9 Month Old - Not Drinking & Constipated.

[EmmaKateLouise]

My 9 month old baby girl is not drinking enough and is having very very hard (rabbit-dropping like) poos, which is cries during and after!
She has about 4ozs of formula in a morning, with her breakfast, then maybe another 4ozs (max) during the day and similar on an evening before bed. We try giving her fruit juice, water, even cow's milk, during the day and at mealtimes, out of a spout cup, a non-spill beaker and a bottle, but she won't take anything. She just clamps her lips shut and turns her head away.
I'm at a loss as what to do next. Does anyone have any advice on what is the best way to get a baby to drink, as it's awful to see her in so much pain.

(also posted in Weaning but told it would get more response in here)

What formula are you using and have you changed recently? I didn't ff myself but there's been a lot written on here about follow on milks causing constipation.

Am still using SMA Gold (and have since birth). I have recently bought a tin of the follow-on milk, as it said thye can get all their nutrients from it without the quanity needed, but haven't opened the tin yet.

I have mix fed, FF and BF DSs 1-3 and IME kids are all different and do differently well with different milks.

Is she keen on solids? If so, make them more liquid, ie add more formula to porridge, fruit puree etc. Mine were wild on smooth puree made from (raw) apple, pear, plums, kiwi (we had no sensitivity probs with kiwi). Oh forgot, pineapple, also brill to produce soft poos.
DS1, now almost 6, has had lose poos all his life, DS2, almost 5, has been Mr Constipated from the word go. Some of it is to do with slower gut transit times, so is constitutional in the presence of same diet.

It does sound though like she is not taking lots of fluids. Try yoghurts, jellies etc? How about blended lentil/bean/pea soup??

(You can always try watering mild feeds down a bit, don't tell anybody I said that).Yes, and agree with bubblymummy, try easy digestible FF, there are lots out there. Try prune juice: only needs small amounts, kids tend to like the taste, not too medical.

If all else fails and because a bowel can get used to being sluggish, go see your GP. Any changes you make/ medication (ie Lactulose, senna, Movicol) you use, you need to persevere with for a longish period of time. Do not just stop because there has been the odd soft motion, keep going to "reeducate" her bowel. I know I will get shot down in flames, but if she is sore and cries when passing motion, consider paediatric glycerin suppositories: they work, kids no not mind, it is NOT CHILDABUSE, and perfectly natural way of getting rid of "poo plug" allowing softer bowel content to follow and giving her relief.

Good luck! It is awful to see them in this much discomfort, isn't it? DS2 now ask for pear himself when he feels things are getting a bit uncomfortable...

I would second the fruit idea - if she's refusing to take any other fluids out of a cup it's probably the best way to get them into her! Has she been eating bananas? I know unripe ones can cause constipation - or too many eggs - just throwing ideas out here!

It is worth asking doctor for something like lactulose to remove the constipation, which can cause tummy aches and my send her off her food and drink so it becomes a vicious circle.

Wow! That's filled me full of ideas. She does like fruit puree, so will try and get some more of that down her. She doesn't really eat bananas or eggs much, so can't see that being the problem.
Will try all the fruits, especially pineapple and maybe even see if I can spoon some prune juice down her.
Do you puree everything raw, Mummyfor3? Apples too? So it's just like a fruit smoothie really, only very smooth-ie ! I suppose cooking the apples, etc takes some of the water out.

Yes, Madmouse, I was thinking of something like that, but what form does it come in, as I'd struggle getting it down her if it's already in a liquid, drink-like form. She'll take calpol, so medicine should be ok, or (and no idea if it's even available) something that you could drop into the little bit of milk she does have.

Sorry, forgot to say, she does like her solids, so i try and mix her brekkie with as much milk as possible. She also has some of that dried food (like baby breakfast powder but in a savory format) for lunch/tea sometimes, so we get more milk into her that way. Although she'll rarely (read:never) finish a 7oz bottle, even after the 3oz or so have gone out to mix into her food.

I have Bamix blender which blends EVERYTHING!! Watch fingers!
Look up www.patient.co.uk/showdoc/23069146/, lots of useful advice on there.

my ds is having lactulose atm, 2 5ml spoons a day (or 4 2.5ml spoons which is easier). It is a sweet syrup and he does not mind. But then he asks for more after two spoons of banana flavoured antibiotics

I understand why you feel that dried food is better as you see the fluid go in, but vegetables themselves (in purees and jars) are mostly water. I would stick with home made or jarred vegetables and fruit.

Thanks Mummyfor3, that article was very useful.

Thanks MadMouse. I think a laxative via a sweet syrup should be fairly easy to administer. I see what you are saying about the jar/home-made purees being full of water. Have sent OH to shop for copious amounts of fruit and prune juice! I hate seeing her suffering sooo much, so am eager to try almost anything! Although I think I'll give the docs a ring and see if they can help too.
Thanks
x