How Can I Keep My 7 Month Old "Regular"

my son is 8 months and i took him to the ped yesterday for the same problem. she said to give him juice 4oz a day, 1/2 juice 1/2 water... if she wont drink juice she said to get some miralax and that it is fine to use regularly. also, rice and banana are binding so I wouldnt feed her those things. good luck! Also, you can give a glycerine suppository every 72 hous.

M.,

My son was sensitive like that and he could not do oatmeal and still has not been able to. We gave him pears for breakfast each morning to help him and if I could tell that he was having problems then I would use the qtip and vaseline trick and it help wonderful. Nothing is worse then if they can not go. I did prune juice but it made his stomach horrible. The pears worked for us and no oatmeal.

Instead of having to add prunes daily or karo or anything like that I would say the easiest thing to do is to skip the cereal altogether. Ive read in numerous articles and research that it is not "necessary" for an infants diet. I would just stick with the BF, fruits and veggies. You can try the cereal again later on if you really want to and if you really want to stick to it now the Karo works SUPER to ease constipation. I only used it every other day once a day and it kept my little one "going". Again, I think its easier to just take away the problem instead of finding other things to remedy it. Hope you find something that works for you!!

Apples and pears have a lot of pectin and help the colon move well. Fresh, cooked, spuashed, or juice (non filtered) will all work pretty much the same. Prunes, raisens, and dried apricots also. My mom puts up apple and pear preserves for toast spread. She only uses the fruit and doesn't put any sugar or sweetener. We like them and really don't like the too sweet store version. They keep a long time in jars. You could boil them yourself and just keep a batch in the frig. It wouldn't be so hard as raw fruit but also not sugary.

God Bless

Edit: I read some of the other responses. Please do not put soap in the enema syringe. The rectal lining is not made for soap. The soap only helps because it irritates the colon and stimulates it to move. Your babies colon does not need irritation. Luke warm enemas are good. Make sure you use good water and then heat it on the stove. Do not use warm water out of the faucet because that comes from the hot water heater and it is not good for consumption of any variety. You can add some good cooking oil and that will lubricate the lining of the rectum without irritating it. If she is dehydrated don't be suprised if the first time you do a water enema she doesn't even have any water come out. A dehydrated body can absorb water through the colon very quickly. An enema is the quickest and healthiest way to get rid of a bad constipation event for anyone. But re-occuring constipation has to truly be addressed with nutrition and water or you will make your baby dependant on the enemas. Not good.
I really don't see where people are getting the idea that apples can cause constipation in a normal system. It just doesn't work that way.

Completely breastfed babies do not get constipated. It might be the oatmeal. By the way, baby cereal is not nutritious, so unless she just loves it there is no real reason to feed it to a breastfed baby. It very well may be what is causing the problem.

You don't want to rely on things like prunes or prune juice to help your baby go. It's not necessary and may make your daughter dependent on prunes. It's completely normal for a breastfed baby to go 10 days without a bowel movement! The problem is if the poo is very hard when it comes out, not if it takes a week or two. Frequency of poo doesn't equal constipation, but if it's hard or she seems ill, then she very well might be.

There is enough water in your breastmilk that she doesn't need extra, so don't worry if she's not taking water or juice. Juice isn't very nutritious so there's no need to feed it to her.

Here is a quote from an IBCLC on constipation and the breastfed baby:
"Constipation occurs when the stool is hard and dry when it is passed, not when baby has infrequent stools. A constipated baby might be ill, especially if he is also vomiting frequently, does not want to breastfeed, seems weak and has a dry mouth. If your baby has these symptoms, get immediate medical care.

Babies and toddlers can get constipated from cow’s milk based formulas, cow’s milk and rice cereal. Exclusively breastfed babies rarely get constipated, but once other foods are added the stools get firmer. The baby’s doctor, a registered dietician, or an IBCLC can help you figure out which foods might be causing a problem. Check with the baby’s doctor if you are concerned about your baby’s pattern of bowel movements."

Generally, if a breastfed baby is truly constipated, it is from other solids OR dairy in your diet. Did she have issues before the cereal? If not, then it is not your diet. If she did, though, you might want to cut dairy out to see if that helps.

Again, don't rely on things like apple and prune juice, nor prunes, to help her go. And you don't want to do things like putting a thermometer in her anus to "stimulate" things - people recommend that a lot, but it is NOT what you should do. And I've heard of giving Karo syrup - NO! Why on earth would you give that to a baby?!? Again, it is relying on artificial stimulants when she probably doesn't need that, and could make her body reliant on those things in the future. Karo syrup causes diarrhea, it shouldn't "cure" constipation in a little one.

If your doctor is pro-breastfeeding (many are not) then talk to her/him about what baby is eating that might be making her constipated. If not, then talk to a La Leche League leader or a lactation consultant.

And again, if you're concerned about the frequency, there is no need to be. If the poo is hard (it WILL get firmer with solid foods, but not hard) then you are looking at constipation.

Good luck!

Add a tsp of karo syrup to her oatmeal. The syrup is safe and will help draw water into her bowels and make it more digestable, just as prunes will. You can also add the karo to a bottle of water. She needs more fluids. Make sure you're drinking water too.

Hi M... So sorry to hear your little one is constipated. The Dr. suggestion to me was to give my daughter prune juice mixed with water. Also I find that apple sauce ( my daughter is 7 mths. old too) helps . Some of the stage 1 veggies have slowed my infants bowels down too. Good luck...

P.s I have not given my daughter ceral as I know most people do. That may be contributing to her issue.

My son had a problem with this as well. We did the 1 tbl spoon of Dark Karo syrup in every other bottle per our pediatricians advise and that seemed to help.

My son, luckily, only had a few problems with constipation, but my mom suggested a little WHITE KARO SYRUP mixed with water in a bottle. I think I put about an tablespoon to an ounce, then filled the rest with water. He slurped it right down (surprise, surprise surgary drink) and within 4-5 hours pooped.

When my baby had issues, I was told by his pediatrician to let him have any fruit that starts with a "p". Prunes, pears, and peaches worked really well. I was also told to mix 1 tsp light corn syrup with 1 oz of water. My son loved it, and it worked the fastest. The water and syrup also seemed to be the most effective.
Good luck!

we had the same problem around the same age. at first i did give prunes to my son about every other day. then a few weeks later i started to give him plumsmart juice everyday. it is natural without added sugarand tastes way better than actual prune juice (and not as dark or thick either). i only use 1-2 ounces of juice and about as much water mixed with it every morning. my 11 month old has been regular ever since, 2-3 times a day, everyday. the only other thing i had considered was that he was getting too much iron. so i made sure the multivitamin i give him was without iron (since he was getting the recommended daily amount of iron in his two servings of baby cereal already). hope this helps, good luck!

Its probably the cereal. I used to mix mine iwth prune juice instead of water/BM but in all reality, the cereal is useless. It has no nutritional value, so unless your baby loves it, I'd just get rid of it. Especially since she is also eating other things.

My BF baby poops once a week, so don't worry about frequency. BM is so efficient at the nutrients that it is so well absorbed that there is less to poop! But if your baby is uncomfortable, as your posts suggests, then that's not good. So try cutting out the cereal. Good luck!

If she isn't eating solid foods, and she really is constipated, you can stimutate the muscles to loosen up by taking her temperature rectally. You can also give her an enema, You can get the little enema syringes at the store. A couple of ounces of warm water should do the trick. (Tepid, as in you can't feel it when you put your dry finger in the water.) If you need a second enema, try it with slighly soapy warm water.

