My Daughter Is Constapated - HELP!

This also happened to my daughter when she was 3, she is now 4 yrs. old. The doc gave us Glycolax ( prescription mild lax and can be used for children. This did help her and helped with regularity. She is back on track now. I think the over - the- counter version is Mycolax (spelling?). Hope this helps.

E.

We have had problems with my son ever since he was born. THe benefiber didn't help and neither did the karo syrup. We were having to use the baby lax suppositories way to often. After many things, even switching him to only soy milk, my pedi finally prescribed miralax in his drink every day. I felt bad thinking he was having to take medicine everyday, so he started drinking 2 bottles of the gerber apple prune juice every morning and we have had no problems since. Hopefully it will get better.

The Dr. gave me some colace drops and said my daughter didn't need a laxative, but that the last intestine was secreting too much water is why she was having problems. this did the trick, also I tried giving her more water, and fruit.

Have you talked with her physician?
GL

My pediatrician suggested the Miralax for my son who is not yet 2. I was nervous because I thought it was a laxative, but he said it was perfectly safe. It made all the difference for my son! He would go days and days (even from day 1 when he was born!) without having a bowel movement and now he is closer to normal. We still have to be sure and give him the Miralax with his drink every night. I did ask the pediatrician about the dosing because I was concerned I might overdose him and he said the worse that can happen is that he will have diarhea, but not with cramping or anything. If that happens he said to just give him less next time. It works!

Miralax...it has the same results as a laxative but works a little differently, as it is non-habit forming. After using it for a little while, you can kind of get on a schedule with it that works for your daughter. After a some time, her body should ease back into normalcy and you can just stop using it. A laxative, on the other hand, is habit-forming. Also, the benefiber will have the opposite result you are looking for if you do not greatly increase your daughter's fluid intake, compounding the constipation. Talk to your doctor about possibly having an x-ray done on her abdomen to see how backed up she is, and also to make sure there is no other issue going on creating the problem. One more thing...miralax is available over the counter, but depending on your insurance can be much less expensive as a prescription. Good luck!

My daughter had a problem with bm's from the time she was born. We gave her Aleo Vera Juice, we also cut down how much milk she was drinking. She would drink milk all day long if you let her!! Also, when she is having trouble, you can put her in warm water in the bath tub and let her play for a little while, this will help a lot. Remember to tell her not to force or strain, it will come out on it's own. One more thing our pedi. told us was to put a small step-stool at the toilet so that she can put her feet on while she is going. That alone helped. My daughter would even take her step-stool with her to friends houses when she spent the night. Try each idea several times, what works for one child doesn't work for everyone, and it may take some time for her body to adjust to each new thing you try. Good luck

You have received good advice. Try adding more liquids mainly water to her diet. If you have to push the water for several days as that will soften things up. Limit the amount of milk she drinks and cheese and things. Maybe try the Activa fruit yogart. Once you get her regulated do a maintenance with fruit or extra liquids and keep it as a steady level and her system should take over on its own. Another thought would be to cut out sugary drinks like sodas.

As a kid I remember my parents getting a laxative cocktail from the drug store to take (hated it) but it did work. I too would hold it until I couldn't any longer. Enough fast forward.

Good luck to you.

i had the same problem with my oldest son. It started when he was a baby. He once went in his diaper and it was the size of a baseball! I finally talked to the doctor again, and he prescribed Myralax. We started it right away. The initial dose made a horrible mess, but after that it worked tremendously. The doctor explained to me that the reason that he would hold it for so long was that at one time when he went that he got a tear in his rectum. So he remembered that every time he went it hurt, so he just didn't go. He is now 5 and will be 6 in September. We had some potty training trouble, but he does just fine now. And we have not had to use the Myralax in probably 2 years or so. Now he does good. This is available over the counter now. My husband has tried it too and says it works better than any fiber you can buy. Just an idea.

Prune juice or dried prunes--canned, dried, or fresh apricots... all work wonders and are very kid friendly.

