Hi, my little six months old baby girl haven't have bowel movement for 3 to 4 days... we have tried plum since she is starting on solid food... She doesn't like water as well...what other foods can she eat to help her bowel movement? (what kind of food shouldn't she take that will cause her not to have bowel movement?) If she keeps in the same condition what can we do to help her?
does she seem to be in pain?
is she breast fed other then solids?
Did you talk to her pedi?
My pedi always recommended the "p" juices.. plum.. pear.. etc..
If she's in pain try a suppository..
Is she upset or having trouble trying to go? If she is not i would not worry about it to much. If she is i would just keep giving her purnes and stay away from acidic fruit. You might want to back off a little on the baby cercal too. As long as she is having wet diapers i would not worry about her being dehydrated. James once went 4 days with out a poop and when he did go it was a big one. I think his bowels were just trying to figure out what to do with something solid in there. He was not having any touble with it he just did not go. I would call the doctor if she goes nmore than 6 or 7 days though.
Get the baby food prunes that gerber makes. It always does the trick. If she does not like it mix it with appelsauce.
Hope it comes soon for your peace of mind
Alison
Apple juice is what my pediatrician always recommends (my girls won't drink prune juice).
I would stay away from bananas, rice, apples, toast, carrots. Those are the foods you eat if you have diarrhea. Also, the baby cereals have extra iron which can make it hard too. Peas and string beans or other green veggies might help soften her bowel movement. I would try pureed mixed veggies or fruits whether in a jar or blended at home. You can mix carrots, sweet potatoes and peas or string beans and sweet potatoes, bananas with prunes if she doesn't like the tartness of prunes by itself or you can mix apples with blueberries or apples with apricots. Those that are known to constipate are ok mixed with other veggies/fruits. Without solids, was she already constipated? My daughter had problems with DHA/ARA formulas. It constipated her and we had to switch to a regular formula without it. That helped with gas and the constipation. Hope you find what helps her! Good luck!!
Hi, I would bring her to the doctor that seems like a long time for a young baby. Best of luck.
I'm sure you'll get lots of food advice but also consider if this persists to take her to a chiropractor. Often times this can be very beneficial to constipation. She is sitting now and probably crawling so more pressure is put on her low back which may put pressure on the nerves. Often times just 1 or 2 treatments will do the trick.
Sometimes part of it is emotional. Help her to relax by being calm and soothing, hold her more with your heart loving her and put her in a warm water bath more often which will help her intestines to relax and release.
You can put warm hands on her belly and lower back (which feels nice no matter what)and just hold them there and send loving energy from your heart, which will also help the intestines move.
There is a tea for elimination you can get at a health store called 'smooth move'. Make the tea and use the liquid tea. It is mild for an adult but may be strong for an infant, so do not give her too much, you can mix maybe a quarter cup at a time into her juice.
The foods that can clog things up, are any foods the baby is alergic to (because the body creates mucus to protect itself), and milk products which are binding/constipating for many people. Try organic rice milk which most babies love. Also lots of kids these days are alergic to wheat.
If it continues, see a doctor because once the intestine gets enlarged it can create constipation problems in the future.
good luck!
aureya
I have a four month old and his doctor told us if needed to give him a little pear juice in a bottle and that it would work like a laxitive. Good Luck.
Try unfiltered organic apple juice. Not to much or you will get diarreah.
If she is eating bananas yet, cut back on them. They always work to reduce diarhea.
Tommy,
My son went through the same thing a few months ago when he was about 6 months old. His pediatrician told me that babies can go a week without having a bowel movement and that this is normal at times. He suggested that if he in fact was constipated to try apple-prune juice (Gerber makes one) and to use suppositories as a last resort. He said it is always better to start with remedies through the mouth because they can become dependent on suppositories!
Fluid is the most important. Add a tiny bit of juice to her water or give her formula if you are not breastfeeding as much. Make sure she gets fluid every time she eats. You may want to ease up on the cereal and give more fruits and vegetables (I always mix some in my baby's cereal). You can also add a little omega oil in all of her food. It is good for the brain and good for digestion.
Hi, I have a 16 month old son and he at times would have the same problem. You can give them white grape juice which will trigger them to give a bowl movement. Also, I know its not recommended, but Karo syrup in there rice cereal in the morning. Good luck and I would also consult with a pediatritian.
Try raw Papaya about a table spoon or 1 to 2 ounces of prune juice
She should not be going 3-4 days without a bowel movement. Ease up on the cereal and start integrating more vegetables into her diet. You can also water down a couple of her feedings of breast milk or formula (but don't water breast milk or formula all the time or she won't get enough nutrition). Just like adults, often the culprit is not enough water but at 6 mo. old most children will not like straight water. Baby food prunes is VERY effective as well. I suggest using an infant glycerine suppository (available at the local drug store over the counter) to get her having a bowel movement ASAP. Then follow it up with dietary changes to hopefully prevent more constipation. I had to do this with my son on several occasions and it worked well. Eventually as they adjust to food, the constipation issues will start to lessen.
Hi,
I used to heat up a little olive oil in the microwave for a few seconds and just put a little dab in their mouth and then rub the rest on their belly while it was still warm. It used to work well for my kids. My mother in law showed me this trick.
If your child is a breast fed baby, then 3-4 days is not an issue. Unless her belly is distended or she is having pain, I think it is not harmful. Bananas can be binding so watch the amount she takes in. Maybe only give those every couple of days. Apple or pear juice each day in her cereal will help also.
Trish
Have you talked with your pediatrician about this? My daughter had a bowl movement every 7-10 days until she was ~10 months old. When she would go to the bathroom, it was a very nice consistency and she did not strain to go to the bathroom. Her peditrician said this was very normal for breastfed babies. If you're using formula, it's also very common for the high iron to bind your baby, so you might try a new formula. But, if your breast feeding, you feel she isn't constipated and you've talked to your pediatrician, I wouldn't worry about it. My daughter is 16 months old now and poops ~2x a day and I miss those poo-free days!
Hi Tommy,
I have a 6 month old son, and we're having similar issues. According to my Dr. Spock book, it's perfectly normal for babies to go several days between bowel movements. It's considered constipation when their stools are firm. For that, they recommend 2-4 oz. or pear or apple juice. Since that's what my son had this morning, I'll be giving him 2 oz of apple juice mixed with 2 oz. of water in a sippy cup. I've also been told that only breatmilk or formula should be given in a bottle. If your dr.'s office has an advice nurse, you can always check with them!
Good luck!