8 month old son keeps getting constipated any tips please

Samantha - posted on 08/28/2009

Miralax!!! Not a full dose at 8 mo. but half of the cap full should be fine. I had to start that basically when McKenzie was around the same age and she still uses is from time to time but they get better. He will begin to grow out of it as his eating habits stabalize.

Nichole - posted on 08/28/2009

try a little sugar or a small amount of bleack coffee both of my girls suffered the same problem and the doctors told us to try that for the sugar it was one spoon for very once of formula they drank. and 3oz of coffee . also they gave us some med's that were powered no taste or smell. and latocuse? not sure of the spelling

Brooke - posted on 08/28/2009

my kids have the same problem i use brown sugar and water it gets there bowels moving beware of things that have extra iron in them.

Kimberley - posted on 08/28/2009

try changing his formula( if on formula) my daughter was on sma and it made her really constipated and were now using aptamil which really has helped =] infact at the moment shes the oppersit ( not becuase of the milk tho) hope this helps x

Emma - posted on 08/28/2009

thanks for all the tips guys x

Kellie - posted on 08/28/2009

My daughter went through the same thing around that age as she started on more solids...I freaked out and called the doctor. He is pretty old school. He said any fruits or veggies that start with p would be good and if that didn't help, mix a little apple juice like 3 to 1 parts and give her that. It worked!

Krista - posted on 08/28/2009

Try about 2 T. of Karo syrup in about 8 oz. of warm water. I used that remedy many times when my kids were small, and it worked pretty quickly.

Jackie - posted on 08/28/2009

My 5 month old son had troubles as well when he started eating solids... When he was first born, the doc told me to give him miralax. You can get it over the counter and it works relatively fast. It has no taste or color. You can just put it right in a little bit of formula or even water is good. If you don't feel comfortable doing miralax, water is always good for them! I give my son at least 4-6 ounces of water each day and that seems to keep him regular! Good luck!

Dawn - posted on 08/28/2009

Try some prunes, it works for my son

Erica - posted on 08/28/2009

oh. also, you can put it in the actual formula... you don't have to put it in just water. the reason babies get constipated is not because they don't get enough fluid. it's b/c their bodies are doing what they should. absorbing all of the nutrients (and water). the prunes and karo syrup work the same way. they have undigestible sugars in them, so the poop doesn't get dry, which makes it easier to go.

Erica - posted on 08/28/2009

my doc told me to give my son an oz or so of apple prune (baby) juice a day. you can also use karo syrup (dark was my mother's choice) which was what i had to resort to, but there have been cases of botulism (rare, but there still have been cases).

Judy - posted on 08/28/2009

try boiling 4 pears to 3 prunes in water. 1. you can give him the juice to drink and 2. puree the pears and prunes and give him a serve each day to keep him regular.

Trish - posted on 08/27/2009

prunes prunes prunes prunes! oh they work like a charm!!!!!

Beth - posted on 08/27/2009

PS Have you tried baby yogurt? It has good bacteria and not as much sugar as regular yougurt, my girl loves it and it's helped her digestion lots. Try to stay away from adding sugary things to water as it's not necessary and ultimately not great for babies.

Beth - posted on 08/27/2009

In addtion to veggies and milk, you can give him 60mls of cooled boiled water in a bottle or sippy cup first thing in the morning. Basically, he needs more fluid to keep his bowels moving. A midwife gave me this info when my baby and it works for her if she hasn't gone in a couple days. Sometimes the dietery changes play havock on their guts.

Amy - posted on 08/27/2009

My son has the same problem. I tried everything from increasing his fiber, sugar water, Karo, veggies, prunes, pure juice and nothing work. My pediatrician recommended a 1/2 -1 teaspoon of Benefiber and it works great...does not cramp him or give him diarrhea. It just kept him regular and then after a while, he did not need it anymore. He was 9 months when I had to do this, Hope u find something that works for u!!

Kellie - posted on 08/27/2009

when my mother-in-law came to visit, my little one was constipated. she made him fennel water. she boiled water with a few fennel seeds (you buy them with the spices). and then she let the water cool and fed it to my son. he refused to drink it... but she told me it has done wonders for all of her children and her other grandchildren. it's cheap. worth a shot!