Hi M.
sorry to hear you are having issues with your baby-
First I would be sure her pediatrician knows of the problem and that she does not have an obstruction preventing the natural movement-
Prunes are good, but you do not want to develop a dependency on that and sometimes they can be rather harsh on a little one.
Have you tried diluting the juices-
this is kinda old fashion, but I used to put a little white Karo syrup in my babies water or milk when they were having problems. Do you pump at all- if you do- put a little Karo in that bottle- just about a table spoon should do the trick.
good luck

Breastfed babies can go a week without a bowel movement, and that is OK! My pediatrician ASSURES me of this. BUT...if they are struggling with it, and their bowel movements are hard (like adult poop) then they are constipated. My daughter had this problem, and she became very gassy, but no poop, and was really struggling. We gave her a little mylicon for the gas and planned on doing some prune juice, but the mylicon worked to help her poop before we had to do the prune juice. The Karo Syrup should be a LAST resort. It's artificial ingredients and sugar that your baby does not need. The best thing that works for us now...the bicycle legs!!! Lay baby on her back and lift her bottom in the air a little. Then do the bicycle legs. Always works for us. Of course your baby is not going to want to eat much when she's constipated. My daughter would not eat when she was, and as soon as she got it all out, would be starving! LOL...Bless their hearts...good luck.

Yes, it could be the cereal, esp if it's mixed with water or formula. Try mixing the cereal with breastmilk. Also, although my son never had this problem, I knew someone whose baby girl had trouble with regularity from birth. Her pedi suggested a few tablespoons of Activia yogurt. Apparently it worked wonders for what was a chronic problem...

M.,

I would try other veggies like green beans, squash, etc. Peas and apples bind you up. And if the prunes work, I would feed her a couple of spoonfuls a day. Also, it is not a good idea to put Karo syrup in her bottle as other suggested. Why would you want to give your baby extra sugar when you are breastfeeding her to give her the best start? She'll discover sugar soon enough on her own.

Good luck!
C.

I think some of the solid foods you are feeding her could be constipating. Both of my sons had this problem and the nurse told me that sweet potatoes and applesauce are both constipating. I know pears, peaches, and plums also have a laxative effect like prunes. I would make sure my kids ate at least one of these laxative type fruits a day. My youngest also enjoyed barley cereal. But, the oatmeal should be providing some fiber, I would think. Also, make sure she is still nursing a lot since she won't drink juice. (I would give my boys a bit of pear juice mixed with water which also helped.)

It is unusual for breastfed babies to get constipated...especially since it sounds like she isn't really depending much on solid foods. I would resolve the issue with prunes (since you know it works) and then start over with introductions to solids...one at a time for several days at a time and see if you can find the culprit. I second the potential milk allergies--I had to eliminate all dairy from my diet for about six months before I slowly reintroduced.

You would need to research the dose, based on your baby's weight, but a little bit of flaxseed oil is another good way to get things going naturally.

First, congratulations on breastfeeding; it's one of the best things you can do for your child!

As for the constipation, there are a variety of foods that can gently stimulate your child's digestive track. I always found that prunes were a bit harsh and gave my son cramps even thought they are often quite effective. The "P" fruits all seems to stimulate that little digestive tract. Pears, Prunes, Peaches to a degree, and aPples are great ones. You can use the juice or the baby pureed version of these, especially if she is not wanting much solid food. My son had the greatest luck with a little warmed pear juice. We diluted it with a little water as we do all juices but left this mostly the juice. Don't overdo it by continuing to give her large quantities of what ever you choose to use until she poops. Give her a little at a time and give it the opportunity to have some effect. It may take a little while but you don't want to give her diarrhea and dehydrate her further.

Another reason babies and adults get constipated is dehydration so make sure that she is getting enough fluids. It will help soften up her poop and make it easier to pass. Pedialyte can help with that, too. The air has gotten much more dry than it was so some of her fluids have been redirected to the rest of her body.

Often, kiddos will not want to eat much if their system in backed up because it is uncomfortable. Unless there is another underlying issue it should resolve itself with time but with the wonderful advise you have received from all these loving mommies, I am certain you will find what works for your little girl. Every child has their own idiosyncrasies.

Things you can do that do not involve giving her something to ingest is what my husband and I called bicycle legs. Lay her on her back and move her legs as though she were riding a bike or jogging. The movement can stimulate the digestive tract to resume peristalsis (the contraction of the intestine that moves food through). It works the same way a brisk walk works for adults with the same problem.

