Laxative Foods

[Mom to M&M]

Besides the P fruits (Apricots, peaches, plums, prunes and pears) are there any other laxative foods for my 7-month old with chronic constipation? Any veggies? Peas maybe? Still on purees - late start with solids due to tummy issues and some allergies so only currently having peaches, carrots (pears and avocado caused rash and congestion). Starting squash possibly next - but open to ideas. I do a mixture of make homemade food and buy organic jars (Earth's Best, Gerber Tender Harvest). Ped wants us to stay away from cereals from now - she is concerned will be too hard for her to digest and that extra iron will only cause more constipation.

TIA.

[Lindy Loo]

Hi there

Broccoli works wonders for my DS (as does weetabix but I see you are still no cereals) - peas and potatoes seem to go other way for him.
Good luck trying bits and pieces

Lin )

[alligirl]

Hmmm, I had lots of ideas till I read you lo is only 7 months, but maybe a few coudl still work.

Oatmeal has always worked on my boys.  Especiallly when its really warm.  Perhaps you could make some really watery and then puree it?  It wouldn't be like the fortified baby cereals, but it would still be the whole grain to help move things along.   

Do you warm her food?  My mom told me to try that one day and I blew her off...then I tried it once out of desperation, and either it was coincedence or it worked because things got moving shortly after that. 

Also I've heard things like cooked carrots and squash can actually make constipation worse.  Not sure if that's true, but I avoided those things when my oldest was having terrible problems. 

Hope you get it figured out soon!

[Mom to M&M]

Thanks guys. I just read online in another place about carrots possibly making things worse - ARGH - especially since I gave her some this morning!!! But I gave her peaches too so hopefully it will offset.

Will hold off on squash. Just talked to my friend's GI doc as well and she disagrees about the cereal and does think I might try a little barley - so maybe try that Saturday and then 4-5 days later try some peas?

I do warm her food - hasn't helped so far. Her problem isn't going - she'll go 3-4 times a day. It's just too hard!

[aisyahfarhana]

I like to give my daughter ripe banana, one that you can squash easily. It has been used in family since generations.  The other think is sweetcorn can help you tell how long is the bowel transit time, because you will see them again in your lo's poo. In general it should be around 6 to 10 hours and not more than 24 hours.

[ryan's mum]

bananas is described as the miracle fruit , it can bung them up if they are too runny and un bung a constipated baby. try a littla amount first ! apricots did wonders for Ryan . so did custard but i'm not sure what age you can give custard .barley works well but we found oatmeal bunged him up worse . what works for one doesn't work for the other . it's trying allsorts to see what works for your lo.

[LeslieG]

blueberries are a super fruit too! I have been feeding them to my DD frozen as finger food and she loves them but you can also cook and puree them.

[Mom to M&M]

Thanks guys - maybe bananas and blueberries will be next on our list - trying a new food tomorrow anyway! That's so interesting with bananas. You always hear about them as a constipating food - I didn't know it could work the other way. Maybe it will for DD - since the "laxative" foods like prunes and peaches aren't helping soften her up at all!

[ryan's mum]

if you can get your dd to drink juice , white grape juice works well , dilute with water.

[Mom to M&M]

Thanks Ryan - I just worry about getting her used to juice - KWIM? What about unflavored Pedialyte?

She does go 1-3 times most days - it's just that they are little pebbles/cat turds and not real BMs... Do you think the banana might help?

[Mom to M&M]

OK - so we are still just getting little pebbles and balls here. Plenty of them a day but nothing soft. We try a new food Wednesday morning - do you think we are better off with bananas, blueberries or peas? Help! If we can't get her going more softly Ped said we are going to have to go to a GI doctor since this has been an ongoing issue.

BTW, so far have tried the following:

oatmeal: didn't help
barley: had bad reaction - rash and more spitting up
prunes: didn't make go and gave tummy cramps
pears: gave rash and gas
avocado: seemed to help go but gave terrible rash
peaches: seem to fit well for her but not softening stool at all
carrots: no bad reactions but if anything just constipated more

TIA.

[ryan's mum]

we battled with constipation since Ryan went on solids , although foods and juice where helping we still ended up having to give him a sugar based med , he is still on this medicine but goes regular evryday , good amount and no straining . it may not be a bad idea to have her checked over .

[joylight]

Marisa'sMom--
just thought I'd let you know that my lo got constipated on bananas.  I'd forgotten that they contain pectin- the ingredient in antidiarrheal drugs like Kaopectate.  Pectin is the ingredient that makes bananas and apples turn brown when exposed to air- brown apples were what Iwas told to eat to get rid of diarrhea when I was young... Not the thing for constipated los!
Good luck- Joy

[LeslieG]

I too would not do bananas. My lo gets constipated with them. I do feed them to her now but I balance it with prunes or some apple juice with water (as suggested by a nurse).

Leslie

[Mom to M&M]

I am going to try a very ripe banana tomorrow. My SILs Ped told her that often ripe bananas can be a mild laxative and unripe or jarred constipating. Worth a try and will help with her reflux too (as bananas act as natural antacid). Have some organic ones here and ripening them in a brown paper bag right now.