Baby BM Question

I would take him off fruit juice entirely and manage fruit and veggie intake - one of each a day. Also look into a second opinion.

Sounds normal. You have to dilute fruit juices with water when they are that young or else they get bad diarrhea. My 2 year old STILL gets diarrhea with fruit juices unless I add water to it. I know they like the fruit juices, but mostly milk and water are best for them-- fruit juices have a LOT of sugar.

You don't have to change doctors. But, you don't have to follow their advice either. Cut back or out whatever you think is causing a problem. Babies under 1 year old need nothing but mother's milk. They don't need food yet. They really don't. It just helps them get accustomed to food so that by the time they need it it is an easier adjustment.

It's okay he is perfectly normal. "blow outs" as you call them are fine, when you need to be worried is if he is doing them over 6 or 7 times a day. Also, don't worry about the way he looks when he is going to BM, think of yourself, do you want to smile and play around when your going BM!

I have a 4 month old and he has "blow outs" too.. That's funny that you call it that.. I say his "butt exploded".. Yes, I have to change clothes and diapers.. It doesn't seem to hurt him though-- he never fusses.. Yesterday morning he was laying in his bouncy and I was standing next to him, and he "exploded".. I looked down at him, and he just smiled so big!!

My son is now 9 months and when he is sick we still have the blow outs. I wanted to let you know you are not a lone. We would go through fazes where it would be bad and then fine. I buy very cheap clothes for daycare - because they do not wash out the clothes as good as I do at home - and just pray in the morning we get to school before we have one...at least then they can deal with clean up.

Smile. Laugh. Enjoy the time because soon enough your little blow-out will be grown up and you can tell the blow-out story to all his girlfriends!

Wow! You have some interesting responses here. To me, it sounds like that this is "normal" behavior for your son, and it doesn't sound like it's making him uncomfortable at all. I read a few say to try to dilute the juice (if you aren't doing that already.) That's what I did with my son when he was much younger...even up to a few yrs old. Maybe try a different diaper size too. Good luck! I know that you are doing a great job! Every person's and every babies BMs are different, so don't get discouraged by some of these responses.

Good morning H.,

I am laughing so hard right now because this really brings back memories for me...especially the "concentrating" part LOL!

I did not give my children (I have four) juice at all...bananas will tend to firm things up...so will rice cereal.

Pears and prunes tend to work in the opposite way...

Good luck!!
-D

I don't know if his BM's are normal or not. What is really normal with a human? My baby has had her share of blow outs, however every day seems a little extreme to me. I have a few different ideas to share and I apologize if you've already heard these. I didn't read the other responses. First, I would lay off the fruits, especially the juice, and try some veggies. Try sweet potatoes. They seem to go over well since they have a sweet flavor that babies love. I probably feed my daughter who is 8 mo. something with sweet potatoes in it everyday so you can never give too much of that healthy food.

I would also consider trying a switch to Similacs non-dairy formula for a little while. Just to see if that does the trick. When a baby has a bought with diarrhea it can make them a little lactose intolerant. This should clear up in time but sometimes you might get caught in a vicious circle where the milk product continues to cause trouble. It won't hurt to try it out and you might find it makes things a little more "normal". We did this with our daughter and now she's back on the Advanced formula too and does just fine.

The biggest suggestion I have is to try probiotics!!! They help support the growth of natural flora in your digestive tract which can also get "washed" away in times of diarrhea. That's why yogurt is so good for you. You can give him a yogurt in the morning. My daughter loves the Yo-baby with cereal in it. After that you can find probiotic granules at the pharmacy. Just ask the pharmacist. They are over the counter but they keep them in the refrigerator behind the counter. They can also tell you how much to use. They are perfectly safe and a natural way to "regulate" things. My daughter went through a spell where she had really runny diapers several times a day. She was too young for us to really know if they were diarrhea but we just felt they were too runny so the best we could do was assume. I started doing some research on the benefits of probiotics and decided to ask her doctor. The doc said it was a great idea and that either way it couldn't hurt to try it. We had already switched her to the non-dairy formula, which helped a little but within a week of mixing the granules into her bottle she had more "normal" BM.

