Need Advice on Infant Constipation

Hi S.,
I had the same problem with my 2 year old daughter when she was around that age. The doctor recommended soy formula instead of the milk based. This helped so much. I would also give her prune juice at times where I noticed she needed a bit of help. She just recently switched to 2% and seems to be able to digest it well. Good Luck. I know that can be hard to see them so uncomfortable.
A. P
www.greensthewaytobe.com

S.,
try 2 ounces of apple juice and 2 oz of water together in a bottle - give it to him once a day and it should regulate him

I know the baby is young, but try a bit of pear juice. I was shocked when the dr. suggested it, but it works wonders. I used it on both children.
Good Luck!

S., My son also develops constipation every now and then. When making his bottle I just add 2 extra oz of h2o and that seems to work. So if I am making a 4 oz bottle I add 2oz of water extra to it. It works everytime. Good luck

Personally, I'd think about finding a new doctor. Sounds like she's giving you some wacky advice for a babe so young. Secondly, I would wonder WHY a baby this young would be constipated, especially when breastfeeding. I would bet a lot of money that it's a food allergy/intolerance. He's way too young for this stuff to be "normal" (not that it ever really is). Why medicate if you can find out why and eliminate the reason???? Try eliminating ALL dairy from both diets for a couple of weeks (read all labels because it's hidden in lots of stuff). Dairy is the most common offender but there are many other it could be. Try that one too. Miralax is a good quick fix, but it's not getting rid of the problem. Good luck.

I breast feed, and had the same problem. A friend of mine had the same problem and she bottle feeds. I gave my daughter prune juice watered down in a bottle. My friend who bottle feeds put a little prune juice in her daughters formula bottle. Both methods helped. If your baby don't like prune juice, apple works also. I hope this helps.

A.

I had the same problem with my daughter. We found that a little bit of prune juice goes a long way. You can mix a tablespoon or so with formula or water and adjust the amount depending on bm's. This always worked for us and it is not as harsh as some of the other alternatives. Good luck.

Hi S., I have 7 month old twins (1 of each ) they were both pretty constipated shortly after birth & our ped. told us to do one teaspoon of prune juice in one bottle per day...it did seem to help...our babies are on enfamil lipil with iron, they did not want us to switch formulas.....after a while we backed of the prune juice & they did straighten themselves out...Now I only use it as necessary...In the last few months we've started the jar foods which has created a whole new change in the bowels....hope this helps...
Kelley

I have 2 kids ages 11 and 8---both of which have had bowel problems off and on---my 8 yr old has the most problems--i have tried all those other methods---the mineral oil seems to work very well---it can take 24 hours to work but it does with no problems---be warned though---after the original poop--he may experience gassy oil leakage

Try going to an infant massage class. They teach lots of belly massage strokes and after every belly massage all of the moms were changing lots of poopy diapers. Everytime my daughter seemed a little constipated we did the massage and it worked. I took my class via the local hospital and loved it.

Dear S.,
I am so sorry that you are going through this, my daughter is now ten months old and when she was almost two months she also became extremely constipated on top of being diagnosed with acid reflux. It was a very hard time for our whole family to see her in pain like that.
We were recommended 2 oz. of prune juice a day administered in a bottle. I also tried infant massage (the clockwise belly massage, bicycling her legs, and massaging the arches of her feet - i.e. reflexology). I changed the supplemental formula I gave her to Carnation Good Start (not as pricey as Nutramigen and similar make-up, so said my Dr.). I also eliminated most dairy, beans and other gassy foods (like onions, broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage) from my diet. When I could tell she was having a hard time, I massaged her rectum with the tip of my pinkie coated in Vaseline (sounds soooo gross, but the things you do for your children have no limits, right?) I also gave her Mylicon when she was very gassy.
At ten months old, my daughter is not dependent on any of these things and has perfectly normal bowel movements. The only thing she is dependent upon for her stomach is a balanced diet and her acid reflux medication.
These are the remedies that WE chose (we tend to try the natural route first) and maybe one will work for your son. But remember that every baby is different and YOUR love for your child will help you to make your best decision. At some point we are all first time parents and we are all just making the best guess we can! Good luck in helping your son.
-M.
P.S. And I am sorry that so many responses you received sound judgemental. You sound like a very dedicated person - nursing a child while in school and engaged! Wow - very impressive. Enjoy your engagement.

S.,

I have been in your shoes. Of course, my daughter is now 7, but this is what we found out.

Constipation can be a sign of Acid Reflux. My daughter was put on everything under the sun just like your son is dealing with now.

We used Senekot (very little though) and put it in his drink and have him take it down. It should help his constipation and it is safe and gentle for children because it is made for them.

