My youngest baby girl, Rylie, will be 6-months-old tomorrow. (I can't believe it!) Rylie's "poo" has been so different than our first child's from the beginning. Emma would have a BM like clock-work every day, and hers has never really ever been super "solid"... She's 4 years old.
Rylie has had a few times where she's gone several days without a poopy diaper, and each time, when I've called the pediatrician, they've said that can be normal. I would say probably once a month, she's struggled with constipation. It's so sad... she is obviously in pain, and struggles really hard to get "everything" out. A couple times, I've had to use a little Q-tip with some Vaseline on it to help her. They're like little rocks in her tiny diapers.
She hasn't started any food yet, even Rice Cereal - we'll probably get the "go ahead" from the doctor at her check-up tomorrow. She was breastfed solely, until 4 1/2 months, and since then has been formula-fed.
My mother-in-law has told me to give her apple juice or prune juice, but since her little tummy has never had anything but "milk" I really don't believe it would be wise to introduce her to those things first.
Do you have any suggestions? Do some babies just deal with this, or could something else be going on?
(PLEASE don't admonish me for no longer nursing - it was the hardest thing for me to stop. I am in my very first year as a teacher, and it has been the hardest 4 months of my life, juggling all this - Rylie was only 7 weeks old when school started, and although I had plans to nurse for a year, and pump at work, it just didn't work out that way. I was devastated for a long time, and still miss it - but there were several factors that led to this decision... I know breastmilk is best, so please don't go into it! Thanks for your understanding!)
Thank you!
S.
http://www.wholesomebabyfood.com/constip.htm
This is my favorite go-to site for any food-related questions. This link has a few suggestions on how to help without doing anything with her diet, and also a few things you might try feeding her... along with things that will cause constipation, and what to avoid when starting solids to help avoid it. :)
First don't down yourself for not being able to nurse longer. I couldn't at all for medical reasons and my daughter is just fine.
She was constitpated often and we were told to boil 4 ounces of water and dissolve 1 teaspoon of Dark Brown Sugar in it and let it cool. Put it in her bottle and it will loosen her up. If she doenst take it straight up you can make her formula from it if you use powdered kind.
First of all, take a deep breath!!! I too had moms sooo upset about me having to stop breast feeding. Your daughter is going to be okay. My daughter seemed to always be constipated... My pediatrician recommended her prune juice as well, or apple. It will not hurt her, you could even try half formula and half juice, if your worried... Also, the juice thing helped my daughter a bit, but some times it just didn't work. so what we found was that you could buy Glycerin suppositories over the counter. they are the size of a Tylenol capsule, so what we had to do is take a potato peeler and shave it down to a very small sliver and insert it into her bottom, some times it would pop out and lube it up there and the poop would slide out better. Most times the shaved lube would come out with it... some times it would melt and you wouldn't see it but it truly truly helped her, We did it some what often, and it really helped... let me know if you need an exact name And I will get the name for you! Hope this helps!!
The formula usually causes two extremes in sensitive children. Either painful constipation or diarrhea. It's quite common, especially if you use one of the mainstream brands. Since nursing while together with your child isn't an option (tho why, I have no clue - you still have milk - and it doesn't have to be all or nothing), then try switching to a Organic/Natural formula, which probably uses goat milk protein instead of cow.
Miralax was invented for infants and it's the best! Over the counter, get it, use it, and love it!
Don't beat yourself up about not nursing her. Yes, breast is best, but that doesn't mean it work out for everyone. My mother was given formula 60 years ago and is happy, healthy, normal weight, very smart, with no allergies. And goodness knows that today's formulas are much better than they were then. In fact, I think it was essentially evaporated cow's milk and water. Kids thrive on formula everyday - your daughter will too.
As for the constipation, I've put Karo syrup in my oldest's bottle when he needed it. It gets things moving again. At the check-up, ask about it. They may tell you to give Miralax. Also, you could start with oatmeal instead of rice to give her more fiber.
The prune juice (and later stewed, then pureed prunes, either alone, or spread on whole wheat bread, like jam) worked wonders for us! We actually used (very diluted) prune juice on our son when he was still on breast milk/formula combo (pre-solids). It was helpful for the constipation, and he liked the sweet taste. Now (our kids are 5 and 2.5) the "prune bread" is a staple in our house if either of our kids gets constipated, and often even if they are not. Prunes are full of iron - interestingly, one of the few iron-rich foods which don't cause constipation.
