Author Topic: 2 weeks of solids and now constipated?  (Read 2121 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline rayasunshine

  • BW Devotee
  • ****
  • Showing Appreciation 3
  • Posts: 258
  • Location:
2 weeks of solids and now constipated?
« on: July 23, 2012, 04:09:07 am »
Just thought I'd post and see what you mom's out there think...so ds is 6.5mo and has been on solids for about 2 weeks.  A couple of days ago he was struggling while he was having a bowel movement.  When I went to change him I was rather surprised to find formed solid poop and of course he wasn't done so I watched as he strained to get the rest out.  Later that same day he had another poop but it was more of a peanut butter consistency.  He had another bowel movement fine and today he's produced 2 small pellets separately.  He gets rice cereal at breakfast (2tbsp) and dinner (1tbsp), has tried sweet potatoe, squash, carrots, pears and banana.  I know that rice cereal can be constipating as can be bananas.  I decided not to give him cereal at dinner today.  So based on what I've described is my poor monkey constipated? Was thinking about introducing prune baby food tomorrow in his cereal and once I've given that a couple of days was going to try oat cereal to see if that will help.  I know it's alot for his system to handle right now so I'm trying to take it slow, I just don't want him to be constipated.  TIA

Offline *Kara*

  • Resident BW Chatterbox!
  • *****
  • Showing Appreciation 184
  • Gender: Female
  • Posts: 11802
  • So little!
  • Location: BC, Canada
Re: 2 weeks of solids and now constipated?
« Reply #1 on: July 23, 2012, 04:16:00 am »
For only 2 weeks, he has tried a lot of things...

Constipating foods - rice cereal for sure (switch to oat or barley), bananas if not really ripe (very ripe are actually laxative), cooked carrots, yams...

Also, remember that LO will need more liquid with these solids too... if you are BFing, maybe offer after solids to see if LO needs a drink :)  Or, offer a sippy of water.... just don't expect LO to use it very well yet ;)

I would stick to solids once per day for now.. twice is really hard on the tummy and can lead to major sleep disruptions... As a general guideline, best to intro solids in the AM, with lunch offering added after a few weeks, then a dinner offering a few weeks after that.  You want to be sure that milk intake remains the same. 

Personally, my DD started solids just at 5 months and didn't get to adding in the 3rd dinner time "meal" until 9 months...

And yes - sounds like he is a little backed up :)



Offline rayasunshine

  • BW Devotee
  • ****
  • Showing Appreciation 3
  • Posts: 258
  • Location:
Re: 2 weeks of solids and now constipated?
« Reply #2 on: July 23, 2012, 04:44:32 am »
Hi Kara,

Thanks for your response.  It's interesting that most of what I've given ds is constipating considering these are the first foods that are suggested when starting solids.  I do offer a sippy of water during the meals, at least I'm doing that right, lol.  If I offer solids once per day should I offer breakfast or lunch?  I find he eats lunch better as he is a bit more hungry as I push that afternoon bottle a little past 3.5/4hrs so that he can have it just before his nap. 

Luckily we haven't had sleep disruptions other than him talking up a storm at 5am (which apparently is his wake up time) but I guess he's backed up because of having too many solids too fast?  I've been monitoring his milk intake and that has stayed the same so he's not filling up on solids but obviously the amount of solids he's eating are causing havoc on his system right now.

Ok so what should I do to help him become unconstipated...give him prunes at breakfast without rice cereal or switch the cereal first?  Or should I do something else?


Offline *Kara*

  • Resident BW Chatterbox!
  • *****
  • Showing Appreciation 184
  • Gender: Female
  • Posts: 11802
  • So little!
  • Location: BC, Canada
Re: 2 weeks of solids and now constipated?
« Reply #3 on: July 23, 2012, 21:18:06 pm »
Stop the rice cereal for sure and try either oatmeal or barley baby cereal... don't give him too much though...

It's not so much the actual foods that he is eating (though they can cause issues), it's generally that baby is now taking all of these solids without the added liquid needed to ensure easy digestion...

Be careful with things like prunes and peas.. often suggested for constipation as they are full of fibre.. extra fibre without the liquids needed can further exacerbate the issue.

Pears and peaches are generally the best for easing constipation...

I would do a breakfast offering...



Offline rayasunshine

  • BW Devotee
  • ****
  • Showing Appreciation 3
  • Posts: 258
  • Location:
Re: 2 weeks of solids and now constipated?
« Reply #4 on: July 24, 2012, 06:24:23 am »
Hi Kara,

Thanks for your reply...I have stopped the rice cereal, bananas and sweet potatoe and will be trying oat cereal in a few days time.  I am trying pears and prunes right now to help his constipation along and he struggled today but had somewhat of a decent bowel movement.  I will introduce peaches after the cereal so that at least I have a few options to add to his morning cereal to keep him regular.  Also am increasing his water intake by helping him drink it from his sippy cup instead of letting him just play with it.  Hoping by doing this in a couple of days he should be cleared out.  Today I offered breakfast and lunch just so I could get some more prunes into him but I didn't do dinner.  I will scale back on lunch over the next couple of days and then do just breakfast for a couple of weeks and re-introduce lunch.  I feel bad that all this stuff constipated him.  Totally appreciate all your feedback and assistance though and hope this problem does not rear it's ugly head again!

Offline Tecike

  • Resident BW Chatterbox!
  • *****
  • Showing Appreciation 8
  • Gender: Female
  • Posts: 572
  • My little guys...
  • Location: Serbia
Re: 2 weeks of solids and now constipated?
« Reply #5 on: July 24, 2012, 10:37:05 am »
HI!

Just saw your thread...
When my LO was constipated at 7 mo it was prune juice and squash puree that helped loads.

Hope he gets better soon!
HTH



Offline *Kara*

  • Resident BW Chatterbox!
  • *****
  • Showing Appreciation 184
  • Gender: Female
  • Posts: 11802
  • So little!
  • Location: BC, Canada
Re: 2 weeks of solids and now constipated?
« Reply #6 on: July 25, 2012, 04:09:22 am »
Great advice above!!

Also, if all else fails... my doctor's ultimate constipation cure for wee babies is an ounce of warm water with 1/2 tsp of brown sugar (white will work too just not as well) dissolved into it... give the whole ounce every 4 hrs until baby goes poop.

It worked on my DD with the first dose - it's totally safe as it just draws water into the bowel, making it easier to pass the poop that is there... not a stimulant at all.



Offline rayasunshine

  • BW Devotee
  • ****
  • Showing Appreciation 3
  • Posts: 258
  • Location:
Re: 2 weeks of solids and now constipated?
« Reply #7 on: July 27, 2012, 22:44:59 pm »
Thank you Kara and Tecike for your suggestions!  I think the prunes and water helped.  He'd gone back to having mushy poop which is great and then today he had a dry/somewhat hard poop.  I started oat cereal with him 2 days ago so I don't know what's going on there.  I have cut out dinner and now only offer breakfast and lunch and only 1tbsp of oat cereal at breakfast.  This is so annoying as I don't want him to be in pain when he's having a bowel movement.  That said I understand that his poop will change but 4 poops are soft and then it goes back to being hard again- so confusing.

Offline *Kara*

  • Resident BW Chatterbox!
  • *****
  • Showing Appreciation 184
  • Gender: Female
  • Posts: 11802
  • So little!
  • Location: BC, Canada
Re: 2 weeks of solids and now constipated?
« Reply #8 on: July 28, 2012, 04:16:11 am »
Is it actually hard? Did you squish it?  Once solids are underway, many LO's make formed but soft poops ;)