Need Safe Ideas That Will Ease My Daughter's Discomfort

If you are using formula, try using Carnation Goodstart. I used with all 3 of my children after ending breastfeeding because I had just the same problems. Actually with 2 and 3, I started it much faster. It is a perfectly fine formula - same regulations, etc. - just not a big high power pharmaceutical company pushing it on people. If this doesn't work, try switching to soy from milk based or vice versa. Carnation is whey based - which is a milk protein. I never tried the carnation soy.

hope this helps!

S.

The only remedies offered here that I can support are knees to the belly and glycerine suppositories. I've never known that combination to NOT work.

Try Gerber Apple/Prune juice. At her age I would still do 1/2 water and 1/2 juice.....this has worked for both of my girls with all their issues! Good luck

When my son was 4 months old he got really constipated too. We were having issues with his formula. I tried the prune juice and the Karo too (it didn't work). I had to break down and buy a baby enima. It was scary at first considering you have to put in the rear, within seconds of pulling it out he had a really nasty diaper. I would highly recommend it. You can by them at the drug store for under $3.00. You may also want to switch her formula. I think I tried like 3 formulas before his system settled down. If you want write back and I can tell you what formula I had him on.

My first daughter got constipated from the formula.You say you triied prunes but what about pears?My baby girl megan(5 months old)tends to go poopy best after shes eaten pears and stands in her bounce baby seat.Theres also a trick if she gets real bad from not being able to go and its a thermomiter and vasaline.It sounds evil and I hated doing it with my first but you put some vasaline on the end of it and insert it in her rectum about 2 cm at most and that way she has the sensation to push.You should ask your doctor first though because I'm not sure that they still suggest that tactic.I wish you the best of luck.

Make sure that the prune juice is regular prune juice and not Gerber juice. The Gerber apple-prune juice is only about 10% prune juice, and 90% apple juice.

If this doesn't work, and the Karo syrup doesn't work, I would definetly take her to the doctor and they should be able to give you prescription stool softener.

Good luck,
J.

Hi, I run a daycare and have 4 kids of my own and have given kids that age 1st food prunes, not prune juice. It does the trick real well and is safe. Good luck.

I have always found with my daughter that lying her on her back and slowly rubbing up and down her tummy seem to help. I have also given her apple juice...not prune juice.
My grandmother gave me a little tip that she did with her kids....it may not sound very pleasing....she told me to take just a small sliver of bar soap and put it in their rectum....this actually works...and it does not harm your baby.
The doctor once told me to insert a rectal thermometer...it may get things moving...it never worked for my daughter but it may work for you.
Good luck...I hope I've helped in some way...I know what it's like to see your baby in discomfort.

Hi R.,
MY name is J.. I can give you some hints my kids are grown up but I can tell you what I did to help. Apple juice is good for them it will help loosen them up a little. This may sound a little gross but I had to do this with my son when he was real tiny. Use your rectal themometer and just barely put it in the rectum and move it around. Not very far though just to the little silver part at the end. I did this to my son thats what the Dr. told me to do back then and it helped. Hope this works for you its worth a try.
J. T.

My son is 4yrs old and has a problem with constipation I took him to the doctor and she has me give him Mineral Oil once a day. Within 24hrs he was going normal again. Mineral Oil is odorless, tasteless, and safe. I put it in his morning milk every morning and he has been a happy camper since then. At most doctors offices they have little handbooks on different subjects and constipation is one of them. So you can always check it out for yourself if you are unsure but it has stopped his stomach pains and crankiness that normally goes along with constipation. I believe 1/2 tsp is the recommended dose for children under 1.
Jen from St. Louis

R.,

Our pediatrician told us that we could give our 3 month old milk of magnesia (the liquid that is to help with regularity.) She told us to give 1/2 a tsp up to 2 times a day when is is really constipated. We've only given it to him once but it gave him relief within the day. They also told us if it has gone for more than 3 days we can use the glycerin suppositories. They have child ones...you may want to consult your pediatrician on that one, but we have used those once.

Hope either of these ideas help.

I had the same problem with my daughter when she started weaning herself of the breast. She stopped breastfeeding at three months and when we started with the formula, she got really constipated. I had her on the Lipil formula and Gentlease, but neither worked. I went to Carnation Goodstart and haven't had any problems. It took about a week to know if the formula would work or not each time we switched. The best thing to do if she is really bad is to breastfeed at least once a day, if you still can, it's a natural laxitive.

Light Corn Syrup works but it really isn't good for the baby! Don't give any type of rice cereal if you have started that yet. Pear Juice works on a little older ones. My son was finally prescribed Mycolax. Good Luck!

Try babies magic tea and hope you'll the positive results. It's organic tea with good results.

hi ,
my baby was like that at 5 months and we gave her apples and prunes, babyfood of course, but she had already began cereal.
i don't know if 4 months is too young for that. but it worked right away.
N. k

Hi R.,

My daughter had the same problem when she was a baby and the doctor said to use adult pear juice which seemed to work. When we got really desperate we used supositories (sp?). They worked like magic, but watch out it comes out within a few mins. Happy Pooping!!!!

M.

One of my daycare babies had this problem until she went to a low iron infant formula. Since your weaning, does that mean your doing some breast and some formula?

I would have suggested the dark Karo syrup too.

Suzi

It is not the most pleasant thing to do...but if you get Glycrine suppositories they really help. They are not to be used like regular ones. Place one half way in the childs rectum and slowly work it in and out stimulating her to go. My Doctor told me to do this and it really helped!!! Just be gentle and it will also relieve gas that is causing her discomfort too! They don't get dependant and you don't have to leave them inside your child. I also did Karo at the same time and my kids really benefitted from it.