If your son has no known food allergies it could be the way his bowels are breaking down the food as they are processed. If it continues I would be firm with your doctor and ask him for a different step.

Good luck - A. C - Hanover

hi S.. sorry about your little guy. what is he eating? when my daughter was just a week old just didnt have a bowel movement for 3 days! her poor little tummy was a swelled up. it happened b/c my breast milk wasnt fully in yet, so i would pump would i could with each feeding, but mix a little formula with it so she would have enough to eat. i guess the combination and switching back and forth from breast milk to formula sometimes brought it on. she stopped getting constipated once i was only breastfeeding. i guess their stomaches are really sensitive. and i contacted the formula company and they said that the ready to feed, or liquid concentrate formula is slightly harder to digest then the powder formula. they said they go through a different process when being made... so if and when i did end up having to supplement with formula... from then on i made it with the powder and it didnt bother her as much as the ready to feed or the liquid concentrate. just a thought. when she was constipated for those 3 days... i ended up having to give her an infanct glycerin suppository by order of my pediatrician. it was pretty slippery and i wasnt really comfortable placing it in her rectum, but it when in very easily, i just had to hold it there until it melted and her body stopped rejecting it and sort of sucked it in. my only advice is to keep lots of old towels or rags that can be thrown out- handy! i did not know what to expect. and after 3 days of all of that feeding and no bowel movements.. she was pretty backed up and continued to go for almost an hour. i couldnt walk away from her and was home alone at the time. all i had were diapers and just kept switching them out from under her and i went through A LOT! so thats why i say to use old towels or something thats less costly! i didnt care at the time though. i just wanted my daughter to feel better which im sure is how you feel too. i never used mineral oil. i did try the karo syrup, but it didnt work for us. i was putting the karo syrup right in her bottle of breastmilk/formula. (at that point i was pumping and supplementing with formula still) someone said the dark syrup works better so maybe try that? my friends baby went immediatly after using 2 Tablespoons of dark karo in with the formula. that seems like a lot to me, but each baby is different. also, mylicon infant gas drops work great whenever they have any other tummy aches. but i dont think it makes them go, which is more of what your looking for. i hope you find something that works!

my now four month old had the same problem at his two month check up. my doctor told me to give him an ounce of pear juice to an ounce of water once a day, and if that didnt help he told me to give him a product called miralax its a stool softner. just put a 1/4 tsp in the formula its powder so it mixes right in he never had a problem again.

Try straight apple juice in a bottle, even a touch of Karo mixed with the juice could help. In the past, I've mixed baby prunes in with formula or juice as well. They do have some liquid stool softener, but not sure for how young. Call your local pharmacy and see what they have over the counter for infant stool softeners.

K. B
mom of 5 including triplets

Black strap molasses is an old time remidy. Put a little in formula. Also, it may be too much iron in the formula that is causing the problem. Check the iron content. It is possible you need to change the type of formula.

What worked wonders on my oldest was warm sugar water. Just put in a teaspoon of sugar to four ounces of warm water. Within a half an hour my son always pooped.

I am so sorry to hear about your little one. My first child had major constipation issues. We saw a GI specialist with her and they told us never to give enemas to small children, which was what her doctor had been telling us to do. We ended up using Miralax and mixing that into her formula. She needed that from about 3 months until she was potty trained. Back then (she is now 6)Miralax was a prescription but now it is over the counter. I would ask about using it, I think it is less harsh than the old school methods you talked about and there is no taste. I hope everything works out, I know it is so frustrating to see them in pain and there is very little you can do to help. I hope this helps.

S.,
I've heard that formula babies get more constipation than breast fed babies, so maybe a little less supplementing if you can...maybe pump & store breast milk. It's probably because of the iron in the formula. My son was exclusively formula fed and did have a slight constipation phase.
My pediatrician recommended the glycerin suppositories (get the infant size) for my son when he was a baby. They were very effective--almost immediately or in 3-5 minutes.
I have heard of the Karo and the mineral oil but never tried them. Always make sure your pediatrician is aware of & approves the method you are using.
Also, you can try making tiny bicycle movements with your son's legs when you see him having a hard time going. Does he like water? If so I would say more water (even without the Karo or mineral oil will help, as water always helps constipation.
Good luck & I hope the little guy "loosens up"!

Give her some juice. I have had the same problem with all three of my kids. It is because I formula fed them, which causes constipation. I just gave them fiber rich juices, like apple juice, white grape juice and prune juice, on a daily basis. At 2 months, you may need to water it down, but juice should do the trick.

