HELP 19 Month Old Daughter Extremely Constipated!!!

Hi A. My name is Lena, actually giving her too much applesauce can also give her constipation so wha you can try is a little prune juice just start off with 1/2 oz that will help her bowels move, give her 1/2 oz every day until she's loosened. No need for meds she is still young try the juice, and see. Good Luck

When my son would become constipated...I'd give him prune juice mixed with some apple juice....he'd drink it nd a little bit later he was pooping.

Hope this helps

I found that prune juice mixed in formula or breast milk works graet. You can also give her apple juice but you have to water it down either half & half or 1 part juice 1 part water. I think you should only give them about 4 or six ounces of juice a day but this is what I give my son and it really helps. Watermelon as well, plus he loves it. It is pretty much made up of water so it will help get things moving. My sister had teh same issue w/ her daughter and they had to resort to baby enima's. I decided to try the juices.
Hope this helps

Hi.

Two of my three children's bowels have always responded to apple juice. Often several servings of apple juice (100%) will do the trick if you want to try something simple, first :-)

I hope this helps!

I buy prunes at the supermarket and cut them up into bite sized pieces for my son (he is 14 months). If your daughter has trouble with the texture -- throw them in a food processor with some apple sauce or whatever other fruit you'd like to puree. We also make my son a little fruit salad sometimes with fresh chopped pineapple, cantelope, pears and we go easy on the cereals & bananas b/c they tend to constipate him.

There shouldn't be any difference digesting conventional vs organic cow's milk. We choose to have milk delivered from a local farm b/c I like the idea of giving my son milk that comes from cows that haven't been given hormones or unnecesary antibiotics; however, on more than a few occasions, we've run out of milk before milk day and had to pick up conventional stuff at the corner store and there is no difference in the way my son digests the two.

you can add prune juice to the milk that your daycare provider is giving her that should help.. it worked for my daughter!

Two things struck me as I read your question:
1. Organic milk may still cause the problem if her difficulty is that she lacks the enzyme to digest cow's milk solids (that is what is behind what most people call a milk allergy). Those proteins are present in any cow's milk--organic or otherwise. If you think she could benefit from a switch to soy or some other calcium source beyond the breast milk she is getting, you could talk to your Dr. about it. The center should adhere to any guidelines provided by a physician. Also, it is my understanding that one consideration with constipation is overall fluid intake. How much water is she drinking? Is she consuming other fluids? How much is she breastfeeding? If the milk is her primary fluid source, she might need more fluid.
2. Gerber stages are, to be blunt, a marketing tactic. When I, as an adult, consume a plum or some prunes, I don't consider myself to be pigeon holed into stage one or two. These admittedly convenient foods are supposed to be just one ingredient, right? Try getting some organic prunes (they are sometimes labeled "dried plums" because the name "prune" can be a marketing challenge) and just using a blender or a food processor to whip them up. If she likes prunes, don't stop feeding them to her just because the Gerber Corporation doesn't offer them for her age. You might also try other organic, unsulphered dried fruits chopped up. If they are a bit dry (sometimes they are) you can add a little fruit juice to get them to chop right. And try mixing a little of other fruits in the applesauce to change up the flavor and the texture. That might keep her from getting bored. You'll also save a lot of money and potential explanations. A six year old can sit down and enjoy apricot apple sauce or dried plum apple sauce without anyone asking why she's still eating Gerber!

Milk is milk! Organic isn't any better, only more expensive. Nothing is like breast milk. Since her diet has changed you may want to try glycerine supositories. They work really well. You won't have to use them but once or twice & she'll be accustomed to the new foods..
Good luck!!

Hey, try slipping in some prune juice with her regular juice. Also, my kids like raisins and thry're loaded with iron so it's dually beneficial. I wouldn't necesarily point the finger at the milk, a lot of times at daycare centers they feed the kids lots of crackers and carb constipating snacks. If you can take in her snacks, fresh fruit of any vareity should keep her regular. Good Luck!!!!

My son (7 months) had a case of constipation earlier this week. The local pharmacists suggested prune and apple juice mixed. It worked for us. HTH.

