9 Month Old with Some Digestive and Sleep Issues...

Are you feeding him solid foods as well? He could be allergic to something in them along with being allergic or intolerant to something in the formula. Both of my kids were lactose intolerant for the first year of life (many babies are).

This is not normal BM for a baby. His poop should be the consistency of applesauce. Soft, but not watery or runny.

Maybe lay off the solids and oats for now. Give it about a week and see if his BM's go back to normal, then slowly add back in solids one ingredient at a time to see which one triggers the reaction.

I would also try a lactose free or allergen free formula like Similac Sensitive or even the Neocate.

Poor baby and poor Mama. He is probably feeling pretty yucky and you are worried sick about him.

Try giving him a small amount of diluted pear juice. This was the advice from my pediatrician's office. Hope it helps!

This is not fun at all and I so feel for you and your son (I remember my son's issues). Here is a great resource for any family and even though it is for children on the spectrum (autism and other issues) it can apply across the board.

http://www.talkaboutcuringautism.org/medical/poops.htm

Your son is having issues with food so I would remove casein and gluten from his diet and there is a great formula, Neocate, for those that can't handle the other things
http://gfcf-diet.tacanow.org/gfcf-in-10-weeks.htm

www.neocate.com

Another thing that you have to be really careful about is vaccines. Your son is probably already exhibiting signs of not tolerating them and having reactions (food issues, poop, sleep) and I highly recommend stopping all vaccinations until you have done the research on vaccinations for YOUR child. The AAP recommended schedule of shots for children is too many, too soon. Here are sites and books that I always recommend for people to start their research and for your situation I would start with Dr. Bock's book:

www.909shot.com
www.tacanow.org

Healing the New Childhood Epidemics: Autism, ADHD, Asthma, and Allergies: The Groundbreaking Program for the 4-A Disorders, by Dr. Kenneth Bock

The Vaccine Book, by Dr. Robert Sears

What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Childhood Vaccinations, by Dr. Stephanie Cave

Evidence of Harm, by David Kirby

S.,

At this point, I would ask for (or demand) a referal for a Pediatric Gastroenterologist (I think that's what I go to) who can help figure out what your son's needs are. It sounds like he is having reflux issues that presents at night. Very common for this kind of issue and let me tell you it is awful to live with!

You may need to keep him propped up while sleeping and there are special sleep positioners you can buy to help keep his head elevated.

Depending on what formula he is on will depend on what the cause of the constipation is...there are some formulas that are too rich in Iron for some kiddos and this can cause constipation. If you haven't yet, about a tablespoon of prune juice either in the formula or with water to ease that issue. However, the cereal may also be the cause of the constipation...depending on how long you've been giving it to him and if he gets any during the day.

If you've told your doctor all the issues, then he/she should have been able to give you the appropriate advice. My son had lactose issues that caused upset tummy and some reflux depending on the formula we used. Finally we ended up on the liquid canned Enfamil Lactofree. I think my son'd Pedi is amazing and he always gives me sound advice...but, asks me what I think and gives me options. This to me is the most important thing, to feel like you can ask ANY question and get real honest answers that you can understand and trust.

My best advice is call your insurance provided find a second opinion. I hope your little one starts to feel better soon!

Take a good look at the ingredients that are in his formula. A lot of kids have food intollerance issues with casein (milk protein), lactose (milk sugar) and/or soy. To determine if casein is in the formula that you are giving to your son, look for words like, obviously, casein but also, milk, whey, caseinate... there's a few other words that indicate casein but I can't think of them at this time but you should be able to call the manufacturer and they should be able to tell you what allergens are in the formula.

Also, oatmeal is oftentimes manufactured with wheat and a lot of children are intollerant to wheat as well. The formula and oatmeal may not be the cause of your son's gastric distress but, I think if I were you, would switch him to rice cereal and find a formula that is more hypoallergenic and see how he does after being off of both of these items for about 10 days or 2 weeks, and reintroduce the formula, wait 3 or 4 days, then reintroduce the oatmeal again, and see if you notice any difference with your son during this time.

Wishing you peaceful nights very soon.

He sounds constipated.

A 'normal" poop consistency, per a Pediatric Gastroenterologist, when my daughter was constipated, is that of it having the consistency of oatmeal.

If his poop is rock hard.. .and in balls, then that is constipation. It is uncomfortable and painful to pass.

