7 Week Old Constipated

Old time remedies are the best. Just a dash of dark Karo syrup in each bottle. He'll be flowing freely before you know it! Really, it works great.

K.

I have switched my babys formula several times due to her bad eczema. I think for some babies soys can make them constipated I also know that when you switch formulas it can make them constipated. I was also mixing formulas at one point to get her used to a new one and that make her constipated. Apple juice has always helped her. Good Luck...

My son was/is also very constipated. My doctor recommended prune juice when he was very young. I would just add it into his bottle of formula or breast milk. I have also heard that apple juice can bind them up so it may be contributing to the problem instead of helping. My son is now 10 months and we still have prunes as a regular part of his diet. He actually doesn't mind them. Good Luck!

What about prune juice? They make baby prune juice.

try a small bottle of water each day with a touch of caro syrup ot sugar in it...that should help... sorry for the issue, it is so difficult to see a littlr hurt and strain... if not, ask your doctor...
how old is he? can he have cereal ( which is a grain, so fiber ) or fruit yet ? I do not believe that juice will constpate normally...but each child is different... but sugar will help...karo syrup is great and will not hury them...
good luck...

My daughter had the same problems, and still does. I took her to a gastro specialist and he recommended murilax. It can now be bought over the counter. Works great and doesn't seem to cause any uncomfortable cramping.

Call the doctor! Don't wait to hear from other moms, their not always right.

I blieve this ia question for your childs doctor. good luck!

probiotics and call a naturopath that is hooked up through an MD. Soma Medical Clinic had both Dr. White and Dr. Holk who are naturopaths and they can give you some healthy directions for your child.

Hi H.
My name is K.. I had the same problem with my son. His Doctor told me to put him on green vegtables it worked great. He was only two weeks old at the time. I kept him on the veggies and he became very regular. my son is now 17 so try it, if that doesn't work you can always put alittle karo in a water bottle for him that works to. hope this helps.

K.

Hi H.,
I'm sorry I don't have a solution but just wanted to let you know my son suffered the same (i thought). He only pooped once a week and the docter said that's ok, he probably used all the milk for his energy and therefore didn't have much stool. Constipation means he is in pain when passing a stool. As long he is not in pain while he passes he is not constipated.
Best of luck with your little one.
Mirjam

hello H.,

try lots of water (if your child will drink it) also prune juice or decaffinated tea. L.

I have a 8 month old that frequently has pebble like poops. I have asked his doctor and she said that as long as it is not rock hard and he is not having any problems with it he is fine. He is on the Enfamil Lipil, and a multivitamin with iron, so we switched to a multivitamin without iron since iron can sometimes cause him to bind up. I also put an ounce of prune juice in with his night time bottle, and that seems to help. Good luck!

My son was also the same and I was getting out of my wits, till a friend suggested babies magic tea. Since then my son is fresh with no gas and constipation.

Hello! I had a similar situation with my son when he was younger. He would go 2 or 3 days without a bowel movement. I am assuming he is too young for just plain water, you might want to ask your ped's doc about that. My mother had me try an old remedy that she used and her mother used and so forth. Try taking a q-tip with vasoline on the tip and insert it into the baby's rectum for a few seconds. It help to trigger the reflex that helps him poop. I know it sounds weird but it worked for me, again, ask your ped's doc about it.

Hope this helps!
D.

Hi H.,

When my daughter was a baby she was also on soy formula because she had trouble with the regular. She would also get constipated occasionally. Our pediatrician told us to lube up a rectal thermometer and gently insert it, only a little bit, in the rectum (just like taking the temp, without turning it on). She said it would encourage movement. And she was right. Usually within 30 - 60 minutes my daughter would have a bowel movement.

It isn't something they wanted us doing every day, but occasionally we'd do it and it always worked.

Best of luck!

M.

I agree with Jenn N (a few responses before me), but there are non-dairy and non-soy formulas available over the counter. Enfamil makes a hypoallergenic formula called Nutramigen. Also, if he was ok for a few weeks, and now constipated again, I would think he is reacting to the soy. My son is allergic to cow's milk, and although he can tolerate soy, he had a horrible bout of constipation when he was on soy formula exclusively for a day or two (I primarily breastfed, but was hospitalized for a few days and couldn't). It took him 3 weeks to clear it all out. We also gave him lactulose (prescribed by doc) to help him.

I would think the gas is good thing so maybe the gentle formula is working and you should get off the soy completely.