Try a little watered down sweet plum juice. That always works for my son!

When my daughter had a hard time, i'd give her straight apple juice. (i normally mixed it with h2o) that always worked for her. Fast. Raisins always worked for her too. If she likes the prunes, it's ok if she eats stage 1 food.
On another topic, if you're not comfortable with the daycare giving her milk, tell them no milk! (I don't think that is causing her constipation though) I'm not a fan of cow's milk, there's no way i'd let the daycare give it to my child. I'm not sure about the organic stuff, i've been hearing that it's not all it's cracked up to be (and SO expensive) try soy milk or rice milk. If you decide you like one of those, you could bring it into the daycare. Do you pump breast milk to take in? That might be an idea. You might want to check the regulations to see if indeed they are required to give cow's milk. I personally find that odd.
Good luck!

You can cut prunes into small bites for her too. Miralax is what all my friend have used with their children. Milk does not cause constipation, organic or not. With some it is a control issue. Once they have a difficult BM they remember and try to hold it in so they don't feel it again. Talk to your daughters doctor. This is a very common problem.

when my kids havent gone in a while i make them drink a cup of a prune juice, apple juice mix. its been a while so i dont remember how much of what but it always works.

Raisins help my son. I also found individually wrapped prunes in a clear canister; not sure who makes them but I give one to my son when he's having trouble and it works like a charm.

Before I found the prunes, I kept the Gerber apple/prune juice on hand and had him drink one of those, which always worked great, too.

D.

Our daughters are about the same age and have the same problem. I use the gerber prunes and put in in yogart. She loves it. I use apple juice, loves it. I give her alot of water, she askes for it. Canalope helps her also. Apple sauce can be boring but is comes in so many added flavors. I prefer fresh fruit so I usually blend some fruit up and mix it into her apple sauce and yougart.
T.

I push liquids and limit the amount of milk. My daughter has the organic whole milk too, but no more than 15 oz a day. I make sure she gets a lot of calcium in broccoli etc. I limit cheese. Most helpful to me has been Clifford Crunch cereal (6 grahams of fiber) and more recently Fiber One Caramel Delight (9 g fiber). Once in a while I have to give her a suppository (boo!). This has been helping us with our constipation issues. I also make bran muffins. Good luck! Sometimes they need to adjust to the cows milk.

Miralax saved my daughter. It is sold over-the-counter now. I know you can find it at CVS and Walmart. My daughter started being constipated from about six months old. When she couldn't hold anymore in and had to go it was so big and hard it would tear her bottom and make her bleed. She would often cry herself to sleep in my lap from the horrible cramps in her stomach. The doctors had us try everything from glycern sypositories, and mineral oil to mylanta, milk of magnesia and all those other types of stool softeners. It was horrible and a huge mess. Those things made her go but it was explosive and burned her poor legs. Plus it was difficult to get her to take them because the taste was horrible and she started to associate bad tasting medicine to the nightmare she was living. It also made her cramps worse. This went on for over a year. My nephew went through the same thing for nine years. Miralax cured them both. We mixed their doses in whatever they liked to drink (usually kool-aid). It has no color or taste so they thought they were just getting a drink. We followed the pediatricians advise and started them on lower doses and adjusted until they were normal. She was going potty on her own within a few days and the cramps were gone too. Because of the extent of the damage that had been done over such a long time, my daughter had to take Miralax for about nine months but has been normal for the past seven years. I would strongly recommend Miralax over everything else. We have also curbed her diet so she doesn't get constipated. Pears, celery and their juices are great. Cucumbers and melons work too. Good luck!

A.,

My son had issues with this at around 2yrs old.( He developed a fear of going, because it hurt and would hold it for days) His pediatrician recomended giving him prune juice(about 1oz) and cut up prunes every morning to help make it easier for him to go. I started with these amounts and increased them every few days till I determined how much he needed to go comfortably. After a while I backed off slowly on the amounts and he's been fine. (We called prunes and prune juice special juice/fruit so he thought it was cool and now loves them) I also started him on whole grain bread, crackers, & pasta to help add more fiber.
I hope this offers you a little help, we never needed any mecications. Good Luck.