To end my speech... :-) listen to your instincts. If it doesn't seem "normal" to you then it might not be. If you son isn't in pain or is not showing any signs of something wrong than that's a great thing! But you still need to listen to your feelings on it. He might not be able to tell you that his smile is because his tummies not churning anymore after he finally poops. And it's always a good idea to investigate new doctor's advice if your concerned at all about what you're hearing. Again, listen to your instincts.

Good luck!
Jen
http://www.mommysjoy.com

P.s.. This advice was given to me from a mom of 3 when my daughter had a stomach bug that lingered for a week. I was getting frustrated with the constant clothing changes too. She said to try the plastic diaper covers that are used over cloth diapers. Gerber makes good ones. I tried them and they worked great! You still had a mess to clean up since you have to pull them off their legs but they kept the mess inside the plastic cover long enough to get her clothes off.

As others have suggested, I'd cut out the fruit juice. The only other thing I can think of is to try cloth diapers. Your daycare may or may not support you on this, but you could sure try it at home. I've had two kids, one of whom just always had loose stools. So we had our share of blowouts, mostly with disposable diapers. I've never had a leak of any kind when my kid was in a cloth diaper and a Super Bummis Wrap cover (that's a name brand).

I know cloth isn't for everyone, but it's probably easier to manage than you think, saves a ton of money, etc. It's just something else you might try.

Dear H., Are you diluting the juice? Maybe try that for awhile and see. If you have diluted the juice maybe just a little bit more water than juice will help. cause their tummy a so resilute (mspld) they can take just about anything. So maybe try that.And after reading all of the responses WOW So many different advices. Some of the a good but then again WOW No need to change Pedi. When our daughter was 3 weeks old we put her on rice cereal and she did just fine. and that was 31 yrs ago and I don't think babies have changed that much. Listen to your heart and own head and then do what you think is best.

This could be what my daughter had when she was around this age. She had all of the same symptons, it was called "Toddler Diarreah." And I had to give my daughter Benefiber twice a day in her bottle up until the age of 2 for her to not have those "blow-outs."
Ask your physician to be sure that the baby doesn't have anything wrong with his digestive system or anything. But it doesn't hurt the babies to give them the benefiber and it helps alot! H. this helps...it did me!

I agree with some of the other posters. If he's having fruit juice and fruit, this is totally normal. I would either cut juice out altogether (it's so much sugar, especially for a young baby) or just dilute it with water. I still dilute my daughter's juice and she is 3. If she goes to a party and has juice, cake and ice cream, we sometimes have issues too. She just can't handle all of that sugar. I'm sure it's the same with your baby. Give that a shot and see how he does. Unfortunately, blowouts are fairly normal for babies, so you may just have to live with it until he outgrows it, but you may also want to go up a size in diapers or try a different brand. Huggies were horrible for both of my kids and did nothing but leak. I started using Pampers and have had less of a problem, although it doesn't stop all of the blowouts. Good luck. I know it's frustrating when you're cleaning clothes non-stop, but it should get better as he gets older.

I didn't read many of the resonses you have gotten, so if I repeat what someone has told you, I appologize for making you read it twice :)

At his age he can still get all of his hydration needs from formula. You can offer him water now and again if you want but not instead of formula. Are you watering down his juice? Straight juice is too "strong" for a babies digestive track because of the sugars. Too much juice at any age, really. My husband is 47 and has had these kinds of problems most of his adult life. Our regular Doc said "oh, it's irritable bowel syndrome, here's some pills". Didn't look for a cause, just prescribed drugs to treat the symptoms (plug him up basically). Hubby's at business school right now and this section is focused on healthy living. The Doc there said cut out the fruit juices (fructose) and refined sugars & breads (including pancakes, flour tortillas, etc. because of the sugar starches which are sometimes called glutien I think). He's been at it for a week and a half and his bowels are firm again (before this, he could sneeze or cough without knowing he had to "go" and have a "blowout" like your son and have to rush home and clean up & change).

To see if this is the problem for your little guy cut out the juices and fruits all together to see if he goes back to whatever was "normal" before. If he does then on a day when you have nowhere to go, leave him in just a diaper. Give him a bottle of juice. Wait to see his next BM. If no change, then maybe one bottle of juice a day. If he has a blowout, wait a few days for him to regulate. The next time you give him juice, make it half juice, half water. If he still has a blowout, next time try one-fourth juice (one ounce) and three-fourths water (three ounces). If he still has problems, cut out the juice altogether. Try this for each type of fruit he already drinks. After you have figured what his body requires, then you can try new fruit juices one at a time and do it just like you did above.