My twins were also constipated when they were under 2 months . We eventually found a formula that works, Good Start the purple one.It is already digested or something and passes through their system easily . You will notice that he is hungry more often though about every 2 1/2 - 3 hours. The apple juice is not helpful for constipation and actually will probably bind him even more. I don't think the doctor would even recommend juice this early either. If you want him to go right away before waiting for the formula to kick in , buy some glycerin suppositries. Cut it half or less and insert after you change him with a diaper underneath. If it pops out, hold it in for a few seconds . He will go after about 2 - 40 minutes usually.
If you don't want to switch formulas yet you can try some Karo syrup Light in his bottle about a tablespoon or less. But the best thing is the Goodstart which is also good for colicy babies. Good Luck !

I know that you're trying to help his stools to be looser, but did your doctor recommend the apple juice? I'm not sure that babies this young are supposed to be getting apple juice. My suggestion would be to give him a little breastmilk every day, since that is a very laxative substance. Unless you've had surgery which makes it impossible, you can relactate enough to give him a little every day.
http://www.llli.org/FAQ/relactation.html
http://www.medelabreastfeedingus.com/products/breastfeedi...
Here's also some good advice from the askdrsears.com website.
http://www.askdrsears.com/html/8/t081100.asp

I recommend not adding more water to the diet of a baby this young, because then they get less nutrients than they need,and he may be too young for cereal, but this part may be helpful....

CONSTIPATION IN INFANTS UNDER A YEAR
In addition to the above general tips for preventing and treating constipation at all ages, try these infant-specific tips:

* If formula-feeding, experiment with different formulas to find which one is most intestinal-friendly.
* Feed baby smaller amounts of formula more frequently, which gives the intestines a better chance to properly digest the formula. An easier rule of thumb is to feed half as much twice as often.
* Delay introduction of solid foods, especially more constipating ones, such as rice and bananas. Instead of rice cereal, try barley cereal. Good starter high-fiber foods for constipated infants are pureed pears and prunes.
* Ease the passage of stools using glycerin suppositories or liquid glycerin (as described above).
* Add one teaspoon of flax oil once a day mixed into baby cereal or baby's bottle.
* Watch for about-to-go signs. As soon as your baby begins to grunt, grimace, look bloated, or show signs of straining, quickly insert a glycerin suppository to ease the passage.

Hi. My sister-in-law is a nurse and her daughter had the same problem. She started puting a teaspoon of molasses in her babies bottle once a day. Worked like a charm. She is a mother of 4 and they have all had the issue. Good luck..

Some kids are also allergic to Soy, so keep that in mind. My kids have dairy allergies, and went through similar problems as infants. Every person's body reacts differently to allergies, so it could produce loose stool, hard stool, or even tummy aches or runny noses. It can take up to a month for his body to 'get rid' of the dairy so you'll need to be patient to see if the Soy will do the trick. Something that will keep him more comfortable in the meantime is adding 1 tablespoon of Karo Syrup to his bottle. It's corn syrup, and all it does is add sugar, so it's not like a medication, but the increased sugar will loosen his stool in a natural way. Add it to every feeding until his stool gets back to normal, then only use it once a day. If after a month of being on Soy, he's still having the trouble, you'll need to talk to your doctor about finding a dairy free AND Soy free formula, which might be by prescription only, I'm not sure... Hope this helps!

My top recommendation is 2 teaspoons of Karo (corn) syrup in every formula bottle and then adjusting the amount of karo as you start to get results.

I went through this with my oldest. She was on Soy as well, ans I have to say, it was the best overall. As long as he is still going you can relax a bit. 1) are the pellets hard and dry or soft? 2) switching formulas too quick can do this as well, sometimes it takes the body a while to adjust. With my daughter we gave her a spoon full (baby spoon) of stage one pears once or twice a day. Pears have more fiber and help to work things out. If his lil poos are hard and dry I would definately use the pears, but every kid is different and formula poos are very different from breat-milk poos. I'd call your ped. and ask if further change is necessary at this time....don't fret, it'll be okay.. :)

Dear H., my son was also constipated( painful to have a BM) and I changed his formula to one without iron in it and it made all the difference. The doctors like the formula to have iron but sometimes it's just not worth it. Depending on the individual,iron, soy whatever can cause someone to be constipated, and another to have very loose stools. Anyway, I'm 53yrs old and my little boy is now a 26yr old Lt. in the US Army, married and quite the specimen of a healthy very fit young man. He graduated from college with a 3.46 gradepoint average, Graphic art major, Buisness minor, played football and ran track, so I don't think the "no iron" thing did him any harm. Just love your little boy and feed him lots of fruits and vegies as he grows and he'll do just fine. Good luck, and God bless, C. D.

