Is this constipation? If so what to do?

[mandymac]

I have been weaning dd (6 months) for just over a week. She hasn't pooed since friday. I have been giving her baby rice 1 to 2 level teaspoons mixed to a fairly sloppy consistency with ebm and then mixed with a cube of pear, or for the last 2 days, carrot. She is still breastfeeding up tp 6 times a day and taking about 50ml of water. She is farting a fair bit - but that is not unusual for her. She does seem to be having episodes of discomfort - straining, arching and shouting - but no poo .

I have tried searching old threads, but advice seems mixed. My gut feeling is to give her maybe 2 cubes of apple or pear today, with no rice, but then some threads seem to say this will firm rather than loosen things? Which is it?

I feel a bit like i'm waiting for a volcano to erupt!

Old fashioned rememdy still advised by docs and health visitors in Ireland is boiled and cooled water with about a quarter teaspoon of brown sugar. It does seem to work!

Baby rice DOES bung them up.

When you start weaning, it is quite common for them to become a bit bunged up as their systems adjust to solids. I wouldn't say she was constipated yet though. Wait to see what comes out when it does (ie it shouldn't be hard little marbles) and how it comes out (ie if it causes trouble when it comes).

Hi - I had this a few times when LO started. I found the best thing was plenty of apple & pear puree and when changing his nappy to rub his tummy quite a lot and then leave him to kick with his nappy off for as long as you can. Massaging tummy and cycling their legs gets their bowels going. Make sure you have plenty of baby wipes at the ready because it is a bit gross because you end up having to catch two days worth of pooh. Doesn't always work the first nappy change but do it at each one.

..and wasn't constipation as such because it came out like Mr Whippy rather than rabbit pellets (sorry TMI.) Is a huge change from the yellow explosion of breast fed pooh though.

Thanks Ladies!

I do baby massage on her tummy once or twice a day, but will give it a try at each change.

Hi Mandymac

My dd has had constipation from time to time she is on solids but still trying to work out which food causes it more. I am in New Zealand and chemist gave me coloxyl oral drops its a softener it tastes like chocolate and it really helps.

Light karo syrup and water will help. From the web "Add 1 teaspoon of Karo syrup to 4 oz of cooled boiled water. Offer 1 oz of this solution to baby from a bottle, just before formula feeds, twice a day only until he passes a soft stool." And there are those little glycerin suppositories. We would pinch off just a part of one and it would get things moving quickly when all else fails. In my experience with ds apples were constipating but not pears. And, of course, prunes are always good to try.

Hi Mandymac, I don't know if everyone's advice has solved the problem for you by now, but just in case not my ds had the same and I've just found the perfect cure: if you have a curry yourself! 12hrs after a post-curry bf and it was like an unweaned baby again IYKWIM

you could try some well diluted fresh orange juice (if she will take it) My ds won't. Or cool boiled water (again my ds doesn't like that!) I also try drinking orange juice myself to pass it on to him via breastmilk that way (if curry has no effect!)

Going through this myself with dd and asked dr who said do it was fine not pooing if not in discomfort, otherwise try prune juice. She only seems to go twice a week now instead of the twice a day I was used to but still seems quite happy.

Agree with you bobblehead. My LO started to go every 2 days for a while but wasn't really in discomfort so I wasn't worried. He's back on 2 dirty nappies a day.

Thanks for all the advice. I stopped the baby rice and just gave her pureed apple for 2 days and boy did that shift things! And all during a nappy change - a very 'interesting' 10 minutes and of course DH was at work and missed the fun.

I have decided to be sparing with the baby rice and mix it in smaller proportions with the veg or fruit puree and only use every other day. Hopefully that should keep things on a even keel.

Cool! For what it's worth, my LO first encountered 'slow poo' when he ate loads of baby rice one day but I still feed him a reasonable amount and his bowels have got used to it. BTW banana is another excellent bottom mover! Very amusing about your 10 minute changing experience - I had the same thing - it just kept on coming. LOL