What makes them constipated?

[a_astorga]

Hi,

What veggies/fruit/cereal/cheese should defenitely be avoided if your lo is constipated? And if they are what is good for it?

And why is it they all of a sudden get constipated even though their food variety doesn't change?

[tylersmommy]

In general, constipating foods include cheese, banana, fortified cereal, rice, applesauce, and most bread products, especially those that aren't whole grain.

Foods that can help ease constipation are prunes, prune juice, orange juice, apples, apricots, and oatmeal. Increasing water intake helps quite a bit too.

These are just a few I can think of off the top of my head, I'm sure there are lots more and it often depends on your LO. Babies can get constipated suddenly if their food intake increases and they aren't getting enough water or other liquids. Also, babies poop less as they get older, so if your LO isn't straining or uncomfortable, your LO may just not be going as often. HTH!

[a_astorga]

Well.

He actually goes like 3 times a day, the reason I say he is constipated is because it's a small amount of poo and it's harder, like clay. His usual craps are medium size to large and are soft, soft enough he gets poo all over his testis. So when I see a small poo clay like shaped and his bum isn't even covered with poo, I assume it is constipation.

And what is the difference between apples and applesauce?

How about cottage cheese and raisins? Those are usually his snacks.

[tylersmommy]

Hmmm...Tyler's poops have gotten a lot more solid and compact as he's gotten older, but if they look like marbles then I know he's constipated. Does that make sense? Also, if it's just one poo, then he's back to normal for the next time around, then I don't worry about it.

Most dairy is constipating, so I'd imagine cottage cheese falls into that category. Apples have a lot of fiber in them, but much of it is cooked out when they're turned into applesauce (and the sugar that's added in doesn't help either). Not sure about raisins...For us, the easiest fix is always to offer more water, and things are usually back to normal by the next poop.

[cwolff]

I've heard that pears are good for constipation, and so far for us that's been true.  Yogurt isn't constipating at all, and if you get the kind with active cultures, it actually helps digestion.  Lentils are very high in fiber, and you have to watch how much you give them.  Cheese is a big culprit, though not as much with cottage or cream cheeses.   Whole grains as opposed to commercial baby cereal is higher in fiber, but doesn't contain the amount of iron and zinc young babies need.

[a_astorga]

So is oatmeal cereal from Gerber constipating?

I heard that oatmeal is good for their constipation.

[tylersmommy]

Regular grownup oatmeal isn't constipating...quite the opposite, because of its high fiber content. On the other hand, Gerber oatmeal is iron fortified (a good thing, as babies need extra iron), which can make it constipating for some babies, but not as often as rice cereal. Tyler ate Gerber oatmeal religiously every morning and was never constipated until he stopped eating it. :roll:

[joslil]

With my son, we have found sweet potatoes to be a huge problem for some reason.  Nothing else has ever affected my kids.  Applesauce seems to fix things for us though?!

[Jenn©]

Raisins are usually good for constipation.  Much tastier when chocolate covered, but that's only for the older folks. :wink: