Good foods for constipated 7m/o

[Jammee]

Hi,

My DD is 7 1/2 months and is on 3 solid meals a day with 6 breast feeds. She has had harder (like a lump you can pick up) poo for the last month at least, but in the last week or so, each time she poos (which she does a couple of times a day) she strains a lot, goes bright red and cries because the poo is hard and painful. She has a sore bit right near her anus (sorry; TMI). DH thinks it's just a sore bit like a nappy rash but to me it more like a tiny slip from straining.

What can I give her to soften her poo? She is still pooing but I obviously need to try to make the poos softer.

I've recently switched from baby porridge to Ready Brek and banana. I know banana can be bad but I can't get her to eat any other fruits that can be mashed up. She has a yougurt and the odd bit of finger food at lunch and avocado finger food and a spoon fed dinner of beans/lentils/flavoured veggies etc. at dinner.

What should she have instead? We are vegetarian.

Thanks!

Banana is known to cause constipation so minimise consumption of that. Have you tried steamed apple? Or overripe pear? Food is about flavours and textures at this age so just try anything and everything, especially as finger food (no need to mash everything or spoon feed everything).

Also babies don't need high fibre so switch to white bread, pasta if you haven't already. Do you offer a sippy cup of water with meals?

Pear (ok as finger food) or prunes are good. Perhaps ditch breakfast until it's softer. Offer plenty of water with meals. Doctor may prescribe lactulose if it continues but try more fluids and fruit first, and definitely ditch the banana.

Prune juice.

Extra breastfeeds helped us.

Stop the solids for a few days. Three meals a day was too much for both of my DCs at seven months. Food is for fun this age - milk is the primary source of nutrition.

Also have you spoken to your HV about vegetarians for babies? (sorry if you have).

Yes; I spoke to a few HVs, they didn't give any advice on vegetarians really so I've just looked at Vegsoc for specific guidance. The HV knows that DD is on 3 meals a day and that she has dropped one milk feed. I told her people on here had said not to drop a milk feed at this age but that I was struggling to fit the 7th breastfeed in with the 3 solid meals too as she is not awake enough to be hungry for 10 feeds. She basically said she was nicely on the 9th centile and that she looked healthy and if she is not asking for the 7th milk feed (which she isn't) just to carry on with the 3 solid meals and 6 milk feeds.

She doesn't really seem so interested in breastfeeding now and seems to love solids so I took the HVs advice as it seems to suit my DD more, but I do want to sort out her poo. I've stopped banana as I know it can cause a problem but I think I need to do something else as her poo has been firmer than friends' babies for a while and she has only had banana in the last week. I will make a concerted effort to increase fluids with water as that could be the issue (I give sippy cups but unless I hold them for her, DD just bangs them around like a toy).

Are there any foods other than banana to avoid, or any foods that are good to try to work into her diet?

Ella Brekkie Pouch with raisin and prune is v good for this.

Literally you just need to reduce her solids for a few days, give her a chance to have a good "clear out" then start again.

I did find ripe nectarines very good if dd hadn't pooed properly in a day. She'd scoff the lot and poo quickly!

Pouches are to be treated carefully too as they have bananas in as a filler usually.

(just one nectarine that is!)

My ds is extremely prone to constipation. We avoid banana and any foods with it in to the same extent as someone would with an allergy to it as it bungs him up. Apparently all fruits beginning with 'p' are good for constipation. Pear works a treat. I also used to serve puréed pear on toast as my son wasn't that keen on fruit and veg at the start of weaning but he would eat that, I though of it as no sugar Jam. Prune juice in a bottle worked very effectively too.

The above pouch doesn't have any banana in it.

I understood that very ripe banana may relieve constipation. If you are going to stick with the mashed banana, it might be worth ensuring they are black before offering.

Prunes, pears, raisins to some extent.
What about (white) toast for breakfast for a bit rather than the readybrek?

More liquids, less solids.