Desperately Seeking Help for My Two Year Olds Problems with Constipation.

If she's already eating enough fiber, she may need to increase her water, not juice or milk, just good, plain water.

My daughter had the same problem and my mother toll me to give her virgin alive oil every day, she hasn't had that problem.. Try it and let me know.

Hi Christie,
My daughter is 8 now, but we went through this very same thing around a year and a a half. We actually had to use a supository to fianally relieve her~~~and me~~~It was so hard to see her in such discomfort. Anyway, after that the Dr. instructed us that she did need fat in her diet~~ as it helps things "move". We also switched her to soy milk witch seemed to help. Good luck. Christi

Been through it, my daughter started around your daughters age and things went from bad to worse, she wasn't "cured" of her problem until she was 5! (Her constipation eventually turned in to Encopresis). She is almost 7 now and things are great in the BM department. That all being said, the longer your little one goes in between bm's the more stretched out her colon gets to the point her poop will become impacted and she won't be able to poop on her own. So, hopefully - you aren't there yet. Is this a one time thing or is she constipated often? If it's a one time thing, you may want to do an enema (you don't want to do this on a regular basis though because she needs to poop on her own). A few things that WILL work, however are extreme (maybe call your Dr. first as I am not one) ARE.. oils - mineral oil (not one I would normally recommend but for a one time cleanout, you could give her a tablespoon or two in a drink before bed (we did vanilla/chocolate milk shake) mind you - we were in a BAD place (NO BM FOR 18 DAYS) and HAD to do this for 5 days plus some other stuff. Normally, I wouldn't have reached for the mineral oil myself, I prefer natural ways to relieve constipation but my daughter was also eating a great diet, plently of water and even flax oil daily! Anyway - I digress... a shake/drink before bed with mineral oil will give you a poop in the morning, possibly even during the night, but if she is really backed up, then I'd also do an enema and/or suppository. What needs to happen is your daughter needs to not only poop, but her poop needs to be made soft again, otherwise she will fear pooping and WILL hold it in (which is what my daughter did). So, talk to your pediatrician, don't take "oh, feed her a diet rich in fiber and water" for an answer if you already do this - make sure the dr. hears you - I went years of the same ol, same ol, until I found what was wrong online and found a specialist. So, 3 years with my regular ped and my poor daughter suffering and getting worse and worse, then 5 days with a dr. that was familiar with this and she had my daughter better in those 5 days! Sorry - I'm re-living it in my post. When I read requests for help like yours, I just feel so strongly about helping so others don't go through what we did. Also, if your daughter won't drink the prune juice straight, mix it with a drink she likes, I think I used to do grape. Some kids have a bm right away after drinking prune juice, some take a few days, so maybe give it to her daily. Miralax is a non-habit forming over the counter laxative, you could give her that too, but you need to do it daily, it can take 3 days or so..

Hope this helped. Feel free to email me directly
____@____.com

Many toddlers have constipation.

Michelle S. gave you information, which my Daughter's Pediatric Gastroenterologist, said as well... and my Daughter had to be treated, by a Doctor (not guessing at it), in a similar fashion.

I would take your daughter to a Doctor.

As Michelle said, when the colon is blocked/over-burdened with hard stool... you can get encopresis etc.

Next, although a healthy eater/diet... too much fiber can cause also Constipation.... when there is lack of water intake/hydration.... and lack of exercise.

Next, for prunes/prune juice. It is best if taken straight.. just eating the dried prunes for example. Or, if mixing the prune juice, mix it with another liquid... not in pancake batter.

Next, for this much constipation/hard stools... it will take TIME to undo this. For my daughter.... we had a Doctor advised regime... which over the course of 2 MONTHS.... THEN the vicious-cycle or constipation was alleviated.
So, just having 1 prune, and then having a normal poop, won't just happen like that.

When toddler constipation happens, it is a vicious cycle: because (1) it hurts, thus the child "withholds" going potty... but the stool gets harder... then the child gets pain upon pooping, so they withhold again... making the stool harder and harder... then it hurts when they poop, AGAIN. And the vicious cycle keeps going. THUS, "constipation" per our Pediatric Gastroenterologist Specialist, then becomes an "emotion" based "fear" of pooping. Because it hurts. (2) SO to alleviate the constipation... you need to first trouble shoot the hard-stools. This is the first course of action.... then, as the stool becomes softer, and the child "learns" not to fear the "pain" of passing hard stools... then they will/can start to release their poop more comfortably.