Kendall - posted on 08/27/2009

my daughter has trouble with constipation. i put a tablespoon of DARK karo syrup in her bottle twice a day is what my doctor recommened. also baby gylcerin suppostories if your baby hasnt gone in a couple of days..and pears, peaches and prunes the 3 p's also help!! hope this helps :)

Brittney - posted on 08/27/2009

I kno someting that works miracles. Karo Syrup the light colored one. 1tablepoon per 2ounces of milk. The doctor gave me this great remedy when my daughter stayed that way. She is almost 4 and i still give it to her sometimes. It works fast too lol..hope this helps =] also u can look it up on the internet and it will pop right up =]

Georgia - posted on 08/27/2009

oh and also bananas tend to be a constipating fruit

Georgia - posted on 08/27/2009

i give my lil guy the 2nd foods from Gerber prunes or the prunes and apples combo about every other day.

we switched formulas and he got really constipated so this trends to help him stay regular

Lisa - posted on 08/27/2009

Just wondering are you breast feeding...if so eat bran flakes and shreddies...it worked for my daughter.. not enough of that kind of fiber in the diet...it will be passed on to him. My daughter would go 9 days with out a BM until I figured out what was wrong.

Lydia - posted on 08/27/2009

Add the prunes dessert in his diet also see water intake. Check with the doctor to see if you should give the baby at least 1 oz of just water.

Lynsey - posted on 08/27/2009

go to see your health visitor and they will give you some stuff that works i used it for my girls

Lisa - posted on 08/27/2009

My son was stopped up at 3 months and water helped him a lot (not with sugar or anything in it). Even now (7 mos) when his poop is very solid, I give him water to help loosen things up. My doctor suggested he drink water after eating solids (a couple ounces).

Also, I agree with the other posts about veggies and fruits. I have read that peaches are great for constipation and also prunes. I just made peaches today for my son and he loved them!! Sweet potatoes seem to soften things up too.

Good luck with getting the blockage to move!

Laura - posted on 08/27/2009

PlumSmart juice keeps them regular.

Shawna - posted on 08/27/2009

I had tried the karo syrup, the veggies, the prunes, the fruits....nothing worked with my daughter. Finally we thought that she might be having a reaction to whole milk. So we switched her when she was finally old enough to half soy milk. It did the trick. Not had a problem since.

Heather - posted on 08/27/2009

try jelly that seemed to help mine and also prunes and plenty of water

Christie - posted on 08/27/2009

1tbl spoon light karo syrup to 2oz of water in a bottle or 1 part prune juice to 2 parts water. This is what my ped recommended.

Sara - posted on 08/27/2009

Quoting April:

Quoting Sara:

What is he eating? Often it's what the child is eating that's making them constipated. :) Bananas, rice cereal, etc. can cause constipation. Rice cereal is really nutritional fluff (babies can't digest carbs untl closer to 2 years old). Try modifying his diet, add more veggies and fruits and cut back on bananas and cereal if he's eating a lot of those.

baby probiotics can be helpful.

He might also be eating too much solids. At 8 months old if he's breastfed he only really needs about one "stage one" jar every 2 days. If that. If he's formula fed he might need more.

Very helpful comment but one error. I'm am not trying to be rude or disrespectful. Probiotics should generally be used for someone who wants to get their stool back to normal after experiencing loose bowels. My son has severe GI issues and he has to take probiotic medicine when he gets sick or loose bowels. I would not give probiotics to an already constipated baby. Thanks:)

Actually probiotics are used for both diarrhea and constipation. :) they are basically a digestive aid, not something that "tightens" up the stool. They're friendly bacteria that act in several ways in the gut. They diminish the presence of "bad" bacteria (bad bacteria sometimes causes diarrhea), and they help the body digest food more efficiently. More efficient digestion helps with both diarrhea and constipation. (And with gas, some causes of reflux, and even some dietary sensitivity issues).

Probiotics are awesome.

Just make surethat you get one that is intended for use with infants, and  that if your baby has any dairy sensitivities you get one that's hypoallergenic. Some infant  probiotics contain traces of shellfish and dairy products. 

Tamara - posted on 08/26/2009

Are you breastfeeding? If so, it is very common for a breastfed child to go quite a few days w/o a bowel movement.

