Constipated baby after starting solids

[nicolejoy]

My 8 month old has been very constipated since starting solids. She will scream every time she needs to do a #2, and often she strains so hard that her little bottom will bleed

I've put her on a pretty high fibre diet, changed from rice cereal to oat, I'm adding oat bran to each solid feed, feeding her LOTS of prunes and pears... and offering more water also - but it has helped minimally.

I've also been massaging her tummy and cycling her legs around, sometimes that helps but most of the time I don't think it does much.

I know probably the next step is to take her to the doc and see if they can offer some suggestions but I thought I'd ask for all your wise advice as well Are there any other "home remedies" that I haven't tried yet?

 

[Flack]

Have you tried giving her some mashed papaya? That can have a laxative effect. Other than that I have no other suggestions sorry. Hope you get it sorted soon.

 

[TNT]

I haven't tried it myself but I know friends who had great success with linseed (flaxseed), just mixed into porridge or similar foods. However her daughter was a fair bit older so not sure if it is OK for an eight month old?

 

[AmyH]

Sorry Nicole, but my little girl had that too and I tried everything that you mentioned above but nothing seemed to work. Eventually went to doctor who prescribed some probiotic powder and rehydration salts which worked a treat. He also advised to stop giving her bananas completely until she turned 1 so we did that and she is fine now, even with bananas!
Good luck.

 

[nicolejoy]

Actually, the last TWO times that I gave her bananas, she vomited them all over me! So she hasn't had any bananas for about 3 weeks now. I'm really thinking I need to either find some infant probiotics somewhere (can you get it without a prescription anywhere?) or it's off to the doctors... She's been fully breastfed (pumped milk though) and even before she was on solids, she was one of those babies who would poop once every 5-6 days. It was always soft before though...

 

[pooch]

You can buy infant probiotics at 360 and most health food type stores. It's in the health/vitamin section in the fridge. I put a teaspoon of the powder in the boys' cereal every morning.
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