Help! Started feeding baby formula and he has constipation: Mix prune juice or karo directly in formula?

mix prune juice in with formula. Titrate to get results. We alternated bottles with and without most days. Good luck! Gets better when the diet can be varied more :)

My daughter had/has the same problem. she was breastfed until 4 months then we introduced soy formula. same constipation issues. if you use the prune juice you have to use it every day in at least one bottle a day. she has been pretty regular since doing that, she gets on average 2 bottles a day with prune juice in it mixed with her formula. hope that helps,and it is certainly better than going on anything else!

We called my son "the constipation kid". As of when he turned 5 weeks old he was miserable with constipation. We would put a "splash" of prune juice in his bottle three times a day. It is about a tablespoon amount that it turns the formula a light brown color. In the beginning it will even make your child fall asleep because it relaxes the bowels and gives them comfort. Your child might need more or less. We would just watch how frequently he went, our goal was 2 poops a day that were not runny. We had to do this until he started with baby foods and solids then fruit is your friend, applesauce pears etc. We still have to watch to see if he gets constipated but he gets fruit and veggies with every meal. Prune juice was our saving grace and it is natural and not as thick as molasses or corn syrup etc.
Good luck!

A.:
I am now the Mother of a 17 year old! (my niece sent me this link to see an article of interest and I happened to see your post). Without meaning to pry, I couldn't help but ask - why stop breastfeeding so soon? As I'm sure you know it contains a perfect balance, full of nutrition for your baby. Perhaps there are other concerns or issues, if so I'm at a loss for what to suggest. I might also recommend calling your local La Leche League. They help mothers with feeding issues on a regular basis and have all kinds of info available. Good Luck to you and yours.
A

Hi A.,
do not feed him soy, or cows milk for that matter, this is the cause of his constipation! Also any formula that is fortified with iron will constipate. Experiment with goats milk. honestly breastmilk is best at such a young age, especially if he is having problems with formula. Being a health counselor, I have seen instances like this have adverse consequences later in life, like food intolerance (allergies) and weakened immune function. Is there a reason you had to stop breastfeeding? you could consider re-lactating with the help of a lactation consultant(yes this does happen) his digestive system is immature and will have a hard time assimilating anything except what nature intended until he gets older. I do not mean to sound so harsh, obviously this is a personal choice. Do what you think is right for your baby, good luck

There are 2 good options. One is Karo syrup in the bottle. You'll have to experiment - I found one spoonful per day (I put it in a bottle I knew would be finished completely) worked wonders. Other option, which is now available without a prescription - is Miralax or Glycolax powder - completely odorless, tasteless, powder that you mix into any drink - again, experiment with only a tiny amount and make it more if needed. Good luck.

GO back on the boob unless there is a reason you stopped, why is he on soy, did he react badly to the "regular" kind?

Is he drinking the same amount?

good luck, nat

I'm curious...is there a reason why you are using a soy formula? My understanding is that it should only be used if your baby has trouble with the protein in a milk based formula, or if you want to raise your child to not consume dairy.

I wonder if that is the problem? I would definately check with your doctor, your baby may be having trouble absorbing some of the nutrients from the soy causing digestive problems.

The only reason he should be on soy is if he is allergic to milk based formula. It could be the high iron levels in formula that are making him constipated if you recently weaned him you should discuss his constipation with his ped and also which type and brand of formula he recomends for your son.

Start breast feeding again unless there is a very good reason why you cannot.
Weaned at two months? Good grief.
If you had a medical reason for cessation of breast feeding, then you could try him on a bit of yogurt. Try plain with tiny bit of mashed bananas or applesauce mixed into it.
Best thing for him would be to relactate.
Best wishes and God bless,
Grandmother Lowell

HI...umm I am not sure but did you ask the prediatrician about prune juice. He might be too young for that. I was told to use Pear Juice. One ounce pear juice and one ounce water. You can add it to his bottle of formula too. My son went through the same thing. It is terrible for them but pretty normal. I felt so bad caus when he finally did have a poop, he would go like once every four days,it was really hard and big and he would scream when it came out. He will grow out of it though. It probably lasted about a 1 1/2 months. The pear juice worked once in a while but I really don't think there is much you can do. I guess just go with it caus now that he poops and eats food he is a pooping machine. The lull was kind of nice. Ha
C.

Some women add some breast milk to the formula as they transition. If that is no longer an option, be sure you are adding plenty of water to his diet.

First, you should not let anyone make you feel badly about not nursing any longer. I would really be careful about adding Karo syrup - having kids develop a taste for sugar so early in life has risks and problems later on.

Soy has been part of the human diet for 5000 years so your problem may well be with the type of soy (quality) and what it's processed with (alcohol? Other things too?). Anytime you have a dietary change, there can be side effects as the body adjusts. You could try adding prune juice regularly to the formula, not just adding a lot and then removing it. Keep track of how much you add and then adjust slightly until you get the desired results. Once he stabilizes, you can start to wean him off that.

Have you considered a children's nutritional supplement in liquid form that is properly balanced? That's another way to go - I'd be happy to share more info on that - I have friends who've used this product as a prenatal and also for infants, with their doctors' approval, and you could go that route to relieve/prevent the constipation.

D.

I believe she asked for advice not for people to ask her why she stopped breastfeeding. I find that is the most inconsiderate question someone could ask a mother. Most mothers want to breastfeed but for personal reasons need to stop. Personal reasons that are no ones business. No one should make a mother feel bad for that decision.