Some children have stools so hard, that their anus actually tears and bleeds. It IS LITERALLY painful.

I would, take your child to the Doctor. Before she gets her colon affected.

All the best,
Susan

One of the major causes of constipation is dehydration. YOU didn't mention that she is drinking any water... she should be drinking about 1/2 her body weight in ounces in water per day. Our bodies are designed for water since we're about 2/3 water as it is. Don't flavor it ... just make it the only thing she can have if she's not used to drinking and refuses. The intestines will reabsorb any water from the feces so that it can function.... that makes for very hard stool which causes constipation.

Also might be food allergies.... she might not be able to handle the wheat.

- oatmeal for breakfast - peel a pear and add pear to it as a sweetner. pears help with constipation.
- whole foods has 100% organic prune juice by Lakewood - only label i can find that does not have sweetners.
- lots of water.
- beans are great, expecially lentils (i season with garlic, onion, and cilatro -- put in a food processor to mix them all up then add to the lentils). my 19month old eats it up with rice and veggies.

Hi Christie,

Miralax, powder form. I use 2/3 of a tablespoon in any liquid everyday. Give to her everyday, don't skip because she seems regular, she'll back up again.

My son is almost 2 and it got so bad with him, that I had to help him poop. I tried, food, juice everything you could think of...so I called the Dr. My Pediatrician said to do Miralax everyday for awhile. He's been on it almost 2 months and it has been a lifesaver!!!! Costco has a 2-pack for $27. But they have a $6 off coupon out right now. Can't beat that deal. We haven't yet finished the first bottle, so it goes a long way. I also changed my sons milk from Horizon whole organic (which I LOVE) to Lactaid. I tried to switch back to Horizon once he was on Miralax and he went back to being constipated.

Hope this helps!!

E.

You might want to try cutting up some grapes and giving her those. Also they make pediatric glycerin suppositories. These were recommended by our Dr. when my son has been constipated and he was under two at the time.

I've used pure Aloe juice and it really helps. It comes in flavors so it tastes like juice and you only need about 2oz a day. The one I get is from market America, let me know if you'd like to try it!

Try adding an ounce of prune juice to her milk until things get moving. I have struggled with this since my daughter went off of breast milk. I make sure she gets sweet potatoes and pears daily. The fruits that start with P are the best. Don't over do the pasta or the bananas. You have to play around with it and see what gets her moving, but it can be done. For the sweet potatoes I just wrap them in foil and bake them in the toaster oven. They cook in their own juice and my dd loves them. You can also try a probiotic you can add to milk or juice. I love the Jarro line they sell at Henry's. One called Jarro-dophilus has 7 types of probiotics and it works wonders, especially if you can't get her to eat yogurt. Constipation also gets worse over time as the poo (for lack of a better word) sits longer. You may have to try a suppository to get her moving until you can get things moving with diet. They make a liquid one for little ones, I think it is called pedialax. Good luck, I know how frustrating this can be!

Oh, forgot to say, white grape juice is also good to add to milk. It is not as strong as prune juice. Prune juice gets things going, but sometimes it is too much, it is a fine balance. I use prune once a day and white grape the othe two times I give her milk. Watch the cheese too!

i haven't read the others so you might have heard this already but trader joes has a bag of dried apricots and they are yummy! i have to watch so my kids don't eat too many but these work well the other thing is if she will eat oatmeal traders also has a good flax seed instant oatmeal.

You should call our doctor, but try a glycerin suppository or milk of magnesia. My daughter had constipation problems around 3 and these things helped. Make sure she is drinking lots of water - give her watery fruits like watermelon if she isn't drinking much. Also, kiwi seems to make my kids go - maybe it is all the seeds.

Hi, it's almost the end of the season, but peaches have worked wonders for my 2 yr old daughter who has the same problem.

