). He is four years old and poops about three times a day. He typically has oatmeal with different fresh fruit in it for breakfast, steam veggies and meat or fish for dinner and a vegetable, salad and meat/fish for dinner. Snacks can include fruit, whole grain crackers with hummus, cheese &whole grain crackers and sometimes cookies. Good luck. Let me know how it goes.