For his formula... do you put the water in the bottle first then the Formula powder, or do you put in the powder first then the water??? You should put the measured water in the bottle first, then the Formula powder. If not, it can become too 'concentrated.'

He could also be having 'gas' problems as well. Have you tried infant gas drops?

For the constipation, you can try and adding a LITTLE prune juice into his bottle of Formula. The thing is, IF it is constipation...you don't want it to get harder, because then it gets more and more impacted internally, and gets harder and harder to pass...

Or, does he have any reflux problems?
How is his intake during the daytime?
Since he is on solids... this often causes constipation as well. BUT, for the 1st year of life... a baby's PRIMARY source of nutrition in from breasmilk/Formula... NOT solids, NOT other liquids. So... I"m thinking, is he getting enough Intake (of his formula, and on demand?). If not... then perhaps this is causing constipation as well, because he is not taking in enough fluids (which the Formula has water in it already).

But, a baby's digestive system is still developing... and sometimes the just outgrow it.

BUT, I would keep an eye on his constipation... that is why his poops are so hard. Try massaging his tummy gently in circular motions... and bicycle his legs...

all the best,
Susan

Hi S.-Both of my boys had the same issues you are describing, but they were diagnosed with reflux. I feel your pain. They were seen by a pediatric GI doctor who helped us sooo much. Get a referral to a GI specialist if possible. My youngest son who is now almost 2 developed constipation after we introduced solid foods. Rice cereal is more constipating than oatmeal, so I would stick with the oatmeal. I always fed my boys cereal in the mornings mixed with prunes with apples. They were on the predigested formula to help with the reflux. Those formula's can be very expensive so I would try the Gentelease one first. The way my son's GI specialist explained it is that if a child is constipated then the reflux acts up again. My main goal was always to avoid any constipation because I know the refulx would bother them more. Lastly, my son's doctor prescribed Miralax, but you can give 1 teaspoon a day of benefiber in his bottle. It is all natural and safe to give in small doses. Good luck. J.

Good Morning S.,

It sounds like to me that your child may have food allergies. Constipation or many bowel movements are symptoms of allergies. You may want to go to site NAET.com and find an allergist in your area to test your child. NAET.com is a group of allergists around the world who eliminate allergies. Also, you may want to purchase from Amazon.com, Say Goodbye To Illness by Dr.Nambudripad and Prescription for Nutritional Healing by Balch.

Be Well.

N.

Hi S.,

Your son sounds exactly like my son. I only wish I had known sooner that a chiropractor could help him so much.

Please google "chiropractic and reflux"..........some children's nervous systems need some help getting regulated again after the birth process.

I hope this helps! I really remember those days all too well.

N.

Have you tried goat milk? Also, rock hard stools is a sign of dehydration. Perhaps goat milk for food with the ground oatmeal and plain water at night. Anything else at night can really damage his teeth (i.e., the sugars in all milks (including formula) and juice). I've got a neighbor with a kindergartener with a complete set of rotten baby teeth to show for that mistake....

Good luck.

have u tried Good Start Supreme Comfort Protein formula? introduce slowly...and u can water it down just a bit..also ad some baby jarro dophilus to it..
i used to use suppositories on my son..it really made a difference..but i was bfing and giving formula. i would go to whole foods and talk to the people in the vitamin section they're very helpful...but try the Good Start formula and just add a little more water than usual..good luck i know it's hard and yes it usually affects them more at night.

what formul is he on? my daughter was like that on every formula we tried. we brought her home on breast milk supplementing with enfamil lipil then fully on the formula, then she went on the gentalease which did nothing my ob suggested good start and if that didnt work he said to put her on nutragamin (which is very expensive). we tried the good start and it worked soo well that we stuck with it!. if you havent tried good start i would suggest that the formula hes on may be too hard on his tummy even though hes been on it for 6 months. is he on many soilds? what i would suggest if you dont want to try a different formula is either putting 2oz of straight prune juice in one of his first bottles/cup or you can give him little tummies infant laxative in his bottles/cup.. you only need to give it one to 2 times a day (i do it in the morning and afternoon). hope this helps good luck!