Will she drink water? Her fluid intake needs to increase so it will soften the stool. Have you tried prunes or prune juice? Stay away from constipating foods like bananas, rice, cheese, yogurt, avocados, etc. I heard olive oil helps (add that too her food). My 9 month old daughter is chronically constipated so her Gi doctor has told us to use Miralax (over the counter). We just dissolve 2 tsp in her morning bottle and she will usually have one stool soon after. It is very safe and is a stool softener, not a laxative. It just pulls the water from the colon to soften the stool. Hope this helps!

My twin daughters had a similar experience. One has a very hyperactive colon as a result of an severe milk allergy when she was a baby... Long story short the doctor put them both on a small maintainence dose of Miralax every day and it has worked wonders with no side effects. They still take 1 Tbs. with their beverage at dinner, and it just helps keep them regular. (They're 11 now) Ask your doctor about it. It's odorless, tasteless and available otc.
good luck.

Try avocado or banana or even both daily. both can help regularize her bowels.

Fiber works by making your stool more able to absorb water, so a high-fiber diet will only work if there is a corresponding increase in fluid intake.

So, what they said. :) She needs to drink more. Just thought I'd explain the fiber-water connection.

My kids have never been great about drinking enough - odd, since they've both been great eaters too. Some parents might condemn me for it, but I give them lots of watered-down juice, and I'm not above enticing them to drink more with chocolate milk either. I also tell them that they must drink more or it might hurt to poo!

Water, water and more water. Have her drink 8oz of water in the morning right as she wakes up before any breakfast... that usually does the trick!

water, water, water.

Also, I just bought pear sauce at Trader Joes. My daughter LOVES it! And the poop comes out great after wards! It is in cup sized servings, 4 in a pack.

I went through this with my daughter and after years of her suffering and in pain we finally received a diagnosis, celiac disease. A gluten (wheat, flour) intolerance will cause severe constipation. It sound like flour is a large part of your daughter's diet, this could definitely be the problem. Try eliminating flour from her diet to see if she feels better, it should help within just a few days, there are so many gluten free products now so it shouldn't be difficult. I hope this helps, A.

Constipation is a constant battle for my two year old son. Prune juice usually works very well - he loves to drink it straight but I'm sure mixing it into something else like you did will help, too. I also just feed him prunes when needed. Usually 2-3, but occasionally 4 if things are really bad.

Increase the fiber in her diet. I think certain fruits like peaches and pears can also be good for relieving constipation.

Avoid bananas, rice, applesauce and toast, which can all be constipating.

K.
http://oc.citymommy.com

Hi. We ended up putting my daughter on liquid Colace - actually the generic equivalent. Its a stool softener just like they give you in the hospital after you deliver your baby. Anyway, you may want to take her to the doctor first to make sure this is an ok way to proceed.

Sorry to hear about your poopie problems. Did you ever think you'd need to know this much about this subject ever?

I liked the other mom's advice about Miralax, prunes, etc. I don't know how in the world you're going to get a 2 year old to "drink hot tea" along with eating dried apricots though...

Here's one thing I know for sure. Any big portion of vitamin C will cause bowel evacuation. It can be oj, prune juice, etc. Great for adults, but a bit challenging for little kids.

My pediatrician said that the transition from breast milk to formula, or formula to regular milk (or soy) or the intro of more solid foods can be a perfect setup for constipation. She suggested more water.

I used to give my kids mostly water with a splash of juice. Where I live, its hot. So, having a water bottle for everybody is our normal reality. Once you get this bout of constipation handled, I'd suggest gradually increasing the amount of water your daughter's getting as a preventative measure.

If all else fails, go for the children's laxative suppositories. Sooooooo not fun, but sometimes a blessing. Don't forget to cut the suppositories into smaller slivers! So much easier to deal with.

Best,
C.

We also use Miralax and it dissolves in anything (even water) without any taste or texture difference. I highly recommend it.

sometimes prunes can make it worse..get some suppositories from the pharmacy for kids..also add flax seeds to her diet..also check out some good tasting aloe vera juice..is she getting enough exercise? take her on some good walks...
but get the suppositories..seriously..harmless and they work fast.

Ok... try thee little drinks called "Yakut" they sell by the 5 pack for about 2.50 or so...

Another trick is to get her usto eating Prunes or drinking the juice.

