Bowel Movements - Dimondale,MI

Hi,

Unfortunately, prune juice is going to have to be part of his regular diet if you want him to be regular. I've dealt with this with my oldest. He has to drink 1 glass of prune juice each day. I cut out bananas, cheese, and most dairy and this all helps him.

Good Luck!

If you want to at least try it: regular oatmeal, brown sugar, cinnamon, fruit. Works great to get the pipes cleaned out. If that does not work, try the flavored oatmeal from the store.

I was told by my pediatrician to put benefiber in my son's bottle. it works, is safe and it is tasteless. you could add it to his sippee cup and he would never know. also prune juice really works.

I had a similar problem with my son after he was potty trained. I gave him oatmeal, used higher fiber grains (barley, oats, brown rice) in my cooking, lots of fruit and veggies, extra veggies chopped in sauces, high fiber crackers, granola bars, cereal, pasta. I also added benefiber (or the like) to his juice. I also gave him prunes (2-3) with every meal. You might want to consider adding ground flax to his diet also. Be sure he's getting enough liquid also. Smoothies are a great way to get in lots of fiber/vitamins/etc without a fight.

When he got really bound up, I gave miralax (1/4-1/2 doses) daily until he had a "normal" movement.

For my son the trick is oatmeal. I bought the dinosaur kinds (so a bit more sugar) but if you give it to him everyday for a week or so that should get everything moving that then you can switch up breakfast a bit more. He eats oatmeal 3 -4 times a week and all seems to be mostly good. Watch how much cheese perhaps, get plenty of water, and also a friend learned the hard way that too much fruit can cause constipation instead of help it. Hope this helps!

my son is 4 and he has the same problems, pebbles and all. I tried everything and stuff only works for a little while and then back to normal. i gave him a little piece of chocolate ex lax and that worked but i only did it because he went longer than a week without a bowel. ive been to the dr so many time for this and they just keep saying change his diet... i do that and that only works for a little while but he is also a picky eater. apples work for a while too.

My 3 year old loves to eat prunes every morning and has very regular, good-texture bowl movements. It started when I bought prunes to make baby food for my younger son. The older one was interested and I called them "giant raisins" ever since then he wants to have some every morning. I actually have to limit him to 4 or 5 because I don't know what more will do to his small system.

I know you have a lot of responses but sounds like he just needs to be hydrated. If he's already eating fiber and fruit etc. My daughter has a great appetite and eats fruits/veggies you name it but if she doesn't get enough liquids she gets pebbly. I make popsicles with assorted fruit juice and cut it with water to make it less sugar. She loves them, I don't have to fight with her about drinking water all the time. Also get creative with fruit and veggies. We make fun with celery and peanut butter and decorate apples with grapes and toothpicks. Even putting anything on a toothpick that she can dip is fun for her. Anyway a few fun ideas. Good luck!

I agree with the person who suggested the Benefiber. It is a powder that is completely tasteless! Your son will never know it is there! You can put it in milk, juice, water, or even put it in your baking! Good luck!

R.,

I'm sure I could use some advice for myself. lol. Does your son like raisins, or maybe prunes?

T. V

Has your son ever taken antibiotics? If so, he may be lacking the good bacteria in his bowels to properly digest his food.

Yogurt is not enough to restore his normal bowel functions. You can contact me at my email:

____@____.com

I found that if my kids don't drink lots of water they get constipated. Make sure he's getting several glasses a day. The way I insure they get plenty is keeping a sippy cup around them all the time. I also only give juice or milk at dinner. They get water with breakfast, lunch and snacks. If your son drinks alot of juice or milk water in down if you're not all ready. Good luck, I hope he get more regular for you!

Same problem with my daughter when she was 3 out Dr prescribed miralax..its unflavored and now its over the counter..what a blessing this has been!!!

R.,
I think you got some great advise and will use some of it myself. I did want to meniton same one said try bananas, they are actaully binding. So is applesauce and rice. Whole apples are okay especially with the peel. Also help your son to understand that everyone has to go and that sometimes it requires some "work". If he is constipated you don't want to add "holding" it to the equation. They do that sometimes because it is uncomortable. We talk alot about it when my son goes. We also talk about the importance of eating lots of fruits and veggies and how it will make it easier to go. He thinks it's funny that if he eats lots of green veggies his poop will be green. (My son is also 3). He is just an okay veggie eater and it's a good way to promote healthy eating in a way he can start understanding the benefits. We also read a book called Oh My Oh My Oh Dinosaur's...It's one of his favorites. It talks about all these things dinosuars do. We add in dinosaur's peeing and dinosaurs pooping even though it's not in the book. He thinks it's funny and says like me. YOu might be able to add it to one of your favorites. Anyway my point is to talk about it, encourage it and help him through the hard ones. All the nutrition stuff is really important but it can also be a mental game. Good luck!

Use benifiber. It's over the counter, kid safe, pediatrician reccomended. It's tasteless. Just mix it into his juice, water, or milk. Call your doc and ask how much to use.

I don't know what your child's diet consists of, but I am wondering if your child drinks a lot of milk? I have a daycare and I have noticed some of my parents give their child milk all the time, and these children are very irregular and they are pebbles too. So if that is the case maybe offering water more will help. good luck!

It may be well worth your while to cut out or drastically reduce large amounts of dairy. Try giving soy milk and products (if child is not allergic to soy of course) instead. And instead of the prune juice, add some dried prunes to his diet everyday. They're very good for you and there is a very good possibility that with these changes and keeping lots of veggies and wholesome grains, etc... in his diet, you will see a dramatic difference in his regularity!

I just heard today about something called Benefiber. It's bascially powdered fiber that you can mix into anything. The lady who mentioned it said that her kids couldn't taste it at all. I haven't had a chance to look for it in the store, so I don't know where it would be located. I bet it would help, though!

Try Miralax. My neice had this same problem, but would be afraid to go because she would be so constapated it would hurt. Her pediatrician told them to use Miralax and dissolve 1/2 a capful in her juice each day. Said it was okay for long term use. It worked wonders!! She no longer has any troubles and is no longer afraid to go. They still use it, and are quite happy with the results.

My daughter has the same issue. I took her to the doctor and she told me to put her on a small dose of MiraLAX. Its over the counter, about $12 for 8.3 ounces.
Just 1/1/2 teaspoons everyday in her morning juice, milk, etc. (I only do this in the morning, and if I forget, I skip it, this helps to be sure you are on track).
MiroLAX is not a laxative, but a softener to aid. If the stool gets too runny, then give him less, if its still too hard, then give a little more.
As its gets easier for him to go, give less and less, ...
Hope this helps.

One of the best fiber available is flaxseed. Keep a bag of whole flaxseed in fridge or freezer. A small electric coffee grinder is the most efficient way to quickly make the fiber fluffy and light. Little ones get a kick out of pushing the button to grind it up. Let them sprinkle it like confetti over oatmeal, salads, yogurt or whatever they choose. Keep unused ground flaxseed in a glass jar with lid in the fridge for about 1 week so it doesn't get rancid.
K. R.

I give my son enzymes (Digest by Enzymedica), probiotics (Kids Probio Powder) and Cod Liver Oil (Carlson's or Nordic Naturals has yummy flavors) everyday. He has never gone a day without a bowel movement. I found the easiest way to give it to him is to put it in a syringe style medicine dispenser.

have you tried cereals like Life that have a lot of fiber in them? any of the kids cereals that are high in fiber and they like are good. My kids eat the WIC cereals and have never had a huge problem with this kind of thing.

R.,
Try to give him Cod Liver Oil. Nordic Naturals makes one that is in strawberry or orange flavor. If you give him 2.5ml twice a day or 5 ml once a day it will soften his stool up while you are working on figuring out how to add or hide more vegetables in his diet. My 2 year old loves the orange flavor. I have also been dealing with the constipation issue with him (if I forget to give him his cod liver oil daily). I hope this helps. Be blessed! J.

I know it sounds crazy but try Bananas, oranges, raisins, and corn.

My son's pediatrician told me to focus on the "P" fruits for best results. Fruits such as peaches, pears, plums, pineapple. Also, "an apple a day...", works as a natural stool softener. Sometimes if he can "try" to go even if he doesn't think he feels like going might help begin moving things around inside and bring the feeling of needing to go sooner.