Once you have the juice figured out, do not give him any for a while. Feed him the fruits he has been eating during times of blowouts. Feed him only one type at a time - example: bananas only - and try it just like the juice without it getting it watered down. Instead feed him his usual amount on day one. If he has a blowout wait until he's normal again, then feed him half of what he got the last time. Continue until you find the right amount or until you find he can't have any at all. Try this for each type of fruit he already eats. After you have figured what his body requires, then you can try new fruits one at a time and do it just like you did above.

H. this helps!

That never happend to my baby unless she had a stomach virus, it could be that your baby is teething and sometimes they have loose stools if that is what you refer to as blow outs?? I would go for a second opinion. its best for your baby and your reassurance.
-G. RN

If it were me, I would immediately take him off of everything and see if it things will normalize out...I don't care what your pedi says, that does not sound very normal for a daily routine. Then after a week or two start adding those things back ONE at a time. Give each item a week or more and see how his body reacts to it. It could be a form of a food allergy or something.

He really doesn't need fruit juice and it's probably contributing big time to his blow outs.

I might not be very popular for saying this, but there really was no need to start your son on cereal at 3 months - that's extremely young. Food shouldn't really start until 6 months at least. I think you should take your doctor's advice with a grain of salt, and then research some on your own. Doctors are not infallible. He sounds like he is very old-fashioned and not up on current research.

I would not give him any fruit juice until 9-10 months and then make sure it's diluted well. Cereals can help with the problem unless he has an "allergy" to them (effects from gluten etc. which can cause loose stools) Try plain rice cereal 2-3 times a day. If that doesn't help take him back to the doctor especailly if he is not gaining weight. If the food is going through him and the nutrients are not being absorbed it is a serious concern.

My son who is now 2 years old has the same problem if he eats to much sugar/fruit/juice, etc.

As for your doctor, if you are not happy with him, see another doctor. You should feel comfortable with your child's docotor and they should respect your concerns. Afterall the doctor is not the one changing the diapers and clothes --I always trust the mommy instinct!!

Good luck!!
K. --Full time mom of two wonderful children and part time pharmacist

Sounds like normal bm to me.

I am going to go against the grain on this one...I do not and will not give my kid fruit juice. The way I see it, I might as well give her a tablespoon of sugar. Why dont I give her a cola? The "good" of the fruit does not outweigh the "bad" in the sugar. My daughter eats plenty of pineapple, banana, apple, etc. Its crazy, you cant squeeze extra sugar in a piece of fresh fruit.
This, of course, is just my opinion,
Margaret :)

I think its odd that he started him on cereral so young and fruit. We waited till six months for cereral. We were told if you start them too soon they develop allergies. As your son did. I just started giving my son a little and I mean little bit of juice( he is one). Its basically flavored water. If the babes get too much juice it gives them "blow outs". My son has had one blow out where clothes needed to be changed. Also I thought we were suppose to start them out on veggies first so they liked the bitter taste and werent so into the sweet fruit. I personaly would switch doctors. He seems like he is in the dark ages! Best of luck with your new son. A couple quick ref books I recomend Super Baby Foods and What to Expect In the First Year. They both offer guide lines on development and what your baby should be doing and eating and when.

Get a new pediatrician RIGHT AWAY! A three month old infant should never be put on rice cereal. It has been firmly established that the earlier solids are started, the greater likelihood a child will develop food allergies. It's safer to wait until six months to introduce solids. Babies don't actually need solids for nutrition until one year. Before that, it's just practice. Juice is one of the worst things you give a kid - too much sugar for the digestive system. Please tell me they are at least mixing the juice with water!

Hey H.
I use to have the same problem when my babies where little. What I started to do was water down all of his juices 1/2 juice and 1/2 water and that made them stop the blow-outs. Try it this will help and he will feel way better.
H. your baby feels better
Good Luck

I know you don't want to hear this, but my son did the same thing. Put him back on the rice. Rice and bananas harden up the poop. I would have to was the carseat almost every evening! Hang in there, once he can eats table food, he will eat meats and breads and his poop will harden more.