OR try slipping white syrup in her drinks and that usually helps...

Hi There,

Give your daughter a couple of dried apricots and prunes, with hot tea. Both of you will forget what constipation is! Works everytime!

Ground flax seed. I have the same problem with my 2 yr old sometimes. You can hide it in anything, esp pancakes.

Hi Mommy,

My best friend and I both had the same issue with our daughters. The rectal suppositories worked for me because it was a once in a while occurance. He daughter on the other hand seems to have an on going problem, so she gives her 1/2 of a fiber pill 3 times a week.

I woluld strongly suggest calling your daughter's pediatrician. They should be able to tell you what the best course of action would be based on her medical history.

Best Wishes!!

Hey Christie...

Ok so my daughter is two and started having the SAME exact problem at about 18 months. I didn't really seek medical advice until her 2 yr. old check up because I thought I could fix it myself! I tried prunes, prune juice, cutting out dairy and too many starches, encouraging melons and lots of water and NOTHING worked. I even bought several childrens laxative, it just wasn't doing anything for her. My Dr. actually put her on Miralax. She said it's totally natural and harmless and that many kids are on it for quite awhile (especially if they've been having the constipation for awhile because they mentally become afraid to go and will squeeze there cheeks together and struggle to hold it in to avoid what they now think is going to be a painful experience.) She started on half a capful a day dose for a week, and the 1/2 of that for a month and she is doing much better now. However we are still battling her holding it in when I take her off of it and it firms up again, and the Dr. says just to give her the small dose until it loosens up again.

I would talk to your pediatrician before you do anything and see what he/she thinks for sure, especially at potty training age. It's hard anough without them being in pain or afriad to go! Good luck =)

My son had terrible issues with constapation for a long time. What helps is pitted fruits (plums, peaches, nectarines) as much as they will eat. In juice form (sometimes mixing it half and half with apple juice will help them to like the taste). Dried too, but make sure they are drinking tons of water. My Dr. gave me a prescription for glycolax. It's a powder you mix in with the kids juice. It brings water to the bowels to make everything softer but won't give them tummy cramps like a regular laxative.

Good luck, it is awful to see your child suffering with this.

Hi Christie,

My son has that problem before. Yes, he did drink a lot of water and ate plenty of fruits and vegratbles too. What I did was checking the possible things which could make him constipated. First was "chesse". Once I cut out the chesse from his diet. His constipation got better but not totally gone. Next thing I did was changed his vitamine. The one he has before was the vitamine with iron supplement. And vola. That was it. Iron was the culprit of my son' constipation. Maybe you need check all of the possibly factors that making our daughter constipates including dairy products. If it is still going on, it is time to have her check with peditritian.

Christie, I hear you loud and clear. Many of my clients ask me this same question.

How much water is she drinking?

What type of juice? (sugars in juice often "back things up")

How much exercise does she get? Walking gets things moving.

What is she eating throughout the day? You say lots of fruits and veggies - be more specific with me and I can offer you some suggestions...bananas for example are known to assist in constipation! Send me a couple days of her food log and let me look at it. Write down everything she puts in her mouth and I will see what there is.

What is her breakfast? Are you feeding her nutrient rich foods first thing in the AM that will feed her brain so her brain cna function properly or is there milk in her diet early in the day? Milk is like a plug to many people.

Breathing - how does she breathe? Is it deep and slow or short and shallow? Taking deep breaths with her hands over her head (like she is tickling the sky) helps to stretch the internal stuff.

How much pure calcium (not milk or yogurt or other dairy processed produtcts) but pure calcium and viatmin D is she getting?

How about fibre? What amount is she eating?

Christie, I beleive in education not medication. Taking her to the docotr means he wil presecribe something for the symptoms NOT THE PROBLEM. Fix the problem and the symptoms will go away. Let me help.

B.
Family Wellness Coach

Hey Christie,
100% pure pineapple juice, which you can buy at Trader Joe's. Works wonderfully. ;D I would cut it half with water though for a two year old.
Good luck,
V.

