Toddler Constipation -- Help!

Both my sons had constipation at some point in their first 2 years and my oldest was on something like Miralax and it did nothing for him. I started to feed him (Gerber) prunes. He thought it was better than chocolate! He was one small container a day for weeks to get him regular. If that didn't seem to work, I uped it to two (never more than that, just in case). He must have been on prunes for months (3-6). I would stop every once in a while to see how he was and if he was not regular, back to prunes. At 3.5, he's doing fine now.

You have gotten lots of responses. My thoughts: get a referral to a pediatric GI specialist. The peds GI has a level of knowledge that most peds do not have. The specialist can help with different tests or suggestions. Worked wonders for us.

This is so simple but sometimes we overlook the simple things. Does she drink enough water? Last year I had horrible constipation (and my breast milk dried up). My husband pointed out that I hardly drank any water. I started drinking a lot of water and my constipation went away and my breast milk came back. The doctor had been prescribing stool softeners and fiber etc, but the water was what did the trick. Good luck.

N.

We went through the same problem with our son at that age and nothing worked. We finally saw a different pediatrician whose kid had suffered from constipation also. She prescribed polyethylene glycol 3350 powder. It's a tasteless powder that we mixed in with our son's drink, and boy did it work. You want to start with small doses and it's tricky to get the right amount figured out. Too much will cause blowouts like nothing you've ever seen! But it does work great, and it works quickly. The enemas sound awful - this medicine is totally painless and super easy. Good luck!

Hi H.,
Well, I think we've all been there to some extent and we all feel for you and your sweet baby girl. Most toddlers go through constipation for an extentded period of time at some point. I hate to see kids on any type of stool softener for any length of time because the gut becomes dependent on those in order to go normally. So my advice is to go as natural as you can as soon as you can. The allergy testing is not a bad idea. But a few things to try in the meantime...prune juce, prunes, plums, apricots, raisins, peaches. Dairy may very well be part of the problem, so more water and less milk. Also, make sure she's moving lots during the day, lots of exercise and less tv/movies. Also, if you know she needs to go but she's holding it, use glycerin suppositories, 1/2 of an adult one, inserted with some KY jelly and that will in essence force her to go so she won't be able to allow herself to get as backed up as she is getting now. You shouldn't have to do that too many times, actually. Once she realizes how much better she feels if she will just go when she feels the need, you won't have to do that any more. Stick with it and I promise this will pass. It really will. And yes, constipation is going to affect her appetite. You wouldn't want to eat, either, if your gut was miserable like that. God bless.

when we weren't getting enough water (which you really need to keep things running smoothly), my mom would give us popsicles. They were the the cure all in our house. We had popsicles when we had a fever, etc. Often she'd cut them up into small pieces and just let us eat them with our hands from the high chair tray. She also gave us pears, lots of pears. If fresh weren't available, we had canned. Fruit cocktail too. We loved the little green grapes. They come in light syrup now. Don't worry about the sugar at this point. You want her to get things moving naturally. You can cut out the sugary stuff later.

Well, why did you stop APPLES? My rule was always bananas, cheese, & rice for diarrhea, BUT applesauce/juice and grape juice and grapes and raisins to help them go. I would think cooked carrots (veggies) would help too. I would also try WARM drinks like warm cider. If you suspect a milk allergy, STOP the milk and use soy. But if it makes her go...?
You are right to ask the mamas though.
Chronic constipation can definitely cause loss of appetite, also FATIGUE and bellyaches and backaches.
I am sorry about the enemas, I had to do that with my daughter when she was in kinder.
Here is a tip my mom ( a retired registered nurse)gave me 25 yrs ago: you will probably flip out...
Do you give her WATER? You say you offer it. Is she on cup now right? Back in the olden days, we would put a pinch of sugar in the water. Yep right into the little bitty baby bottle, weren't we the worst mamas ever? But guess what? Those babies are WATER drinkers now! Over time reduce the amt of sugar, and presto, you have a water drinker, and my mom said the sugar kept them from being constipated. I can tell you this: it worked great on my first daughter, but the next one WIC was AGHAST, so I did not do it. She was the one who later had enemas, etc. My third I did the sugar water, he is a water drinker now at age 16.
And guess which one has cavities when we go? The one that DID NOT have sugar water, the other two have NEVER had a cavity. Go figure!
Sugar is natural.
Also did you know they make itty bitty suppositories for them? Much kinder than the enemas. Good luck.

