Ok, We Started Solid Foods and Now He's Constipated! Help!

I would stay away from apples, they are binding just like rice and bananas. You can try "p" foods that might help with the constipation... pears, peas, prunes, plums.

applesauce tends to constipate my daughter. Pears and prunes are great. I used to make pearsauce in my food processor for my dd.

when my daughter got really constipated my pedi told me to try prune juice cut in 1/2 with water

prunes pears and oatmeal. my son was always constipated from day one and if i kept these in his diet regularly we had no issues. Prunes make stuff happen quick, so dont give them every day. id say 2-3 times a week.. pears are good to have very often, and lay off the rice cereal and just stick to oatmeal. Good Luck, and if you need to call your pediatrician, please do. You may have to buy suppositories if he doesnt produce a bm in a few days. Good Luck!

Those prunes worked on my kids! Just be prepared for a mess!

Prunes and carrots always did the trick for both of my kiddos.
Good luck!!

Hi--
Grains are constipating to babies because the body does not start to produce amylase--the enzyme that digests starches--until around 1 year of age. So I would say take him totally off grains all together. Start with vegetables rather than fruits because then he is more likely to eat them when he gets older. You can also do prunes to help clear him out. Make sure he's getting plenty of fluids as well---solid foods are only necessary for nutrition after 1 year of age. Until then they are only practice, so always give breast milk/formula BEFORE giving solid foods. It has more nutrients and is better balanced.
Good luck!
J.

Prunes! My daughter had the same issue at first, so we started giving her prunes any time she didn't poop over a 24-hour period. My doctor also suggested giving her a little water at mealtime. Good luck!

First off, no more cereal for a couple of days. You can try feeding him plum baby food, peaches may work too, in general fruits that start with the letter "p" are good for constipation. Applesauce may actually contribute to constipation. If he is breastfeeding, breastmilk is good for constipation too. If he is on formula, try adding a 4 oz. bottle of plain water or a bottle of 2 oz. apple juice and 2 oz. water to his day. Another great way to alleviate constipation is abdominal massage; use a little oil (baby oil or even olive oil works great) and rub his tummy in a CLOCKWISE direction. You can get more complete instructions online if you Google infant massage, the massage for colic is good for constipation too. Don't be afraid to use some pressure, a feather-light touch will not help get things moving. Of course it should not be painful for your baby though! Best of luck to you!

Prunes. My son loved prunes but they ran right through him. So every once in a while when he gets stopped up, I give him prunes.

sweet potatoes! my little guy didn't poop for 5 days when he first started solids. my pediatrician told me sweet potatoes so i make sure he gets those at least every other day, and now he poops at least every other day. also, if his poop is still liquidy he's not really constipated even if he doesn't poop as often...

We had the same issue w/ our boys. We would add applejuice or prune juice to their formula or milk. We still have this issue today (ages 3 & 4) I try to get them to drink lots of water. They say its the best thing for you. Good luck.

You could also try maybe bran in the solids, mix it up in pancakes. Not sure how well it would do but isn't that supposed to be good for the intestines as well?

Apple sauce also causes constipation. Sweet potato is what I found to be one of the best early foods for my son. I baked one until really soft and then would mash it with some plain whole milk yogurt. He loved it. I don't recommend baby food sweet potato as it tastes nothing like a real one. Sweet potato also combats constipation. Good luck!

Our pediatrician said to give our little guy anything that starts with "p"--pears, prunes, peaches, etc.

Neither.

Cut out the solids for 1-3 months and keep him completely on breast milk or formula. His digestive system is just showing you that he's not ready for solids yet. Only about half of babies are ready for solids at 6mo. Just back off and let his tummy and intestines mature a bit longer.

Yep, super common to have them get blocked up. My doctor told me that barley is the least constipating of the grains and that all baby foods that start with p are helpful with it too. So pears, prunes/plums, pineapple, and i am guessing that may be true for the veggies too. Also make sure that your baby is getting enough liquids. If u r brestfeedimg stay away from broccoli and other foods that effect the baby like that. Or if bottle feeding/zippy cup make sure to have them drink some water with everyeal too. Good luck!

