Constipated – breastfed

[Anonymous]

Christine and others,

Caden is sort of constipated now for the first time ever. He has been eating more solids, which I’m assuming has caused this. The foods he is now able to tolerate are: carrots, pears, rice, peas, and oatmeal. He could probably eat other things, but I’m taking it slowly due to his mucousy bms at the beginning.

Christine, I know you said Myles and maybe your girls too were constipated even though they were breastfed…could you tell me what remedy you used at this age (7 months)? I don’t want to give him something harsh on his system. It isn’t that the bm is really hard, but it’s more solid than what he is used to, and this morning he seemed to really strain and fuss to get it out (sorry).

What worked best for you all when this happened? I’m thinking diluted apple juice, because I’ve given him that before with no reaction. Is there something that works quickly so that this won’t get worse before it gets better?

Thanks!

[Anonymous]

Oh, and I’ll add that neither of my other boys were ever constipated for the entire first year of their lives (while I was nursing), so I’m not really sure what to do

[Anonymous]

stage one prunes work the best imo.

diltued juices

oatmeal

[Anonymous]

Thanks, Natalia.

This is interesting…he went again just a little bit ago, but it wasn’t solid like the other, it was more the usual mustardy type. But, the strange part was he cried with that bm too like it was uncomfortable in some way. I wonder what that was about.

Also, I wonder if that could be a reaction for him to one of the new foods I’ve tried. Neither of our other boys was this sensitive to new foods, so I’m having a tough time knowing if he is reacting to things. He isn’t getting any type of rash right now or anything obvious, but it was strange that he strained and fussed so with his bms today (and they really weren’t that hard).

The other thing is the other night I gave him some solids, and he was wide awake in the middle of the night for an hour. He wasn’t crying – just babbling. I wonder if that could be a reaction for him. It was just so unusual for him.

[Anonymous]

Emily,

Yes, Myles struggled for quite some time with consitpation. I had it down to a science when it came to getting him to poop!!

Peas, rice and other starches (like corn and potatoes) can be binding so I’d limit then or exclude them for now.

It’s possible he’s consitpated but it sounds like he may just be getting used to pushing out a formed stool versus the mushy stuff he had before solids.

I’ll list some of the rememdies I used for Myles because they are natural and safe and even if he’s not constipated they won’t hurt him.

1. Prunes (1/2 of a stage one container once per day). Usually I added this to his oatmeal.

2. Pears or Pear Juice (one ounce per day, or one stage one container).

3. Flax Seed Oil (1 tbs daily by spoon, or added to his oatmeal).

4. Benefiber (1/4 -1/2 tsp daily – added to his oatmeal or in a bottle) You can add this to anything but make sure to give him some fluids with it, so maybe right before nursing him.

5. Brown Sugar and water (I used this trick a few times before I discovered Benefiber. It’s an old wives tale but it really works. 1 TBS (or more) dissolved in a ounce or two of warm water.)

If he keeps crying when he goes, maybe it’s a food sensitivity. Does he have a diaper rash at all? Peas can be gassy too, and so can rice, so maybe that’s it.

ndrose2007-6-1 14:32:35

[Anonymous]

Hey Emily,

Ben does this too! Crazy huh? Right now though he has horrible diarrhea from his antibiotic, but before this, he was starting to get backed up a bit. I figured, like you, that it was due to him eating more solids and not as much breastmilk. I do think, however, that Christine might be on to something when she suggested that he is maybe just getting used to firmer stools. Ben would go everyday, but they were much firmer, and sometimes he would only go a very small amount at a time. And his face would get so red!! Like a little tomato!!

I am really paranoid about this issue, as my daughter STILL struggles with constipation (stemming, I’m sure, from her reflux as a baby).

I try to stay away from binding foods (although I didn’t realize peas could cause problems), usually for him it’s bananas and sometimes if I give him sweet potatoes more than a few times a week.

Pears seem to help, as do prunes. I haven’t tried any juice yet, as I am really trying to avoid that as long as possible.

I’ve also found that just giving him some water really helps a lot. I’ve been getting him used to a sippy cup since I started solids, and usually he will drink a couple of ounces of water throughout the day. Although, we went to the pool this morning, and he downed about 4 oz. in an hour! Thirsty little guy!!

And as for the night waking.. that is often an indication of an intolerance, but, then again, it’s often just a baby thing, you know? . What did you feed him that night? I would try it again and see what happens. If he wakes again, you might want to avoid it for a bit.

Bensmama2007-6-1 15:21:0

[Anonymous]

I forgot to mention that apple juice usually is not very helpful. Pear juice is better. Apples contain pectin which can be binding. Myles could not eat apples until he was 15 months old because they’d bind him right up.

[Anonymous]

Thanks for all the tips. I think I’ll just watch it for now, because like I said he went later today and it was fine without any intervention, so I’m thinking maybe he’s just not used to formed stools like Christine mentioned.

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