My daughter was constipated from the time she started eating people food and I was feeding her all of the right things. I tried the prunes, liquids, etc. Her constipation was not caused by a lack of anything in her diet because I tried it all. My Ped put her on Miralax and it was a miracle, but every time I tried to take her off, she would be constipated again. My neighbor is a chiropractor who works at a holistic health center and she recommended a food specific IgG antibody and celiac test. I am not a doctor but I will give you my understanding of the science as a layperson. Our bodies can produce different antibody responses to allergens and two of those are IgG and IgE. An IgE response is more of an immediate, obvious, sometimes dangerous allergic response. An IgG response can manifest in more subtle ways and is viewed more as a food intolerance as opposed to an allergy. My daughter has a very high intolerant response to egg white and yolk and a moderate response to cow's milk. She was eating both of those things every day. I took her off of them and gave her some probiotics to help restore normalcy in her gut and the constipation stopped! She will occasionally have an episode for who knows what reason, and I go back to the Miralax for a week to avoid her getting stressed about pooping. This test was well worth it for us. It was not something my ped thought to recommend, but when I explained the results, she was supportive. Hope the info helps. By the way, Miralax is sold over the counter now and you can get it at most drug stores and even Costco.

Hi H.,

My almost 3 year old son is still battling constipation. He has always been so and it was made even worse by his pediatrician who said that he was not constipated (even though he would not poop for 10 days at a time). We finally switched doctors and he is doing better.

We make sure that he eats plenty (tons) of fruit,dried fruit, veggies and beans. He also gets plain instant oatmeal with baby prunes in it. When he eats that, we often mix in a tablespoon of mineral oil (could mix it in yogurt too). He cannot taste it at all! Every morning he gets a half tablespoon of Miralax in his bottle (has been on it for over a year now). He loves dairy so it is hard to limit that. He has been doing better. We still have bad days and he still likes to hold his poop because he still thinks that it is going to hurt him. The doctor said that he will have to get used to pooping again without fear before we even think of potty training him, otherwise he will revert back to holding it as a control issue.

My only wish is that I would have switched doctors earlier on. Good luck. Hope this helps!

-S.

Hi H.,

Watch out for "grains", Like boxed cereals and such. They are just the chaff. Garbage left over after all the best part of the grain is taken. They also have high levels of chemicals and estrogens from the BHT. Whole wheat breads, are also SO processed that there is nothing beneficial in them. They've taken out the iodine and replaced it with bromine - a cockroach poison.

Brown rice, beans and oatmeal would be good whole grain choices. Flaxseed, lettuce and parsley are also great for constipation. If all else fails, you can use Casara Sagrada, which will stimulate the nerves in the colon. Double check to see if that is ok with children.

I want to comment on MIRILAX. It is polyethyln glycol 3350. It is derived from ethylene oxide, a flammable gas, usually shipped out as a refrigerated liquid. It is the chief precursor to antifreeze. It works by drawing more water in to the colon. Excessive Mirilax has poisoned many children. Check it out on the web. TYou need to get your child off this drug asap.

The body know that when it is in dehydration mode, it is in danger. It's act of survival is to pull water away from the colon and skin, and send the water to places in the body that cannot function if the water gets low ... like the brain and the central nervous system. When a person get's into a constipation mode, it is in dire dehydration mode.

There are certain foods that will dehydrate you even further, and a big one is SUGAR. So while some juices like apple juice and such might give an immediate laxitive effect, in the long run the excess sugar is dehydrating you more. Cut the sugar out as much as possible. Put whole foods in place of juices - the fiber in the fruit is what will help.

Another reason for bowel problems in a condition called encompresis. A child who has hard poos due to lack of water in the colon will hesitate to go. When the child holds the stool, after about 10 minutes the urge to deficate goes away. The stool sits in the colon and dries out. The urge to deficate will come again only when the next stool is deposited on top of it.But the problem is now excascerbated by two stools, with the one at the opening being a hard plug. I've read that diahrrea is a chronic form of constipation, and im sure that can be true in some cases. But some diarrea is caused by parasites.

50 % of IBS patients were found to have GI parasites.And those were just the ones that were found. A majority of parasite cases are not found due to the cycle of the parasite, there are times when no casts will be shed into the stool.
Lack of desire to eat, rashes on buttocks and waist, ulcers, diahrrea, DEHYDRATION, anemia, allergy, asthma, eczema,excessive gas, anal itching, anal prolapse, fatigue, headache , Malabsorption of nutrients, Low stomach acid resulting in GERD an heartburn, depression, colitis, vomiting,and more. Sleep problems, aggitation and agression are all symptoms of different forms of parasites. There are some that effect the serotonin levels in you gut,(your gut holds 80-90% of your serotonin) and that's why you see so much depression, behavior problems and anxiety in some children. Doctors, instead of deworming,give the kids anti-depressants! It's sick. And when the kids fail to get better, they UP THE DOSE,(and usually add in more meds) resulting in "serotonin syndrome" - a documented poisoning effect that causes tics, tremors, twitches, anxiety, and an inability to sit still or concentrate...permanent damage to the central nervous system. They basically give them a labotomy using drugs.