I know that is so frustrating. I have a 3 year old boy who has the same problem. He is very picky also. When he gets really bad we give him Fleet Baby Lax. This is sort of like an enema. It's a small bulb-like contraption and you squeeze the glycerine up their bobo and about 5 minutes later viola! I like that you don't have to hold their legs together. They can get up and run around until it comes. I have also started explaining "contipation" or stuck poo poo to him. When he has to push so hard I tell him it's because he's not eating his grapes, or peaches. I try to give him a fruit with every meal and remind him that if he doesen't eat the fruit, he will probably have to have a lax to get his poo poo out. I know it's gross to talk about at dinner. But it really helps him understand that eating the right foods will help him poop on his own. He still tries to hold it in, but is learning that if he can't get it out himself, he gets a lax. I have heard of the prescription stool softener the others mentioned and might ask his doctor about it as well. Benefiber didn't really do much for him. Grapes and straight apple juice are what works best for him to keep things going. Hope that helps and good luck! I apologize for my teminology, but that's what happens, I suppose, when you're with kids all day!

Try original limu. It is a great tasting superfood that gives your body the nutrition it needs and is also great for regularity. Works with your immune system to help your body.
www.discoverlimu.com/jcarden

Do not give your daughter benefiber unless you have asked your Doctor. Although green vegetables are good you can also use applesause and Gerbers Apple/prune juice. I also add one apple juice serving to my daughters daily intake. You might try letting her eat soft foods for a day and see if it will help her. If she is still having problems after this you might have her Doctor check her out. Don't be alarmed but things may not be moving in her system as easily as you and I. And if she is still drinking whole milk it may not be digesting the proteins as well as it should. Again ask your Doctor about the milk as well.

I absolutely agree with all the Miralax postings. It is what my Pediatrician prescibed my daughter 4 years ago. I still go back to it when she hasnt had a movement in a few days. I have also started using some of the recipes that hid veggies in foods that they like. Sometimes it is simply the presentation of the vegetable that will get your child to decide that they do like veggies. The recipes from Seinfield's (SP) wife are great! Good luck!!

If she will drink fresh carrot juice, buy a juicer and a book by Norman Walker on juicing. fresh carrot and apple will give her stools an orange color so don't panic. If really stubborn constipation --and you can get her to drink carrot & spinach (it looks gross - and I add apple for sweetness) fresh spinach, according to his book, has an effect on the colon. Don't let her have junk food, if that is all she will eat, she is not hungry and you are only teaching her she has power and she needs to obey her impulses (think how that will play out as a teenager). One of my sons asked me my philosophy of bringing them up: My job as mom is to teach you to be a responsible adult and survive on your own. God grant that you will be a good MOM.

Glycerin suppositories are supposed to help. I dont know how you could get a three year old to accept a suppository but good luck!

My daughter had the same problem at that age. So bad that she had to go to the hospital for tests to see if her digestive system was working properly. They did a barium enema to make sure that everything was working the way that it should. They also put her on a special diet. Very little dairy because dairy constipates. So she only had 2 servings of dairy a day. That ment that if she hd milk on her cereal and cheese on a sandwich that was all she could have that day. Fruit, Fruit, and more Fruit!!!! That was one of the things that the doctor told me. Make sure she drinks plenty of water and juice during the day and if you can get her to eat it try to change her bread from white to whole grain. It's the bread that says 9 grain on the package. Their will acually be pieces of oats and grains that you can see in the bread. My daughter didn't like it at first but we called it her "special" bread and she soon came to like it and even love it because she didn't like white bread at first when it was o.k. to introduce it again. My daughter is now 13 and she is o.k. now but she still has some moments when she has eaten too much dairy. Oh, and when I said fruit that doesn't mean bananas because they will also constipate. I hope that this helps.
L.

