Constipated 6mo

[happyfrogger]

She is 6 months and 1 week. She is on 3 meals a day and 5 milk feeds a day (EBF). We are gradually dropping the dreamfeed at the moment, which seems to be going ok.

The problem is she is so constipated! She strains and strains until she is purple. Often there is nothing there, she'll strain like this a good 5 or 6 times a day for 5 or 10 minutes a time. She eventually does go, about 3 times a day, but it is about walnut sized and very solid. This has been the case since we introduced solids about 6 weeks ago, and we have been on 3 meals a day for 3 weeks.

I've tried to give her water from a sippy cup (we've tried 3 and finally she sort of started getting the Tommee Tippee one) but she'll just have about 10ml with lunch and dinner and that takes a good half an hour!!

Is it normal for her to have to strain so much to get her poo out, especially given the amount of milk she's still getting? The milk feeds are shorter for sure, but still 10 minutes each time (down from 20). She just looks so uncomfortable.

[JiltedJohnsJulie]

She sounds a little dehydrated. Are you bfing before the solids, so that she fills up on milk and what types of food are you offering at each meal?

[happyfrogger]

I do

7am breastfeed
8am brekki
11am breastfeed
12 noon lunch
3pm breastfeed
5pm tea
630pm breastfeed

solids are always pureed veggies (consistency is smooth but doesn't drip off the spoon). She's refused food in the last few days at each meal so yesterday out of desperation and being out and about, I gave her an Ella's pouch which she inhaled in seconds but made her poos very very runny again.

Maybe I'm just making her purees too stodgy - but at least this proved stuff does go through her... (and maybe that she doesn't like mum's cooking at the moment!)

[blossombath]

I think if you continue to bf on demand babies shouldn't get too dehydrated as they can take the watery milk if needed and not the fatty stuff. Maybe it's certain things that are clogging her up, have you noticed it getting worse with any particular foods? My DS (7.5mo) gets quite constipated with some things (rice, lentils, meat) so I go easy on those things, mostly giving them in finger food format so he only takes a bit at a time, and when I offer them I make sure that he also has plenty of fruit after or at the next meal.

When he has been clogged up I found spooning diluted orange juice (with bits) or giving him slices of nectarine/satsuma/pear seemed to help. Over ripe bananas are meant to help also.

Also it does sound early to be on 3 meals a day. No expert but I thought they weren't usually on 3 full meals til 8/9 months. Perhaps her body just needs more time to get used to digesting things?

Again only my experience but DS is still on 2 meals a day with occasional finger foods at the third meal (so he basically doesn't eat anything at that point, just smears things on self/table). If he does seem to get constipated I often will not give him a 'proper' meal til he has been, just some plain fruit or veg and water from TT cup (most of which goes on him but I can hear him swallowing so no he is getting something).

Hope she gets a bit more regular soon, the little sore straining faces are so pathetic!

[JiltedJohnsJulie]

Agree with blossom, 4 bfs isn't very much at that age. I'd bf on demand and offer fewer meals for a few days.

[gemmeg]

Have you tried offering her some pear puree? That's supposed to loosen things up. Always worked with my DS. I also agree with some of the other posts that perhaps there is a bit too much food in her diet and not enough milk.

[happyfrogger]

Thanks everyone. We've gone a little easier on portion sizes so she can have a go if she's in the mood but I'm not so worried if she's disinterested in breakfast, and we're both a bit happier with that!

I'm also giving her more fruit which helps, my only worry is making her diet to sweet so she develops an early sweet tooth with all the natural fruit sugars.

But at least this has helped considerably in the straining and consistency, thanks all!

Oh forgot to add she's still on a dreamfeed too, so it's 5 milk feeds and actually in the last few days we've sprouted a first tooth and the milk intake is back up to longer feeds - so I think she maybe had a bit going on, poor sausage!!

[JiltedJohnsJulie]

Don't worry too much about her developing a sweet tooth on fruit, just as long as its not the only thing she eats and bm is very, very sweet