Fiber Supplement for Daughter

I would first try more water and no bananas or dairy. Also a chewable vitamin C supplement could help.

How about smoothies?

1/2 organic spinach
1 c frozen blueberries
6 frozen organic strawberries
1/2 frozen banana
water to blend smooth. Blend in this order till smooth before adding the next ingredient.

I use this to get all my family to get more veggies. You can use a few leaves of kale, thats also very healthy and the natural fiber is great. It's packed w/ antioxidants.

All dairy products (milk, yogurt, eggs, cheese) can cause constipation if too much is consumed. Apricots, pears, plums and peaches are a good natural cure for constipation and so is prune juice (up to 8 ounces). If she doesn't like prune juice you could add it to something else or put it into a sauce over her food. High fiber diet such as bran cereals, graham crackers, whole grain breads, vegetables such as brocolli, peas and beans. Also you have to consider that fiber needs water to do its job so lots of liquids. Also make sure she is getting enough excercise, the more she moves around the more her digestive system works.
I think to give her any kind of laxative over a prolonged period of time would be damaging to her system. I think you should start with her diet.

when i took my daughter to the doctor for hard stool or not even going they told me to use purn juice it really helps

Hi M.---I'm reading some good advice from other moms. I agree that getting her to eat fiber rich foods is the best place to start. I am studying to be a Wellness Educator through the Wellness Forum in Columbus, OH. It is run by a Naturopathic Dr. who has her PhD in nutrition. So I have a number of resources to share with you, among them lists of fiber rich foods and those that are good for constipation. One thing I used for my husband after he had surgery to repair a broken hand and the subsequent constipation that came with his painkillers was bananas. I have a couple of books on foods that heal, and yes, bananas are good for constipation. Kiwi fruit was also listed, and the two together are very tasty. In fact, I don't like bananas and I almost like the combined banana/kiwi fruit salad.

I also work with other nationally recognized health care professionals. One is Dr. William Sears, who has written over 30 books on children and parenting and is a contributor to Parent and Baby Talk magazines. You can find info at his website, www.askdrsears.com. Both Dr. Sears and I recommend a whole food supplement called Juice Plus+. It has the nutrition of 17 different fruits, veggies and grains. These foods have been juiced, and the juice dehydrated and put into capsule, chewable or gummie forms. There's not a lot of fiber, but what is there is magical. It has helped many people become more regular. And you have the benefit of tens of thousands of nutrients to help make you healthier. There have been numerous independent studies to show the benefits of this supplement. Very few other supplements can claim this because they just don't do research on their product in the human body.

If you would like more information on fiber rich foods, or foods and serving portion sizes for your family, please feel free to contact me. I do not charge for any consultation. I enjoy helping others. Looking forward to talking to you. In health, D. ###-###-####
www.dianeshealthed.com

M., I went through this with my daughter also. I ended up putting Benfiber powder in her drinks. It really helped. Also see if your daughter will take a vitamin. My kids (ages 7 and 4) like the Flinstone gummies. The vitamins seem to help my daughter stay regular also. My kids don't like fruits and veggies so I had to give the vitamins to make sure they were getting everything. I hope this helps.

My son has problems too. His pediatrician said that I could give him Benefiber, 1 teaspoon mixed in a liquid or a soft food up to 3 times a day. I usually mix it with watered down apple juice. You will find that it mixes with some things better than others.

My 3 year old had gone thru this also. Her Dr advised using Benefiber. This is high fiber, and only works if your child is regular. A very helpful pharmasist explained this to me. (thought I would pass it on to you) When a child withholds going, it becomes harder and harder (the stool). This happens because the intestines naturally pull all the liquid still left in it. (gross I know) So the longer the child doesn't go, the harder it gets literally. This causes pain for the child and they don't want to go. I use Miralax - this is a stool softener and works great. You mentioned that you used it before. I stick with what works. My daughter has had this problem on and off for a few years, and this is the only thing that has helped. When they are regular, use the benefiber, but until then it only makes the problem worse.

Good luck. I hope this helps.
LJ

As goofy as it sounds - we often give our son, who has had a problem off an on, popcorn! Tons of fiber and he LOVES to eat it.

I use fibersure.. its tasteless and you can mix it in food drinks ect.. you cant mix it with carbonated drinks tho .. but it doesnt taste like anything at all . have you tried the fiber cereals, the granola bars by fibersure or they also have poptarts .. and they taste good and im sure she would like them

More water. Ensure she is eating adequate fat. Focus on fruits and vegetables and grains that have soluable fibre rather than insoluable fibre. And ensure she's getting lots and lots of fluids. Vegetable soups, homemade gelatin with fruit, and smoothies are excellent means of getting extra fibre and water in at the same time.

Does she take iron supplements? They are noted for their binding effect. As is cheese, particularly when it is not tolerated well.

It's hard to advise beyond that, though, without knowing what she can't eat...

Milk -- how many milk products does she consume (pizza, yogurt, grilled cheese, chocolate milk, pudding etc). Milk is extremely constipating. Have you tried taking milk out of her diet for two or three days?

Miralax is NOT good: http://www.danasview.net/miralax

Hi M.,
No one has mentioned this, but since I just found out a few months ago about celiac disease (gluten intolerance), this is something to consider. You can look it up and see the many different symptoms, one being constipation. A blood test can determine if your daughter may have it. I don't have any physical symptoms, but I do have it (from a blood test) That's good if she's drinking water and eating her fruits/veggies.
All the best,
L.

M.,

This recipe was given to me when my son was having some constipation problems, thankfully the issue resolved itself.
The person who recommended it sweared by it, I haven't ever tried it so I can't say how effective it is with any accuracy, but it is an all natural remedy so I thought I would pass it along anyway.

Take 2 cups of bran and 2 cups of applesauce and mix them with 1 cup of unsweetened prune juice. Refrigerate the mixture and take 2 or 3 Tablespoons twice a day.

I would think this would be easy to mix into some yogurt with some other fruit for a smoothie. Good luck to you.

Try Benefiber (you can mix it in ANY juice and she won't taste it). I use it on my 6 year old foster daughter whenever she tells me "I'm struggeling with my poo"!!! I also use it for my almost 91 year old mom who is staying with us for now. I mix a teaspoon in my first cup of A.M. coffee and within a half hour have a "movement". Hope this works for you!!!!! God Bless...............D.

M. I have been there! I have NO choice but to give my kids Miralax once daily. I have tried it ALL! Luckily, the problem is not a symptom of a bigger issue and my kids are otherwise healthy. My 4.5yo was impacted twice and I vowed that it would never happen again...it was miserable. At one point he was doubled over in pain and vomiting. The Miralax is, by far, the lesser of two evils here. The risk/benefit ratio is a no-brainer. I have found that a very small maintenance dose (about 1/2 tsp./day) does the job in addition to yogurt and plenty of fruits.

Good luck
~L.

I started asking if you would consider using Miralax again and then I read the other guest link....now I think that is something all of us Miralax fans need to consider. Luckily for me I have only used it very limited with my son but I myself have used it a lot. So I don't know if i have a good solution for you. But here is the rest of my note that I didn't delete.....

The problem with fiber mix ins that the amount of grams you get per serving is really small and not a huge benefit. As far as diet goes I know it can be hard to get them to eat healthy, but keep trying. I have finally gotten my two to eat green beans and brocoli with out too much complaint. Also look at any bread source she has and try to switch to a higher fiber form. My kids will eat eggo whole grain waffles you can add sugar free syrup if it helps. Also Aunt millies has a high fiber pototo bread that is soft and no corn syrup. But probably one of the best things for a snack they think is a treat is Fiber One bars. Good luck!