Author Topic: Starting solid foods and poo changes  (Read 1584 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline jenniferbarr0722

  • New & Learning The Ropes!
  • *
  • Showing Appreciation 0
  • Posts: 10
  • Location:
Starting solid foods and poo changes
« on: August 07, 2014, 23:19:33 pm »
My almost 5 month old stated solids about 1.5 weeks ago and the last two days her bowel movements have changed. She usually goes at least once a day, usually two or three times. Now she is struggling to go once. She strains and only manages to squeeze out a tiny amount of poo. This is a day after introducing chicken with chicken broth, so I quit feeding her that, thinking it may be the culprit. Would it take 1.5 weeks for me to see the change if it were solids in general?

If it doesn't naturally clear up from stopping the chicken what should I do? I'm not sure if she is necessarily constipated as I have read bowel movements change with the introduction of solids and may be less frequent. When I help her pass stools (with a q tip) they aren't hard and dry, but they are a bit more firm and shaped then they ever were before. Is this just a normal adjustment to solid foods and should I let her system work it out? Or should I continue helping her poo with a q tip? I don't want to always 'help her'if that will hinder her system from figuring out how to do it on it's own, but I don't want her to be uncomfortable.

She isn't crying when she strains at the moment, but did seem much happier after I helped her poo earlier. I have heard flax oil, karo syrup, prune juice etc. help, but I don't want to give her anything unless she needs it. At what point should I give her something?

Offline creations

  • Feeding Solid Food & EASY
  • Moderator
  • Resident BW Chatterbox!
  • *****
  • Showing Appreciation 496
  • Posts: 21993
  • Location: UK
Re: Starting solid foods and poo changes
« Reply #1 on: August 08, 2014, 07:20:12 am »
It is normal for poo to change with the introduction of solids, and will also change depending on what you feed her, how much and how she responds to those foods.  I think you're right to be cautious though as you don't want her to be constipated.

As she is still young for solids I would probably reduce/stop her solids for a few days to give her system chance to settle down again.
I think a bit of trial and error mixed with mummy instinct will help guide you as to whether her poo is normal or becoming too firm and a food diary (including poo frequency and whether it was hard etc) might help.
Babies do look like they are struggling and use their whole body to push a poo out, that's quite normal and the poo can be a normal (firmer but normal) consistency. You don't want her poo to be small and hard though.

You could try a little prune juice (a small amount) and see how it effects her poo. It would likely be better for her if she can push the poo out without your assistance but you don't want to cause her to have diarrhoea either - solids poo is going to be firmer and is going to take time to learn to push out.
I used to give a prune rather than juice, half a prune or one prune as finger food if mine was getting a bit too firm, and I gave carrots if he was getting a bit loose - this way I could monitor each day what was needed to keep things moving and comfortable for him in a natural way. (he was older than your LO though and was ready for finger foods)
This might also help
Constipation and Laxative Foods


Offline *happy*

  • Resident BW Chatterbox!
  • *****
  • Showing Appreciation 55
  • Gender: Female
  • Posts: 5199
  • blessed to have found BWing.xxx
  • Location: Ireland
Re: Starting solid foods and poo changes
« Reply #2 on: August 08, 2014, 07:57:38 am »
Yes....what creations said....A. little prune mixed in with her baby cereal and usual milk did through trick for us here...






Offline jessmum46

  • Resident BW Chatterbox!
  • *****
  • Showing Appreciation 411
  • Posts: 14235
  • Location: UK
Re: Starting solid foods and poo changes
« Reply #3 on: August 08, 2014, 08:01:23 am »
Just a note of caution about 'helping' her to poo with a Q tip.  It really isn't recommended to put anything at all into a LOs bottom as the lining of the bowel is very easily damaged.  If despite the excellent advice from creations above she appears to be struggling with constipation, I'd recommend seeking advice from a health professional rather than trying to solve it yourself :)