Constipation - Sacramento, CA

Hi K.,

Banana's can cause constipation. I would stop feeding them and gradually add them back into the diet to see if that is the problem.

On the flip side banana's are great when the bowels are loose! I hope this helps!!

L. Frost

It could be many things, the type of formula, or the foods that you are eatting. I would first try changing formula, maybe one with less iron. (which can be hard to digest) She also could have a food intolerance to certain foods that you are eating. An easy answer for this is to get her tested for IgG food intolerance, which is a simple blood test. I've done it on many of my young patients and had great results by just changing the diet of the mother or the infant. You can contact me if you have any more questions.

Have a great holiday weekend!
B.

Per my pediatrician, try mixing apple juice (or apple sauce) with the rice cereal. You can also mix a combination of formula and apple juice with the cereal which is what I did. Also, rice cereal is more constipating than oatmeal, so you could try the oatmeal cereal as well.

In terms of you baby being too young for solids, I don't think so. I also started my 4 month olds on solids twice a day (AM and PM) in the hopes that it would help them sleep through the night. I started just as you did -- cereal and vegetables. I then moved on to cereal and fruits. My pediatrician was fine with this approach.

Hello,
My daughter has suffered with constipation since she was a new born. One option is to switch the formula brand you are using, try manually expressing your milk into the cereal or just use water. "They" say all formula is created differently, but I saw a huge relief in my daughter once she was switched to what worked for her. That being said, I doubt you are putting enough formula in the cereal to really cause the problem.
There are a few options. You could stop solids until your daughter is 6 months. Newer study show that there tummies are more prepared for solids at the 6 months mark, rather then the previous 4 month mark. I started at about 5 months, but plan to start at 6 with our next child. One of the biggest reasons is traveling and running errands are so much easier when you just need to feed with a bottle, or boob.
Another option is to switch from rice cereal to baby oatmeal. Because off my daughters tummy issues our pedi recommended oatmeal rather then rice cereal, I guess it's less binding. I would also try to do less or no bananas and more prunes. Also go for some veggies. I can not think of the best ones right now, but there are tons that loosen them up. I'm drawing a blank on all my rules I had with my daughter :O) I believe apple sauce is also binding, but apple juice isn't...it has something to do with the skin? although I wouldn't recommend juice unless your pedi says you should.
Other options are to do bicycle legs, rub her tummy, warm baths, tummy time. I've also hear, if there's a major back up, to use a rectal thermometer and that could help (if you do that, make sure she is on a towel and nothing you don't want to clean is in the area...hint hint) :O). I read if you take you index, middle and ring fingers together, line them up with your index finger at her belly button and the rest moving down towards her groin, apply a slight pressure where your ring finger is, that should help relive some pressure.
Best of luck, sorry to long and please feel free to email me if you have any questions. I may have some of my old posts for constipation I could email to you also, if you'd like.
Lastly, keep in mind that constipation has to do with the firmness of the poop, not the how often they go.
Have fun and best of luck!
C.

The rice cereal is probably the culprit. My son had terrible constipation when we started the cereal because of the iron in it. If you are breastfeeding, your baby is getting plenty of iron. I started making my own cereal by cooking oatmeal with milk (you can use rice too) and putting it in the blender. Then I would mix in fruit. He loved it and we had no more constipation trouble. She should have her iron levels checked at her 9 month checkup. Our pediatrician was always telling me to give him iron-fortified cereal, so I didn't tell her that I had stopped (I know, baby mommy) but his iron levels were perfect at 9 months. I hope she is back to normal soon!

curious as to why you started solids so early? Babies can wait since she gets everything she needs from your breastmilk. Are you trying to wean her? Wait at least another 3 months before solids. Wait till she can sit up at least too (which helps with digestion). I started solids with my daughter at 8 months, she got constipated as well, so we stopped and tried again in a few weeks. You're doing a good job reading your daughters side effects. So now stop for awhile. good luck

I have battled with my 6 month's constipation problems since he was a newborn. The best solution I have found is giving him extra water. My little guy is on formula, so I add a extra ounce of water about every other bottle. Since your daughter is on breast milk, you could just give her a ounce of water sometimes throughout the day.(Assuming she will take a bottle...) Worth giving a try... My son has been regular ever since! Also, have you thought that maybe it is just a little to early for the solids? Babies should not really need food until around 6 months, maybe her little body is just not ready. Just a thought... Good luck!

There is almost no such thing as a baby eating too much.Unless your child is extremely heavy and the dr is worried about weight, let them eat all they want. Their bodies are using it. All the cereals are iron fortified and the formula is iron fortified. Too much iron is very constipating. Cut down on the cereal drastically and mix it with water instead of formula or just eliminate the cereals. Also, bananas are constipating. You will find the BRAT (bananas, rice, apples, toast)diet is recommended by drs when kids get diarrhea /upset tummies. Prunes are excellent for constipation. Both my children had 1/2 to one jar of prunes every day to keep them regular when they were on baby food - it worked wonders! For epidsodes of severe constipation use pediatric glycerine suppositories. Just put it in half way since she's so small. It will stimulate a bowel movement. Do no rely on this method regularly or the baby will get used to having "help" pooping. Good luck!

IT is probably the veggies that are doing it. WHen a baby first starts eating solid food you should stick to fruits. THe amount of fiber in all those vegetables is hard to digest. Also, cut down on the formula. Using some is fine but she could not be ready to digest it that much yet. I would buy 1st stage baby food and mix it directly with cereal and cut out the formula. My daughter couldn't digest cow milk until about 2 years, another option is raw milk or goat milk. Raw milk has healthy enzymes that help you break diwn the lactose and goat milk is configured more like breast milk. Also breast feed her as much as she is interested, she does not need much solid food at this stage in her life.
Good Luck,
L.
Mother of 6 wonderful children ages 15-18 months

My son gets constipated if he has to much banana. I would try a different fruit.

Rice cereal is EXTREMELY constipating, especially for infant girls. Check with your pedi about switching to single grain oatmeal or barley cereal.

GL
R.

My daughter had the same problem her 1st year and we would giver her 2 ounces of pear juice dilluted with 2 ounces of water and she would drink it out of a bottle and that really helped. My doctor said pear juice was easier on their stomache than prune juice when they are really small, but around 6 months we used prune juice also. We also switched her to oatmeal and made sure she had fruits that helped constipation every day (basically the fruits that start with P- peaches, pears, plums and prunes).

I would hold off, it sounds like she's not ready for solids and her digestive system is struggling. I know some doctors believe it's ok to start this early, but it should be decided on an individual basis. I started my son right at 6 months because he was so ready for them, but my daughter wasn't so interested so we tried again at 7 months and I always started with fruit & veggies. I believe our digestive system health is the key to our overall health and it's so important to let the little one's tummies be strong and ready before we give them complex foods. I'm sure you have more than enough advice so far, so I'll not babble, congratulations on your sweet baby girl!
K.

Haven't read the rest of your responses, but most definitely mix the rice cereal with the pureed pears. Our pediatrician recommended this when our first son got constipated, and it resolved the issue.

Hi K.,

My name is P.. I have a 16 mos old son. When he started solids at 4 mos. He went through the same experience. Rice cereal, banana, apples and some veggies (carrots, yams and potatoes) are biding.

My son's pediatrician recommended for me to delete all that from his diet and just give him pears, peaches, peas and string beans.

Continue with the the prune juice and push water if you can. Once she is regular again. Then you can slowly introduce all the other stuff back into her diet.

Hope this helps.

Good Luck!

I also started my girls on solids at 4 mos. so I think that is fine, but I would remove the formula. There is no need for it and it contains iron as does the baby cereal (and your breast milk for that matter) so that means you are tripling up on iron which is VERY constipating. Also, rice cereal is the most binding, so I would switch to baby oatmeal. Just mix the pureed fruits/veggies with the cereal for 2 or 3 meals a day. If it is too thick just add plain water to get it as thin as she needs.
I would also go back to just one food (not including the oatmeal) for a few days. For instance, just oats mixed with pears for 3 days and see how that goes. Assumning all is well, add in one more food for 3 days (pears and bananas maybe) and so on until everything is added back in. That way you will know if there is something other than the formula/rice/too much iron combo that is causing a problem. If you find she has a hard time with something, just put it aside for 2-3months then try it again.
Also, I would stay away from suppliments and such for babies. Even 'natural' ingredients can cause major problems with an infant. Natural doesn't always translate as good for you. Also, it is very possible to get too much of an otherwise good thing, like iron and other vitamins and minerals. Just stick with real food and breastmilk and your little lady will be just fine. :o)

Kimberely,
Your baby is a little young to be starting on solids. That may be why she is constipated (also b/c you are mixing with formula) and she is used to breast milk which rarely constipates. I would back off on the solids until she is the pediatrician recommend 6 months of age and then mix with breast milk. Also don't re-start with grains. They can be constipating. Start with veggies and fruit. In the mean time try some prune juice.

Brat diet - Bananas, rice, apples, toast. .... i thought was given for diarrhea. If so then i would drop the bananas and rice. Eating lots of foods yourself that are good for constipation might help the baby too. (green apples with the skins, grapes, reduce dairy and wheat,etc).

K.,
This has probably been said but Rice, Banana and Formula are all quite constipating. Probably all 3 together are too much for her. You can check www.westonaprice.org for some really great baby food info. The Price Foundation says that babies under 1 year cannot digest cereals properly. Of course, that's what we're all feeding them. I wish I had known when my girls were babies.
Good luck.
C.
p.s. if constipation persists as she grows no matter the food, then you can give her or anyone a Magnesium supplement. We use Baby Calm from Natural Vitality. Our baby has had a lot of problems with constipation and they were all solved in 24 hours of starting the magnesium. Magnesium deficiency causes constipation.