Gosh! I can remember those day's. I'am also a mother of two boy's 17 and 14 and eperienced the same thing with my now 17 year old.My son at five was diagnosed with G.E.R.D after many years and many doctors appointments i finally hooked up with a GI doctor that helped me with my sons problems.My advice to you is if the digestive problems persist request to see a GI Doctor that can rule out G.E.R.D. Look up on the internet some of the symptoms and see if your son suffers from any of the problems related to G.E.R.D. My son had cronic ear infections,Problems sleeping,Vomiting ect... don't worry this is not a serious illness and very common in boys for some reason but it can be cured by medicine and diet and also feeding times ect... hope this helps

Hi S.,

Your baby sounds constipated. Make sure he's drinking enough formula, in addition to water and diluted pear or apple juice. Since he's wakeful at night, reflux is definitely something to consider. Reflux in infants has been linked to food allergy as one potential cause. Try switching to a hypoallergenic formula and consider giving him mashed stewed prumes and apricots. I would avoid melons, berries, pears and apples for now as they are more likely to be allergenic and can make your baby very gassy, even if he's not allergic to them in the strict sense of the word. In fact, since the primary allergens in most soft fruits are components of the skin, you should skin the fruit before cooking and mashing it. (Stewing also breaks down the allergenic proteins in the fruit).

In general, formula is more difficult to digest than breast milk as it contains more complex proteins and sugars than breast milk does. If your child is allergic to milk or soy, however, these proteins can actually cause damage to the intestinal villi over time, resulting in inflammation, irritation, and alternating diarrhea and constipation. Most doctors won't test a 9-mo old for allergies, although you can actually do blood testing at this age if necessary. Elimination is the easiest route to go at this age, especially since they're not eating a wide variety of foods yet.

BTW, if he stops defecating completely for several days it is time for a trip to the doctor. Be vocal about getting a referral to a pediatric GI specialist if necessary. Advocacy is very important in our health care system!

HI S.

I have a 15 month and a 3 month, I had my oldest daughter on Enfamil and she was having digestion issues. I switched her to Gentlease Formula and what I did was give her chamomile tea in her formula. And it was a miracle for me. With my 3 mo I didn't take any chances so she's on Gentlease and I give her chamomile in her bottle. What I do is for example, if you give your baby 4 ounces of bottle put 1-2 ounces of tea in the formula at every feeding.

That's what I've done with both my girls and its been great.

O yes, and make sure to softly rub the tummy in circular motions.

S.,
Jamie D has some good advice. Another good book is Vaccine Saftety Manual by Neil Miller. Many people do not know that vaccines can act as a catalyst for many children that would already be predisposed to allergies/autism etc...

I would try a little bit of rice cereal instead of the oatmeal, it is gentler on the system.

I add 1/2 jar of prune to my son's bottle w/ the rice cereal at night and that helps with constipation.

Check with pediatrician if it is okay to give him a little bit of flax oil in his formula. But the rice cereal will definetely increase constipation, it did with my daughter when she started solids. Also, prune juice and a second opinion from another doctor or specialist. Best of luck.

Hi S.,

I have a couple of thoughts and suggestions:

1 - my son became very gassy, would wake up crying frequently when i began adding rice cereal to his milk at night - i figured out that between the formula and rice cereal, is was too concentrated and he he was in terrible pain from constipation. As soon as i stopped adding the rice cereal, the crying at night stopped and he resumed a normal sleep pattern ("normal" is different for every baby). you could try diluting his night time formula with a little more water to determine if that would help, and discontinue the cereal in his bottle.

2 - teh constipation can be relieved with prune juice. i use Lakewood Organic from Whole Foods. it is 100% prune juice, not from concentrate, and no sugar added. My son drinks it from bottle or sippy cup, but it can also be added to his formula.

3 - he could very likely have food allergies. you may want to try seeking a practitioner who uses NAET (www.naet.com) it is a noninvasive holistic/method of determining and removing allergies. My son had eczema and this process has cleared him of teh allergies and some of teh digestive issues he had. I was fortunate to find a practioner who is an M.D. She is amazing. In pacific palisades: Dr. Van Nguyen, ###-###-####. www.doctorvan.org

i really hope some of this helps!

normally I have a knack for recommending homeopathic remedies, but there are not a lot of details in your e-mail, so i'd say give him Udo's choice oils. they are in Whole Foods in the separated small section next to probiotics. probiotics are good too, but they don't always do the trick. and water - lost and lots of water - got to carry this formula goo out of his intestines.
Good Luck!
V.

Call Cynthia Epps. She is a pediatric medibolic specialist. She can and will help I am sure of it. Not to worry!!! ###-###-####