Bunty - posted on 08/26/2009

my son was on lactulose until he didnt need help anymore and u dont need a prescription just go to london drugs or walmart or any of those places and ask for lactulose its over the counter and just put a tiny bit in her bottle it will make the problem go away

Lea - posted on 08/26/2009

I started giving my son a little bit of apple juice and it worked great.

Vicki - posted on 08/26/2009

There is a new whole wheat baby cereal from Gerber that has two grams of fiber per serving. It fit it to our food routine very well, and it also helped the baby's constipation issues. Good luck.

April - posted on 08/26/2009

Quoting Sara:

What is he eating? Often it's what the child is eating that's making them constipated. :) Bananas, rice cereal, etc. can cause constipation. Rice cereal is really nutritional fluff (babies can't digest carbs untl closer to 2 years old). Try modifying his diet, add more veggies and fruits and cut back on bananas and cereal if he's eating a lot of those.

baby probiotics can be helpful.

He might also be eating too much solids. At 8 months old if he's breastfed he only really needs about one "stage one" jar every 2 days. If that. If he's formula fed he might need more.

Very helpful comment but one error. I'm am not trying to be rude or disrespectful. Probiotics should generally be used for someone who wants to get their stool back to normal after experiencing loose bowels. My son has severe GI issues and he has to take probiotic medicine when he gets sick or loose bowels. I would not give probiotics to an already constipated baby. Thanks:)

Amanda - posted on 08/26/2009

If you have him on formula with iron that will constipate him. I had that problem with my son so i put him on simulac soy. you dont have to switch him to simulac any formula should have soy its easier on there stomachs and it doesnt constipate them

Ashley - posted on 08/26/2009

Apple juice or prunes always worked for my daughter, Zowie.

Sara - posted on 08/26/2009

What is he eating? Often it's what the child is eating that's making them constipated. :) Bananas, rice cereal, etc. can cause constipation. Rice cereal is really nutritional fluff (babies can't digest carbs untl closer to 2 years old). Try modifying his diet, add more veggies and fruits and cut back on bananas and cereal if he's eating a lot of those.

baby probiotics can be helpful.

He might also be eating too much solids. At 8 months old if he's breastfed he only really needs about one "stage one" jar every 2 days. If that. If he's formula fed he might need more.

Jennifer - posted on 08/26/2009

My doctor told us to try small amounts of baby apple or pear juice (they have less sugar than the regular kind- you can find them in the baby aisle). Also applesauce or yogurt works well too- we give our daughter just a few bites of it and it always helps her.

Courtney - posted on 08/26/2009

i agree with april! my doctor told me the same thing put 1 tsp on karo sryup in there bottle, it really work its a life saver!

April - posted on 08/26/2009

I have the easiest solution and gaurenteed to work. My son had really bad consitpation as an infant and my doctor told me this trick. Put a teaspoon of white Karo corn syrup in their milk or juice bottle once a day. Preferably in the morning or afternoon so they don't have night poops. It worked like and charm and I swear by it! My son is now 3 but if he gets constipated or has not pooped in several days I will give him a spoonful. My doc told me to start out with 1/2 a teaspoon then after a few days or one week go to a full teaspoonful. It is super cheap and super easy and works like a charm:) And no adverse side affects and completely natural and safe. Hope this helps you out.

P.S. if your baby is still on the bottle you may need to slit the nipple to let it come out easier

Stephenie - posted on 08/26/2009

Had the same issue with my son when he was 7 months (he is 8 now). The doctor said to shift his fruit intake to fruits with pits (i.e. peaches, apricots, etc) and more away from the other fruits. He also suggested prunes, so I started adding 1 small container of prunes to 8 oz of my son's formula once per day and it took care of the issue totally.

Shelly - posted on 08/26/2009

Oh i remember those days. Give him a little sugar water yes really it will not hurt him and it will help. Does he eat oatmeal and lots of vegies? yellow squash and carrots. try low iron formula if you are not nursing iron can and will cause constipation..GOOOD LUCK

Jeanne - posted on 08/26/2009

hi my daughter had trouble with constipation after starting cereal twice a day. She was put on myralax which helped. We also tried molasses and prunes. She is currently 3 yrs old and on lactulos which works better. Good luck

Mimi - posted on 08/26/2009

All I can say is...veggies, veggies, veggies! Make sure he eats lots of them!