Hi
Congrats on your baby. I had the same issue when we added solids to our little girl's diet..prunes helped her a lot.
Good luck!
n

No more bananas. There may be iron in the formula and in the cereal. Iron can cause consipation as well as bananas. Once you get the consipation under control, try introducing one new food at a time for a few days straight before you try another. That was if an issue does come up you will know which food made the change.

My son had the same issue so my doctor suggested not giving him rice cereal at all. She suggested the baby oatmeal instead. We also skipped bananas and apples and instead did peaches and pears. Pears are actually one of the most fiberous fruits it is less likely to cause constipation.

I would give your Doctor or advice nurse a call and see what they suggest though.

N.

Hi K..... I have had 4 kids and grandma of 2 and am a nutritional consultant... some baby's do not handle solids well until 6 months. Their digestive tracts have not matured to break down the food and their systems get "clogged".. This is not good for them. The bananas are constipating.. high carb and the cereal may be a problem.

Start with vegs .. alone. .. this would be plenty at this age. I would not mix with the cereal.. The baby still should be nursing every 4 hours.. if her stomach/ systems are clogged.. she will feel full and uncomfortable. Also, you can add GRIPE water to her food and any bottles. This will help a lot with digestive challenges. Milk product can be an issue when nursing. The protein molecules are large and hard to break down. When nursing, the mom may want to watch intake of milk, cheese... yogart ok.. suggest organic or Keifer liquid yogart.. excellent inprobiotics.

I would also encourage you to watch a 9 minute documentary.

www.sharethecause.com/live

Children today are born with a high "toxic body burden" .. see the documentary. It is important to address this issue.

If you want more info, contact me via the "contact" section with your questions at the end of the documentary. Take Care..L. Medina ###-###-####

It sounds to me like she's eating an awful lot more solid foods than she should be. At 4 1/2 months she should only be eating cereal, if anything at all.
Prunes once a day tends to help my daughter, just make it a part of breakfast time.
Remember that biologically these foods don't come off the plant pureed, so try not to give her things she couldn't chew, it means her digestive tract isn't ready for it yet.

http://www.naturalmom.com/infant.htm

"The best tool I have found to use is magnesium. The formula I recommend is largely magnesium citrate. Magnesium nutritionally stimulates the peristaltic muscles to evacuate the lower bowel. It also nourishes and strengthens the intestinal muscles to work better on their own. It also brings water into the bowel. With the Reacted Magnesium that I recommend, I have parents start with 1/16 of a tablespoon in some water and work their way up until a daily bowel movement consistently occurs."

http://www.vitacost.com/Peter-Gillham-Natural-Baby-Calm

Natural Baby Calm, formulated especially for babies. Baby Natural Calm absorbs instantly and contains magnesium for baby's relaxation, comfort and growth and vitamin C for immunity. Contains no sugar or artificial sweeteners. No mom should be without Baby Natural Calm for a calm, happy baby.

Supplement Facts
Serving Size: 1/4 Teaspoon
Amount Per Serving % Daily Value

Magnesium (elemental from magnesium citrate) 42.5 mg 56.5%

Vitamin C (as magnesium ascorbate) 100 mg 285.5%

Other Ingredients: Magnesium citrate, magnesium ascorbate, stevia.

Free Of Sugar or artificial sweeteners, yeast, dairy, egg, gluten, soy, wheat, starch, preservatives or artificial color or flavor.
DirectionsBabies' needs may vary. Start with 1/4 teaspoon (or less) daily and gradually increase (within two weeks) to 1/2 teaspoon. If baby's stool becomes too loose, simply reduce dosage. Can be taken anytime, with or without food.

HOW TO PREPARE: Place 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon in 3-4 oz. of hot water and stir well until dissolved (it will fizz). Pour mixture into baby's bottle and fill with warm or cold water.

Love, G.. :0)

Hi K.,

This is very common in babies and especially as we get older.

I am a wellness coach and the first thing I recommend is proper hydration. Water is the key to keep everything moving through our body. Experts say 90% of us are dehydrated from the water that is available to us today.

We also need more enzymes as the soils are depleted and we are over eating today because of it. The body needs a certain amount of nutrients to stay healthy and we are falling short of them.

If you are interested in learning more on how to maintain your health and stress let me know and I will educate you more.

Have a great day.

N. Marie

Think about what you gave her when the constipation started (that was new). My little guy started solids and then got constipated pretty good. I noticed it was when I gave him oatmeal and squash in the same week so I eliminated both. The constipation went away and when I reintroduced them one at time I found out it was the squash. Prunes work, and if you are giving her anything else to drink water or some diluted apple juice helped him along. Also, I give him sweet potatoes or carrots and that usually helps him. My in-laws insist that sweet potatoes in particular keep the babies regular. It's worked for me so far...good luck!

babies aren't supposed to start solids until they're 6 months old. doctors recommend only breastmilk until 6 months.