The majority of doctors these days do not treat people for parasites. Indeed, many have had little training in med school on the subject. Fifty to a hundred years ago it was common practice for doctors to deworm people every 6 months. And so much more a child, who is touching everything, crawling on their hands, rolling around in the dirt, and playing with other kids. We bring parasites into our homes on our shoes, in rice, beans, and meats,and even in pets. People who have animals know this fact and deworm livestock every 3-6 months. Vets will commonly look for parasite problems in animals. Why docotors refuse to see the problem in people is because they are motivated by big buck pharmaceticals, and if they cure your parasite problem, then you have no more need for the prescription meds they will put you on for years and make a fortune on.

Modern day doctors, when faced will illness, are trained to do two things: dispense prescription drugs to cover up symptoms, or cut the body part out. Your best bet for a healthy family is to do your own research and become self educated in medical issues and illnesses using the internet and library, and find a hollistic medical doctor.

Here's a link or two for parasites:

http://www.appliedozone.com/parasites.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_parasites_(human)

Blessings to you and your family,
Gail

My son had constipation issues, granted not as severe as your daughters. I found DAILY prunes (baby food form or fruit form)were a necessity for awhile. You must increase her water intake as well - only offer her water. Get a calcium supplement from your dr to keep up her calcium intake without milk. You might try pediatric suppositories after every meal. If it works she might be less afraid as the it gets easier and easier with the suppositories and learn to do it on her own. Good luck!

My nephew went through this and my sister figured out that Trader Joe's grape juice would totally get things moving for him, and would soften the stool as well which helped the pooping to be less traumatic. She also took him to a chiropractor (they're very gentle w/ babies, don't do any manual adjustments) and got his spine in alignment (which can totally help w/ constipation/digestive problems). The birthing process is a traumatic event so it is quite normal for infants to need some adjusting (it also helps w/ sleeping and colic and many other things as well). And that really helped! I have a great chiro my one year old daughter & I see here in SF http://www.laurasheehan.com/

Whole grains are great, but I notice when my 1 yr old has lots of them that her stool gets pretty stiff/hard, it still comes out fine, but I'm just wondering if that added hardness makes your sweetie pie want to hold on to it because it feels too hard. Do you know what I mean?

Also massaging the belly CLOCKWISE helps, I'll just sit in a warm bath w/ my baby in my lap & rub her belly w/ lavender oil (in a base of olive oil) when she's been constipated. The lavender helps to soothe nerves as well (for both parties). Or just use plain olive oil or whatever kind of oil if you dont have lavender oil. But it is a good one to keep around.

And w/ breastfeeding, you could add in things to your diet that are going to get through to help, like prune juice, trader joes grape juice or whtever you find works. A friend of mine had to cut out cheese from her diet altogether for her nursing 4 mnth old to be regular.

Another quick thing comes to mind..just remind her as she's having anxiet about going, that it is good to let things go and to let things pass and to keep things moving (all the things you're wanting the stool & her body to do). Just some imagery and positivity/comfort about whats happening.

Be well.

Hi H.,
I would suggest trying a change in nursing. For me and my son, who had similar problems, it wound up being my breast milk. As soon as I went to a formula, his digestive system responded differently and his stools were more normal. No mommy wants to hear this, as all we ever hear is that breast milk is best. But it may be something in your diet that might be triggering her constipation. It's worth a try. Also no matter how much she doesn't want to drink other fluids if you keep offering water and not milk then eventually she will drink the water which he needs to have. She won't starve I promise.

I truly understand your frustration. Nothing is worse than seeing your little one in pain trying to pass a stool that just will not pass. We as mommies want it fixed right now. And nothing is worse than being shuffled around from Dr. to Dr. to try this and that. We want an immediate fix.

I would first start by adding a small amount of water to your breast milk in a bottle. Then in about 2 days increase the dilution and add small amounts of a good formula. In about 2 to 3 days she should be drinking only the formula with a bottle of water in between.

This is what worked for me. After having my son go through ultrasounds, CT scans etc. to eliminate any kind of digestion problem, it wound up being a very simple fix of my breast milk. I live in the country and my water source comes from a well. I guess my well water that I was drinking had may extra minerals and other things that were causing his constipation. It could be a million different things, but at least it stopped his pain and he has since had no problems with his stool.

Good luck to you. I hope my suggestion has helped.

