Little One with Constipation

You can give him prune juice in a bottle mixed with milk or formula. If that doesn't work, you can also buy Benefiber and mix that in with his breastmilk or formula in a bottle. My daughter is crazy constipated and my pediatrician said that Benefiber is very safe for babies and children. Start by giving him 1/2 tsp once a day. If that doesn't get things moving, up it to a 1/2 tsp twice a day and go up from there. Just increase slowly so you don't end up over-doing it. Good luck - juices and all the other normal tricks weren't enough for my baby and she was miserable. She now gets Benefiber twice a day and it really helps.

B.

I don't know how old your little guy is or exactly how you define constipated. But depending on your son's age, diet, and overall temperament, this may be completely normal for him. If he's pooping rarely--even as little as once a week--it may still be fine. Even if this is a huge change for him, it may simply be that his "schedule" is changing as his digestive system matures. If he seems really uncomfortable, is crying when he poops, obviously has trouble passing stool, and/or the poops are really hard, then it's more likely that he's actually constipated.

The two big things to treat and prevent constipation are liquid and fiber. So in addition to juice (I've heard of using prune and pear; either way, I'd dilute it by about 1/2 and only give him an ounce or two), you want to be sure he's drinking enough, especially in this very hot weather. Nurse lots or make sure he's getting enough formula. And if he's still having trouble, definitely constipated, in a few days, I'd call the nurse or pediatrician and see what they recommend.

I've never tried it, but my mom has used a little corn syrup mixed in with a bottle of formula/breast milk. It probably doesn't sound like the most appealing/healthy thing, but if you're desperate, you could try that.

For my little girl the juice that worked the best was pear and I did dilute it. Good Luck!

Sorry for any repeats, but what works for my son is pears and kiwi fruit. Either one and he's pooping his brains out. Kiwi poop's gross because you get those little seeds, and it may be too sour for your little one, but pears work wonders and they're super soft.

if he is on cereal, try oatmeal cereal instead of rice, it has more fiber...and when picking out solids, look at the fiber content...some veges are high, like peas and some are surprisingly really low.

if it is a major concern (screams when he does poop, see a gastroentronologist. my daughter was an infant with SEVERE constipation and ended up being on enulose (kind of a liquid prescription miralax. still has problems as a 6 year old.

Pears, blueberries, plums: make sauce and put it with his cereal. YoBaby yogurt is great to start at his age, just don't get the strawberry (possible allergen). Prune juice has a bit much sugar for his age, so I would go with regular plums. Go buy some today, and wait a few day to ripen, then peel. pit and put in your blender and puree to your son's likeness of chucks.

You can also do a colon massage. Lay him on the floor and dress him down to his diaper. Take your dominant hand and start at his right hip. Put some pressure on his belly with two fingers, not a lot, and circle clockwise while moving slowly up to his ribcage. Then do the same motion across just below the ribcage to his left and then down the left side to his hip. PIck up your hand and do it again, just a couple times a time for a few times a day. Don't go his left to right, that is going backwards and can do harm.
There is also a digestion pressure point on the bottom of his feet, hold up his foot and lay your thumb across the pad below his toes. Roll your thumb across it big toe to little toe. Good luck!

Is he formula fed? Alot of formula out there is so high in iron that they constipate. My daughter was on Similac Sensitive and she was very constipated she was then switched over to Enfamil Nutramigen for colic reasons and we now rarely get a solid diaper at all much less constipation.

Give him pear or apple juice daily- diluted with water

Push the fruit especially prunes or similar. Stay away from binding fruits like bananas and apples.

PLEASE READ: Light or dark corn syrup is often used to help babies with constipation. The American Academy of Pediatrics warns that due to the potential theoretical risk of botulinum contamination babies should also not be given corn syrup that has not been pasteurized(sterilized) or declared "botulism spore free".

While corn syrup was a common remedy for constipation in the past, the AAP now puts it in the same risk category as honey. I was told you use it by my mother and mother-in-law and did once before reading this warning.

I would suggest prune or pear juice. I think the pear is probably better because of the taste and I think it's milder on their digestive system.