Any particular reason you're starting off with soy formula? The reason I ask is because I did the same thing - stopped breastfeeding at 2.5 months and started on formula but it was a regular milk based formula - there wasn't any reason to start with soy. Similac Advanced with Early Shield makes their poops exactly the same as with breastmilk - and no constipation. My son ended up getting a stomach bug at about 6 months that caused diarrhea (which in turned caused a bad diaper rash) - at that point the doctor recommended switching to soy formula for a short period of time because it is known to be constipating and it cleared up the diarrhea long enough for him to get over the stomach bug. Now he's back on the regular formula. I guess I'm just saying if there isn't a particular reason that causes you to use soy formula (you don't indicate that there's any milk allergy), then I'd switch to a regular version.

I had to add another comment to my response after reading a few other posts. Your question was about the formula, not about whether or not you should continue to breastfeed. You made the decision not to and I wouldn't let anyone make you feel bad about that. I stopped because I got a case of mastitis that was so bad I could barely get out of bed. I was so sick I couldn't move, couldn't even hold my son. Some people tell me I should have just stuck it out - when it comes to breastfeeding do what YOU think is best and what you're most comfortable with.

Hi A., I had that same problem. Is it bothering him and is he crying? Also, how long does he go without pooping. My daughter (now almost 3 mos) went from breast feeding to Similac Advanced Soy. I switched her to Similac Sensitive (she was a little colicky too) and now she's doing great. She usually does at least one big poop a day. You could try a rectal thermometer with some vasiline on it. Just twist it around in there for a few minutes. If that doesn't work, you can try INFANT suppositories. Be careful because I guess there are childrens and infants. Good luck.

hi A.,
it may just be the fact that his system has to adjust a little and he is going through the adjustment period which can take a few days to a few weeks. if it continues or it bothers you too much, or if he has any accompanying symptoms of illness, you should check with your doctor to make sure he doesnt have an allergy or sensitivity to the soy.sometimes it is not the fact that the baby is on formula, but the TYPE of formula that is the problem. if thats not the problem, try massaging his lower belly in tiny circles from right to left for about 10-15 minutes - it sometimes helps stimulate the intestines to contract and pass the food easier.

C.

My daughter went through the same thing when she was on a soy formula. My pediatrician had said that the soy tends to be constipating. I used to give my daughter 1 ounce of prune juice mixed in with her first bottle of formula every morning. I know it sounds gross, but she would drink it without a problem. And it worked great! Once she started eating solid foods, we managed the constipation with fruits and stopped the prune juice.

Stop feeding that baby soy formula!! He may be allergic to soy (my mother is), try him on regular formulas, if it's already too late to go back to breastfeeding.

Hi A.,

I hope there is nothing that is hindering you from breastfeeding because I would suggest you go back to that. Breast milk is nature's perfect food for human babies. It seems that your son does not tolerate soy.

Good luck,
: ) Maureen

Hi A.,
Many infants around your child's age start "irregular" BM, except it's not irregular, b/c it's completely normal and there is no need for alarm. I think from about 2-4 months both my kids took "poop strikes" and would hold it in for 5-10 days. It's quite normal and in no way indicates constipation. It's just there little systems figuring it all out. So, Are you sure your son is constipated? If you are sure and your sure that your son should be on soy (Mine is primarily breastfed w/ soy formula for backup and to mix with food, b/c he's allergic to dairy)than you should maybe try a new formula. Either way, seek the console of your pediatrician.
Good luck.

My son's pediatricians office suggested adding dark Karo corn syrup to the formula (I didn't have enough milk to sustain him so had to go with formula). I think it was 1/2 tsp to 8 oz, but you would probably want to check with your pediatrician. The Karo syrup is supposed to bring liquid to the stool to soften it, we found it worked.

My daughter was a little constipated with formula and the only one that helped her go once a day was the goodstart. I asked the nurse at my ped. about soy formula and she said it can often cause the constipation. So if soy is not needed for allergy reasons maybe try a different formula. Actually goodstart also has a soy one to if there are allergies.

Is he on soy because he has a milk allergy? Please do a little research online about Soy milk and products for babies, especially boys. Soy can increase estrogen levels in boys... so please look it up and see what other kinds of formula you could use.

When my son was that age I had the same problem, try putting Light Kero syrup in the bottle before you add the formula. You want to be careful as to how much you use, it will cause a lot of loose bowel movement, bellyaches, etc. If he takes a 6-8 oz bottle you want to only use around 1 tbsp. You can put it in every third bottle throughout the day and see if that is just enough, I had to step up to every other bottle for a little while.
Hope it all works out!!

Hi A.,
I have a 3 yr. old son and when he was about that age I switched to formula as well. because of the high levels of iron in some formlas it will cause constipation. my doctor recommended puting a teaspoon of corn syrup in a few bottles each day which helped sooooo much. some people are iffy about doing that because well its corn syrup but it wont hurt him if anything it will be better for him. hope that helps and good luck!
C.

Keep putting a little prune juice in his formula.
This worked like a charm.

As you start to ween off the formula, you'll also ween off the prune juice.

To think of it, my daughter didn't have a problem when I weened her this way.

Also, talk to your pediatrician.

He's probably simply constipated from the change - formula is so much harder to digest! Unless there is some physical reason you can't breastfeed, I would keep up with it.

Also, try different formula if you aren't going to breastfeed - soy is beginning to be linked to things like early puberty due to it's estrogenic effects, and almost all soy is genetically modified. Several of my friends make their own formula with great results - they found the recipe in the Nourishing Traditions cookbook.