It's not too much and it's not too early. If he were 4 months old I'd jump on that bandwagon, but 6 months is the perfect time to start introducing solids. Waiting until you are approaching the year mark can actually be a detriment not only to baby's health but to baby's development as well. There are golden time periods to introduce certain things to children, and 6 months seems right about that magic time with solids for most babies.
That said, there is no need to give rice cereal-it is nearly a nutritional zero and does nothing but plug most babies up! After starting my first few babies on it as is traditionally done, I realized this and thereafter started my kids on fruits and veggies and they have done so much better!
Most veggies will be good to help get things moving. Applesauce is a binder like bananas (though apple juice will loosen things up). One thing you can try is mixing the oatmeal (or rice if you choose to continue with it) with peaches or pears or prunes instead of whatever liquid you are mixing it with now. Just make sure you introduce whatever you are mixing it with separately before giving them two together.
As long as your baby goes 2-3 days in between new foods without problem, keep on forging forward. Sometimes it will take a little while for their systems to learn how to work with solids and that's ok. Painful constipation is not ok, so just keep an eye on things. good luck, and enjoy the fun of teaching him about all the great flavors out there! :)

Give him PEARS. My DD went 6 days without a BM after we began solids. I cut back on the rice cereal and gave her 1 oz of water mixed with 1 ounce of pear juice. Applesauce is not as effective-- it's part of the BRAT diet to relieve diarrhea so you're headed in the wrong direction there. To be sure we have good BMs on a daily basis I make sure she gets 3 oz of pureed pears everyday. Works well on her system. Definitely call your doctor to let him/her know what's going on.

Breast milk is what he really needs, and all he really needs for the first year. All other food is just a taste experience for now and probably not more than twice a day. Certainly some fruit could help, like prunes etc. but not apple, it can also constipate and most fruit is very sweet. That may not be your best bet for getting him to eat other good foods later. The nutritional content to rice cereal is debatable if any, many will say do not waste your money on this. I have had several children and I say do not waste your money or time on this. Oatmeal is ok as long as it is not some instant packed full of sugar calories, but babies do not really digest grain well for the whole first year, so he really doesn't need this at all for now. Banana is likely your real culprit for the constipation. If anything of these oatmeal should help regulate / stimulate the bowels when he is older but not right now. Are you breast feeding? If so, he doesn't really need much solid food right now nutritionally speaking. The best way to go for food is get a decent little hand crank food mill and put your cooked veggies in there and mash a little up for him. Start on veggies not fruit and may season really mildly. The quick and easy food press on whatever you are cooking for everyone else really is the best way to go, and as you keep introducing foods to him he will get plenty of variety. Note: Just because they won't eat it once does not mean they won't eat it later. Just always give them a good variety of healthy choices and they will develop good habits. Breast feed for a long time, one of the best sources of nutrition and disease fighting help for them. They need the extra liquid if you are introducing foods at all.
Lots of great books out on making your own baby food but keep it simple start with what you prepare for everyone else, and if freezing homemade food use ice cube trays, great size and convenient, just pop tray into good quality freezer bag. Happy feeding!

Banana's are very very constipating. When I worked in a group home we didn't even buy them. Several of the people who lived there had to take stool softener due to medication side effects and the RV said no bananas. Maybe use a different fruit. I know that banana's are usually very well liked but they may be the culprit.

Sweet potatoes always got things moving for my kids. Just be prepared for a major explosion :).

Hello :o)

I had the same problem, and I discovered that if I made some chamomile herb tea (with no sweetener), let it cool and gave it to my baby (one bottle a day..4oz) it made all the difference for his digestive system. Hope this helps!

Prunes - it's good for them, and helps them stay regular. You don't have to stick to bananas only for any length of time. You can mix the prunes with the bananas if you want to. I bought the prunes in the bulk foods and steamed them and pureed them.

Don't let people tell you it's to omuch too soon either. If he wants it, give it to him. If he doesn't, then don't. People are so blind to the possibilities and owned by food companies - he can have multi-grain cereal too, and oatmeal is totally fine. I wouldn't push anything, but let him try it!! Don't be silly and be influenced by Gerber's decision to only feed white rice cereal!!

Ditto Riley 100%

From what you described... he is REALLY eating too much, too many things and just too soon.

Our Ped said: SINGLE grain cereal. NOT multi-grain nor whole grain. A baby's system, cannot... handle multi-grains yet. Nor digest it like an adult. Bananas are also binding. Rice cereal can also be binding. But it has to be single grain cereal.

But aside from that, I would as Riley said, just breastfeed him. No solids yet.

Solids for the 1st year is only an introduction to eating. Not their main course. They don't even have to eat 'solids' 3 times a day like adults. Just 1 teaspoon or 1 tablespoon, is a 'serving size' for a baby.

For the 1st year, breastmilk/Formula is a baby's PRIMARY source of nutrition. NOT solids and not other liquids.
And to nurse, on demand.

What some people do, is to lessen nursing, when solids are started. But this is not the way to go. Nursing should still be done... On-demand, 24/7, day and night.
Replacing nursings with solids... is not good. Solids are not nutritionally adequate, compared to breastmilk/Formula.

In a nutshell: too much, too soon. And, (I don't know if you are doing this), but do not give solids, 3-times a day. Yet. Frequency of solids, is something that is gradually worked up to, during the course of the 1st year.

I would just breastfeed him, still. Try solids again later.
His system, is not ready. And hard stool, can really block up a baby's system.