My now 5 and a half year old struggled w this problem for almost 2 years. It is really a control issue for the most part, but the trick is to get her stool so soft she cannot hold it. My girl is a tough cookie and would often say she was "trying to go" when we realized later she was actually holding it. I tried the natural route at first,with juice and fruits, but it didn't help. then we tried Miralax, mineral oil, benefiber (this makes it worse unless she's drinking a lot of water), molases, prune juice. She would go for up to 10 days w/out a bm. She woul even be able to held a suppository and push it out. It got so bad that we had to give her aenmas from time to time. The threat of this was often encourgement for her to go. Then we took milk out of her diet completely and that had the greatest effect. It took a couple of weeks to get all the lactose out of her system, but it really helped. She is fine now. This a tough one - good luck my dear.

Hi Christie,
YES, my daughter went trough the same, she just didn't like to go poo-poo (too busy playing) , and would hold until it was too late, and then it was painful. We ended up going to the hospital, where they gave her an enema, it was horrible. There, the nurse suggested MINERAL OIL. So did the doctor, so we started to give her that, mixed with juice (prune juice worked for us, but any juice would do), about 2 oz. 3 times a day (way over the recommended dose on the bottle, with the doctor's guidance). She started going easier, and lost the fear of pain. IT WORKED! We did it for about a month or two, reducing the doses to once a day. Now we just keep her diet full in fiber and liquids. Hope that helps.

My daughter has the same issue. Prunes can be a little harsh on their tummies and cause diarrhea. Get the glycerin suppositories from the drug store. You can ask your pharmicist where is it. They work like a charm. Within 15 minutes to an hour, she will have a bowel movement and be very happy.

One of the tricks I used with my kids is mixing prune juice and 7-Up/ Sprite. It tastes like Dr. Pepper and they would drink it up and ask for more. Avocados are also high in fiber. Another thing my kids love is the Kashi hot cereals - there is a vanilla one and cinnamon honey one - both very high in fiber and both yummy. I've bought these at Target or Ralphs. Good luck. Dealing with constipation can be very frustrating.

Our son had issues with constipation too and the MD put him on Miralax. It's over that counter and safe even in infants, but I would talk to her pediatrician first. Good luck.

I had this issue when my son was 3 and what helped was getting him a Chiropractic Adjustment.

http://www.icpa4kids.org/why.htm

He would go poop within the day or next and we'd call them "adjustment poopies".

Call and make sure the chiropractor works with young children. I used to get adjustments during my 2nd pg (lifesaver - it removed all back pain).

My son was having problems with hard stools which caused us major potty training problems. Our Dr. told us to give him Mineral Oil. You can buy it at Walmart, Walgreens, etc. My son is 5 and we were told to give him 2 teaspoons a day. It is working like a charm. We can give him less and it still works but you can give more if needed. Too much and the opposite effect will happen so be sure to monitor it.

Mineral Oil is taseless and odorless and can be hidden in many foods/juices. The bottle states to expect a bowel movement within 6 to 8 hours.

Good luck. I hope you find something that works for your daughter.

Prunes are great... as are raisons and grapes. I also had great success with a minimal amount of MIRALAX... doctor recommended.
Try to give her lots of water... and reduce and/or get rid of dairy... including milk, yogurt and cheese. (it's hard... it was my daughter's favorite). And no bananas or rice... they are both very constipating.
Although after learning all this, I found that my biggest problem was continuing to give her formula (the one for older kids - up to age 2) in a bottle at night. Once I stopped that... she's been amazing.
When she does occasionally go more than 2 days... I increase water and if needed give a tad of Miralax.. not full doc recommended dose. Now that's she's more regular... she even has yogurt and bananas occassionally. And she's able to tolerate a bottle/sippy of half soy milk/half water at night without any problems.
Just try things... but these worked for me.
Good luck. I know it's sooooo sad.
B.

Have you considered wheat gluten intolerance? You can simply do a test by eliminating gluten products from her diet for a week. It worked for me. The hard part is to stick to the diet. Good luck!

I've had this same on going problem with my son. I have had a lot of luck with adding magnesium citrate or George's Aloe Vera juice. the aloe vera juice can be added to any drink and has no taste, really helps get things moving. I add about 2 tsp 3x daily for maintance. Good luck.