C. G

do you mean she hadn't been on regular milk until she started at the daycare? if so that's mostly likely it. there are state regulations preventing a daycare provider from giving expressed milk? i've never heard of such a thing. of course, your daughter is old enough for cow's milk (or goat or soy if you prefer) but if she's just now making the change BECAUSE of day care, there's no way you should medicate her without simply taking steps to transition her.
changing her from regular old milk to organic won't make any difference at all in her bowels, although it is most certainly a good decision for other reasons.
don't get locked into 'stages'. prunes help, and if she loves them, why not give them to her? it's not like they're going to retard her growth. better yet, buy fresh plums and puree them yourself. most fruits will help, and encourage her to drink plenty of water.
khairete
S.

My daughter went through the same thing once we introduced cow's milk after breastfeeding. What worked for us was to cut back on the milk intake. Dont worry about the prunes being a Stage 1, my daughter still ate them at almost 2 as well. I also gave her white grape juice which helped too. Once cutting back on the milk and giving her a cup of white grape juice at least 3 times a week helped. I was too afraid to give her more because of the sugar intake, but I found that it helped a great deal.

white grape juice, prune juice, cut up prunes and raisins, water ,whole wheat pasta and breads (no white stuff) Like no white rice, no white bread) high fiber is what she needs. She does not need medication. (unless prescribed by a doc) you can do it safely and naturally with diet. water water water helps, mixed with her milk or your breastmilk)

If she is not a fan of some of that stuff you can mix it with foods and drinks she does like...

When my son had the same issue, his pediatrician recommended 4 oz. pear juice for a couple of days. Apparently there is an inconsistency with the sugar in pear juice which pulls water into the gut. My kiddo loves prunes too, but this worked better/faster than prunes ever did. Good luck

In the baby aisle where the baby food is look for the prunes in the jar. I would mix the whole small jar of it with water and have her drink that....she'll think it's juice.
Also beleive it or not when my son was little we boiled sme water and added a handful of raisins to the water for about 7 minutes or so........it was a pretty gross sight but....that made my son go and then some....LOL good luck!
Annie R

Just a little note on the organic or not organic milk - organic milk won't make a difference to the constipation issue, but despite the expense, I do buy organic for several reasons:
1. It doesn't contain the growth hormones which are fed to the non-organic cows. These growth hormones are actually so dangerous with their links to cancer etc that they have been banned in Europe and Japan.
2. The organic cows are not routinely fed antibiotics. It is the routine use of antibiotics in healthy animals which has been attributed to the development of "super-bugs" which are now immune to antibiotics.
3. In order for milk to be labeled organic, the cows have to be fed on organically grown crops. This means that it has a larger positive effect on the environment and also ensures that there won't be any pesticides showing up in the milk.

As far as the constipation goes, any raw or dried fruit is good, raw veggies are great, most cooked veggies are good with the exception of carrots. These work the same as apples where when you cook them, the fiber breaks down in such a way that it has the opposite effect. Having plenty of water and fruit juices is important.

I hope this helps, and definitely, if you can afford it, go for the organic milk. For us, it means we have to cut back a little in other areas, but I get to feel like I'm doing something wonderful for my children just by going to the grocery store!

L. P

Hi A.
Constipation for munchkins stinks. I watched my twin preemie nieces for years, & it was a major problem for them. The best remedy was apple/prune juice or watered down prune juice (because you don't want the opposite to happen). See how your daughter reacts to it. You can add the juice to cereal or just give it to her instead of the milk. If you can get her to drink water that helps also. You can put a teaspoon of Karo syrup in 8 oz of water, it sweetens the water & it also helps with bowel movements.
Good luck!

My youngest is 9 and we battled this for a while. Here's what we did and what my nutrition instructor suggested. Hope it helps...

Fluids, fluids, fluids! You need to increase her fluid intake, not just with juice, but with water. Also, she needs insoluble fiber (whole grains, fruits with the skin). I would not use any form of stool softener or laxitive at all at this point, including suppositories. Try just changing up her diet a bit for a while. Also, remember, what's normal for person(frequency of bowel movements) may not be normal for another person.
Don't forget, water, water, water. If she is eating fiber and not increasing her fluids, it will stop her up even more.