I suggest feeding him at least a cup of blueberries and/or strawberries a day. Berries are high in fiber. My children love them and they are very "regular". Also make sure he is drinking plenty of water. Milk is great for meals, but it can cause constipation. Good Luck.

My son has the same problem. He was so bad, we actually had to give him a suppository to get it all out and then start him on some stool softeners. We started with Milk of Magnesia mixed in his chocolate milk. He never even knew it was there. Now we mix a cap full of Miralax in fruit punch. They both worked well for us.

Dear R.,
Try bananas. They help with regularity, and kids usually love them!

My Best,
S. B.

Might not be the food he is eating, it could be he isn't getting enough water to flush his system. Try to get him to drink more plain filtered water. Hope it helps!

Hi R.,
As a mom and a nurse in the E.R., my advice to you is to try anything with oatmeal in it. Oatmeal seems to be more palatable for kids and it gets things moving. Also, try FiberOne bars. They taste just like candy bars and the fiber content is huge.....Try increasing water, no juice unless it is severly watered down! If your son likes milk, make it chocolate milk. Chocolate gets the bowels moving so he won't get so backed up. You can even use the Carnation instant breakfast packs for the chocolate milk and you know that not only is his fiber covered, but so are all of his other important vitamins and nutrients. The hospitals use carnation breakfast drinks to avoid malnutrition in sick patients of all ages.
Good luck to you!

The fiberone bars are really good ( i would say better then the none nutritious granola bars ) they also have fiberone cereal .. does he like frosted mini wheats , or get that fibersure that is tasteless that you can mix in food, drinks, ect..and lots of water

Apples! Apple juice, applesauce, apples with peanut butter. Apples are a great source of fiber, they are inexpensive, keep for a long time and most kids will eat them in some form. Also, oatmeal with cinnamon or a drizzle of maple syrup. He thinks he's getting a treat and your keeping his system moving in the right direction! Add in plenty of water, that helps keep his movements softer and more comfy too.

Hi R.! I have the same problem with my 6 year old daughter. I went to see the doctor about this and they said to give my daughter benefiber every day. My daughter hates fruits and veggies! This has been helping her. Plus I try to make sure she has some Juicy Juice because it is 100% juice and it acts as a natural laxative in kids. I hope this helps!

Hi,

You have to be consistant with what you give your child. With the prune juice, mix a little with other juice. Raisins are good. Try not to give him tap water.
Regular Oat Meal, (The Old Fashion kind) with fresh fruit, apples, brown sugar, raisins, Strawberries. Little or no dairy products flour or sugar. Introduce him to different kinds of veggies, cut them up and let him taste them raw.

T.

R.,
My oldest son who is almost 10 has that same problem to this date. My sister in law always suggested to me to put a little bite of mineral oil in applesauce. It is clear and you can not taste it. If he is a slow eater you will have to come by every so often and stir because it will separate. It works great I think its like a tsp. You kinda have to play with it to see what amount works. Also yesterday I was eating a fiber one bar and my 2 1/2yr. old came by and took right from me and started eating he ate over the whole thing it was almost half a bar. It was chocolate favor. They are full of fiber and are pretty healthy for you. They have a whole line of food out from bars to cereal. you could try that. They also make whole grain Ritz crackers and all my kids love them.

Do you give your son water. Children need a lot of water and vegetables. i had he same problem with my son but i trained him to want to drink more water than juice. Now hes fine

I have a daughter that is six years old and has had major trouble with bowel movements since the age of 2. she literally witholds her bms so we had to take her to a specialist and she went through a therapy group to help her, which it did. The most important thing to remember is this: Fiber is good but if he is not drinking clear fluids the fiber will bind him up even more. So if you are giving him 9 grams of fiber a day he will need at least 18 ounces of clear liquid to go with that.Clear liquid can be water (best), koolaid, juice drinks, juice, etc. If he is not drinking enough clear liquid he will have trouble going to the bathroom period. That is what has improved our daughter's constipation.
Hope this helps!

Is he getting enough to drink? Being dehydrated can also lead to "peebles". You body needs lots of water to flush all the toxins out. If he isn't taking in enough water, his bm's will be hard and dry.

H.

this may sound funny, but try some popcorn everyday.