You have some great answers so I will be brief. My son had the same problem and still does from time to time. We use pear nectar. Its in the ethnic foods section by the Mexican foods. I use one can a day until he gets back to normal. I do 1/2 can with water in am and the rest in the pm. You can play with the amount to get it right for Mallorie. Mirilax also works but I try to do it with foods if possible. Hang in there! This too shall pass. Pun intended. :-)

I have a 15 year old son who had a problem with this from the time he was an infant--the situation ruled the household (our fault) for too long! We tried every otc/herbal/homeopathic remedy along with cutting down dairy/white bread, increasing fiber/liquid, using incentive charts, going to specialists ETC ETC--he began at 2 'withholding' because it was uncomfortable after it had been many days between BMs--vicious cycle. Finally found Miralax (used to be prescription, now otc)--powder that mixes with any liquid without grit or taste. This starts as a physical difficulty and becomes quickly a psychological issue. Keep pushing fluids and become educated about what dietary changes to make for her along with this Miralax--Good Luck

.

Go get some mirilax. Its over the counter now, you don't need a prescription. You can also get a children's liquid laxative, it's brown and tastes like root beer (Fletcher's laxative for kids). I used it on my daughter when she was 2.5 or 3 and it worked really well. The mirilax won't work right away, it will take a few days so I would start with the fletchers and then use mirilax. in the meantime call your pedi and make sure s/he is okay with the mirilax. good luck. she'll be fine. i know it's miserable but it'll be okay!

Jennifer S. hit it on the head. the reason she doesn't like to go to the bathroom is because it hurts.
i would increase her benefiber until she has some loose stools and then slack back to the proper dose to keep them solid but soft.
Or i would get the pediatrician to give you a script for miralax. basically the same thing as benefiber.
both of things are not acutally laxatives. they work by bulking up the stool, and by keeping more water in them. they actually are not medicine to induce a bowel movement. you can also give her MOM, or my favorite, chocolate ex-lax or MOM chocolate chew. I don't know the dosage, but the MOM liquid would probably be about 5cc/1tsp or maybe 2 tsp. since an adult dose is 30cc in a large medicine cup. for the chews i always rolled of a piece about the size of a large english pea. and within a few hours....voila!!! if my measurements make you uncomfortable then call the doctor.
i would still give her way more benefiber, i would increase to 1tbsp now. daily and give it a day or two to see if that worked and a piece of MOM. once the stools get to a soft consistency and it doesn't hurt all the time she probably won't hold it so long.
L.
P.S. I am a nurse so just gestimate some of the doses for my kids. with the MOM and feel comfortable doing so. But that by no means that you should not double check with your pediatrician.

We also had this problem with my daughter at about the same age. Simply pouring Epsom Salts in the bath water will help alot. I never knew this before. But it does work. Try it.

Good Luck,
B.

Hey I just wanted to give some advice for your daughter. Have you tried rasins or prunes. Also even grapes seem to work for my kids. If her contipation is too bad you may need to give her a suppository. they have some for kids and are very gentle. But I would try the rasins first. Hope she feels better soon!

My little girl had this same problem and i started giving her soy milk the very vanilla and it seemed to help her go reg. and keep her from getting constipated. I would also buy the ensure for kids over by the baby formula and it helped too. My daughter would hate to got to the potty and would cry it is so hard to watch them in pain, when you are trying all you know to do to try and help them. My little one is 3 now and has seemed to grow out of this problem, thank goodness. I hope this works for you or you find something that does work.

Juice!! try as many as it takes to find the one, but one will surely make her go! My kids did best on orange huice, but my friend did better with her kids on apple juice, and there is always prunes, or prune juice. Have you talked to her pedi yet? She may be holding it on purpose because it scares her. Hope this helps, good luck!

Try giving her one piece of the activia cheese or yogurt for a couple of days. I have eaten the cheese before when I've had a "problem" and it has helped me tremendously! The doctor told me that it was okay for me (I'm 4 months pregnant now), so I would think it would be fine for a 3 year old as well!

Green grapes work on my daughter. Also, apple juice...not diluted.

The best thing I found was fruit juice or fresh fruit, try to stay away from over the counter meds. Good luck, B.

She may cry because it hurts her to have a bowel movement. If you are confident you are providing her with enough fiber you might want to talk with your pediatrician for suggestions on a laxative.

