Consitpation Remedies?

Hi J.,

My daughter was consitapated from the day she came home from the hospital Lactose. Water was the best thing I could give her. That was the only thing that made her go daily. Sometime I would boil it with some raisen, scoop them out and let it cool and she drank it. I would just try this for now. :)

Hi J.,

Try prune juice, or mix some Karo syrup (light) with whatever milk she's drinking (warm). That'll soften up her stool. Good luck.

My first had issues too - Miralax was prescribed by the doctor (now OTC). I never used the full dosage, about 1/2.

Other things - fiber stuff like whole wheat bread, raisins, white grape juice, pear juice, fruits, etc...

Eventually my oldest, now 3 1/2 is regular daily. My youngest, 15 mos. is showing no problems with it.

Someone in an earlier post mentioned sippy cups may be to blame - perhaps - my first liked her sippy. My 2nd does NOT - so I ended up giving her the Munchkin straw cups (with built in valve) and I transitioned from bottle to that cup instead of a sippy. It might explain why the youngest has no constipation...

It will pass...just a phase so their system gets used to the food. If it's really serious, then the doctor will take a closer look to see if it's allergies, etc..

My daughter has the same issue. We did the suppository thing for a while, never did Miralax or the other syrups. What finally solved it for us was a high fiber diet - whole grains, high fibert bread sandwich daily, grapes, etc. They say your kid should have their age plus 5 in dietary fiber a day. When we stick to that each day we have no problems. Good luck.

My sister in law had that same problem with my nephew. She saw a friend of hers who believed in natural remedies. So she gave him pear juice, and it worked like a charm! Good Luck!

My daughter has the same problem and she does best when I keep her hydrated with lots of juices (50% water) pineapple and apple and I give her lots of fruits and vegetables.
Puree broccoli and hide it in her foods if she wont eat it...fiber and fruit juice will keep her regular
tons of fluids!!!!

J.,
Try increasing her fiber and water intake and giving her orange juice too. You can make oatmeal cookies or cereal bars with bran in them. Another thing is making bran muffins with raisins, that usually works. If she doesn't like raisins then grind them up and add them, she won't know she is eating them.
Hugs,
T.

Hi J.,

My kids have constipation issues as well. The best natural remedy that I found is yogurt. However, the only yogurt that works for my kids is Stony Field Farms. It's a bit pricey, but try just a single serving to see if that works out. If it does, get the huge container. It's all natural & gluten free. I get the fat free Fench Vanilla so I can enjoy it, too. =) It's really good.

Good Luck!
A.

try white grape juice

Our doctor had us use dark Caro syrup which is available in the supermarket.

She sounds very young...I'm so sorry! We've had recurring bouts with this as well. My current favorite remedy is orange juice. A cup of straight OJ will give my daughter diarrhea, but I give her a mix of 50/50 OJ and water and that keeps her pretty regular. A mix of about 80 OJ and 20 water can usually clear her up any constipation.

Good luck!!!!

Hello J.,

I wanted to share my experience with this because it helped my son. My son is 7 months old and still on formula but in the first few weeks of being home he was so constipated, it was horrible! My Ped told us to try Kero syrup in his bottle (1tbs-6oz) and this helped him ease through it. I've even started putting this in his rice cereal as the bananas are starting to bind him. It wouldn't hurt to try! Good luck!

I would give her melons, raisins, grapes and grape juice and sprinkle flaxseed on anything else she eats. Beans are good too. Stay away from bananas and apples (these are binding foods). Any food with fiber or is a diuretic should help. Good luck!
N.

Try Senna extract. You can get it in capsule form for adults and syrup for kids. My daughter has problems with constipation from time to time and this really works (better than the stuff her doctor gave her on prescription).

I hate to be repetative, but my son was the same way for years. I would increase water and juice, even half the juice with water. I didnt realize how bad milk was until I took my sons milk sippy cups away...once I did that he went daily! Assuming your daughter is 1, you need to give her milk, and you are doing great with the prunes. Just keep it up. I also used lots of vaseline on his butt to keep it moist. Warm baths too. I felt so bad for my son, he used to cry and not want to go. Now he is 5 and knows it will come out no matter what. Good Luck.

