baby stool hard?

Question

I have a 7 month old baby and he's still breastfeeding, he's eating cereal, babyfood both fruits and veggies. However, he has a extremely difficult time pooping. He gets to the point where he cries really hard and then all that will be there is a rabbit size poop. I tried the prune juice or pear but he won't drink it. The only thing that works is if I only feed him prune baby food but i can't feed him that for the rest of his life. I want him to develop good tastebuds. I also tried the 3 p's (peaches and pears too) I don't know what to do. I also have used the baby suppatories. They work but are only temporary until I feed him something else. Any Idea on how i can help make his stool softer and easier to pass?? Please help I'm very confused on what to do.

My baby also doesn't like to take a bottle or a sippy cup lately so I have a hard time giving him water or dilute juice

Answer 1

A touch of Karo syrup in water will do the trick

Answer 2

Does she seem in any type of discomfort or pain while having a bowel movement? It sounds like it could be a sign of some constipation. Has her diet changed? That could cause an adjustment period that will change stool consistency also. Its good she is getting enough water, but Gatorade that young could be too harsh on her system. Try an infant/toddler version instead and she probably doesn't need much unless she is sweating in the summer weather or has diarrhea/vomiting. You could try apple or pear juice also after feedings, up to about 4 oz/day. Always consult your DR if its a persistent problem &/or if she's in pain! Good luck!

Answer 3

My son is 8 1/2 mos and he sometimes has this problem. First, you should talk to your pediatrician. Try giving him water from a "fun" cup or even from a water bottle..they like to try new things. The baby cereal and rice can make the stool hard, so lay off that for a while. The prune baby food definitely helps, but I usually give that to him about 1x/week. My son has been doing well with sweet potato/apple that we made, but you can buy it too. Also, squash seems to keep the stool soft. He loves bananas, but I try to keep that to a minimum, as it can be binding as well. They all go through some stages with this, so don't panic. Keep trying to get him to drink more water and eliminate the baby suppositories.

Answer 4

It would seem that you are giving him too much solid food and his digestive system is not able to process it. Try giving him more wqter if he'll take it. Also increase your own water consumption and increase the fruits you eat during the day and have him nurse more often for a while. You could try taking some prune juice yourself, as it will be passed through your milk to him. It is also a known fact that chocolate eaten by a breastfeeding mother will cause looser stools in the baby. If you continue having this problem, consult your pediatrician who can advise you on diet changes and give you further recommendations

Answer 5

Try a Chiropractor. We did for my grandson, for his colic which he started with at 4 weeks (got the advice from Yahoo Answers) and it freed up his bowels and his stools were softer. He pooped every day for a few weeks although now he goes every other day. He's 5 months now.
There is an area in the thoracic spine where the muscles tighten and affect the nerves responsible for the intestines. The Chiropractor can ease the tension in those muscles and that's how it works. Please ask if they have had experience with tiny ones first. Ours had treated his own 7 children, 3 of which had colic cured this way, and they have grown to adulthood and are all healthy.

Answer 6

well lucky 4 u it seems to be just a minor thing. My son had problems too and the doc said to feed him oatmeal everyday mixed with a jar of baby fruit and juices pretty much any juice should help i know the prune juice doesn't go over well my carpets were covered in prune juice my son would take a sip and spit it out... if that doesn't worktry adding karo syrup to a bottle of breastmilk or juice some doctors say not to use it other say to use it my son's doctor had him try it and it helped a little but i found out later it wasn't a consipation thing he has a problem with how his intestine meet his anas. if it doesn't get any better demand the doctor do more test and if nothing is found dempand to see a baby GI. my son went over a year with this problem and he still isn't better yet but i'm working on that

Answer 7

A lot of good advice here. I like the corn syrup idea. I find that many breast fed babies can be picky about which bottle nipple they will take. Most prefer the bigger rounder bottle nipples not the small ones that they advertise for older babies. I would stop the rice cereal it can be constipating. I don't know if a chiropractor is necessary but some infant massage may be in order to relax muscles and help move things along. One more thing if you watch him when he is straining and see that he almost has it and just needs a little help putting his but in the tub with water will help lubricate and slide thing out.

Answer 8

Don't make the baby suffer he's constipated and if only prune juice works so be it. He'll have plenty of time to develop good taste buds. Also the cereal may be to thick or just not moist enough. In any event you should definitely talk to your pediatrician soon so the baby isn't crying in pain or something else could be wrong. Don't feel stupid asking your Dr questions you think are maybe stupid, they aren't stupid and the Dr will make you feel better with the correct answer. Better safe than sorry got to the pediatrician.

Answer 9

The reason why he's getting constipated is because he is eating alot of cereal and fruit- ehich are both constipating (fruit contains the substance pectin which is the thickening agent in jams and jellies). he should probably have more liquids and I agree with one of the other answers- clear Karo syrup mixed in 4 oz of water. If he can't drink from a sippy cup or bottle- you can try a regular child sized plastic cup. (sit him up in a high chair and try that).

Also get to your pediatrician and make sure he has appropriate wt gain. Good luck.

Answer 10

The first thing I thought of when I read your question was are you giving him rice cereal? Most pediatricians suggest that you start your baby off of rice cereal, they say that It is the easiest cereal on your baby's tummy. I disagree, and found it to be very constipating for my baby. I actually went against their advice and stopped the rice cereal and tried her on the other types of cereal for infants. She did so much better and within a short time, the constipation subsided. Try your little one on a sippy cup especially or him. They make such cute little ones these days with characters on them an in such pretty colors. If you and your husband drink out of them for a while, he will want to do the same as you do. It worked for us. Good luck.

Answer 11

Butter works good make him some toast or take something soft he eats and put some butter in it. Also I would try some more Greens like grean peas or broccoli. There is an article on myths and facts on baby food and it suggest If your baby is constipated you need to introduce fruit juice into your babys diet. Discuss with pediatrician first.