Constipation after Spoon Foods: Act Fast!

“My 7 mo has constipation. She’s breastfed and on solid. She eats lots of vegetables, fish, fruits and a little meat. I’ve given her pear puree and prune puree but they don’t seem to work. I recently had to apply a vaseline covered cotton bud to the inside of her rectum to help with things, and even then she cried and strained a lot. Her stool looks like it has blood and is hard.”

If If your baby’s getting true constipation (that is, hard, pebbly, rabbit-pellet stools, not just infrequent ones) after solids have been introduced, it is important to take it seriously.

If there is blood in the stool it is possible that the baby has developed a split in the anal ring from the passage of a large hard stool. This is called a ‘fissure’ and it may cause pain on passing further stool. Not surprisingly this will dissuade the baby from pooing even when the desire is there and this worsens the problem.

First

Add more fluid to the diet, either milk or water
Remove those foods that you think may be causing it – for instance rice, potatoes or banana or other low fibre foods

Then

Try adding prunes, both the fruit and the juice, and other high fibre foods
My next move would be a medications called lactulose starting at 5ml a day.

If things are not right with the above, then go see your doctor. And avoid suppositories and vaseline buds. If you’re needing them, you do need a medical opinion…