Formula and Constipation - Still Struggling

I am having the constipation problem currently with my 9 week old. I'm told by the pediatricians that switching formula is a last resort. I have been giving our son 2oz. of apple juice 2x/day and it seems to be working pretty well. The doctor said if apple doesn't work, we would go to prune juice. It was a bit surprising to me that they don't change the formula unless there are allergies or unless the problems are extreme. My daughter is 15 and I recall changing her from Similac with Iron to Similac without or low iron.

If you haven't already, I would check with the ped. before going any further.

Hang in there it will get better eventually. I had similar problems with my daughter starting around 2 months. When she would have to go to the bathroom she would scream until she turned purple. If your baby is having extreme pain passing stool I would talk to your doctor about the possibility of an abnormality in the anatomy. Thankfully my daughters anatomy was fine so the next thing we changed was her formula. Unfortunately there are so many different formulas to choose from so it may take a couple of tries to find one that will work for your baby. Alimentum did not work at all. Nutramigen was easier but was still a struggle. Try to mix the old formula with the new formula until your baby gets used to it. Try using the ready to use Nutramigen. The powder and liquid that needs water added are more potent in taste and smell. If you cannot successfully change her formula talk to your doctor about other options. You could try 2oz. of apple or pune juice. You may need to use something like a stool softner or something to help with digestion. My daughter gets 1/2 a teaspoon of Miralax twice a day. This draws water into the colon to make the stool softer. You could also try baby asedophilus. This will help your baby digest the formula better. Some moms see dramatic results from it and others not so much. Anything that is not harmful to your baby is worth a shot. Unfortunately there is not one answer for your problem. You just have to go down the list of possibilities until you find one that works for your baby. I know that it is very frustrating just be patient it will get better. My baby is a little over 3 months and she is significantly better already.

much to many people's amazement, soy is not always the best option for bebies. many are allergic and it's not that easy to digest. and contrary to previous beliefs, iron is not usually the contributing factor to infant constipation. many times it's lactose. i had a similar issue with my son and did some research. try a low lactose or lactose free milk base formula. enfamil has gentlease (low lactose) and lactofree. i use enfamil gentlease and it has worked wonders. it has 1/4 of the lactose as regular milk based formula and it has partially broken down proteins for easier digestion. it's no more expensive than the regular formula, it's just not available in bulk. alimentum is for babies with milk and soy allergies and is all chemicals. nutramigen is for extremely colicky babies (and expensive). try the gentlease and you will see a huge difference! i saw a difference after one feeding!

I went through all of this and the only formula that worked was Enfamil Gentlease for my daughter. I also want to add that I disagree with continuing any baby on a formula that is giving them pain and discomfort. Our family doctor disagreed with that concept as well.

Hi L.,

I had a ton of trouble with constipation in my now 6 month old daughter. Our ped recommended changing formulas as the first treatment. We went through pretty much all of them too(you know how many there are out there) and ended up on the regular Nestle Good Start with DHA and ARA mixed with pear and prune juice. We tried the soy version but that caused constipation too, at least in my baby it did. We still do a mixture of pear and prune juice. More juice, less water.

Hope you find a successful combo!

K. T

Hi L.! I am sure you are at the end of your rope by now. Have you talked to your pediatrician? Mine always advised not changing cold turkey. It's important to give it a chance (about 2 - 3 weeks) to allow for their bodies to get used to it before you can tell if it is working or not. The baby might not eat the new one because it is unfamiliar and they have no idea what they are getting at each feeding. I would definitely give your doctor a call, or any health line a call and get input. Keep us posted and good luck!

Hi L. - I was told that when I was switching formula you want to ween them off the old formula and onto the new. For instance (the same that you would do when starting milk except shorter periods) you'd start with 3/4 old formula 1/4 new for a day, then 1/2 old and 1/2 new for a day and then 1/4 old and 3/4 new for a day and then finally all new stuff. At this point, since you already changed it I'm not sure. I do know that when a child is hungry they will eat.

Also FYI, I know Nutramigen is really expensive however some medical insurance companies MAY cover the cost IF it is doctor recommended and you get the pre-approval. You might want to find out if your insurance company covers the cost and if so what you need to do to get them to pay up. If those formulas you've tried don't work you may want to see about trying the Enfamil Lactofree.

Good luck, S.