Stay at home mom of 3 kids, ages 8, 2 and 1

A friend of mine has used mineral oil on her daughter for quite some time. She has had no ill effects from it. She was discouraged from potty training too early since she has the constipation issues. My son also had major issues with constipation. I was able to give him prunes and prune juice an eventually pear nectar. It is a tough battle when they are so little, so hang in there and know that the dr is trying to help.

Good luck!

I had the same problem with my older son. My doctor's said to put prune juice in the bottle. I would add a tablespoon to his formula and that worked. I did have to do this almost everyday until he started eating baby food, but it can't hurt him. Good luck. I would check with your doctor before doing anything.

Deb

Dear S.,
It sounds odd to me that a 2 month old would be constipated at all. However, my daughter is breastfed, so I don't know what effect formula would have. Mineral oil does sound a bit harsh to me....I would be more concerned about why he is constipated. If your pediatrician doesn't have any answers to that question, I would ask to see a GI specialist.
J. W

try brown sugar water - 1 or 2T per 1 oz water - per our doc -good luck - just wondering how long he goes w/o a bowel movement as our doc says they can go a week and it's normal - ? take care!

Add some prune juice to his bottke of formula. A few tsp should help. My son is one now and still has issues on and off.

Put a little prune juice in with his formula. I gave my daughter prunes a few times a week and it worked very well.

S.
Hi,I had the same problems with my daughter and it was on-going,I tried all those options until I took her to a specialist and they prescribed Glycolax I forget how much but it gets diluted in there formula or juice. Since your son is so young,contact your Doctor if this is on-going like hers was and see if this could be an option. It takes a couple of days to start to work and then afterwards it works almost instantly after you give it to them.
Hope that helps!

Hi S., I don't normally give advice on this site but I read your problem and had to! I also have a two month old boy (first time parent. He was suffering from the same problem as your son. I just heard today that Mineral Oil is a terrible thing so don't use that! I also wouldn't give my baby anything other than milk. Not juice or other remedies. My Dr. told me to give the baby 1 oz. of water two times a day. That really works! he would go to the bathroom almost right away after drinking it and it would not be the hard constipated kind either! I don't know if your baby is breast feeding or formula but I also changed my babies formula to Nutramigen which is made my enfamil. It's made for Colic babies. It has made a huge difference as well. He is on a normal cycle of bowel movements and seems to feel much better! Hope you resolve the problem for your son! -M. G.

my 8 week old was suffering from constipation issues and my doc suggested that we add some oatmeal to her formula. We started this last week - just 1/4 teaspoon of baby oatmeal (gerber's whole grain with DHA) mixed in with the formula. We do this every other bottle. Our daughter is only formula fed. You may want to talk to your doc about adding some oatmeal to your supplements. Our daughter's bowel movements increased and appeared easier for her to push out. We also utilized a thermometer to assist her in releasing gas and have a bowel movement when she was constipated. Good luck!!!

Oh man can I relate. My son too was constipated at a very young age. We narrowed it down to him not being able to break down milk byproducts from his formula. Here's a few things we tried:

o Switched to soy based formula - worked very well - even after his first birthday we had to use soy milk. He's two now and able to take 2%, but if he has whole milk... we're back to being constipated. We got to a point where we used 3 parts soy formula and 1 part Wegmans regular formula. That mixture seemed to work. How we figured that out was b/c the soy formula is a bit more expensive and someone had given me some of the wegmans, I mixed them. When he didn't have a hard time, it helped with the cost a bit.

o A little prune juice mixed w/water (just an ounce or two).

o This sounds terrible, but if you take his temperature "the old fashioned way", it will stimulate his little muscles down there and you can help, with the thermometer, ease the poops out (I know, gross, but desperate mom's will do anything to ease their little one's pain).

BTW - we did the karo syrup and all that jazz... prune juice (only a few times had to do that) and switching to soy was what really did it for us.

Good luck and rest assured he will grow out of it!

hey S.,

I am a mother of 2 boys with my youngest (5 months) just having gone through the same situation. Formula can be so constipating. I would always give an ounce of prune juice with about 1 ounces of water. When he got a little older, I would add some prunes to the mixture. I also add an extra ounce of water to the formula whenever I mix it. I would double check with your doctor, because I think they recommend waiting until they are at least three months before giving juice...but I'm not sure so double check. Even at five months, I add prune juice to just about anything he eats and it seems to be keeping him regular. I'll continue to do so until he is off formula! I hope this helps you!!!

S. -
My son was on maltsupex since he was a few months old. Althought they stopped making that medication, the same ingredient is found in the barley malt that is used to make beer. I had a pharmacist at a local hospital confirm this, and my doctor agreed.
For my son's first year, we put malt in his bottles. Malt is a natural bulk forming laxative.
We still give him malt - malted milk balls, chocolate malt Ovaltine, etc.