Blueberries! My son loves them and they will loosen things up. I think some doctors recommend that you wait until age two for berries and peanuts but we never went in much for listening to our doctor as they seem to be wrong as often as they are right anyway. When we were babies it was considered a cardinal sin to put a baby to sleep on their back for fear that we would aspirate on vomit. I'm sure the recommendations will swing back the other way after a few years of study and find that by not exposing our children to things at a young age we put them at a HIGHER risk for allergies...

prunes, prunes and more prunes. my one year old has been very constipated and even though she eats #3 gerber foods we have been giving her #1 prunes everyday and it makes a huge difference. i think applejuice is also supposed to help.

Jerry Seinfeld's wife has a cookbook out about incorporating healthy purees in regular foods. Also, applesauce and prunes can be used to replace most of the oil called for in many baking recipes. Low-fat oatmeal cookies with applesauce baked in might be a nice change of pace for her.

Additionally, I don't know what state you live in, but I have a hard time believing there are regulations mandating the distribution of cow's milk to pre-schoolers. Your daughter may be mildly lactose intolerant, it's not uncommon. Perhaps she can be offered water instead of milk. Extra water may be exactly what she needs to help loosen things up. If this persists, or you do need medication, her pediatrician is the next stop.

Good luck.

I know that it seems very uncomfortable for the little ones, but glycerin suppositories work wonders! The initial insertion hasn't been too easy, but after that, both of my children 1 and 3 have felt much better, it usually produces a bowel movement as soon as the suppository starts to melt (about 5 or 10 minutes). You aren't suppose to use these unless the baby hasn't had a BM in 2 or 3 days and if you use them frequently, it works as laxitives would on adults, they could become reliant on them. I hope this helps and I hope that the little one feels better.

Hi A.,
The juices are a good idea, as is any fluid. Always give more fluids/water in general when constipated to naturally help move things along. You should also get some glycerine suppositories to have on hand from your pharmacist. They tend to be refrigerated so are not out in the aisles, but they are perfectly safe/natural/non-prescription option to help things begin to move along without medication. Ask your ped and pharmacist, but I think you'll be much happier after you have. Good luck!

ask your pediatrician for glycolax. it is the best! my daughter had the same thing. it is a powder you just put in her food or drink in the morning.

A.,

Gerber does make a stage 2 prunes. It is mixed with applesauce. My daughter is almost 5, and when I think she needs to loosen up a bit (so to speak), I give her some. She loves them, and it works. Or, as the other poster stated, you could make your own prune sauce in the food processor. Hmmm. I should mention that to my dad.

A.

You may want to try pears. They really helped my daughter. Just make sure she is getting lots of fluids. I had this problem, but it started durning the potty training process. My doctor had given me miralax. You can buy this over the counter. But, first check with your doctor.

I hope this helps.

A.

A. I have 2 children age 9 and age 6. When my 9 year old had problems as a baby I would give him white grape juice (do not add water you want it strong) it really helped him go. You may want to try this before medications.

My 10 month old daughter has had a terrible time lately and her pediatrician suggested 1/2 tsp of milk of magnesia. It works wonders, i give it to her every other day along with apple juice. She is breastfed as well so I was baffled by her being stopped up but the this has helped and she loves to take the medicine.

Hi there. Have you ever heard of Mona Vie? Mona Vie is a pure/organic juice that contains 19 different fruits, the main ingredient being the acai berry from the Amazon. My whole family takes it and loves it. Children just drink one ounce in the morning and one in the evening and it gives them the equivalent of about 7 servings of fruits and vegetables (adults drink 4 oz). There is no sugar, water or stimulants added. It is pure fruit pulp, skin and seed pureed. It also has Omega 3,6, and 9 which is great for brain development. Most folks report quite a bit of regularity on Mona Vie.
When you get it wholesale it costs about $2 - $2.50 per day if you take 2 oz and $4 -$5 per day for 4oz. As I'm sure you know, you couldn't buy that many servings of organic fruits and vegies for that price, nor would the kids ever eat that much, although they need it. It's amazing what proper balanced nutrition does for us and our kids!