Maybe try just a little bit of Karo syrup in his bottle. Try half a teaspoon in his bottle or 1/4 to start with. I know I gave this to my daughter when she was a baby and it seemed to help. Hope it helps!

H., I am not going to be a lot of help. I breastfed, but when mine were constipated i gave them sugar-water. A couple teaspoons of sugar in a bottle of water and that was usually enough to get things moving. Call your pediatrician. D.

I'd talk to your pediatrician, but we did prune juice and mineral oil with my son.

corn syrup in his bottles may help, that is what was the suggestion of our doctor when my daughter was constipated from soy

Prune juice!
I have four kids, and they all respond well to prune juice. You can put a little in with their formula or give it to him straight. Its very sweet and sticky, so mixing it might be better. I swear its a sure thing!

We had the exact same problem! We never introduced juice, but did try to alter our formulas. (We even switched pediatricians because they said 'it would pass,' but it never did for two months....) He was passing gas, always grunted, and was VERY uncomfortable! Obviously, you must get the okay from your doctor -but we initially had to use 1/2 baby suppositories once a day for 3-4 days to clean him out. Then, we gave our son prune juice once a day to maintain his clean colon. =) Speak with your pediatrician, but having him drink water, warm baths, etc didn't work for our son. He is now a very happy camper at 6 months.

H.-

I went through the same thing with my daughter a few months ago. We switched over to soy and she got very constipated. We were told by our pediatrician to use a rectal thermometer. That worked. Then we were told to switch her over to Enfamil "Gentlease" for fussy/gassy babies. She has been great ever since.

When that happened to my young children, I used mineral oil. Just a teaspoon in the bottle should grease the skids. Just once a day, or twice if that isn't enough. It will soften the stool as well. Check with your pediatrician if you're concerned, but it works well with no side effects.

My brother's MIL is a massage therapist and gives this suggestion... rub their abdomen in a counterclockwise position. It helps physically loosen up their bowels. Also, dip a rectal thermometer in vaseline and insert into the anus. I know it sounds gross, but it worked when my son was eight weeks old.

we did corn syrup and warm water it worked

I have 3 children 7, 4, and 11 months. All 3 of my children have been on soy and what I have done when they are constipated is, I put a little bit of kyro syrup in the bottle, or I add just a little bit more water into the formula, and both of those have worked great for me.

H., I completely understand what you're going through. My son, one year old now, has suffered from constipation since we brought him home. In such a young infant, formed stool is constipation. At his age, he should have completely soft and mushy stool. Feel his tummy; it shouldn't feel bloated or hard. Here are some things I've tried over the past year. When he was a week old, the doctor put him on Miralax. That didn't help. Then we went to a pediatrician, who put him on Alimentum formula. It got him going, but it also gave him heartburn and stopped taking the bottle. Then the pediatrician told us to return to the Good Start formula and give him one ounce of prune juice mixed with one ounce of water every day. He said not to use apple juice or baby prune juice because the fiber is taken out of it, just to use regular adult prune juice. That worked for a while until we started solids at 4 months old. We were instructed to increase the prune juice to 2 ounces daily and to use rectal stimulation to help him go (using a rectal thermometer or the tip of an infant suppository to rub just inside of the anus). Things just got worse and worse. We ended up giving him suppositories and even enemas for a few months. Finally, the pediatrician told us to give him 2 tsp. of mineral oil daily. That did the trick! Also, a lot of people swear by dark Karo syrup, but it didn't work for my son.

My best advice is for you to talk to the nurse at your doctor's office. Describe the type of stool your baby is having, if his stomach is hard, etc. Ask if prune juice, mineral oil, etc. is appropriate for your son or if the doctor needs to see him.

I know how hard it can be to watch your baby struggle with pain. Please let me know if I can help or if anything works for him.

A.

H.,
I started my little guy on probiotics when he was a few weeks old and that really helped. Also, the rectal thermometer trick works wonders. Best of luck and I hope he feels better soon!
T.