L. A

Hi H.! My son too had constipation issues. He was a great eater though, so changing that had no effect. We are doing Miralax, and fortunately it works for us (1-2 tsp. a day). The other suggestion our new pediatrician gave me (just moved here) was to give striaght juice. Do NOT dilute it! They need the sugar to pull additional water into their bowels. Every other doctor I'd seen before that had told me to dilute it. This one said not to worry, since he is still getting lots of veggies, protein, etc. and brushing his teeth regularly. If the problem had persisted, she suggested going the old route of caro syrup for the high sugar content. Good luck!

I would add back in the fruits and veggies (apples, carrots, etc) in her diet and make sure she gets plenty to drink. I hope you find what works and she's better soon.

My son was not a good eater either (no consistipation issues though) - well he ate a good VARIETY of foods - things like peppers, broccoli, stir fry with rice, olives and all kinds of stuff really. He just didnt eat much. What we found to help him eat more (he is a itty bitty lad) was to STOP the grazing and all day snacking. Kinda counterintutive but if he was snacking before meals, he only picked at his meals instead of eating it. So breakfast, midmorning snack, lunch, good midafternoon snack, and nothing for an hour or two before dinner, and he'll eat dinner.

I read some of the other responses so I'll respond to them first ... iron causes constipation so if you are taking it, it's getting into your breastmilk. Whatever you eat, goes through your breastmilk. Since mamas milk is considered the golden ilixir even amount doctors and formula manufacturers (can't be duplicated) I wouldn't stop that but instead look at your diet to change what ends up in the breastmilk. Bananas can cause constipation. Apples WITH THE SKIN can help relieve it ... grind in a blender if the child won't eat the skin or make applesauce with the skin in there too. Add lots of raw veggies to your diet but also add lots of water so that the roughage has something to carry it through your system and hers.

Ok, so let's see now ... my doctor (Holistic) turned me on to something called Xylitol ... it's sugar but a sugar alcohol that looks and tastes just like sugar but MUCH better for your body. It helps children's and your teeth (I even know some moms who brush their teeth with it instead of toothpaste which has sugar in it). You find it in the healthfood section of Raleys or at Health Food stores. It is a diretic so makes you go ... 1 tspn in my tea makes me go right away but with no gas pains. So my doctor suggests if the recipe calls for 1 tbspn sugar, put 1/2 tbspn Xylitol. Or I sometimes sprinkle it on cereal or on oatmeal.

Also, it sounds like there may be something off with her digestion so help her digestive flora by adding live cultures to her diet (see next paragraph) and let her eat as much plain yogurt as she wants or any yogurt that doesn't have added sugars ... I make my own with a Yogurmet Yogurt maker ... LOVE IT! Add a little Agave Syrup to sweeten it. Agave is a healthier sweetener too.

OR even better for getting enough cultures (adults need 5-10 billion a day, or half of that for children) in her ... while you're at the health-food section or store look in the refrigerated section for live culture supplements ... it comes in powdered form or tablets which you can pull open and sprinkle on her yogurt or cereal or in a drink (never sprinkle on hot stuff though cuz heat kills the cultures thus leaving them ineffective). Brands I like are Ultra Flora Plus or Jarro-Dophilus ... Jarrow does have some for children too. I double up on this stuff whenever we are sick with anything too and it really seems to help fight off illnesses of any kind. It's not a diretic but it totally helps the digestion system get back to normal. I'd cut all regular sugar because bad bacteria feed off it.

If I think of anything else, I'll let you know ...oh but get lots of dark green leafy veggies like spinach in your diet to get it into the breastmilk. And check your daily vitamin to see if it has iron in it and look for one without iron ... same for any vitamins you're giving to the child. If the child needs iron for some reason (like if anemic) try these other things to counter it's effects.

Flax seeds can be ground up in your coffee grinder and sprinkled on cereals or used in pancake recipes too.

Please let us know what works for you.

Oh yeah, and you might feed her organic blueberries (anti-oxidents and make my kids go) and pears ... pears hold more water in them and thus give you more water. Since dehydration is a factor, EmergenC brand vitamins has a product called ElectroMix at healthfood stores and it replenishes electrolytes so your body holds onto water better to help your system not dehydrate. It comes in packets and it's powder you mix with water. No sugar added. Stevia is the sweetener used in that which my holistic Doctor says is fine and better than sugar. There's also some books out there if you decide to do some research like one called "Breaking the Vicious Cycle" by Elaine Gottschall which is actually for the oposite problem but it can explain some dietary stuff and the "Immune Restoration Handbook" by M. Konlee and C. Lebeau which has recipes etc. for all sorts of ailments.

Hello H.,
I don't have the time to read your 35 responses, so if this is a repeat, I'm sorry!
My daughter came home from the hospital at 4 days old and we had to deal with constipation until she was 16 months old. At 16 months we gave her mirilax. I know you said you've used something like it, but I'm not sure how you used it. What our dr told us to do was to give her a half a cap full in her milk, smoothie or something and add a little more every day until she is cleaned out. We did that for almost a week, then you have to slowly take it away. We would take it down a little every day for about a month. It really helped our daughter to get over the fear of pooping if nothing else. Her poops are still a little hard, but not nearly as hard as they use to be. She doesn't scream when she has to poop, which is the greatest relief of all.
My daughter eats a smoothie every morning, with 8 oz Vit D yogurt and 4 oz + fruit/veggies. We did this to compensate some of the 12 oz of milk she should drink a day and the 3/4 cup to 1 cup of fruit/veggies she should eat a day. It left space open for water, and I know she's eaten most of her fruit/veggies for the day by 8am. I only give her whole grains and lean meats.
Here's the trick to the whole thing, which I don't like and I'm not so proud of. She NEVER had french fries when we ate out and didn't have very much fat in her diet. Once we loosened up a little on what people could give her and what we offered her, her poop loosened up a lot more. It's still not soft, but it's much better.
I hope some of this helps!
best of luck,
C.
PS. Please post what you end up doing and what works/doesn't work.

Add back in the apples... apples are high in insoluble fiber and help fight constipation. Also, you HAVE to get water in her... not just offer it, but get it in her. The reason we get constipated is not enough water and the body will pull it from the intestines and fecal matter to compensate. When the fecal matter is too dry constipation occurs. You could also try giving her shots of aloe (they come in flavors). Aloe vera juice has been shown to lubricate the intestinal tract. DO NOT resort to use of laxatives as the body will become dependent upon those... trust me... I know. After years of being bulimic, no matter what I do... how much water i drink... I still get bouts of it almost like my body shuts down. What about vegetables? Try to stay away from the starchy ones and get as many leafy greens in her as she will take. Raw veggies? Unfortunately, most grains in the grocery stores are a JOKE so unless you have been taught what to look for... most of them contain things like high fructose corn syrup and or molasses for coloring to make it look like whole wheat. Try sticking to sprouted whole grains that contain NO flour... such as Ezekial breads. Oatmeal is great for helping move things along too... avoid the sweetened kind. My son likes his with butter and I put his whole milk on that since he hates the stuff just straight.
Good luck and I hope this helps.

J.
www.HolisticWellnessAndNutrition.webs.com

Hi H.,
Our son also had severe constipation coupled with GERD. What I found (and what I've found with my own health) is that general docs, such as pediatricians, can treat these kinds of issues within certain bounds. If the case is more complicated or severe, you need a specialist. I see that you are in SF. Dr. Melvin Heyman at UCSF is an excellent pediatric gastoenterologist. Here is a link to info about him: http://www.ucsfhealth.org/childrens/cgi-bin/prd.cgi?actio.... You may need to copy and paste the link into your browser in pieces because it's so long. You'll likely need a referral from your son's ped, and you prolly won't be able to get an appointment for awhile, though the ped can help by making a personal call to explain that the situation needs immediate attention. The runny poops can be caused by (and this is not attractive, so put down breakfast for a second!) a big blob of poop that's in the child's digestive tract. The only thing that can get around is liquidy poop. Your child can appear to have the runs when, in reality, he/she is constipated. That's what happened w/ our son. Btw, we had no problem finding Miralax in SF.

Many moons ago my sister had the same issue. My parents made her milk shakes with mineral oil. That seemed to help some. However more recently a friend's daughter had the same problem which required daily prescription meds every day, until they found a natural solution called "Mona-Vie" it's a blend of 19 fruits with the acai berry being the top of the blend. Just drinking 1 oz twice a day made the difference in 3 days. This is sold by independent distributors, there may be one in your area, or email me, I am also one, I just would like you to find one close to you if possible to avoid having to wait for shipping. Good luck!

My son is 4 1/2 now and I wish someone would have recommended "Plum Smart" when he was younger. I give him 4oz 1-2 times per day and for the past 7 or 8 months he has been going everyday without too much of a problem. He loves bananas so if he has too many of them his stools are a little more firm but we have not had the tears in the bathroom from not being able to get it out in a long time! I get the Plum Smart Light so it has less sugar and we just went to the dentist and there were no problems with decay on his teeth. He is a pretty healthy lactose intolerant 4 year old. We tried Miralax, suppositories, enemas and who knew a little Plum Smart everyday would keep him regular! Good Luck.

You've already gotten so much great advice. I absolutely agree that more fresh fruits (pears are especially good) and leafy veggies will help, and undiluted juice is great for this. Just watch that she's not filling up on juice and not eating her other food.

