Everybody Poops…or Do They?

Elijah wearing a Le Top "Zoo Kazoo" waffle weave shirt and stripe pant

Baby constipation may be a crappy subject to write about, but some things just need to be addressed. These past two weeks we started our 6-month-old on “solid” foods – really, I wouldn’t call rice cereal a solid, but let’s just go with it.  I read everything on starting babies on solids – from books the pediatricians handout to every source possible, but they each have a different opinion what to do. The main thing they did have in common was, start with rice cereal. Ok, easy enough I thought! 

My main concern for starting the “solids”, was watching for signs of allergic reaction (hives, fever, rash, bloody stool, etc.) and constipation. Well…we survived the allergic reaction part, but didn’t get but three days in to one feeding of rice cereal before we had the big C….and in the baby book C is for constipation! 

Our little trooper didn’t stay constipated for long, and we breathed a deep sigh of relief thinking, “Thank God, we didn’t have to deal with that.” I guess you could say we ate our words, as last week we upped the rice cereal to two feedings per day and in three days, we had a very constipated baby.  Ugh!

Being the overbearing, first-time mom that I am, I called the advice nurse on day two of number two.  The calming voice on the other side of the line said, “Dear, just wait four days and if he still hasn’t gone, then give him 2 oz. of prune juice and that will do the trick.” At day four I swung by the grocery store and picked up the prune juice, got it home, took a whiff and said to my husband, “I sure as heck wouldn’t drink this stuff!” Did I jinx myself again?! YES! This kid said ‘no way, Jose’ to that fowl smelling concoction. I managed to get about half an ounce in a bottle of milk down him, but still no poop after day four. 

My oh-so-wise husband did the unmentionable and gave the tyke an enema. It took about half a day, but we got the result we were looking for – POOP! I must say, I don’t think I have ever been so excited about a bowel movement in my life (wow that just sounds wrong!). 

I was telling my other, well-trained mommy friends about our week long fiasco and felt after our conversation, I should have known to call them first! They had all those remedies up their sleeve and more. Here are some of the other suggestions they gave me, for the next time our baby is constipated: 

• Switch to oatmeal or barley cereal- it is the least “binding” of the cereals  (we switched and it seems to be working)
• Try Pear juice instead of Prune juice
• Use a suppository

We are glad we made it through this first “episode” of baby problems, virtually unscathed. I can’t say that I am looking forward to the next one, but I think, at the very least I am a little wiser-for-the-wear about constipation.  If you have tips and tricks to get your little guy “going”, please share it with us in the comments field below.

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Foods That Help Constipation in Kids

“My stomach hurts,” is a common phrase many parents have heard from their children. A child who has less than three bowel movements per week, has hard and dry stool, or simply has trouble with his bowel movements may be constipated. While it is normal for a child to have a bowel movement only every few days, it is not normal for stool to be anything other than soft and easy to pass through the bowels. If your child is constipated, you may need to make some changes to his diet in order to encourage his bowels to work properly again. My common rule is to make sure your child is getting enough fiber and fluid, and watch the “white” foods.

Here are some Quick Tips: 

Increase Fluid Intake
Increasing your child’s water intake will help to keep her hydrated so that her stools do not become hard and difficult to pass. If your child is an infant, increase her fluid intake by making sure she gets at least 2 to 4 ounces of water or diluted fruit juice at least once or twice every day.

Vegetables
Vegetables that are high in fiber are effective for alleviating constipation as well. Vegetables with moderately high fiber levels include broccoli, carrots, corn, green beans, peas and spinach. Beets, acorn squash, butternut squash and avocado are high in fiber as well. Try adding these foods as an afternoon snack or as side dishes during lunch or dinner.

Bran
Foods containing bran, another high-fiber nutrient, can also help to alleviate constipation. These include cereals such as Bran Flakes, Frosted Mini Wheats, granola and oatmeal. Cereals considered to be even higher in fiber include All Bran, Fiber One and 100% Bran. These foods are great for breakfast and can be easily introduced to the diet alone or with fruits.

Fruits
Fruits are naturally high in fiber and are essential to a healthy diet. Fruits with moderately high fiber content include apples, oranges, pears, strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, mangoes, raisins and nectarines. If you add raisins or berries to your child’s bran cereal or oatmeal, you’ll be enhancing the flavor of the food while increasing his fiber intake even more.

Meat Alternatives
Children who eat a lot of foods that are high in fat and low in fiber, such as meats, can quickly become constipated.

Why Do Kids Get Constipated?
Constipation is pretty common and different things can cause it. Reasons why kids get constipated include:

• Unhealthy diet. If you fill your diet with fatty, sugary, or starchy foods and don’t eat enough fiber, your bowels may slow down. Fiber — found in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains — can keep your poop from getting hard and dry. So reach for an apple!
• Not enough exercise. Moving around helps food move through your digestive system. If you don’t get enough active playtime — like running around outside — you could get constipated.
• Not enough fluid. Drinking water and other liquids keeps poop soft as it moves through your intestines. When you don’t drink enough, the poop can get hard and dry and you might get stopped up.
• Not going to the bathroom when you need to. Sometimes kids don’t go to the bathroom when they have to. But if you make a habit of ignoring your body’s signals that it’s time to go, that might make it harder to go later on.
• Stress. Kids might get constipated when they’re anxious about school or something at home. This can happen during scary events, like starting at a new school, or even if you’re just worried about a lot of homework and tests coming up. Being away from home for more than a few days may make you feel a little stressed, too.
• Irritable bowel syndrome. Some kids have a condition called irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). It can act up when they’re stressed or when they run into certain triggers, like fatty or spicy foods. A kid who has IBS may have constipation sometimes and diarrhea sometimes, as well as belly pain and gas.

My last tip? I always recommend your child’s teacher be informed of the problem. While you are trying to treat your child’s constipation, he or she may need fairly quick access to a toilet. Delaying will only add to the problems, so make sure the teacher allows your child to excuse him or herself quickly from a classroom or activity.

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