If you need the name of a beer suppy store in Pittsburgh & the name of the product, as well as my doctor's name & location, please email me.

Good luck!

This is "old school" advice which I got from my Mom, but it works.

You get a bar of soap and cut a sliver of it about the size of a typial suppository - about the thickness of a pencil and an inch or so long. You wet it down & get it bubbly and insert it like a regular suppository.

Now, here's an important part.Since baby is laying flat while you do this, you take his little feet and tuck them up towards his tummy, which will make him bear down a little bit. Voila - success, relatively quickly.

I would check his formula - sounds like too much iron, maybe.

First off I read your "A little about me" Congrats on working on going to college as well as breastfedding/ raising a child, kudos to you! Good Luck!

I would suggest mixing brown sugar with water for your child to drink to help the constipation, as that is what they told my sis-in-law a few weeks ago, it is easier on them to digest, and better than the non safety of Karo. I never tried mineral oil, it was too scarey. I knew alot of ppl who did try it though and it worked, I usually helped my childs constipation with pear juice or apple juice, as that always helped my child go. I also wanted to suggest reading the iron intake on his formula (I know you supplemented twice a day) so I would maybe suggest changing his formula to a low iron fortified formula, because there is a chance too much iron can constipate him. And for your breastmilk the same watch your iron intake. Good Luck, among these wonderful ladies on here, your bound to find something that works! :O)

I agree with Brandy, talk to the doctor about the Miralax. My daughter was on that 9when it was a prescription) for quite a while and she is fine now. She ahd gas constipation, you name it. Today at 8 she is a healthy girl with no problems at all. Miralax is tasteless (i tried it to see if you could tast it and you can't). Mineral Oil works too but it is nasty tasting and kids figure that stuff out quick. I also think you should change pedictricians. There is a reason why this is happening and she seems to be guessing at what to do to fix teh problem and this isn't something you just play around with. The formula probably ahs too much iron in it, inquire about that as well.

Be very careful with enemas they can dehydrate a child rather quickly.

Best of Luck.

S. -
It is tough. Both of my children had constipation early on. Once we changed to Alimentum with one and Nutrimigen with the other the constipation went away. They often say there is a link between constipation and intolerance to milk. They both went through the Karo Syrup, prune juice, apple juice, enemas. Good luck, I just remember being so stressed.

take his two legs together and do them in a circular motion kind of like the hands around a clock. also do bicycle exercises and rub his tummy in a counterclock wise motion. my neice had issues and my sister in law did this and it really helped. put some rice in his formula,may be he needs more fiber. do what you think is right,doctors do not know everything. i am going to college part time and work full time. good luck with everything. finish school it is worth it.

Hi S.
Our doc gave us miralax when our lil guy was having the same issue, it took about 24 - 36 hrs to take affect but boy did it take affect. She had suggested we do the treatment for a week but after three days i was pretty sure he didn't ahve anything left in him to get out, LOL!!!

See if you doc will let you try that, it is a prescription usually for adults, but it can be given to children in small doses, We did a teaspoon two to three times a day for less than a week.

He started cereal soon after that so we have been "regular" since then but he miralax really helped us.

Best of luck with the baby and school...

My oldest had occastional constipation as an infant. I used glycerine suppositories. They always worked great. Half the time just putting it in would do the trick. I think it is worth a try. Your right, all that other stuff does sound harsh for such a little baby. I hope it works!

When my nephew had problems with constipation, his pediatrician told my sister-in-law to give him 2-4 ounces of juice (pear or white grape) once a day. Later when my son (now 7 months about 3 months at the time) started having problems with constipation, she told me what her doctors had said. We tried my doctor's suggestion of a couple extra ounces of water each day, first. We tried that for a couple of weeks. When my son turned 4 months old, his doctor said we could start giving him cereal. Any headway we made by giving the extra water was made worse when we started the rice cereal. It bound him up again. So we started with the juice. We used the juice in his cereal instead of formula. It did the trick. We moved on to the barley and oatmeal cereals a fairly quickly too. After moving to the other cereals, he didn't really have the constipation anymore. Now that he is 7 1/2 months old and eating more real food, his stools are a little more solid but most of the time he is not constipated (although occasionally he will have to really grunt and groan to get one out).

Anyhow, I hope this helps.

S.,

We had the same problem... and also occasionally used 2 oz of pear juce with 2 oz of water. Once he started eating fruts and veggies (at 4 months, with the doctor's blessing) it cleared up. Some babies have severe problems, so check with your doctor, but mostly this is just a phase until they get more fiber in their diets. Good luck, and know that this too shall pass.