Swtiching Formulas

Have you tried putting Karo syrup into his bottles? We had this issue with my daughter, but not so much my son. A little bit of Karo syrup added to the water and then add the formula. Start with small amounts and then increase if needed. Most of the time we would put just enough in the bottle to cover the bottom of the bottle with a thin layer. It may take a day or so to work, but it always worked with my two children. Good luck.

We had issues of the same type. Our daughter is now on Similac Sensitive and doing GREAT!!!!!! With other formulas, she was fussy,gassy, hard poops, and lots of spit-up. She has been a different baby sine the switch.

With our first son however, he had these issues no matter what formula ha was on. We ended up taking him to a Ped GI DR. He had a bowl obstruction that affected the muscles of his rectum. I am not telling you this to scare you, but to make sure that you get the situation handled.

Try the Sensitive, see if it helps. If not, ask to see a Peds GI Dr. Good luck !!!

We had a similar problem with our daughter and added 1 oz of Apple juice to the bottle. It did the trick. Whenever my kiddos were constipaded I gave them apple juice and it helped. Have you tried that with the formula? It seems so simple, but it worked for us.

We use Similac Sensitive or Sensitive RS (which has a rice starch to help from spitting up). The difference in the Sensitive vs the regular is it has the lactose removed. It is milk based though (whereas the Isomil is soy based). My daughter is prodominantly breast fed, but when she has a bottle, she poops. We will add some formula to her regular food. It may be his body adjusting to the different types of foods also.

If you don't want to give your baby the Similac brand that is offered with the WIC vouchers, you can ask his pediatrician for a prescription to take the WIC office and they will honor it. I switched formulas several times before I found out that my son had a milk protein allergy. The WIC vouchers were only good for Good Start formula. I got a script from my baby's pediatrician for Nutramigen and the they honored it at the WIC office. Also, you might want to try Nutramigen to ease the pain with your baby's stools. The Nutramigen formula made my son's stools sort of runny, which is normal for this formula. He was on it until he turned 1 year old and when he was able to tolerate whole milk, I took a script back to the WIC office saying that the milk protein allergy had resolved and there were no problems at all.

See if the doctor will allow low iron sometimes it's the iron that really gives a problem with pooping, I read it on a website about infants having problems pooping. My niece switched formula recently on her baby and she too receives WIC. Maybe they will allow the same formula but low iron or ask if your doctor prescribed it if they can honor that request and still have it on WIC.
I also read that rice cereal can really have that effect and babies should have oats and barley type, rice isn't so important when feeding a formula fed baby.
I have also read that tummy massage is good to help with it as well rotating their legs while they are on their backs helps also. Prunes also help a great deal and honestly they are sweet babies love them, see if there's cherry juice for that age in the baby isle at the store. Also check out a great website I have used for advise babycenter.com has many answers to baby questions as well may give you ideas when you need to ask questions to your doctor.

Magnesium deficiency is the number one reason for constipation and hard stools. Get some liquid or powdered magnesium and put it in the formula. And be careful of soy formula and boys. It can suppress testosterone due to the high estrogen component of Soy. There's a lot of info on the web if you are so inclined. Good luck...

Ok, first, if my children's DR told me to give them Miralax at such a young age, I'd find a new DR!!! There are so many other safer things you can do for him than that stuff.

Have you tried giving him 1/4 to 1/2 a tsp (1 time a day in a bottle) of light karyo syrup? I know some DRs have said to give dark but I've only ever used light for my kids. Also, fleets makes children's suppositories. You can break one in half and use that to help him go. Prune juice a few times a week.

I have no experience with Similac except for what my friends have dealt with and it has caused the same problems with their kids too. Gassy, hard stools, not pooping very much.....Enfamil did the same thing to my daughter too. My son though was on Carnation Good start and he pooped like he almost breast fed on that stuff!! He was never gassy or had problems going. Wic will change your formula to another brand but your Dr has to write you a prescription for it and you'll take it to Wic.

Or get one can of the powered our of pocket and try it first to see how he handles it. Then if you like it, you can go back to his Dr and tell him you want him switched over to it.

Good luck!
S.

There are two formulas that are not soy and contain no gluten or casein (which is what I would recommend). You may need to get a prescription from your doctor, but they do exist. It will help him alot.
Also, you may want to add proibotics to the bottle. You can get a good quality one at your local natural food store. Get capsules you can open and do 1-2 a day. If the flora in his intestines are off (which could be if he was not breastfeed, and even more if he has been on antibiotics or was a c-section). Getting the flora right (which proibotics contain) can increase is digestion and reduce the yeast which add to the constipation.
Third, 1/2 tsp a day cod liver oil will help move his bowels.
Lastly, if you still have difficulty after this, I would get him off formula and start rice milk fortified with cod liver oil (for fat and vitamins) followed by organic veggies and fruits for vitamins. You can also do almond milk fortified with the oil. Try lots of green for him (spinach and other dark green leafy).
It sounds like alot of work, but our bodies work when we get them in balence. The bowels are just a symptom and changing these will change the bowels.

Best of luck, J.

We were on Nutramigin(not sure I spelled that correctly), and we loved it. My daughter had similar issues, and now us on mirilax at the age of 2, which I have been told is common. Hope you get the answers you are looking for.

Hithere, M.: My daughter had the same problem and I gave her Ovaltine and it worked like a charm on her. I would give it a try - I think it will really help your little boy. All you do is mix it with milk and my daughter loved the taste. Best of luck to you and hope this helps.

Most of those formula's are so bad for baby's it's really sad that doctors reccommend them at all. And Miralax for a baby??? Why why why? I will never understand why doctor's prescribe something instead of fixing the problem. The problem is your baby's probiotic balance is out of whack. Please get that baby a good probiotic, it will make a huge difference. Life start by natren is my favorite and what I reccommend to all mom's. www.natren.com

Also if you weren't aware any formula with soy is even more horendous, are you aware that soy formula is the estrogen equivolent of taking 5 birth control pills a day.

Please check out the following, it's the best and only formula I reccomend for parents and kids on it have amazing results...
http://www.westonaprice.org/children/recipes.html

Also watch the oatmeal, it's high in gluten and if you aren't soaking it properly before preparing it, it is high in Phytic acid which is not good for humans...

Please let me know if yu have any questions.

I agree with the apple juice, prunes and prune juice and also Mangos (and any other high fiber fruits and veggies) are great. I cannot help you with the formula issue, but one "poster" is correct, go with the barley or oatmeal cereal over the rice cereal- the rice cereal can increase constipation. Make sure he is also getting some water each day- not lots of it, but some (2-4 ozs). I would make a mixture of apple, prune juice and water (1/4 to 1/2 juice mixture and the rest water) and see if that helps. Best of luck! F.