Bad Constipation

Hi Allie,

Slippery Elm is safe for infants and will balance her digestive system. I give it to my 94 year old Dad that is on a feeding tube and cannot always get what he needs to keep him from constipation. I have used it with my kids as well. It does not work like a laxative. It balances. Whether she has diarreah or is constipated it will make her bowel movements consistent and soft enough to pass without pain. It also heals the inner tissues of the digestive system from the esophagus to the colon...

Any good health store will have it. Hope this helps.

M.

Better do the Miralax. The tearing is really bad and if you don't get this straightened out, she will start holding it when she is old enough to want to avoid the pain.

If she doesn't like baby Gerber prune juice, it's probably because it's too strong. You can cut it with some water.

Don't give her bananas. They are binding.

So sorry!
Dawn

PlumSmart juice with a teaspoon of Miralax in it (approved by pediatrician) daily cured our daughter's bad constipation. Miralax in such small doses will not harm her. Our daughter felt better within a day or two after she started taking it. (She took it for a few months and didn't need it again after that.) Much better to give her a laxative than to have tearing and bleeding! Also, you don't want her to associate bowel movements with such pain, because she may start withholding poop because she's afraid to go (because it hurts). Good luck!

My daughter went through this and her pediatrician suggested glycerine suppositories.
They really work.
If you think about it, when a little kid is stopped up, sometimes the more you put in them just keeps piling up. You might need to relieve things from the other end.
The suppositories aren't painful at all, they act as a lubricant and they really help. I only had to use them a few times and my daughter got unclogged and things went along normally after that.
Give them a try. They're not expensive. Your pharmacist can show you which ones to get for babies.
I recommend them.

Give it a try.

Best wishes.

Please give her the Miralax! This is obviously painful for her and I doubt your ped would Rx it if it was unsafe!

Since she's picky, I don't know if this can work, but white grape or pear juice always did the trick for my son.
And the "P" fruits: pears, pineapple, peaches, prunes, and papaya
And water, and more water and more water!

I say give her the Miralax! and do NOT NOT NOT give her soy milk, it is not good for her! our son's surgeon told us that is does absolutely nothing to strengthen their bones and it is just not good for small children. their pediatrician said the same thing. I would try lactose free milk. Our oldest drank Lactaid until he was almost 18 months old and he outgrew his lactose sensitivity.

Miralax isn't a laxative exactly, in spite of the name. What it does is hold moisture in the stool as it moves through the body, making it much easier to pass. This has a seemingly "laxative" effect simply because the intestines can do their work more easily.

I'd give it a try, at whatever dose your doctor's office suggests, especially since bowel movements are so hard for your baby. Too much pain and strain is really bad for her now, and may make her more hesitant to try when it comes time to potty train her later.

Miralax is not a laxative. It's a natural substance that draws water into the intestines to soften the stool.

Dairy products, especially cheese, can be constipating. Try not giving her dairy for a few days. You can give her rice or soy milk. My granddaughter had a milk protein allergy as well as a soy allergy. The enriched rice milk worked well. Because it's enriched it has similar nutrients as cows milk.

Have you tried other fruits? Apple and pear juice is good for constipation. So is grape. White grape juice is better, I think. It won't stain everything. chuckle Give her fruit-apples, pears, grapes. Give her whole grains. Oatmeal, whole grain bread and crackers.

I would try mirilax - not at all uncomfortable. and works... ask Dr about how much/often. Also berries and grapes are great...strawberries, blue berries, grapes..... best of luck! Milk is also constipating, so you might back off of diary/cheese for a bit.

My daughter was going through that at the same age. I gave her Pedialax and Benefiber daily for a while (it took both, not just Pedialax/Miralax for her). When she got on a better routine we continued with just the Benefiber for a while and eventually tapered it off. I also used the glycerine enemas if she was obviously straining and not getting anything out (or if it was over 3-4 days). My daughter also screamed, strained and had huge, hard poops at that age. She is 2 and 10 months and she has no problems now but between 12 and 18 months it was a huge problem. It did take about 2-3 months of the medicines but it worked.

I started my kiddo on Miralax at that age & we go back to it every time things slow down. I've tried tons of stuff & for us everything works for a while but not consistently....a few things that have helped us but I haven't seen other mention: chick peas & beans (my kiddo loves them & all you have to do is drain 7 rinse out of a can) butternut squash (at that age she liked it plain, now it takes mixing it into oatmeal & a little syrup & the oatmeal helps too!) & this is the only time I give her juice straight, no water..& I heat it up...I think this is mostly a comfort to her but it has helped a few times if nothing else but to relax her.

Good luck to you & I hope you are luckier than we & get it straightened out before potty training...that's where we are & it's not a pleasant time because she gets a bit freaked out :-(

benefiber in water works like magic.......also all grape (purple) juices, like welch's.......blueberries are great too

So sorry you are going through this. :-( How about certain fruits or veggies that dont constipate you. For instance, corn, peas, grapes, etc. Or whole wheat bread. Try anything that is high in fiber. And lots of water.

Good Luck!

Oh man, I'm sorry. Have you tried cutting out cow's milk? We drink almond milk. It's more nutricious and less likely to cause constipation.

My granddaughter is 3 and drinks soy milk, rice milk, hemp milk, coconut milk, she's very healthy. Sounds like your little one has a cow milk intolerance.. I'd do away with the cheese and switch the milk to a nut milk and use yogurt. Make sure she's getting plenty of exercise and fiber. Pears are a great thing to give her.

My DD is 3 1/2 years old and this has been an issue for her as well since probably 6 or 9 mos old. I have to be careful not to give her too much milk/dairy products (binding), and really push the water.

When she was a baby baby I had to use suppositories a couple times. Get children/baby suppositories and just nip off the tip of the suppository and put it in and it'll provide quick relief.

When things get backed up I start her on Miralax -- but I just started that when she was about 2 1/2 years old. I also would be a little nervous about that so early.

Honestly, push her to drink water, eat grapes/raisins, and limit milk/dairy as possible.

Poor baby! With my son we added a liitle bit of prune juice to his milk. You can't even taste it. You will not need much to get things working again! It again worked so well for us! After a few weeks he was regular again and we didn't need to switch his milk.

Take her to a Pediatric Gastroenterologist.
If her internal organs are impacted, then you really need to be seen by a Specialist. Before it gets worse.

Apple Juice slightly dilluted. We had this problem with our daughter at about 10 month old. We used apple juice and lots of apple sauce. Apple sauce helps alot since it's apple (fiber) and water (moisture) into their diets.

Blend ba nanas and Kiwi. My niece had a big problem with it. The seeds do wonders. Spoon feed her until she eats it all.

There is a product called Natural Calm by New Vitality. It's a powdered magnesium supplement that can even be taken every day. They use to have one for infants called Baby Calm. I have used it with both my children. 4 year old & 9 month old. They sell it at the health food store. It is available online also. GOOGLE and read their product info. Very good product.

All that hard pushing causes hemmorrhoids. When hemmorrhoids are squeezed by constipated stool, they bleed.

Her digestive system is upset by what she is being fed. Having a problem get worse by introducing a new food is the evidence that tells you this. Her body does not like cow's milk. She is not a calf. Cow's milk is for cows. Human milk is for humans. Humans have traditionally breast fed their children until about 2 to 4 years.

If you are going to give her something to help her with the constipation and not change her diet, I would suggest something that contains magnesium, which is an essential nutrient, as opposed to a man-made chemical.

Help with diet changes, this is my suggestion: http://www.paleodiet.com/