Hi J., I will estimate your baby's age at about 1 year. I think you can alternate apple juice with the prune juice. Do you give her veggies? and lots of water. If she is eating cereal, no rice try oatmeal. Just like grownups the child neads whole grains. If she is not walking you can also pump her legs, like bicycling in the air, the movement can help. I'm sure you will get many suggestions. Best wishes for a Happy New Year. Grandma Mary

this might seem weird to you, but if nothing works use a sliver of soap. Yup, cut off a small sliver from a bar of soap and stick it up her little bum. she'll go within seconds and feel better. i did this several times when my daugher didnt go for few days. dont worry this would not hurt.

I went through the exact same thing with my son. Here's what worked for us: (1) a lower-fat milk...his pediatrician said 1% or 2% is really sufficient, (2)a lot of fresh fruit, (3) apple juice mixed with water, (4) prune babyfood added into his oatmeal once or twice a week.

If you're still nursing at all, another trick that I found worked like a charm was to drink 4 oz or so of prune juice about half an hour before breastfeeding. It didn't cause me problems and it solved his.

Hope that helps.

Try a combination of several things. These worked with my son who suffered terribly.
Mineral oil - 1/2 tsp morning and night
metamucil in juice - like 1/4 tsp once or twice a day
replace white flour and rice with whole grains - breads, pastas, crackers
Soy milk in place of cows milk - doesn't work in coffee teas and hot cereals but tastes good as a drink.

Constipation is very painful and the kids start holding back to avoid the pain, but makes the experience worse with hard stools. The mineral oil makes it difficult to hold on and the other stuff creates the bulk and fiber to keep cleansing. good for all of us :)

Hi,

I am not sure if I missed her age but I would not continue to give her supositories.

My son was born with Hirschsprungs Disease: basically could not produce a bowel movement. He was operated on and is now doing fine today. He is going on 5 yrs. I am telling you this because I consider myself a pretty experienced mom regarding poop. LOL!

Cut down on the sugar. Water water water. You can even water down her milk as she is just starting on milk. Go gradual. Do not take her off breast milk cold turkey.

I give my son children's benefiber everyday or every other depending on how he did poop wise.

Warm baths before bed will calm her.

Give her beans with brown rice, Avocados(very good on her tummy) Apples, pear juice, brocoli, squash etc..

Take her to a Gastroentronologist.

Also ask your Dr. about Miralax.

I know you are not a fan of crying it out but is she is not in pain, or sick...I am afraid I would let her cry it out. It will only last 3 -4 nights. Continue to go in there to reassure her you are there but do not pick her up.

My son did not sleep through the night for a year and half. I worked too and it was complete torture. I would pick him up because I was ALWAYS(and still) worried about him. I babied him big time. My second came and I let her cry it out and they are both amazing sleepers today...making mommy a happy mommy.

Good luck!

J.,

I looked briefly and didn't see the BRAT diet in there.

I also didn't see her age. I'm going to guess a year from the cow's milk in the diet.

Banana's Rice, Applesauce, toast. OOps, that is for diarrhea.
that would be why I didn't see it.

prunes, prune juice, spinach (pureed still, as it will give her gas/cramps if she is eating it without being able to chew it like an adult), green beans (same as spinach), oatmeal will do good works for you also, too.

Mostly, plenty of fluids, but not TOO many, including water. Even if it is just a sip here and there of the water. (My dentist cautioned me on giving my son a sippy to hang about the house of anything BUT water).

Good luck! Sorry about the mixup, off to pickup my own son from his nap,
M.

Hi J.,

First, is she at least 12 months? Don't give milk to her if she's not. But personally I would switch to soy milk, make sure she is getting plenty of fruits and veggies, and you can even give her a fiber drink. That works wonders. Kids don't need cows milk (they are not calves after all!), they need calcium, and there are other ways to get it. Lots of kids have problems with milk and constipation. I'm sure you've gotten lots of good ideas so hopefully something will work. I'm sure she's miserable with the constant constipation.

