My 5 Month Old Son Is Constipated Help!!

I took my daughter to the emergency room when she was about 2 months old for what i thought was constipation (it ended up being colic) anyways the drs told me to try using a rectal thermometer, as gross as this is going to sound, put it in just a tiny bit and move it around very gently. if that doesnt work they told me to use suppositories, you can get pedia lax at walmart, they're huge yes, so break off a tiny piece and use that (those REALLY work) or you can try 2 oz of straight water and 1/2 an oz- 1 oz of apple/prune juice or feed him prunes. hope something helps him soon

I would give him a drink of diluted prune or pear juice , 1oz or 2oz to 4oz of water and let him drink some over the course of the day , offer some when he is about to have a feed so that he drinks it , should get things moving. My kids were all formula fed and this is one of the side effects , I used to give them a daily drink of water (offered before each feed) and over the day they would usually drink around 4oz , helped to keep things regular and at a normal consistency.

You can try putting a tiny bit of KY Jelly on a rectal thermometer and insert it just a tiny bit and then take it out, that may be enough to do the trick. You can try a belly massage or bicycling his legs a bit, or just putting him in a warm bath for a while to 'soak.' Poor baby. I am pretty sure that you are going to get a couple of very rude comments about the sugar in his bottle, (because I have noticed thats how business is done around here, boo to them!) but its a remedy that I have heard of, have never had to try it myself, many mothers use a little Karo Syrup (corn syrup) in babies bottle for the same effect, in all honesty theres no difference between that or sugar. I know what its like to have to wait to see a doc, but to ease your mind..if this even does...most doctors will not see a baby who is constipated until he/she has been for a WEEK or more. Crazy huh? Is baby formula fed? Sometimes the iron in a formula is too harsh for their system and can cause the constipation, I would switch formulas if this is a reoccuring problem. Good luck, hope baby is better soon.

A little vaseling on the rectal thermometer worked for my baby. You may have to do it more than once but they have the urge to push it out so it seemed to help.

If you give him diluted apple, pear or prune juice make sure you make it warm. The warmth also helps move things along. And after he drink it, bicycle his legs. He may just be dehydrated, I understand it can be very hot and humid in Korea which might not make you feel thirsty, but your body still needs the liquids. Diluted juice as warm as he can take it will most likely do the trick. Also, since you say he is not fussing much: some kids just don't go as often as others, and with adults there is even more variety (some twice a day, some once every 3 days, all is fine as long as you feel fine). Good luck to your little guy.

My ped told me 2 unces of white grape juice and 2 ounces of water would do it. It only slightly worked with our little girl but maybe it would help you. I also like these:
http://www.pedia-lax.com/Liquid-Glycerin-Suppositories.php
and when they say works in minutes.....they mean it. Make sure you put your baby on a nice thick towel and have plenty of diapers and wipes handy. The first time we used it, as soon as I took it out (and we didn't use the whole bulb, just half) she started going, and filled two diapers. LOL. Poor baby. The only thing I can think of is have you changed the brand or type of cereal you have been giving him. Sometimes that little of a change constipates them. I hope he gets better. Good Luck!

My son wasn't going to the bathroom for 7 days and first Dr said its normal. I found new dr and he told me to change formula to Enfamil Gentlease for gassy and fussy babies...ITS WORKED IN 1 DAY!!!!!!!!!
What formula are you using and are you giving you son cereal? Also i use to make an 8oz bottle of bay leaves and water with alittle sugar and leave out at room temp...That also worked.......

Try some apple juice or diluted prune juice. That has ALWAYS worked around here!

You could use diluted prune juice, half a child's glycerin suppository or 1/4 to 1/2 tsp of light karo syrup once a day. Karo is SAFER than sugar!!! And even gas drops have helped kids go too.

There is the bicycle legs where you lay him on his back and move his legs like his is on a bike.

If you can't get an appt through the regular DR, the maybe you need to go to the ER if one is available to you. There are ways around the Tricare system!

Good luck
S.

My pediatrician told us to put one tablespoon of syrup - the store bought, sugar ladden, pancake kind into a 4 ounce bottle of warm water. Give him that 2 time a day in ADDITION to his regular feedings. It only took one "dose." Good luck!

PLEASE call your pediatrician - they will likely give you some of the advice here about the juice being added, but currently they recommend strongly against anal stimulation to get it going.

There are many reasons they could be constipated, and the consistency can be a sign of something more serious.

Please call the pediatrician and ask their advice - as good as our intentions are, most of us are not up-to-date on current medical opinion/policies.

I'm sorry.... my little guy is just now 7 months and was going through the same thing recently. Anyways.... my sons peditrician said it was ok to give our little guy apple juice when we start him on solid food. He said the foods we start babies out on tend to be constipating. Then he mentioned the BRAT diet. You can google it if you're not familiar. That really helps explain a lot. OH... if the weather is still warm your baby might need a little extra fluid to help too. Good luck... my son is just a little older and seems to have outgrown it now. :)

Are you nursing? Breastmilk has a natural laxitive effect and the nutrients are easily absorbed, so he may not be constipated, just going through a growth spurt. My breastfed son went FIVE DAYS without a BM once and I was freaking out! I took him in and the doc said as long as he didn't act like he was in pain, he was fine. She felt around along his tummy/intestines to feel if there was anything hard in there, but it felt fine. As soon as we got home, his diaper was FULL!! I guess the tummy rub loosened things up a bit! (I don't recommend you do this because you might push something the wrong way.)

Does he seem to be in pain? Is he fussy? He could be squirming to try to learn new motor skills. A warm bath and/or bicycling his legs is a great tip.

I would not add sugar. You want to hold off on sugar for as long as possible. No Karo either!! I would rather hold off on cereal for another month or two, but in this case you could start giving him some oatmeal baby cereal (for fiber?).

You could see if there are glycerin suppositories around; I'm not sure how hard it would be to get around where you are. I was told to use 1/2 a child size one when my baby was a little older than yours. When that didn't work, I had to use 1/2 a child size fleets enema. Also, could you check with the drug store in your area? There might be a "local" solution we wouldn't even think of right at your fingertips.