Good luck with your precious daughter. I hope she (and you) gets some relief soon.

I had the same problem with my son after I started giving him cereal. I breastfeed him so he was not used to having to push to go to bathroom as much as he had to do once we started solids. The iron in the cereal causes constipation. I started mixing his cereal with prunes or prune juice and water everytime I gave him cereal. I checked with my pedi and she said that it was fine to give it to him everyday. Most of the time that helped him stay regular, and if he occassionly still had problems I would not give cereal for a few days until it cleared up.

Mix some half and half with apple juice and water. This worked for my children and grandson also.

Sweet potatoes, bananas.

Have you tried an oatmeal or barley cereal?

V-8 Fusion. a full serving of vegies and fruits and it tastes delicious! It helps me too. :)

Back off on the cereals and breast feed more - she is having trouble digesting the solids and all the fiber will quickly make her gassy and uncomfortable. IF you want to give her cereal, make it soupy w/apple juice and dilute so she is getting plenty of liquids, less fiber. Try cereals again in a month or two when she can pick them up off the tray of her highchair. I never spoon fed my 3 children - I breast fed until they could actually feed themselves little morsels of cheerios, pears, soft apples, etc...they had teeth by then and could enjoy eating.

When this happened with my daughter I stuck with the P foods. Prunes, Peaches, Pears, Peas. Stay away from Applesauce and Bananas as these can make it worse. The oatmeal should actually be helping. Rice cereal stopped my baby up terribly. If my daughter hadn't pooed in 4 days I gave her a baby suppository and that usually cleared it up in an hour or so. If you did that early in the evening then maybe she would get it over with before you went to bed so you wouldn't be up with her all night.

My son went through the same issues. All the foods are still relatively new to their systems & can back things up. Try a whole grain cereal. Earth's Best Organics makes a whole grain cereal. Also keep giving her prunes, you can mix them with cereal. That's nature's remedy for constipation & it worked for our son every time. Give it to her daily if necessary until her digestive system gets use to all the new foods she's eating. I remember my son would grunt & push so hard that his face would turn bright red & he would throw up sometimes. It was pitiful. Our Pedi suggested prunes or prune juice & it worked like a charm. Best wishes!!

The cereal could be stopping her up but also if you are feeding her lots of bananas and apples that could do the same. You can try warm baths to help her relax and stimulating her by using a q-tip or thermometer. If she is eating the cereal i would mix it with the prunes and feed away. I wouldnt do it daily but maybe every few days or when i start to see this problem. Hope this helps some!

I had the exact same problem with my daughter and I believe she was about that same age or a little younger. Anyway, I remember at the time, I asked my grandmother what she thought about it. She recommended to me, Karo Syrup. She said she used it a few different times when her children were babies. Just put 1/2 tsp. to 1 tsp. of White Karo Syrup in with the formula. Or, in your case, if you could pump some breastmilk in a bottle and add it to that. You would add it to about 4 to 6 ounces. Anyhow, I thought, what could it hurt, I tried it and after a couple of days, I could tell a huge difference in her bowel movements. And, after about a week, she was regular. No straining and crying like she used to. I believe we put the syrup in a bottle in the morning and one at night. It really worked wonders because it was so hard to watch my daughter strain like that and cry, I felt so helpless. If you give it a try, I hope it works for you too. Also, my daughter was pretty picky about juices. Have you tried several different kinds? My daughter didn't even like Apple Juice. If you haven't already tried it, you might want to get some White Grape Juice and dilute it more than than the directions say. Good Luck!

Steam them like you would a vegi and blend them up. It may be too much for her to eat chunks of prune just yet so make them into baby food. I would keep up the prunes for a while b/c babies stomachs change a lot around this time and it will probably work itself out. Your doing a good job just keep helping her out a little while longer.