H.,
I suggest that you go to your natural grocer and ask them where the powder form of infant probiotics are (they should be refrigerated in their cooler section). You can add the daily amount to his formula. Basically, what is contained in the probiotics is the good bacteria that should be in our gut and intestinal lining. (This is the some of the same stuff that's in the Activia yogurt with live active cultures). It not only helps guard immunity, but it helps w/ regularity in stools, too. Breastmilk contains a lot of this and allows babies to build up the proper coating of bacteria in their gut and intestines, but formula fed infants don't have this advantage. (By the way, I'm not criticizing your choice to use formula :) I used this w/ my 3rd daughter and it really helped. Traditional MDs don't always think of mentioning natural remedies to us - they just switch formulas. I now go to a family doctor who is a traditional MD and also has a degree in holistic medicine. She suggested this and now I give it in chewable tablet form to my older kids every day, too. Try this and I really think it will help. But be sure to ask for the powder form that is specifically for babies - it will work the best. Good luck!

H.,

I think its the apple juice. It can lead to constipation. Apples are normally given during Diarhhea. I normally give my son apple sauce when he is having loose BM. Try stopping the juice for a few days and see how he is doing.

Have you tried giving him water? Do you give him straight apple juice or mixed with water. Sometimes that can help. When my son was three and I was potty training he had the same problem. The ER doctor said my son was probably afraid and was holding it.They gave him a shot and he went INSTANTLY. No problems from then on.

From my experience every child's body works differently. My daughters eat exactly the same things and have totally different bowel movements. It could be the soy or maybe his body is changing.

I would make sure that he is really hydrated first of all. It looks like that is not the issue, but mentioned it to be sure. How many ounces of fluid does he consume a day? May want to check with your ped or the internet about the proper amount of fluids for a child that age.

Then I would try to introduce some things in his diet that will alleviate the problem. Are you against trying baby food prunes or apple sauce? Once I started my younger daughter on foods of that nature her constipation cleared right up. She was breastfed so it wasn't a formula issue...her little body just didn't process like the older ones did. I started giving her baby prunes, apple sauce, and so on. Now I took fresh, organic veggies and steamed them soft...then mashed them for her. Sweet potatoes, green beans, carrots, apples, prunes and so on. It worked and she didn't get cranky with the change at all...As a matter of fact it seemed to make her a happier baby because she wasn't constipated all the time.

Not sure what else you could try. I've also heard that a little Kool-Aid (no sugar) clears it up too...but I never tried that. That is an old timey mountain people remedy. If it would have persisted I would have tried it, but many are nervous about things of that nature as they should be.

Good luck with the little one.

try adding prune juice instead of apple juice

Hi my name is S.. I'm new to the site. My baby's doctor told us to give her Ksro Syrup, the dark kind NOT clear. It worked great. A table spoon once a day in his formula will help. We would give it to her in her first bottle of the day. We were told to hold off on juice as long as possible because it will be hard to get her to drink milk and water. We started water at about five or six months. We gave the Karo for about a month although it might not take that long for him to become regular. Our baby is on Alimentum formula which is easier on her stomach. Hope this helped. Good luck.

S.

Hi H.,
Sorry, about your baby. l think you should google any question you have about your baby. Anything l want l google it and get some good results. As an adult l use Himalayan Sea Salt for constipation. He's lacking some minerals. He's a baby you have to be also very careful. Make sure is all natural stuff. Good Luck!
T. B

Our now 4 month old was that way- she would only go once every 5-6 days and it was like a little rock- she had Horrible gas bubbles in her lower stomach. We switched to a partially broken down formula and also put a folded blanket under the head of her crib mattress- this propped her up just a touch as she slept which kept things on a downward slope in her stomach and intestines to help move things along. My doctor also told me to use an infant suppository that you can get at the drug store- it's some kind of sugar type suppository. But the formula change and belly rubbing (in a clockwise motion) and the slanted sleeping position did the trick after just a few days. Hope this helps!

both of my sons had issues w/constipation. Neither one of them could handle the iron in the formula. I put both on low-iron formula and that was the end of the pooping issues. And just FYI their iron was always normal when their blood was tested. It really isn't worth having a miserable baby just because the doctor says he should be on iron formula. There is no book to having healthy babies. They aren't all alike and they can't all handle the same things.

Also, my daughter has never had any pooping issues. We put her on Target brand formula (it's exactly the same as name brand formula) and she did awesome. I recommended it to my brother for his baby and they put him on it and he has never had any constipations issues either. Just something to think about.