Also, if you lay your daughter on her back slowly work her legs in circles like she is riding a bike. This works out some of the gas.

Good Luck

This is not the most pleasent, but our doctor told us to take a rectal temperature because the thermometer would "stimulate" the bowels. Again, not the most pleasent but it worked with our sons! Good luck!

Hi, well some advice, that was given to me,was either, baby massage, pressing her bent legs to her tummy, or for you to eat a bowl of raisin bran, I know you said you are trying to ween her, but if you are nursing her even once a day, and she can get the bran through you, just some thoughts, hope they help!
J.

The glycerin supp. will work. You might try apple juice if she can have it. She is constipated from the iron in the formula. Ask the pediatricin if you can add a tiny bit of some type of fiber medicine. They also make laxative drops that are good, but you need to ask your pediatrician first. The problem with laxative drops is that sometimes the bowels "learn" to depend on them. Good luck!

I don't have time to read all the other responses but I just wanted to mention that when you start her on cereal make sure and get whole grain cereal. The white rice cereal can really add to the problem. You can get brown rice cereal at Wild Oats and Whole Foods. Good luck.

Hi. My daughter is four months old too. We started her on rice cereal and it constipated her too. We have switched to the infant oatmeal which has fiber in it and I mix in pear juice. It seems to have done the trick. Good luck.
S. B.

My daughter had the same symptoms. I also gave fruit juice and Karo per her doc's recommendation with no help. Turned out she was constipated every time I fed her infant oatmeal or rice cereal. So, I discontinued the rice cereal and oatmeal and continued breastfeeding. She was fine afterwards. If you can continue breastfeeding, I would highly recommend it. It seemed to help my daughter's constipation a lot. Are you giving her solids already? If so, this could also be the cause for constipation. Her tummy may not be ready for it yet. Hope this helps.

Hey R.. I'm so sorry your little one is having such trouble. Karo is the common mainstream remedy for this problem, but after reading about what it actually does to the baby, I didn't like it. I also read "nursing mother's companion" which told me that nursing babies can go up to 7 days without a bowel movement! WOW! that was eye opening.

However, if she is uncomfortable you can help alot by massaging her belly to encourage intestinal movement in the right direction. If this is new to you, please look it up. But essentially you go start on the right lower side, up the right side, across to to the left side, down the left side, and then across to the center. Does that make sense?

Also, don't be afraid to give her a little water. When switching to formula babies get much less water. Breast milk is 80% water! So she may be dehydrated.

Write me if you'd like to discuss other alternatives. I'd love to help you work this out.

Karo never worked for my daughter, and prune juice hurt her tummy. I had to stop breastfeeding and the only formula she could handle was goodstart. Also I would microwave a dishtowel for about 10 seconds (not too hot!) and put it on her belly and hold her and it seemed to comfort her. Good luck. I pray your little one feels better soon. That was such a hard time for me. It keeps getting easier. (Mine is 8 mos now)-C.

Have you tried seeing a chiropractor or going to a naturopath for help? I am a chiropractor specializing in infant care, and often constipation has a physical cause, ie tension in the area of the spine where the nerves go out to the intestines keeping the system from working properly. I've had several parents comment that their babies seem to poop more after their adjustments.

You can visit www.icpa4kids.org for more info on pediatric chiropractic and to find a doctor near you. You can also call me at ###-###-#### or visit my website at www.first-choice-chiro.com. I also have information on local naturopaths if you are interested in that avenue.

Yours in health,
Dr. Alyssa

you could give her an enima. they make them for small children.
OR (im not guaranteeing this will work) when my son was younger I gave him some pediasure (the vitamin shakes for kids) and it gave him the runs! I guess it was all the vitamins but it just cleaned him out. hope it helps

I would try warm baths and also putting some vasoline or lubricant to help it come out. Once we had to kind of help our daughter get it out by pushing lightly on her stomach and using the rectal thermometer to kind of free some of it. (sorry that sounds really gross).

Our daughter has to have juice or else she gets constipated. So we give at least some juice everyday.

My granddaughter was so constipated that when she would finally go she would scream and bleed. Her pediatrician prescribed Miralax. We give her a little everyday and she is regular. We also try to give her more water now. She wouldn't go for a couple days and it would be huge and wouldn't fit out, they told us her body would continue to absorb the water and it would become harder, so water would help soften it. We also have tried glycerin suppositories and they worked. We had her on Milk of Magnesia also and it was pretty good too.

ok I work in L&D at a hospital in the City. Here are some things we tell parents to try. first try taking her temperature rectally. this will help stimulate her. Sometimes all they need is to be reminder how to use that sphincter muscle. if that doesn't work try a fleet glycerin suppository. make sure they are for babies. cut one in half lenght wise and insert. I promise within 30 min if not sooner she will have a bowel movement. good luck

Bananas were our friends when my daughter was constipated. My brothers kids had the same problem when they were little and her told me about adding them to my daughters diet. At 4 months I would get one of those mesh baby feeders and let her suck on a chunk of mellon or banana. If she is teething this should help as well.

Apple juice and giving her a bath with baking soda sprinkled in (let her soak in it for awhile).
A.

When my daughter was little she has the same problem- screaming and even bleeding when she pooped- our Dr told us to give her watered down V8 with some sugar added to it. It helped A LOT!!!!