Dear M., it sounds as if you are feeding your daughter all the right things to help her have comfortable bowel movements. Spinach may also help as the prunes do. Sweet potatoes and peas can sometimes cause gas but if she hasn't had that problem, I guess there is nothing to worry about there. I am sure you are eating a healthy diet. I have personally used Shaklee nurtitional supplements for 28 years and often I help others find solutions for health needs using the same supplements. For instance, 1/4 tablet of Herb-Lax for a few days and then once a week solved the constipation problem for one mother's baby. I will be glad to give you a copy of Healthy Kids which is a compendium of mother's stories of how Shaklee nutrion products have helped their children. The book literally covers everything from abdominal pain to zits! It is a great reference book. If you will let me help you, please call me at ###-###-####. I am mother and grandmother and a mentor to moms having served for several years as a MOPS mentor. My home business is as a director for Shaklee Corporation. As such, I give information on a person to person basis and let people decide what they want to do with the information. I have a website through which people can order and I am always available for couseling. My phone number is ###-###-####.

PS: I was in a doctor's office once and heard the young boy down the hall crying. The nurse explained that he was constipated and the doctor was literally digging the feces out of his rectum. she said, "B., don't let that ever happen to your baby." I don't know why that has stuck with me but it really makes me want to help you find help for your baby. I can tell you are a very good mom.

one word...applesauce. worked everytime for me.

Is it possible for there to be any cows milk allergies? Ask your parents and your husband's parent if they or you/your siblings had any milk allergies or sensitivities as a child.

An infant's allergy to milk can be very subtle and manifest as chronic constipation... (congestion is another sign; eczema is another...) So, you might want to eliminate cows milk and diary from your diet (read labels; get all sources out of your breast milk) and start reading labels to ensure she's not getting any in her baby foods and teething cookies... and see if her constipation improves after 2 weeks.

Hi M.-Just catching up on my email and read about your problem. A lot of good advice. My son was also constipated at that age. Prunes, apricots(these really helped with my kiddo), bananas. Skip the pumpkin, though. It can bulk things up. I did mix prune juice with cereal, too, but the cereal may be a bit of a causal factor. Talk to your pediatrician and see what they suggest. They will give you a list of helpful foods. If you are desperate, the enemas are helpful, but try not to use these too much. And just for the record, if my kid didn't poo for 10 days, I'd be in the emergency room to make sure their system wasn't backing up(very dangerous situation). There is light at the end of the tunnel. My son only went through this for only a brief period of time. There is light at the end of the tunnel. I think it's just their systems getting used to processing things. Good luck

Have you spoken with your pediatrician about this? No breastfed baby should be going 4 days without a bowel movement. If you haven't called your pediatrician yet, do it now.

My daughter had the same problem. The oatmeal might be the problem. Stock up on prunes, and mix it in with the cereal every time! Start with 1/2 container first and see if that helps...
That worked like a charm for us...Good luck!

Hi M.!

Prunes really helps my 9 month old son, but if your girl is not eating, try giving her a fennel seed tea. Boil the fennel seeds in water. It will make a tea. Then strain the seeds and give her the tea in a bottle. That helped my daughter when she was a baby. If you're really concerned, consult your doctor.

Good Luck!

J.

First of all, talk to you baby's doctor! When this happened to my little one, who is now 8 mos. We tried everything, prunes, apple juice, peas etc.... Her Dr. said to give her a small dose of Miralax in apple juice, and it worked like a miracle! Since then we've been careful about feeding her things that slow her down (carrots, apples, bananas) and speed her up (peas, prunes, peaches). It's worked best to try to balance one thing with another and make sure she nurses a bunch. Juice and water are also very important to keep things moving. If she doesn't like a bottle (mine doesn't) just use a regular small cup (messy but cute) or a sippy cup works too. Good luck, I know how awful it can be when the baby can't poo!

Hi M.,

You need to see take your beautiful daughter to the Pediatrician. She is very young to have such problems and as such needs to be under the care of a medical professional. Take heart because this will resolve itself with the right care. My neice had similar issues at a young age and is now a beutiful 16 year-old.

Good luck,
Parent Coach J. B