You mentioned that she doesn't eat much. It could be that after she eats she gets the urge to poop (as it should be), and she doesn't like that. Unfortunately, when she is holding her BMs she's actually causing constipation. If she goes right away it will move through more naturally. The urge to go is caused by the natural flow of of waste through our system. When we interupt that flow it causes constipation/pain. You need to get her to go right away. It will help alot. Once she realizes that not holding it makes the pain go away she'll be happier to go.

I know it is very hard at this age to get her to understand, but it may help to just try to relax about it yourself. Your anxiety (totally natural!) causes her anxiety and so on. Going into potty training with constipation is nothing compared to going into it with major anxiety about pooping!

Try kiwis. No other solid food I've found works better than kiwis for flushing out the system. One lactation consultant recommended exclusively Breastfeeding until the system was clear. That won't work for too long since your little one is a tooddler and will need the extra calories but it would probably work for a few days. But trust me on those kiwis. ;). p.s. Good for you for nursing your toddler!

Hi H.,

Oh, I'm so sorry for you and your little girl. I'm sure it's h*** o* her but even more on the mommies. I'm a chiropractor in the bay area (Danville), and this is very common but NOT normal. It's important to find the acutal cause of the contipation. In my office I first test for a food intolerence. (usually NOT tested by the MD). For children it is a simple blood test. Depending on the results, we change the diet and add a natural alternative to medication, like adjustments. I'd love to talk to you more about this. Check out my business on this site. (alternative medicine in Danville, Ca)

Also, you can call me at ###-###-####

Hope to hear from you soon,
B. S.

I completely understand where you are coming from. My middle son had severe constipation from about 10 days old until he was about 5. For a while he was on 2 enemas a day, and was on a medication. (which I just looked up and isn't avaiable anymore) I didn't find that this helped him at all. We couldn't find anything including changing his diet to help. The doctors even looked for a disease that can cause constipation. I can't remember the name of the disease for the life of me right now, but I do remember that they put a tube up inside of him and expanded the balloon. They also checked him for Cystic Fibrosis, but I think that also had to do with the fact that he wasn't not gaining any weight (he weighed 8 lbs at birth and only 12 lbs at 1 year) Sorry if this scares you, but they never did find a reason for it, except saying that he had voluntary-involuntary constipation. If you would like to talk more about this. You can email me, or call me. If you would like to call just email me and I will give you my number.

Shannon P.
Mother of 4 (sahm-working from home)

My daughter (19months) gets constipated I add prune juice to her diet daily 2-4 oz. I add it to her milk. I don't know what I am going to do when she is off the regular bottles, which should be now. But if you can add some prune juice to her diet somehow, I bet it will help, getting her to take it will be the problem. Good luck....
M.

Oh, your poor little one!
My daughter had some issues with constipation as well. The main thing is to make certain she is getting enough liquids. Water and warm juices like apple or prune (or a combo of both) should really help.
My daughter was a fabulous eater and my pediatrician recommended glycerin suppositories. They really worked for her and after a while, she didn't even need them anymore.

I hope you find what's causing it and what works for her. Take care!

Our pediatrician recommended mixing prune juice with apple juice. It worked great for our son. He thought it was grape juice, so now when he is constipated he'll ask for the "juice" to help him =) Good luck!

Hi H.! I am so sorry for your struggles. It sounds like it has been 1 step forward and 2 back. My son has had a few problems here and there, but now he takes a liquid supplement, as well as I do, and it keeps things moving just fine.

It sounds like she isn't getting enough fiber or water. If she likes apples, I would certainly get them back in her diet unless she has a specific allergy. Apples are a whole food and have a lot of fiber so that could improve things pretty simply. Stay away from the cheese and cheese its. Actually processed foods in general will back us up. Perhaps when you have her sit down and eat, have her drink some water before she gets started and give her measured amounts so you know she is getting the proper amount. Children are about 75% water and toddlers need between 24 and 36 ounces of water per day. Of course, the juice your giving her counts if it is not too high in sugar.

Good luck.

M. S.

Hi H.-

There is a very simple reason and solution for constipation. I am a Chiropractor, specializing in maternity and Pediatrics. I often see babies and toddler for constipation. The nerve roots exiting from the lumbar and sacral spine go into the digestive and eliminations systems in our body. If these areas are restricted, these nerves are interrupted and functions are effected. A gentle adjustment in this area along with abdominal message to stimulate the intestinal tract usually does the trick.

I hope this helps.
-Dr. L.

Dr. L. Gerner, D.C., FICPA
Gerner Family Chirorpractic
429 F St., Suite 8A
Davis, CA 95616
###-###-#### (LOVE)
www.gernerchiropractic.com

Hi H.,

That sounds terribly traumatizing for all of you; my heartfelt sympathies. Is your daughter taking any kind of childrens vitamin supplement? If she is, the iron in the supplement could be the problem.

