constipation in 8 month old

[rhetorician]

dd2 is 8 and bit months; started solids about 2 months ago, and took to them with, let's say, enthusiasm. She was EBF until about 6 months, and is now mixed fed. DD1 had constipation issues from solids onwards (now resolved) but dd2's are mild in comparison. She eats a varied diet, we give her some water to drink, and her pooing is fine for a few days; but every 4 or 5 days she seems to struggle. I can't see any pattern in terms of what she eats. Any ideas? Would like to resolve it asap as don't really want to go down the same road as dd1 (2 years of movicol etc)

Give lots of fresh fruit in DDs diet. Offer pure orange juice or even prune juice which is good for constipation. Is she getting enough fibre? An easy way to get fibre into a diet is to give weetabix for breakfast... Hope you get it sorted soon!

thanks - she has porridge for breakfast - and some fruit, but could definitely add more!

What do you give her as milk? DD2 was mixed fed and as soon as she went onto follow on milk she got incredibly constipated. I tried all sorts- prune juice, olive oil on food etc etc- but it wasn't until I read something on here by Mears that I discovered that it was the formula causing the problem. Took her off it and the poos sorted themselves out.

hips organic follow-on milk - what did you use instead? for other reasons we need to move her on from breast-feeding.

I was also using Hipp Organic Follow On. Switched her back to the bog standard Hipp Organic first milk and the problem disappeared overnight! I will try to find the thread about constipation and follow on milk as it was 5 years ago. Something to do with the iron not being easily absorbed I think. And turns out follow on milk is a big old con by formula companies who can't advertise the first stuff, which is absolutely fine to keep using!

tell me about it. My DS2 would go every 10 days when ebf, and then every 5 when on solids, became a witholder. But when things got bad the orange juice came out, he had enough to make him go. I would avoid prune as it can hurt them.

I second orange juice. It does seem to get things moving
I also find using the ready made formula makes their movements more frequent (we use Aptimil stage 1 as not convinced follow on milk necessary)

marmalada that's interesting - bought follow-on thinking why am I buying this? She eats well (will chuff down cottage pie etc) so prob gets enough iron that way. Will try orange juice - she will probably like that...ok will switch back to the other stuff (this was the only one we could get her to drink, but she's more used to the taste now). DD1 was a withholder - took us nearly 2 years to get her pooing without movicol. But she is fine now :)

Honestly - who knew, pre-children?

Complicated little so-an-sos aren't they?!

I used to put frozen spinach in loads of things to ensure iron was there. I suspect the iron thing is also a marketing ploy as it's not the amount of iron in something that matters but how easy it is for the body to absorb. My HV reckoned as long as they ate good healthy diets they would be fine. There is a lot in dried fruit if I remember rightly so I used to stew dried apricots in orange juice and then puree it and add to yoghurt. Guaranteed to get the poos moving!

Hope switching the formula helps. Good luck.

GP just prescribed movicol - bit surprised as with dd1 we needed consultant referral to get it (which seems ridiculous), cost us arm and leg (not in the UK); will try not to use it too much as the problem is less chronic than with dd1. We'll see...