Anyone have trouble with their child getting constipated when first trying 2nd stage baby food?

Kobie - posted on 09/24/2009

Jst wan2 say i totally sympathise, my little girl was the same, she actually got so bad that after the crying & constantly trying 2 push shegot a nose bleed from bursting a blood vessel in her nose.... of corse i franticly took her 2 the docs thinkin it was sumthin more severe!

(can laugh now, devastated at the time)

But yeah heaps of water, juice wen poss and u can actually sounds yuk but lightly rub around the anus wth bub lotion or somethin thats ok in that area 2 help relax the muscles , soothe the soreness & help get things moving around. Also try massaging in small circular movements along the colon (make sure its in the right direction) u can usually feel it easy if their constipated its almost rock hard. That does wonders u sometimes can actually hear & feel it move along.

Well good luck & remember it wont b 4eva its jst a stage that most bubs go thru =)

Nicki - posted on 09/24/2009

Thanks ladies. And yes she is really constipated... Hard balls of stool... she screams everytime she tries to have a BM. She's not really a juice drinker, I'll try giving her lots of water to see if it'll do the trick.

Monica - posted on 09/24/2009

After speaking with the midwife, I used a little spoon of demerara sugar in the milk! It did the trick!!! But you have to wean them off it once things seem to be moving again!

Miranda - posted on 09/24/2009

I used to give mine a little bit of dark Caro Corn Syrup mixed in their milk once a day and that naturally helps with constipation. It will help and is just a little bit of extra sugar instead of medicines.

Nicole - posted on 09/24/2009

First, Bananas will constipate your baby even more, so put them aside for now and try Pears. They have the most fiber aside from prunes. But you do have to make sure baby drinks enough water or increasing fiber will just constipate them more. I gave my son a large helping of pureed pears with EVERY meal. My pediatrician told me that baby can take 1 oz of extra fluid a day per month of age, so a 7 month old can have 7 oz of extra fluid a day on top of their formula or breast milk. Water or watered down apple juice is best. I used Mott's for Tots, which has less sugar, but still does the job of "loosening" up baby's BM's. If that still doesn't work, try giving a bottle of 4oz water + 1 tbs of Karo Syrup. Hope that helps!

Jackie - posted on 09/24/2009

Don't stop giving her the food, my eldest went through the same thing, I tried everything then my health visitor suggested sugar water, boil some water then let it cool then dissolve a small amount of sugar in it this really worked for me. Also you could try some pure apple juice watered down that also helps. hope this helps you.

Nicole - posted on 09/24/2009

i had trouble with both my boys once on baby solids,try a different brand or give her more water with her meal.

Carolyn - posted on 09/24/2009

Do you make your own baby food? I always just put our veggies aside once cooked (steamed is best) then mash it with a fork. Soft fresh fruit like bananas are also great, but not uncooked before 6 months as the enzymes are too big for thier digestion (or so I've been told). I have also found some brown sugar in boiled water very effective for constipation and is mild enough to use on young babies.

Check with your doctor but I think at 7mths babies need the extra nutrients of food and the chewing action helps with jaw development to prepare for speech.

Good luck!!

Ashli - posted on 09/24/2009

Is she really constipated? She shouldn't need medication unless the stool is hard. If she's just not going that often, it shouldn't be a problem as long as it's still soft. I would try higher fiber foods - fruits and yogurt to regulate her before I would give her meds. Also try giving her extra water. She may be eating more and not getting the water she was getting from formula or breast milk. Hopefully this helps.