cereal and constipation?

[Tammy: Ethan & Kaden's Mom]

Ok, I introduced rice cereal to my ds about 3 1/2 weeks ago.  He is getting a *little* bit better about eating, but not much!   :?  However, for the first 2 or 2 1/2 weeks, eating the rice cereal seemed to make him have bowel movements at least twice a day!  Always normal, just more often that usual (he would usually go about once a day before starting the cereal). 

Well, he didn't necessarily seem all that jazzed about the rice cereal.  So, I went ahead and tried the oatmeal.  We did that for probably 3 or 4 days, but it immediately seemed to constipate him.  So, I started doing rice cereal in the am, and oatmeal in the pm - no change.  So, I went back to rice cereal alone, and things seemed to go back to normal in the bm area. 

Now, he has again been on only rice cereal for probably a week, but the past 3 or 4 days, he strains and grunts and groans forever before having a bm.  And it is not the consistency it was before, it's much thicker, and less quantity.  But he seems to have such a hard time going!     Sometimes it takes him 3 or 4 diapers to get it all (meaning, one with most, then maybe another 2 or 3 diapers throughout the day with a little bit). 

So, what happened?  Why all of a sudden is he more constipated with the rice cereal than he was before?  Nothing else has changed, not even the quantity of the cereal.

We have his 6 month checkup next week, so I can always ask my ped. then, but thought I would get your advice!  Am I going to just have to deal with this (or should I say - he will have to deal with it  ) until we get to start some actual baby food?

Thoughts, ideas, suggestions?  Thanks!

[tylersmommy]

Poops typically change quite a bit with solids. The consistency gets quite a bit thicker...they often look more like little adult poopies. Frequency can change too, since solids are brand new to their digestive systems. If he seems like he's in pain, or the poop looks more like marbles, then he could be having some constipation issues. Tyler could only eat barley cereal for the longest time because everything else stopped him right up. Make sure your DS is getting plenty of liquids, especially water, and you can try prunes or prune juice to try and help things along. It wouldn't hurt to mention it to the dr if you're concerned, just to put your mind at ease. HTH!

[Stacie:Emma&Josh Mom]

My only thought to help get some more water in him is to maybe mix the cereal with water instead of formula (if that's what you've been doing).  Then he's getting more water into his system and not cereal plus the iron in his formula all at once.  Just a thought...  Or you could always try barley and see if that's any better.  Some people say, as above, that their dc could only have one type of cereal and they had to experiment to find which one it is.  My MIL also swears by adding a bit of sugar to their bottle (brown sugar I think) and I also saw this in a magazine recently to help get things moving if you think he needs some help.  That's what prunes would do as well, any increase in sugar helps things along.  Things do change quite a bit when solids are added, but pellets usually mean constipation.  This may be TMI for some, but what's the consistency?  Good luck and let me know how he's doing!

[Tammy: Ethan & Kaden's Mom]

Consistency is maybe like thick peanut butter.  I have been mixing his cereal with formula.  Maybe I should switch over to water instead?  His bm's are not pellet like or anything that hard.  But I think I changed 5 diapers today that had some sort of poop in them!  Usually not much at all, but a couple did have a good amount.  Which I guess says he's not constipated, but man, you should hear the racket when he goes!   :roll:

Maybe I will try a few meals with water instead of formula, and see what that does.  If he's still making such an effort, I can always ask my ped. next week.

Thanks everyone.

[Stacie:Emma&Josh Mom]

Yeah, technically speaking that's not constipated.  Maybe it's actually making him go more frequently, just less at a time for some reason.  Not sure if there's a term for that.   :wink:   I'd try the water and see if that helps, but really doesn't sound like constipation is the problem.  Maybe he's just figured out that he can grunt to do it.  Hehe.  Just grabbing at straws here.  I'd ask your ped just to put your mind at ease as well.

[Leann]

Rice cereal constipates my guy a bit too.

Also, we had peanut butter poo here too and I would second the prunes suggestion.  THAT really helped get things going.  My guess is that I fed him a jar, maybe a jar and a half's worth, at two consecutive feedings, with no cereal, and that helped get things going.  After that I always mixed the cereal with a fruit or vegetable and that's what we're doing now.  I know lots of people do only cereal for a while but this seems to work better for us.  We're up to five foods now:  rice cereal, avocado (he loves it!), prunes, green beans, and sweet potatoes.  I'm trying to stay with fruits and vegetables that have quite a bit of fiber!

[Tammy: Ethan & Kaden's Mom]

Thanks everyone for the suggestions.  I haven't started him on any baby food yet, so cereal is it for us at the moment.  I don't really want to introduce the prunes yet, at least until after his doctor appt. next week.  Hopefully then she'll give me the go ahead to start the baby food, and we can try something besides the cereal.  He's not that enchanted with it anyway!

I did do his morning cereal today with water, so we'll see if that makes any difference or not.  I'll continue that tonight, and we'll see what tomorrow brings!   :?  :lol:  :wink:

[Leann]

I wanted to make sure I was clear about the amount in my last post.  I didn't give Asher a jar and a half of prunes at EACH of two feedings...I gave him that much TOTAL in two consecutive feedings.

I just didn't want anyone's baby to be overloaded on prunes. 

[dkjokisch]

We've had the same issue (and the same peanut butter consistency).  I usually mix the rice cereal with breastmilk, but I have been adding a teaspoon or two of prune juice (we keep prunes around the house, so I just stew one in about 1/3 cup of water) to it.

[Gigismom]

check with your doctor first, but for us prune juice and ground flaxseed mixed in with cereal or fruit seems to help.