CONSTIPATED ON SOY!

[holdensmom]

We recently switch our ds to say after he was having very sore tummy, screaming in pain for like a week. we thought we'd try the soy based formula. he was really happy for 2 days we thought we'd done it! however now after a week of the soy he is having trouble pooping. he cries and screams to push  but it wont come out. we have given him a supository and the poo that came out was solid, very hard. if he had his diaper on i doubt it would have come out at all! any suggestions on what to do???

[Kimberly®]

Talk to your doctor, soy can be very constipating, its why thay say not to switch without talking to your doctor first. Here they do at least. It has something to do with the protiens in it.  It may also just be that it has to much iron. But talk to your doctor he'll be more helpful. My friends LO had the same problem when she had to switch her LO to soy, I think her doctor said to add extra water, I'm not sure. Try not to give supository's to often as LO's can become dependent on them very quickly. If its that babd my doctor had us use prune juice.

[holdensmom]

thanks alot. ill call the doc. ill post to tell ya how it goes!

[Mom to M&M]

Yes, soy can be very constipating. Additionally, constipation with soy can be a sign of intolerance - often babies who are intolerant of a cows milk formula have a problem with soy too. Have you tried something like Alimentum or Nutramigen instead?

[summersusu]

Soy is constipating too.  We tried it and decided to switch to Lactose Free instead.  That worked for a while but now he is constipated again.  Right now what works for us and what the doc said was to add about a tbsp of dark Karo syrup to his bottle about twice a day, if that doesn't do the trick, try adding it more often.  This is the safest no matter what age the LO is and this is what they use to use to make formula out of before you could buy it.
Hope this helps.... also with my little one, when they are really struggling put them in a warm bath.  Something about that warm water helps get it out.  He passed on in the bath one time when he was constipated and it came out so smoothly I didn't know it was there until I went back to clean up.