I regularly fed my kids oatmeal when they were little. Not too much sugar (brown sugar, honey, or maple syrup) and just plain organic rolled oats from the bulk aisle; I cooked them through and served them to my kids before our daily routine cause I've seen what they feed them at school. In your daughter's case leave out the milk or butter, etc and maybe add a bit of bran and some almond or grapeseed oil on top. Not a lot; maybe about a quarter to half a teaspoon to help lube her digestive tract. Oats are an excellent way to cleanse the system and they have a truly magical softening effect on skin and the digestive system. It has to be a regular item on the diet for her, I'm sure, until her system adjusts to the changes she must be experiencing. If the regular rolled oats are not quite the trick, try the steel cut oats; those might work better for her. However they're prepared though, oats will work; just stay away from the processed kind of oatmeal in the packet.

Her problem might also be a reaction to what she may be experiencing on a developmental level involving her mind and emotions. If your work schedule is really busy or there is a lot of activity or emotional tension of some sort it could be affecting her digestive system. Ask yourself if she's learning a lot of new things right now. Even stuff we as adults might take for granted, ie. colors, shapes, new words, etc. could be putting pressure on her mind and emotions.

Another thing, my hobby is astrology. I'm not a licensed astrologer or anything but, at the moment, the sign of Virgo is experiencing Saturn, the planet of boundaries and restrictions in its sign. Saturn also isn't the easiest planet on anyone. I'm not sure if that's necessarily helpful to you but it tells me a lot since your daughter is a September baby. The end of August and most of the month of September is the sign of virgo. I'm not sure if your baby is a virgo but I was married to a Virgo for awhile and he always got stomachaches or digestive problems when he was feeling pressure for whatever reason.

A slowdown in routine is probably needed. Anything where she feels pressured to expand or learn something new should probably be put on hold until after this spring and summer. I would focus on creating and maintaining a healthy balance and tuning into her body cues very carefully for any signs of discomfort or tension, whether it's emotional or mental. If you notice her becoming nervous or tense for whatever reason, slow down and quietly and calmly direct the situation back into a more relaxed feeling.

She could probably benefit very much from a slow, even dull routine with plenty of clear boundary identification. Tell her no, gently and often when she's doing something she shouldn't be doing. Gently tell her what the rules and expectations are; not necessarily with the intention of 100% expectation of her following the rules but more as a therapeutic type of exercise for her mind and emotions. Virgo is a very intellectually oriented type of astrological sign and they have a tendency towards a bit of nervousness about responsibilities and expectations. They usually don't like making mistakes or doing the wrong thing. Even if your daughter is an early Libra she will still have some Virgo influence on her personality.

So good luck. Being constipated is very uncomfortable and your little one has my sympathy. I hope she feels better soon.

Sincerely,
-M

Magnesium Citrate with vitamin C will do the trick... we had this issue with our son and no more!!!

www.vitaminsthatwork.com
Peter Gillham's
Kid's Calm (Natural Orange)
http://www.vites.com/catalog/index.php?main_page=product_...

Or Baby Calm:
http://www.vites.com/catalog/index.php?main_page=product_...

Love, G.. :0)

H.,
I read your entire list of responses about a week ago. :) Interestingly I had just bought the Magnesium supplement that someone suggested for you to try. I started giving my baby 1 tsp a day of that (he has been horribly constipated and the medicine and suppositories have done virtually nothing). We were absolutely desperate. Our little guy would only have a bm about once a week and 4 or 5 days of that was miserable.
Since I started the Baby Calm he has had a full diaper every morning with NO tears! It's unbelievable.
He has been totally free of laxatives and suppositories for the last 6 days. Our doctor told us we'd need them for the rest of his life.
Hopefully you have family here that could order it and send it to you.
Two other notes that might help. Our little guy had a bm so low I could see it but he would not allow it to come out. It was so painful. We soaked him in a real warm bath in the evening. Nothing happened but the next morning he was screaming and we could tell his body was trying to push. We rushed him to the bath and kept adding more warmer water to get it as warm as possible. After about 5-8 minutes he cried for a few seconds and it all came out quite fast.
It looks like we'll never have to do it again but that was a way to eliminate all the back up and start fresh.
Also, if you can't get the Magnesium, I read online that Karo syrup (corn syrup, not high fructose corn syrup) was used as a laxative when it first came out in the early 1900's. I was using that sporadically before the Baby Calm. Now I am using it to sweeten the Baby Calm since it is a little tart.
Hope all of this helps. Good luck in Rome. Are you from here and working there?
My heart went out to you as I was relating to your pain.
The good news is, it can be solved in a matter of days. Yeah!!!

Hi H.,
My son who will be 6 in a few weeks has been constipated since he was born. We had tried everything the doctor suggested. The only thing that works for him is mineral oil. I would put it in his bottle/cup when he was a baby and when he got older I put it in his breakfast cereal. He was getting it every day and if we missed a day he felt the "pain".
Now we're down to every few days.
I hope this helps because as moms we feel so helpless when our little ones are in pain.

T.

Hello,
We have gone through the same dilemma with my son. The key is to get her to sit on the toliet right after she eats a meal to try and go. It helps if you give her a stool softener. It may take 5 to 10 minutes, and it may take several days before her body will do in naturally after a meal. It is important to be very consistent. Drinking a lot of water is key here to help keep her system hydrated. If it still continues I would ask your pediatrician if you can be referred to a gastro-enterologist to make sure there isn't another issue in terms of the body functioning. Good luck.

Hello. My daughter is also 1 1/2 and has had this problem since she was 6-7 months old. Once we introduced solids to her, she was very constipated to the point where she would bleed, shake and developed skin tags on the outside of her rectum. I took her to the pediatrician and she said it was due to not having enough fiber and fluids. So we increased fiber and fluids and it didnt help. I too breastfeed my daughter and was told by my mom that too much breastmilk will constipate babies at that age. You may want to try cutting her breastfeeding time down so she will take in other fluids and see if that works. I only breastfeed her right before bedtime now and she seems to have an easier time going. It could also be that we are giving her mineral oil on a daily basis (1/2 tsp) to help loosen her stools. She hasnt bled or tried to hold her legs together for a few wks now and she is now going every 2-3 days as opposed to every 4-6 days when she was holding it.
I would run this by your pediatrician though.
Hope this helps.
G.

Flax seeds!

My two girls didn't have problems, but a good friend of theirs did. They tried everything, medications, specialists, etc. It was a problem from day one with this one. They gave up on medications as the side effects were nasty. They went to a local health food store and came home with some sort of ground flax seed. I forget what it was. One bit of that mixed into something daily was the end of the problem.

Dr. Sears has some details on flax oil and other natural remedies for constipation at:

http://www.askdrsears.com/html/8/T081100.asp

Hope things improve!

L.

How fantastic that you live in Rome! My in-laws live in Macerata (MC). So beautiful!! Anyhow... both of our daughters had this problem. I haven't read all your other responses, but what worked for us was eliminating dairy completely, and then having them take mineral oil (about 3 tablespoons)when things got really bad. I'll warn you that with mineral oil, you don't want to be far from a bathroom until the problem resolves itself! (Because when they finally have to go... boy do they have to go!) Then, once the worst of it passes, keep your child on Miralax (or whatever version you have in Italy) every...single...day!

But for us, dairy was really key. It is amazing what milk and cheese can do to a child that age!! Now that our kids are a little older (the youngest is 3.5 now) they can both drink milk and eat cheese with no issues.

Good luck, this issue can be such a bummer. =(

My son experienced the same thing. He was on and off consitpated until about 4 yrs. old when he finally was able to go on his own. It was the worst between 6 months - 2yrs. then the doctors finally started listening to what I was saying.

You will need to change your diet as well. (If you haven't already) b/c you are breastfeeding her. And whatever your eating can make her constipated too. You may want to talk to your doctor about increasing her dosage of Mirilax. When my son was on it the doctor said that if the dosage wasn't working we could up it, but the standard dosage worked for my son.

My son drank nothing but prune juice and lots of water. I would increase her water/juice intake and decrease the amount of milk. 5 times nursing a day is a lot for a 1-1/2 yr. old. There is a certan amount of milk kids should have, but with consitpation I had to limit my son to 3 cups max. 24 oz. a day. I weaned my son at 12 months and then put him on whole milk, which caused even more constipation, so I took him off of cow's milk and put him on soy. Once he was on soy he could drink more milk and was able to go. He was on mirilax as well.

What could be happening now, which happened with my son, was that he was scared to go b/c it hurt so bad in past to go, so he was making himself get constipated by not going when he had to. We had to work with him rub his back and sit with him to get him to go. Once he started having more pleasant experiences with his stool, then he was able to go and not make himself constipated.

He has been off mirilax since 4-1/2 (now 6), but I keep the prescritption up just in case, he is back on cows milk 1% or 2% (no whole milk). I limit his milk intake to 1-2 cups max. I make sure he gets lots of fruits/veggies, he's not a big meat eater anyway, and the good thing that came out of all of this is he loves water. He will prefer to drink water over anything else which is so good b/c most kids now a days are soda driven.

Good Luck, and I hope my experience can help you in anyway.