D.
35 year old mother to 5 with one more on the way

My 2 yr old son Liam has the same problem with constipation. His pediatrician suggested giving him a 1/2 tsp of miralax in his drink first thing in the morning. AND sure enough, it works. Not habit forming, not addicting in any way. He seems to be doing good. He only needs it now, maybe once a week. The rest of the time, he seems to having a movement on his own.
Hope this helps.
Thanks

I had the same problem with my son his doctor told me to put dark karo syrup in his milk. I think it was 1 tbsp per 4 ounces. Hope it helps!

I have the same problem with my son. Sometimes, something stronger with prune juice needed. I to did glycerin but he screamed and cried so much, I stopped. Main thing is to soften stool so that when she passes it, it is easier. Putting a glycerin supp in without softening stool is going to force out something really hard. My doctor recommended Miralax. You have to call your doctor though for the dosage because I dont know the age of your child and mine is 3 and it says consult doctor. It has softened his stool. I give once a day. I would run by your doctor but this is what I have done.

Hi J.,

My daughter had suffered with constipation for several years, causing all sorts of problems, including delayed potty training,due to the pain.....Finally, we figured out the source, which was dairy products. We took her off all dairy (milk, yogurt, cheese) and switched her to soy products and for the first time in 5 years the problem corrected itself. We had used all sorts of laxatives but none of it was addressing the cause. Some people also suggest incorporating powdered probiotics and flax seed oil to help the problem. It sounds like your daughter is still very young, so I would consult your peditrician and find one that LISTENS and helps solve the problem at the source.

Good luck!!

hi there and merry christmas!

first of all you did the right things by giving her prunes and prune juice. i would suggest talking with the doctor. hang in there, you are doing the best you can. let's tackle it now because if not, pooping will be a nightmare. and when she feels the slightest discomfort she'll hold it in and the longer it stays in the more uncomfortable she'll be when she really has to go.

all will be well!

I am not sure if the doctors recommend this now a days. Years ago they told me to put a teaspoon of light Caro syrup in her milk.

Hi J.,
How old is your baby girl? Cow's milk is usually recommended after they turn 1 yr old. Also, it is recommended that you switch her gradually. Do 75/25, then 50/50 breast milk and cow's milk before you give her 100 cow's milk. Rapid switch may cause stomach problems, like constipation.
My pediatrician recommended that I used goat's milk instead of cow's. It is healthier, much easier to digest and is the closest to breast milk in consistency. Try it, hopefully this should take care of the problem. (It's a bit pricey, though) Good luck and let me know how she feels.
Best regards.

Hi J.

Prune juice is good and I doubt that your switching from breast to cows will interfere with giving the prune juice or you could try syrup of figs or orange juice works too. You could also try and rub the tummy clockwise at bedtime routine with a little baby massage oil to try and get things moving a bit by a massage to her feet apparently this helps too... also try to give cool boiled water a couple of times per day.....

S.

Hi J.,

My daughter had constipation issues for a while. My doctor said it is not good to use suppositories or enemas too often. I had to use both of those products several times on my daughter. She would constipate herself for 7 – 10 days. I took her to see a pediacttic gastro doctor. He suggested Mirolax. (it’s a stool softener without the cramping side effect) Which works wonders. You would start out with as little as a 1/4 of a cap. It is over the counter. Milk in general is very constipating and I would say to stop milk but since your child is so young I would just give the mirolax. (my friends son has been on mirolax since he is 5 months old) But as my daughter got older (age 3) she was having “control issues” so we just stopped the milk completely for 1 month and gave only soy (silk brand) and it was like magic. No more constipation. I would not try the Karo syrup. I would also be careful with introducing new food since “food allergies is very big right now.

Good luck. M.

My daughter had a similar problem. Yogurt worked great. Also, is she walking? Sometimes extra activity will loosen them up. Even crawling more will help. Good luck!

J.,

Good job with the prunes and prune juice. Try some avacado too.

Good luck.
R.