Looks like you've gotten plenty of advice. If you change his diet and he is eating fruit and fiber, I would not be alarmed, but get it checked out. I give my daughter Miralax powder, it is tasteless and I put it in her juice every day and she still only goes every few days....but it helps. You don't want him to end up with encopresis, which is when the colon stretches and only releases the BM if it is big, and then looser stool can leak around it and cause accidents. This can happen if he is always constipated, it takes forever to get the colon to shrink again. Talk to your doctor.

Hi R.

I have my daughter on a steady diet of cheerios. She has Down syndrome and that can be a major problem with them but she is very "regular" and has very little problem. What kid doesn't like cheerios and in fact she is here asking me for more please.

Good luck
K. and Katilin

I have the same problem with my 5 yr old boy. I put Benefiber in everything he drinks. His doctors office told me to also give him popcorn, did not know but that has a lot of fiber in it. He seems to be doing better.

Is he getting enough magnesium? That recently worked very much like a cleanser to me!
But there are fiber products out there that you can add to food without detection. There are herbal fiber products out there.
You've got plenty of resources. It's all a matter of if you want to do something natural or start a regimine of meds and stuff. Vegies are also fiber filled. I'd speak NOT to a pediatrician, but to a nutritionist/alternative practitioner.

Rabbit-like or pebbly poo's are a sign of a congested liver. I agree with many others in getting more water into his diet and probiotics.
Make sure his diet is filled with fiber and a variety of FRESH foods, no WHITE bread, pasta, rice, and sugar.
Some foods that nourish the liver are also not very kid-friendly,
Broccoli
Brussels sprouts
Cabbage
Cauliflower
Garlic
Eggs
Kohlrabi
Turnips
Nuts
Seeds (especially flax, sunflower and pumpkin)

Good luck!!

Well, if prune juice works, it certainly is good for him. Whole prunes are even better. My sons are the same way and one has to take Miralax daily. It was so bad he was impacted twice. Miralax has been our miracle! Personally, I suffer from IBS and yogurt is my miracle...one container every day. Works like magic. Anyway, it may come to needing treatment, but if you can find a solution by diet alone, I would def. do that first.
~L.

Hi!
okay, you need to try miralax. it works like a charm! My son has issues and we tried everything. The doctor gave us lactulose and also we tried benefiber. Both didnt work very well. So we now use miralax which is fine for a toddler or an adult. You can get it at meijer on the shelf...its not a scrip. good luck!

I don't know what your sons diet is like but reducing the amount of milk and milk products from his diet and adding
100% fruit juices and fresh fruit is a start.

Hi R.- Just to let you know- bananas are actually not regulating but constipating! My daughter is 3 and we are dealing with the same issues. She is currently on myralax but hope to soon be off it! Because.... I am now seeing a homeopathic MD in Ann Arbor who really knows her stuff. Her name is Susan McCreadie and has been really helpful. She did a lot of testing and we are currently doing probiotics as well as some other remedies. I would recommend not doing probiotics on your own. You need to make sure you are buying a reputable brand as well as giving the right dosage - or you can give your little guy cramping and runny stools etc.. It really should be overseen by a doc. Hope this helps- L. K.

My daughter is the same way! I started givig her the powder fiber- It's made by metamucil- I think it's called Fiber Sure. Although I have not talked to the dr. about it- it keeps her regular. (I will in April @ her 3 y/o appt.) It's still not the 'softest'- Pears and oranges seem to help that some- but it's difficult to always keep them on hand! Orange juice daily also was helping, but now I think her body adjusted to that and it's not as effective. Just keep a good deal of fiber in his diet and lots of water!

First off, as many liquids as you can get in a day get them. Also, I try to sneak fiber in whereever I can, whole wheat bread, whole grain frozen waffles, use 1/2 & 1/2 whole wheat flour & reg. flour when baking, All Bran crackers, things like that. I also sprinkle in flaxseed meal on french toast, rice crispy treats, wherever I think it won't be noticed.

My son had the same issues. He went from a good eater to a very picky eater. He never really had "regular" bowels movements until he was about 7 years old. We just kept trying the fruit thing and pushed fluids. The doctor said he would develop a routine eventually. Warm baths helped when "we" thought he was constipated.