what do i do for a 11 month old toddler suffering with constipation, he just started drinking whole milk?

Question

He just started drinking 4 oz. of whole milk a day.

Answer 1

For his daily juice give him apple juice or prune juice ( kids really do like it, they don't know the stigma around it!) that will loosen him up until his body is used to the milk.

Answer 2

We had a daughter that had a similar problem as an infant. Hard stools, didn't want to go. And we were making such good progress with potti training.

She enjoyed orange juice. So at the doctors recommendation, we made her an orange juice cocktail. You can use what ever juice or beverage your baby likes the best.

Mix small amounts of mineral oil with the beverage. You'll have to experiment with it for the correct proportions, and don't make the entire drink very large, just enough so they will drink it in a short period of time. I think we were using about 4 oz. (half a small glass) of orange juice and about four tablespoons of mineral oil.
You will have to mix it well and then encourage the child to drink it right away, as it will separate with just about all drinks.

Read the label on the mineral oil. It is a laxative. Give the baby this two to three times a day until regularity sits in. Again, you'll have to experiment with ratios and how often per day. But it work well for us.

Little did I realize that many years later I would be administering the same product to my horses whenever they were naughty and got into some grain when they weren't supposed to have it. Of course it's given a different way to a horse, but I started buying it by the gallon. Still have gallons of it around here.

Good luck .

Answer 3

All of my children were drinking regular milk and juices by 6 months of age. I suggest first that you cut back a little on the milk and try some watered down cranberry juice to see if that helps. It may be the iron content in the milk that's causing the problem.

Also please call your pediatrician - I'm sure the nurses will share some good helps and hints over the phone.

Dispite the people telling you to breast feed your child forever - you're just fine! The only thing you need to find out is what your baby's body can and cannot handle effectively yet.

Answer 4

Prune juice mixed with purified water. Apple juice will harden his stool. He's not ready for milk yet. Go back to a fortified formula. Give it time when he is ready he'll start eating more of his formula then you can try milk again and then milk with Gerber cereal. Natural juice unsweetened is good once a day and water is always good. But if you are breast feeding that is better than anything else.

Answer 5

Mix about half apple or pear juice with his whole milk, or mix half formula or breast milk with it. You have to give whole milk slowly and let his body adjust to it. I mixed juice or formula for about a month, a little less added gradually, until it was all milk.

You also might want to let him chew on dried fruit if he's capable of doing so.

Good luck.

Answer 6

The major health organizations - including the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), American Medical Association (AMA), the American Dietetic Association (ADA), and the World Health Organization (WHO) - agree that breast milk is the ideal form of nutrition for babies (especially during the first 6 months). However, it's every couple's choice to decide what's best for them and their babies. And commercially prepared formulas are designed and strictly regulated to provide the nutrients your baby needs.


Whether you've decided to formula feed your baby from the start, are supplementing your breast milk with formula, or are switching from breast milk to formula, you're bound to have questions. Here are answers to some common inquiries about formula feeding.

Answer 7

first of all he shouldn't have been introduced to whole milk yet and second if you continue to give it to him atleast put karo syrup in it so that 1 it tastes better and 2 it has a natural lubricant in it and will help his bowels relax, but try to keep him on formula till his first birthday or atleast mix it 1/2 and 1/2 till his body can digest it it was way too early for his digestive system.

Answer 8

I suggest Shaklee's all natural Optiflora. This advanced, two-product system uses new technology to protect beneficial microflora during the rigors of shipping, storage, and the acidic journey through your stomach. Other products claim live microflora at the time of manufacture. Shaklee guarantees the delivery of live microflora to your colon.

The two-product system includes Probiotic (Bifidus & Acidophilus...microflora) + Probiotic (FOS...food source for microflora).

Has helped infants, toddlers, and adults alike with this problem and is perfectly safe and totally natural.

I take it as well as my grandson.

For more info or questions, feel free to contact me.

Answer 9

Try giving him fresh orange juice in the morning instead of milk.

Answer 10

feed him some jarred baby food of pureed prunes......or put some Kayro Syrup in some water and let him drink it. They usually soften thing up. Always check with his pediatrician first.....but these are usually the two suggestions they offer first. He needs more fiber in his diet...ask what they recommend you feed him more of for his age. Good Luck!