need help with a list of foods that constipate vs. foods that have the opposite effect

[octmom]

DS is 8.5 months and seems to get constipated pretty easily, and I am trying to better educate myself about what foods might be a problem if he has too much of them, along with what foods might help to remedy constipation. Can anyone help flesh out these lists?

Often cause constipation (particularly if too much is eaten):
- rice cereal
- bananas
- applesauce? (I read somewhere that apple juice and applesauce have opposite effects, but I'm not sure if this is correct.)
- cheese (other dairy? yogurt?)


May help alleviate constipation:
- prunes
- carrots? (or does this just seem to be true for my DS?)
- apple juice


Thanks!

Jerilyn

octmom
DS, October 2003

"Baby makes days shorter, nights longer, home happier, and love stronger."

[Raidra]

Applesauce can go either way.. the effect depends on the person.

To alleviate constipation.. try oatmeal, pears, plums, and peaches. Colwyn gets a jar of prunes every night for dinner to keep him regular. It's the only babyfood he eats anymore.. I don't know what I'm going to do when he starts refusing that, too.

The only things we really avoid are bananas, cheese, and rice.

[JElaineB]

DS has absolutely no constipation problems, almost the opposite really. He can eat 3 bananas in one day and still go 3 times the next day! Some things that really get him going (especially when he was younger) are peaches and carrots. DEFINITELY carrots!

Jennifer
mom to Jacob 9/27/02

[miki]

Our ped actually put carrots on the constipating list. She also recommended white grape juice for relieving the constipation in addition to all the fruits starting with "p".

[aguinn]

in one of the baby food books i read, it said that toast was constipating - they called it the BRAT diet: banana, rice, applesauce, toast.

i've found that blueberries help alleviate constipation, and you could cut them in half if you thought they were too much of a choking hazard for your DS.

hth,
;)amy
proud momma to DS 7/2003

[rottiemom]

You might also try barley cereal. Believe it or not oatmeal got my LG constipated something fierce! Dr suggested barley & we've had no problems since. No problems with rice, either, btw. Go figure.

Dr also suggested feeding an ounce or so of warm water which has a laxative effect.

Good luck!

Nina

[mommab]

This may sound like a silly question, but are you sure your ds is constipated? Also, you didn't mention whether your ds is breast or formula fed.

Several months ago (before she was on solids), I went through this same thing with my breastfed dd. She'd go three or four days without a bm...my ped said that it was normal for a bf baby to be pretty irregular and that she was NOT constipated. DD finally got a little more regular once she started on solids, but she's still usually an every other day baby! Ped did recommend diluted apple juice when I'd start worrying.

Since dd has been on solids (and b-milk), I've found that sweet potatoes (fresh steamed) go right through her, and beans (black & red) seem to pass easily. The canned beans are so easy...just rinse, drain & serve...dd gobbles them up!! HTH

[octmom]

Thanks everyone for the suggestions!

To answer questions, DS is breastfed and has been on solids for a few months now. Before solids, he would sometimes go a few days between bms and we knew this was OK. This also has happened since solids and somtimes been OK, but there have been a few times when he has really struggled and strained and been uncomfortable after a couple of days and the consistency of what finally emerges is hard and dry. I have tried giving him a little water when it seems as if there could be an issue, but that hasn't seemed to help. He will have plenty of wet diapers, but still have a somewhat hard, dry bm that he strains to pass.

This may be TMI, but two or three times in the past few months, we could tell he was straining (grunting, getting very red-faced, looking very uncomfotable), so we got him on the changing table and held up his legs and helped to open his bottom a bit. That has allowed him to get the blockage out, and often quite a bit that has gotten backed up behind it. The first time this happened, DH and I were a bit shocked at how much came out. DS's bottom looked like one of those Play-do toys! Gross, I know, but it's the only way to describe it.

We haven't tried beans or diluted apple juice yet, but I will keep them in mind. Thanks!

Jerilyn

octmom
DS, October 2003

"Baby makes days shorter, nights longer, home happier, and love stronger."

[Java]

We just kicked our constipation problem but it involved a prescription for Miralax.

Ds would not go for as long as a week and when he did there was a lot of straining, grunting, sweating and crying. The crying really got to me - there wasn't anything I could do to help him. The poop that came out was very formed (a plopper as someone here calls it), golf ball sized and more often than not had blood mixed in.

I tried bran, every P fruit, added prune juice, then prune puree and nothing helped. I avoid all the constipating foods (bananas, baby cereals, etc.). I also cut out dairy foods like cheeses and yogurts. Finally got an Rx for Miralax to get things moving and make it less painful for him. I used it for 3 days (stopped yesterday) - to get a clean slate, so to speak. He's pooped everyday since then and 4 times today - I think his system is finally totally unclogged! I'm going to see if I can control this problem with diet.

My ped said this could be a life-long issue where he's going to grow up to be uper sensitive to foods and we just need to really keep an eye on what he eats. I chatted with Dr. Greene and he suggested to eliminate dairy as a reaction to milk protein can cause constipation.

[stillplayswithbarbies]

> I chatted with Dr. Greene
>and he suggested to eliminate dairy as a reaction to milk
>protein can cause constipation.

That would explain our problem. Logan's constipation problem started when we increased the cow's milk and decreased the breastmilk.

...Karen
Jacob Nathaniel Feb 91
Logan Elizabeth Mar 03

[octmom]

Interesting. The most recent episode with Sean happened when we were on vacation and he was eating a YoBaby yogurt almost every day. I usually don't give it to him that often, but my mom bought it for him and I didn't want to waste it (plus he LOVES it), so I let him have one every day.

Sean has his 9-month checkup next week, so I will see what our ped recommends.

Thanks!

Jerilyn


octmom
DS, October 2003

"Baby makes days shorter, nights longer, home happier, and love stronger."

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