All of the advice has been wrong. I would change doctors. Babies do not need food that young. Formula alone causes enough allergy problems, but their immature systems can not handle food. Your babies body is trying to let you know something. Pay attention.

Hi H.,
The book, Nourishing Traditions, by Sally Fallon has a section on foods that are meant for babies and why (starts on page 597, and another section on food allergies (pg 56). I encourage you to pick up the book. From my perspective, blow outs are because something being eaten does not agree with the person, no matter what age.

A little about me:

Grandma to be, foster parented five babies and children and raised one girl.

Make sure he is in the right size diaper!

H.,

Your baby is really young to be having that much fruit/fruit juice. It's NOT necessary. Fruit juice has very little in the way of nutrition. Juice has a lot of sugar in it which can cause diarrhea. I would stop the fruit juice all together. I never gave my children juice until they were over 1 year old and then it was given infrequently and diluted. Children don't need juice and drinking it makes them adverse to drinking water. I would always let my children have water or milk when they were young and now they like water and will drink it where other children hate the taste of water because they've had nothing but juice. Go back to formula and rice cereal and then begin with vegetables. If you will do some research on this subject you will find that a majority of pediatricians recommend starting with vegetables instead of fruit. They also recommend giving each vegetable one at a time. Start out the first week with only giving him squash. The next week maybe try green beans. That way you can see how his digestive system handles each food and you can be aware of what's causing any allergies that may develop. I would also recommend you get a new pediatrician. This one sounds like he's not giving you the best, up-to-date advice. Good luck!

I would just hold off on the fruits and juices--go back to plain cereal. It sounds like he started very young with foods and maybe his system didn't adjust well. Most doctors I know say to wait until 6 months to start food, but everyone has their own opinion. Most of the nutrition is still coming from formula, so don't stress too much about baby food right now, especially if he is not tolerating it. Definitely get rid of the juices! That will just make matters worse. I can't even give my daughter who is now 2 straight juice because the same thing happens. good luck

Take everything out of his diet except the formula. After a week slowly incorporate one food at a time. Give one food for 5-7 days before adding anything else to check for stomach upset.

What you are describing sounds like a food allergy. Unfortunately, many doctors do not know anything about nutrition and advise early introduction to solids when their are clear guidelines made by the AAP and ADA that state otherwise.

http://www.ific.org/publications/brochures/solidsbroch.cfm
http://kidshealth.org/parent/food/infant/formulafeed_soli...

Fruit juice is also unnecessary and could be contributing to the blow outs.

Good Luck and I H. your little guy's stomach straightens out.

Sorry, I didn't read all the responses, but have you tried to change the diapers? I know when my little guy was in size 2 there was a time where he would blow out and leak pee. Once we changed to size 3 he was fine. For sure though if you aren't already diluting your juices be sure to do so.
Good luck!

I suffered from the same BM issue with my son. I know it's aggravating but it will get better. Unfortunately time is the only thing I can suggest. My son didn't stop having "blow outs" until he was about 10 months old...

Good luck!

Hi H.,
I have a 6 month old baby girl and just started her on cereal at 4 months then incorporated fruit and veggies slowly. The purpose of this is to make sure they don't have any food allergies, the babies stomach is VERY sensitive. I would suggest you get a second opinion on this. There is NOTHING wrong with being too cautious when it comes to your babies health. It sounds like he is having a food allergy. Take him in to be looked at. Good Luck!!

Hi H....

I have read all of the responses, as I am having the same issue with my 7 month old daughter. She has been drinking breast milk for 6 months, with the occasional formula bottle in the evening. We started her on rice cereal at 5 months and have incorporated fruits and vegetables only at 6 months. In the last few weeks, she has been weaned off of the breast milk and drinking only formula. Even before we started her on the fruits and veggies, she was having very messy BMs. Now, she has at least 2 "wardrobe malfunctions" every day, and I am wondering after reading your post if the problem may be with the formula as it has been getting worse since we have given her all formula. We had this issue before and cut out the formula (as she was still on breast milk) and the rice cereal and she was back to normal. Then I started the cereal again, and no problem. Once I started the formula bottle in the evening it started again. I have been comptemplating changing her formula to see if there is a difference. Just thought I would pass this along.