I've sooo been there with my 3.5 year old.
My pediatrician recommended pure corn syrup: 3 tsp 3xday. It made a slight difference.
My mom, 71 years old who had 6 children..., recommended mineral oil. It's 'old school', but it works.
Yes, too much can deplete the body of fat soluble vitamins, but it worked like a charm.
2 tbsp per day
I rationed it out in his drinks and he didn't notice.
It was a dream.
Good luck

Christie

I am a mother of three little ones. I have been through this drill. I am not a naturalist my kids are very healthy. My dr and myself know that you need to take control over this problem soon for the health of the intestine, but also for potty training purposes. My two my son still is to young, but if he needs it he will get it too. Take Miralax in there milk everyday in the morning. My two have no problems and it is safe to use. I stopped using it with my five year old and if needed she has it everyother day in her milk. My dr actually recommends having them take it at night so they take a morning BM my kids always finished there morning milk not night milk. My five year old now and my two year old also eat the fiberful fruit bars at trader joes 6 grams of fiber in one bar you can try that too. It really works. Just a tsp or you can go up to two tsp it might take a couple of days. Hope this helps
S. mom of three 5 years, 2, and 14 months

I know you got a ton of responses and didn't have time to read them all so I don't know if someone suggested this. But my son is also 2 and has always been consipated since starting regular milk. We now give him soy but I think the gummy fiber bears from Pedilax is what did the trick. Ever since I started giving them to him we no longer have a problem. They sell them at Target with all the constipation stuff, NOT with the gummy vitamins. Good Luck!

One word for you.......Miralax. You can get it at the drug store and Costco. I used it while pregnant and my pediatician started my 7 month old on it after nothing diet wise helped. Start with a tsp a day. Mix in juice or milk. Keep up the healthy diet. Good luck!

Hey Christie, I have had similar problems with my daughter(who now is 4) for a couple of years. About a year ago I started giving her part of a fiber chewable tablet(I buy fiber choice- they come in many flavors.) I asked the Doctor and he told me this was fine. I give her 1/4 of a tablet daily-telling her it either a vitamin or medicine to help her tummy feel better. If she still doesn't go for a couple of days I will give her 1/2 a tablet(but no more than that). It may take a few days for it to help but it is a natural way to help the problem(sure beats using laxatives on the little ones!) Good luck and hope this helps.

There's a lot of good advice going on, so just a couple of things to add:

Flax Seed Oil. It's good for her anyway, and will help. Mix it with almost anything, apple sauce, under peanut butter, on toast instead of butter and with cinnamon, in fruit smoothies. Ground Flax seeds were mentioned below and this is really great too.

Dried fruit, especially apricots (also mentioned below).

One thing I didn't see was to be careful about how long she goes without trying. The longer she goes w/o a BM, the more water her bowel can remove from the poo, making it harder and harder. When she finally decides she has to, it will be painful, so she'll avoid it (bad cycle). We had that problem with our son. You just have to do whatever to get it soft, and put her on the potty frequently.

So much good luck to you.

I completely feel for you! My daughter began this problem around one year and it took until she was over 4 before we got it mostly under control! She never had any of the constipation that they tell you too watch for (pebble like stool) she just had very large poops... she was also a very good eater and not much of a drinker. My doctor recommended Miralax- it didn't work for us she still tried to hold it because she was scared and it just made her have diarrhea if I gave her enough to make her go. My doctor also recommended smoothies (no bananas or applesauce) with lots of fruit and a little benefiber. Those helped some. We got jambajuice all fruit smoothies with fiber boosts a lot! The most I could do was really watch her for signs that she was having an urge to poop and taking the diaper off (it wasn't pushing the poop back in) and making sure she wasn't holding her legs together. We also used the suppositories sometimes, but she cried and hated them so they were a last resort. The sooner you can show her not to be afraid to poop- any way you can make it easier for her- the better! Otherwise you will be battling this for years! Good luck and like I said, for us watching her like a hawk was the only thing that worked- her muscles just kept getting stronger for holding it because she was afraid.

