7mo constipated. What to feed and not to feed?

[Feierabend]

DD2 is 7 months today and has been on solids for a few weeks now. She's fussy so has a lot of sweet potato, and porridge, but also apple, pear etc. She still has 5-6 breast feeds a day, a bit of water with her meals, but hasn't produced a proper poo for the last 5 days, just little pellets. I am starting to worry. What should and shouldn't I feed her to help her? Is sweet potato a bad idea? Is porridge a bad idea? I have already stopped giving her banana. TIA!

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I think not-very-ripe banana can constipate, but very ripe (like almost brown) banana is good for constipation.

Bananas are constipating, ripe or unripe.

Oat porridge is good for constipation, wheat bran is bad for constipation in babies and children.

Sweet potato should be fine, also pears. Some people find apple a bit constipating, carrots can also cause some people a bit of difficulty.

The most important thing is to give plenty to drink. Even reduce solids a little for a few days, unless she is very hungry.

Prune juice is good to help things along, and can mix with water.

Olive oil keeps the gut moving well, and you can mix a few drops with any food - say 1/2 and teaspoon at each meal. It doesn't need to be cooked - better raw, in fact.

Does she have any protein? That can sometimes slow things down a bit.

BTW, unless she is straining or in distress, she might not be consitpated. This might just be the way her gut handles solids.

Thanks, this is very helpful. She's very happy, but does seem to try to poo a lot without results i.e. going red in the face, straining a little. I will try the olive oil, and prune juice. The baby porridge we have is millet, corn and rice so will try oat instead. Thanks again!

I find oranges and broccoli make my lo go almost immediately. A mommy gave me this tip in the John Lewis feeding area and I haven't looked back since. Just squeeze half an orange into her water through a strainer and watch what happens...

my baby has a lot of sweet potato in her diet but it is quite fibrous...fluids is the most important thing...i think?!..so offer her water with each meal? chuck a few prunes into her batch food when you are preparing it, may help.