My toddler has been constipated, and nothing I try seems to help?

Question

My daughter is 17 months old. She is still breastfed, maybe 3 times a day at most, and each session is growing shorter in time. My 3 yr-old son had problems with encopresis, so I am trying to not let her get that far.

When I offer her apple juice or milk in her cup, she only takes a few sips. She will only drink maybe 4 oz. from her cup a day, and refuses water and prune juice altogether.

I put ground flax seed in her oatmeal, and feed her pureed prunes 3 times a week. She also eats whole-grain Fig Nutens for snacks. For lunch and dinner, she eats what we eat, and we are fine.

She also takes 1/2 tsp of Milk of Magnesia twice a day as recommended by her Ped.

The last time she had a BM was because of a glycerine suppository. It has been about 5-6 days since. She "spots" at least once a day, so I know she is trying.

I don't know what to do anymore. We went through the same thing with my son. He was constipated from ages 1-3. How do I get her to drink more water? Advice?

Answer 1

Try different types of sippy cups for water. My daughter loves the type with a straw. Leave them around the house so she can sip constantly. Leave one in her crib too. One by her carseat.

Try prunes mixed with something like applesauce.

Answer 2

Try putting wheat germ in her oatmeal, also in yogurt. You can also sprinkle over cereal and peanut butter. Don't give apple juice, give white grape instead. I was told that apple constipates. But apple sauce is o.k. She MUST get in the habit of drinking water, it's very important. Try flavoring it with lemon, lime juice, 50/50 with the grape juice, or adding some honey--not sugar. I'm not really that big on the last thing, but only on a desperate day. Try NOT giving her too much bread, pasta, rice, as those are binding foods. Put P.B. on apple slices, celery pieces. Forget those prunes for awhile....she's not an old lady--lol!! Give her apples, pears, peaches, grapes, melons. All fibrous and moist.
5 Days is a long time in a little person w/little insides, you might want to give a very small enema to stimulate the BM.
My aunt showed me how to use a rectal thermometer to stimulate and free gas in a baby. Good luck!

Answer 3

Ok now this may seem harsh but i had/have the same problem with my 17 month old as well she really does not like apple juice either all the same as u describe but i started trying all kinds of veggies until i found one she likes and i try and add some sort every other day like greens french cut string beans and when she is still kinda off i take(the harsh part) medicine dropper and give her her prune juice just like that she hates it but i do it until she gets enough to have a softer bowel

Answer 4

My mom swears by dark Karo syrup in water. 1 tsp in about 4 oz of luke warm water. We all made it to adulthood so I assume she knew what she was doing. She had the same problem with my brother Jerry. She couldn't get him to drink water but a little dark Karo syrup and he drank it down. He also had major bowl issues. I'm not sure if it is the drinking more water or the syrup but she said it has to be dark Karo to help with the bowl issues.

It worked for my son too. We couldn't get him to take water because milk was sweeter. Sweeten the water for a while then slowly decrease the amount of syrup you put in it until they are just on tap water. It might be worth a try.

Answer 5

ok well, i am 17 but both of my parents are doctors and i was pretty constipated and my sister also when we were little. My mom would give us fruits and veggies on dalily basis at least three times a day and would take us to the potty twice a day at the same time and just play with us while we were sitting there. also, she would make us fruit smoothies... i hope i helped, and she would use suppositories, many of them, they are not harmful if you use them rarely, but if you use them too much, the body gets use to them and stops working in the correct way... consulting a pediatrician is always the best answer:]

Answer 6

She definitely have to increase the fluids. If she won't drink plain water---mix it with something sweet like blueberry juice(health food stores have this), Apple juice diluted. You can gave her a large cup with water and different juices combined.

Plenty of Fruit, Fiber, Liquid---even if she doen't was to drink---stay with her until she does.

The longer this goes on with her it will increase her chances of developing sevious medical problems.
Worst case, I would use the gycerine sypositories folled by an enema

If all else fails, contact the doctor.

Answer 7

Both of my kids got constipated too. I tried everything.(prunes,juice,sugar water over, the counter laxatives ) Nothing worked. The best thing to do is go to the dr. and ask for lactalose. It is safe and easy for them to take, it taste like sugar water. After one dose in about an hour the will be better.

Answer 8

wow, all that you are doing, should work!
I hate saying this, but most of my childhood I suffered with constipation! it's terrible.
Now I drink some tea called "smooth move" lol.
it works great.
I don't think you should give a child that kind of tea though without asking a Doctor first.
Go to a Organic grocery store and ask them if they have something for toddlers for constipation.
I would think Prune juice would do the trick.

Answer 9

raisins, orange juice, whole wheat bread, any fiber rich food! I would also ask your Dr. about prescribing Miralax! It is a gentle laxative that you put in their drink. Since it is tasteless and clear, she won't know that she is getting anything. You may want to cut dairy out for a little while. You might even want to put a bowl of grapes out to snack on any time she wants during the day for a couple days!

Answer 10

Use grape juice. Also give her whole grains. I g let my son eat Sun Chips for a snack and have some grape juice and he is on the toilet later that day. Also try prune juice too but grape is tastier.
Castoria never worked for him either so I don't recommend it.