If she eats hot cereal, you might add a teaspoon of bran. She probably will not notice. Only a few vegetables have adequate fiber although they have wonderful vitamins etc. Skins of fresh fruit or vegetables, pancakes made with whole wheat flour (a little sprinkle of bran included), potatoes eaten with skins are a few samples of good fiber. There are many books that give you fiber count. It might help you decide how to adjust her diet, even if she is a picky eater.

Hi K.. I am an older mom of two. And I have a grandbaby 5 mos old. I had a very picky eater also. My advice would be to keep introducing the veggies and don't offer anything else. And also push water, apple, or grape juice. Even with the fiber you have to make sure she gets enough water with it or it just sits in the colon. Don't get discouraged I know it can get frustrating. I hope some of this helps. If not you need to consult with a doctor.

In an emergency use the gylcerin enemas they sell that are safe for infants even. They aren't a long term daily answer but you don't want her to become impacted. They are made by Fleets and come in a box of about 8 and are sold OTC at CVS or Walgreens, etc... They work very fast, FYI! Sorry for all the Acronyms! LOL

I'm so sorry that your daughter is suffering. I also have a 3 yr old who gets constipated at times. My pedi suggested lots of apple juice and upping all of her veggie intake. Also, you might try foods high in fiber like whole grains breads and cereals. Good luck, I hope this helps.

My daughter had the same issue. With her it started at about 18 months. The doctor put her on miralax. When she was little we mixed it with her apple sauce or her water. It is somthing that they take for a few weeks (she is ten and usually the dr tells us to give it to her every day for 10 days, then every other, then twice a week until we are off of it again). I would talk to the DR.

We had the same problem....chronic constipation, and had to start using Miralax and it REALLY WORKS!!!!

You can try several things:

Cherries - fresh from the produce section (although I have NO idea if they are in season right now.)

*Apple juice, white grape juice, prune juice

Pears, Apples, Prunes (try the "SunSweet Ones, California Prunes" brand -- my daughter loves them!), Raisins

Dairy products can be constipating, so limit her milk intake until she is "normal" again. Also, if she's eating cheese, stop that if you can.

*Also, WATER -- have her drink more water. Put the Benefiber in the water instead of the milk.

You might also check with your pediatrician about a possible stool softener for her. If she's had poops that hurt, she may be holding it in because she doesn't want to hurt again. The stool softener will help it to not hurt and hopefully, she won't hold it in -- because that makes constipation even worse.

Just try a few of these things -- you don't want her to end up with the opposite problem!! The main thing is to get more liquids in her, so definitely give her MORE WATER and try one of the juices I mentioned.

And, reinforcing her going to the bathroom (with poops) might help. A good time to have her go is right after eating. Try having her sit there for about 10 minutes -- maybe read her a story to keep her there. She might have an easier time of pooping if she can rest her feet on a step stool. Anyway, if she poops, give her lots of praise to positively reinforce the behavior.

Let me know what ends up working for you! Good luck!

My DD has been on Miralax now for a year and works great as long as I dont forget a day. If I do back to Rabbit Pellets.

She has been on it from age one and is perfectly safe.

Try adult Prune Juice and cut back the dairy (cheese and milk).

I know that this is a hard and frustrating time for you but you have some good advice here. My daughter had constipation issues and wouldn't go because it hurt so much. We tried the enemas, benefiber and nothing worked. I spoke with my doctor and he told me that I could get her to take acidolphus and natural enzymes and she should be okay. We went to the health food store and bought the liquid acidolphus and chewable enzymes and she has never had issues since. She is 6 years old now and we have her on the chewable acidolphus and enzymes once a day. She is regular and goes every evening. Good Luck!

You really need to talk to the childs doctor to make sure there are no real problems with her that is causing her to be constapated. The Miralax works wonders and it has no taste at all. My daughter took it all the time with no problems at all. She finally started being regular and did not need to take it any longer.

My 9 month old also had severe constipation. The pediatrician recommended Miralax powder mixed with her milk or juice. It is available over the counter. For my 9-month-old, we added 1 teaspoon each morning. It really helped. You should ask your pediatrician about how much and how long you should try it. I don't remember how soon it worked, but give it a few days.