I would be considering some kind of allergy/sensitivity at this point. Treating the constipation (with juice, kyro syrup which is a BIG no no I know it works but it is HORRIBLE for their little bodies and is an out of date practice, mirilax, ect) will only fix the symptom but not the cause. There is a good chance that your little one is sensitive to something in the formula (and your milk when you were breastfeeding) and it's most likely the milk proteins. It is perfectly normal for a baby not to poop every day and that in it's self would not concern me but the actually constipation is not at all normal and a cause need to be found. I think it's a good idea for you to continue to hold of on solid until you've figure out what is causing her constipation you don't want to start adding things that may compound the problem instead of help it. You could try speaking with your pediatritian but I believe that she is too young for alergy testing and you get the best luck by simply eliminating things from her diet. At the point it will be very simply since she is only drinking formula but once you add solids it will complicate things. You can try switching to a soy base formula to see if that helps. Unfortunately your child could be allergic/sensitive to both milk and soy. You wont know until you try though!
I'm not sure if you would be willing to try it but would you consider giving your daughter donated breastmilk for a while and see if that helps her? Breastmilk has natural laxative properties and will naturally help her with the constipation. You may even be able to find a Mom that has already eliminated all dairy out of her diet. I can give you some links to check out if you are interested.
Olive Oil
What Causes Constipation?
Formula is often the cause of constipation in babies who are not yet eating solids, according to the experts at BabyCenter.com. Because formula is more difficult to digest than breast milk, it can stay in your child's system for longer periods of time, leading to constipation. If your formula-fed baby is chronically constipated, talk to your pediatrician about switching your brand of formula. Once your baby is consuming solids, you may find that certain foods cause him to become constipated. It is important to space out the introduction of new foods so that you can identify which may be causing the problem.
Olive Oil for Constipation
The consumption of olive oil can have a laxative effect on adults and children. If your child is eating solids, cooking her food with olive oil could help relieve her constipation. The medical experts at MedlinePlus suggest consulting your child's doctor before giving her a laxative. You should therefore talk to your pediatrician about the use of olive oil as a laxative before giving any to your child.
Massage With Olive Oil
Massage can often help a baby who is suffering from constipation. While there are many creams and oils to use for massage, simple olive oil is often the best choice when massaging a baby. It is a good lubricant and a food product, so you don't need to worry if a little gets into your child's mouth. To help ease constipation, warm the oil on your hands and rub your child's belly in a clockwise, circular motion while applying gentle pressure.
Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/255056-olive-oil-for-co...
First off good for you for nursing you baby at all! Sometimes things happen where you cant do it longer than you'd like to. So good job mommy for doing it as long as you could.
Second, my son is like this too. What kind of formula are you using? We had to switch to Soy and it really helped his tummy out so much, I wish we had done it sooner. Try that and see if it helps.
Also once you start solid foods things will get easier. Try giving baby some pears, applesauce, or prunes are great, it will help give softer bm's and wont hurt little love so much.
Apple juice really does help too. Give her 2 oz in her bottle and it will help clean stuff out.
I also give my son Mylicon gas drops too which help his tummy so much too.
It is normal for a baby not to have a poo diaper for up to 5 days my pediatrician told me. So dont worry things will get better. Just have to try different things to see what works best for you :)
Best wishes!
dark karo syrup in bottle as well will help,that is something i heard of and it helped my son.
My 7 y/o had the exact same problem. I know it is awful to watch them painfully struggle to poop. I still to this day have to watch that sometimes. When she was an infant I gave her a bottle of half prune juice half water. There were even bigger problems when she started potty training. Due to the constipation the muscles down there were weak and she couldn't feel when she had to go pee. She sees a nefrologist for this. We were just to see her nefrologist the other day. I thought we had the problem finally under control but come to find out its not. I have to start her onmiralax everyday (again) and make sure she goes to the bathroom and at least TRIES every 2 hours, its called bladder training. Its awful, she gets so constipated sometimes she asks me for an engma (can't spell). When she was a baby the Dr told me the same thing yours is telling you. I don't know what to tell you to do except insist w ur dr that it is not normal and you would like a second opnion maybe. And watch out I tried soy formula and it binded her up even more!
