CONSTIPATION

[mamaB]

My 7 mo old has been constipated for weeks now, she hasn't had a baby poop in probably three weeks, they are solid adult poo which she cries getting out.  When I called my doctor she said just switch from rice to oats and give her prune juice.  I have been doing that for five days now and still she struggles. This is her schedule, please help.

   Baby Schedule      
         
7:00 AM   Awake and Breast Feed    5-8 oz needed  approx. 10 min   6.5 oz
   Activity      
8:45 AM   Solid Food                 2 TB cereal and 1-2 TB fruit   1.5 oz
9:15   Wind down      
9:30   Sleep   In bed until 11:00   
11:00   Breast Feed                                                          6.5 oz
   Activity      
12:45   Solid Food                  2 TB cereal and 1-2 TB veggies   1.5 oz
1:15   Wind down      
1:30   Sleep   In bed until 3:00   
3:00   Breast Feed                                                           6.5 oz
4:45   Wind down/ Teething Tablet      
5:00   Sleep/Cat Nap   30-45 minutes   
5:30   Solid Food                Fruit 1-2 TB and Veggies 1-2 TB   1.5 oz
   Activity      
7:00   Breast Feed      6.5 oz
7:15   Bath      
7:25   Breast Feed   top off   
7:30   Wind down/Sleep   asleep by 8:00   
10:30   Dream Feed                                                            5 oz
10:45   Teething Tablet      
                                                                Total   35.5 oz
      Expected Range between 32-48 oz   

[binxyboo]

Are you bottle feeding the breast milk, is that the ounces you are talking about?

Prunes never worked for Riley, just made him gassy and gave him a tummyache. Peach puree woked a treat though. The longer they hold it in, the worse it seems to get Have you thought of anything that may have contributed to this, has she had issues before or is this new?

It's terrible to see them struggle. Riley did it all the time when younger, even when exclusively bf, although it was not constipation as such as the stools were not hard. As they take in more solids, the poos do take on a more adult like consistency.

[binxyboo]

Also, I gave Riley lots of warm baths, with water up over his tummy to help him relax the muscles. He sometimes would go in the bath. She is also having a lot of solid meals for her age. Most are probably on maybe 2 meals a day by that age, if that. How long has she been on solids?

[mamaB]

It was suggested that they can nurse 5-8 oz in 10 minutes, I usually nurse her but I have tried to give her a bottle of bm when she doesn't nurse enough, she rarely will take it. As far as something that could have contributed, no not really.  At first, I thought it was travelling, becasue we did a fare amount over the holidays but then it has only gotten worse since we have been back and started EASY.  I will try the peaches and the warm bath. Thanks.

[binxyboo]

I had edited my post while you were replying. Did you see my question about when solids were intro'd?

So you have just started EASY. How does her nursing habits compare now as to before you started EASY?

Welcome to BW!

[mamaB]

Oh, solids were introduced at 24 weeks, she is 30 weeks now.  She showed interest early. But, she stayed on only rice cereal for the first 5 weeks or so.  She doesn't eat more than 2 TB usually, do you really think that is too much?  I thought I was following the advice from Tracy's book??? Before we started EASY we were on about a three hour schedule but sometimes she would get hungry at 2 1/2 hours and she would nurse on demand at night because we were cosleeping, but usually 3 times a night.

[binxyboo]

It's just that sometimes, when they take in the solids three times a day that young, sometimes it fills them up a lot and they don't nurse as well as usual. A lot of us didn't have 3 meals until around the 9 month mark. Cereal esp. can be very filling and binding. I know she is not feeding at night now, that is great. I am just wondering how her milk intake really is. I don't know how you can really guage it in ounces how much she is getting just by the time she is nursing. How are her wet diapers?

I am just thinking as I type, sorry if it's muddled!

[mamaB]

She usually won't go longer than 7 minutes (that's good) more often it's like 4-5 minutes. Usually she won't take both sides.  She loves eating and showed a lot of interest, I had no intension of rushing into eating because I enjoy bf. I was actually advised to feed her at night because she was waking every hour so when I started feeding her again she stopped and only has been waking to feed.  I was instructed to gradually wean her from the night feeds instead of cold turkey, which is what I did to begin with only one dream feed. I feel sort of like a ping pong ball, I don't know what I am doing that is right or wrong!  Everytime I try something new there is a new undesired result and I feel bad that the baby may be confused.

[binxyboo]

Riley still had night feeds at that age, up until 14 months.

What do you mix the cereal with?

[mamaB]

Oh really, I'm so confused, why does Tracy say they should be sleeping through and drop the dream feed???  She just won't have it.  I mix her cereal with MaMas Milk.