Christie,
There are already many who recommends Miralax here and I have to recommend it too. My peds MD and a good friend Peds NP recommends it to my child who turned four. Miralax is safe and your child does not absorb this. It keeps the stool from being hard and your child will not be able to hold the stool very long and they gently expel their poops without pain. Use it daily, even when she poops for the day. Continue for at least 2 months. YOu don't want their intestinal muscles to expand from the impaction (megacolon). I use half of the recommended dose (half of 17 grams) and my child has had an easier time pooping. No more hard poops and pain.

we do half apple half prune juice. My son HATES prune juice. I tried it a zillion times since my ped says that you have to give kids something 10 times or more before they will really give it a chance. The first time I did the apple/prune combo he loved it. I hate prune juice too and I tasted the 'coctail' and it actually is good! If you over do it you will end up with the 'sticky goo evil poo' as we call it at our house! Sticky is better than stuck though so good luck!

I had a neighbor who had this problem with both of her children. Every night before bedtime she gave them a teaspoon of codliver oil. She may have given them a teaspoon in the morning as well if the one at night wasn't enough. It worked like a charm and gives them lots of Vitamin D as well.

Not great tasting but worth a try.

Good luck!

L. K.
Temecula

We started on Miralax with my 4 year old son when he was around 2 due to his very limited diet at the advice of a GI doctor. It worked great and just now took him of the medicine. Bascially, we just added on teaspoon into his milk with breakfast then another in milk with dinner -- it works best with food. This regulated his poops without any side effects. You can buy it over the counter, but might want to discuss dosage with a GI doc or at the very least your pediatrician in case there is something else going on.

Hi Christie, I have the same problem with my 2 yo and she's been constipated most of her life unfortunately. I have slowly been able to identify foods that make it worse and avoid those or only let her have them occasionally. Bananas are def. the worst! She also had problems with milk as a baby and now even Soy milk seems to be a minor issue but it much better than anything else. She also has a healthy diet and drinks plenty, it's just how her body works. Could also be allergies but I haven't had her tested yet. In any case, Miralax, half a capful a day, works wonders for her. Her ped recommended it last year and although we have to use it quite frequently, there are no side effects and it is completely safe for her to use regularly.

Chocolate candy.
B. v. O.

Christie, if this has been an ongoing problem (more than just a week or so) I'd take her to the doctor immediately. Her constipation could be coming from and intestinal blockage, celiac disease (intolerance to wheat gluten), lactose intolerance, among many other things. They can start by doing a simple x-ray to find out how blocked she is and some blood work. I'm not trying to frighten you. Just want you to understand that a lot of things can cause constipation. My niece has Type 1 Diabetes which causes her terrible constipation problems. Good luck to you and definitely keep us all posted. And on a side note, be careful of how much bananas she is eating. They bind you up very quickly. My kids can only eat them every other day (or less).

try and see if your daughter will drink the prune juice straight or eat prunes. Another good source of fiber (that my son LOVES) are mangos. Make sure she drinks LOTS of water! All the juice that I give my son (he is 2) is dialuted with at least half water. I also give him water in the small water bottles that they sell at Trader Joes and he thinks it is so fun and thus, drinks more water. Stop giving her or limit her intake on items that bind her like... cheese, bananas, rice, etc. Try to boast the natural fiber that she eats and hopefully that will help her poop.

You should try Mila! It works very well for gastrointestinal issues.
check out www.M..lifemax.net for testimonials and information.
It is a whole food certified by the FDA
Everyone that eats it everyday has nad no issues with constipation. Just make sure you drink water when you eat it.
Hope this works. good luck.

Maybe she's not getting enough water?
Good luck.

My 22 month old has had constipation since she was 6 months old. Her ped put her on Miralax when she was 6 mons. We are up to 3-4 teaspoons a day and she is going well. I mix it in her juice, milk and yogurt. Her ped also did a blood work up and had me take her to a pediatric gastroenterologist just to rule out any issues. Nothing seems to be wrong and the Miralax is working well, so we are going to continue on this path. It will be hard to potty train as long as she is constipated. You need to talk to your pediatrician asap.

My daughter has had problems with constipation, usually caused because she does not eat enough vegetables or plenty of water. I have tried various ways to teach her to cope; I taught her to squat while she is trying to go poo poo, I have even massaged her abdomen (don't do this without her pediatrician teaching you the right way to massage otherwise you would be making the problem worse) or I let her eat plenty of raisins or dried cranberries which she loves. All have worked and she cooperates fully because of her level of discomfort. Let me please say once again, don't massage her abdomen without pediatrician consent/demonstrating because if done the wrong way a blockage in her colon would then require emergency medical intervention and if you don't recognize those serious symptoms to seek medical attention can have grave consequences.
I hope your daughter can poop easier in the near future.
Is she on iron supplements? this can be causing the consitpation too. Good luck.

My daughter had a similar problem, and your right it was awful. We went to the pediatrician and he recommended Miralax. It is now over the counter (it used to be prescription only), it has no taste, so you can mix it in her milk or juice. It is not a laxative but it increases water absortion into the colon and regulates their BM's. It worked miracles on my daughter. Hope this helps!
A.

It's all about the mineral oil!! You can mix it with any juice or even water(it has no taste,,just oily!) I got the info from my OB/GYN, because her daughter is a chronic sufferer (she gives it to her every morning in her juice and her daughter never refuses it). I feed my daughter beans and prunes on a regular basis,,and stay away from the cheeses, bananas, and rice cereals!! Good luck,,I feel both of your pain!!

Trader Joe's has, or used to have prune/pear juice that you can temper with some water. Check with you doctor, but I am pretty sure that I gave that to my daughter at 2 years old.

Dear Christie,

I know exactly what you are going through and I feel for you and your daughter. My 28 month old son was going through the exact same thing and it broke my heart because I felt so helpless. He, too, eats all the right things and enjoys drinking water and juice but nothing seemed to help. So, on the recommendation of my sister-in-law, I started putting 1 level teaspoon of Miralax powder into his juice or milk in the morning and another at night before bedtime and it helped tremendously. My son is now able to go without pain and less effort and I feel a huge sense of relief. I monitor how his stools are and if they start becoming too loose, I just give him the morning dosage and omit the evening dosage. I did some research on Miralax and found that it is extremely mild and is safe to use in children, provided that there are no existing gastro-intestinal problems present. If you're not sure, ask your pediatrician for his/her opinion. My sister-in-law's pediatrician recommended Miralax for her daughter who was also experiencing the same severe constipation problems. I hope this info helps and I wish you and your daughter good luck and happier pooping!

Y.

how much exercise does she get? at her age, she should be outside doing any sort of physical activity for at least two hours total, minimum. also, how much water (not juice, not milk, not soda) just plain water does she drink? she should be drinking at least 24 oz. of plain water a day. if she's not meeting these guidelines, it could be contributing to her cosntipation. some fruits and veggies don't help either because they have soluable fiber instead on insolubale, such as apples, bananas, carrots. they don't help you poop and can actually promote constipation. if she's drinking a lot of milk and eating alot of cheese, that can contribute, too. another thing to check are the breads and pastas. just because they say whole grain doesn't mean they have much fiber to them. you always need to check the amounts of fiber per serving, most only have 1 or two grams at the most, which is what regular breads and pastas have (it fools alot of people because it says whole grain, so they take for granted that its better for them). try being more conscious of the foods she eats, water she drinks, and get her moving if she's not very active, and she should return to regular soon.

Two thoughts; one, does she eat a lot of eggs? I think the correct amount is half an egg not more than three times a week. The other is, prunes themselves. I have had great success with prunes, five or six at a time if necessary. Lastly, keep her drinking as much as you can, preferably water. But if she's that uncomfortable, I would head for the doctor fast - there is plenty of help to be had for constipation.
Good luck.

Hi Christie - It's great she eats so healthy! So sorry she's in such discomfort. She needs to poop! My guess is that a two year old can only eat so much produce in one day. I just had another customer of mine tell me that my concentrated fruit and vegetables in a gummy form solved her toddler's constipation problem. If you'd like more info, it's worth a try. One month supply is only $22.75 and well worth it if it gets your child to go regularly. It's the most obvious benefit of Juice Plus (and the least of the tremendous health benefits she'll get). If you'd like more information please contact me. Thank you and good luck!

I had the same problem with my daughter when she was around the same age. I tried cutting out dairy and it helped some. Best of luck.

Ask your pediatrician about Miralax. It is non-habit forming and an absolute miracle.

:-)T.