Oh gosh, forgot to add that fruit makes you EXTREMELY regular! Apple juice and grape juice are really not good for kids because of all the sugar. Look at the sugar cotent on those bottles, usually 28-32g of sugar. Mona Vie only has 3g of sugar per ounce, so at the most you daughter would get 6g of sugar and it is only what naturally occurs in the fruits.

My son had the same problem. His bm's were absolutely HUGE and were causing fissures and bleeding and he would just hold them in for days until he couldn't hold it anymore. Then he would just spend like 30mins up to sometimes most of the day standing at a chair or something of the same height bent over, with his head resting on his arm trying to push it out. It made me feel so bad for him and even helpless that everything I was trying for him only seemed to minimally help. The things that worked some for him that his pediatrician recommended is pear juice, white grape juice and prune juice. We also used Docusate Sodium mixed in a juice, but some people are sensitive to it and it can cause cramping. It also tastes nasty, even in juice. We used the childrens enimas for when he hadn't had a bm in 2-3 days and that worked w/in 10mins, but he absolutely hated it and would start crying as soon as he would see them. Finally, when I took him for his 3yr check-up, the doctor told me to put him on a regimen of MiraLax, 1/2 a cap a day (the caps have lines on them), mixed in a drink and to make sure he drinks all of it. He's to be on that for about 3mos and then moved to 1/4 cap everyday until he can be regular on his own. This gives his colan a chance to shrink back down to the size it's supposed to be. This is the thing that has been an absolute Godsend... it's even worked for me ;). It causes absolutely no cramping whatsoever, is completely flavorless, and just makes everything work like it's supposed to. At the dose he's at right now though it makes his stools really lose, but the lower one shouldn't be so bad. It's just giving his colon a rest right now. Oh, and the other part of what the pediatrician said was to cut his dairy intake WAY down (which is hard b/c my son is a dairy fiend!). He can have 2 cups of milk a day or if he has cheese that can take the place of one of the cups... Yogurt doesn't count and can be eaten in addition to all other dairy. Well, I hope this helps you with your daughter! It's great that you're trying to catch it early instead of waiting until it gets worse.Let me know if you need any clarification or just have any other questions! Good luck!

~C.

Raisins or white grape juice! Prune juice is good too. Always try the natural, home stuff first, but if it continues or there's discomfort/ pain, you might want to get to a doctor. Maybe the doctor, if he/she believes it's the change to cows milk causing it, could give a doctors note to the daycare to have special milk for your daughter. (I'm sure you'd have to provide it). They do it with medications, why not food?

It might be the stress of a new situation? You'd be amazed at what causes kids to not want to do a BM.

My daughter swallowed a nickel on New Years day, and it took three days of double adult dose Miralax to get it out because she was backed up to begin with. *sigh* I feel your pain!

-S. K

Apples are binding. So are bananas and breads. Try pear juice or pear sauce and talk to your pediatrician. My daughter had the same problem and the doctor prescribed something for me to put in her juice. It was a white power but unfortunatley I can't remember the name of it. I do remember is was petrolium based. It worked very well. It was a tasteless oderless powder that was easy to mix in. I don't think it was something that was actually digested by the stomache but helped get things moving.

I wouldn't worry about the stages...if the prunes work, let her have them. Also, when my son started eating solids, he became extremely constipated. I would give him 2-4 oz. of Gerber pear juice and he would have a bowel movement within hours.

Good luck!

My fail safe if my three were ever tired of plums, prunes, raisins, applesauce, or any of the above juices was mandarin oranges. They work like a charm every time. I would just give them to the wee ones cut in half plain, mixed with quartered grapes, or with kiwi. And because she is still breatfeeding the Vit C in the oranges help her to process the iron in her foods more completely.

My daughter is 5 and has problems being constipated also. She loves to snack on raisins, so I give them to her. Also, you could give her baked beans? They may make her a little gassy, but it would probably do the trick. Our doctor had me put 1 tbsp of dark Karo syrup in her milk when she was a baby.

Hi,
I once nannnied for a little girl who was EXTREMELY constipated due to just holding it for days on end. Her doctor reccomended adding 2 Tblspoons of mineral oil to her juice cup (but you must use the same cup all day as the oil sticks to the sides and she should drink 2 or 3 cups to get it all)This just kinda "lubes" their digestive tract and everything slides it's way through. After 2 or 3 days things should return to normal. Good luck!
A.

Use whatever you find works, like the prunes. You can get prunes in other forms or just give her the baby food. Who cares if it works. It's a healthy snack. My son has this problem on occasion too. Here's what really works for him. "Fiber One" Cereals. They have different versions but they are all loaded w/fiber! He loves to eat it dry as a snack or in a bowl. I mean even if you had to sprinkle a little sugar on for her it's worth it. My son eats it plain. The other thing that keeps him regular is the "Yo+"...the yoplait brand of yogurt. It works like a charm for keeping him on track. I prefer organic foods too, but if it works, it works, right?

Hi A. B,

Here's a web site:

www.hydeparkpedi.com/constipation.html

Hope this helps.

D.

There are a couple of things you can try. You can give her cut up pieces of prunes as she ought to be able to eat the bites and since she likes the jars she will like the prunes. You can also use prune juice. I used both for my son when he had problems. I diluted the juice and if you warm it you will get even better results. I'm not sure what warming it actually does, but you will certainly see a difference. I learned that trick from my grandmother.

Good luck.

My pediatrician had me use Karo syrup(the clear stuff)- a safe stool softener. It totally worked. I had my son (now five and completely healthy no sugar or weight issues) on soy the complete formula 'part' of his life. Now, although he will drink regular milk- he prefers soymilk. If your provider cannot comply to your request, you need a new one. Finding a good one is So hard, but it sounds like it might ease your mind somewhat. Congrats for trying to stay organic-its hard- stick with it!

Pears and grapes always work with my son. My daughter loved fig newtons (a little messy, but boy did they work like a charm). A friend lets her daughter chew on the dried prunes and she loves them (at 19 mo, you really don't need to go the baby food route anymore). My ped warned me that juices, even apple, can be a constipator, as can milk, so just watch her levels. At that age, my son was drinking several cups of milk a day and boy did it stop him up. For meds, check with your doc.

Our family takes Sea Aloe and we love it. It's a whole-food supplement with aloe vera in it. It works GREAT to prevent constipation. We are big on prevention. Check out www.myseaaloe.com. We have been taking this for over 6yrs now. I used it as my prenate vitamins and didn't have any trouble with constipation. My OB ok'd it too. I have to keep it in the back of the fridge or else my 2yr old crys for it! It's a liquid that tastes good! If you decide to try it, please tell them I referred you, okay? They give us discounts for referrals and with gas and grocery prices now days we can use all the discounts that we can get! LOL
Email me anytime @ ____@____.com Care, N.
SAHM of 3 great boys 12,7 & 2yrs old and wife to one great man!

Dear A. B,

Talk to your pediatrician about foods and possibly vitamins that will keep the stool moist and soft. Is she drinking other fluids besides milk including water and juices? You may find pureeing her veggies and fruits at home rather than purchasing canned foods will help as you can keep a greater amount of the nutritional value by doing it yourself.

I have a son 9 years, daughter 6 years and am delivering another daughter in June. I have found among friends that girls are inclined to have constipation more than boys. I found and find even to this day when my daughter gets backed up, I feed her something with oat fiber (soluble kind), which includes oatmeal, Cheerios, or the like, and encourage more juice or water and that softens well. Bananas can go either way depending on the child. If you sweeten foods at all, use brown sugar or molasses as they can help keep stool wet and motivate the bowels to pass stool. Also, try growing your own spinach and making an uncooked spinach and pear salad -- both of which have great nutrients for anyone.

Hope this helps. C.

Orange vegetables help (squash, carrots, sweet potatoes). Prunes are great. I'm not sure about the apple sauce though; I've read that it causes constipation. Ask your pediatrician about giving her a little milk of magnesia.