Advice Needed - Baby Having Very Mild Constipation

L

lanichua

New Member
Hi,

My 1 mth old baby seems to be having a very mild case of constipation. She grunts alot when she is passing motion (sometimes she seems on the verge of tears!), and the stool has the consistency that is toothpaste-like, instead of soft and slightly watery, which is supposed to be the norm. And she only moves her bowels maximum twice a day. Any advice on whether this is normal, and if not, what do I need to do to make her less constipated? Btw, she is almost fully on formula milk (she is breatfed only once a day) and she takes Enfalac A-plus. I plan to stop breastfeeding her completely very soon, as my milk supply is going down very fast.
 


hi lani,
my PD did mentioned Similac excellence very good for bb having constipation, u may wan to buy small tin to try on her. My girl is on SE and her stool is soft.
happy.gif
 
TBL,

Thanks for the advice. I think I will buy a small tin and try it, and see if her stools improve in consistency.
 
Hi Muah,

I don't sell maternity clothes, but I know where you can buy very nice ones at reasonable prices.

In Singapore, you can buy at Spring Maternity. If you shop online, then try www.motherhood.com
 
Hi Lani,

happy.gif
Thanks for writing back.

I was wondering if you would like to sell any of your clothes from motherhood maternity.

I went to the motherhood site and I love their clothes but I'm not sure how the shipping works. So if you're selling any of your maternity wear, please let me know.
 
Hi Muah,

I'm planning to save my maternity clothes for now, for when hubby and I decide to have our 2nd baby lah! Maternity clothes are very expensive, so I don't want to have to buy them all over again. Besides, most shops in S'pore carry very ugly ones or if they are nice they are very expensive! Hope you understand...I will probably sell my maternity clothes (plus all my baby stuff) once we've decided that our family is complete! Now only got 1 child lah, so we would like to have at least 1 or 2 more...

If you want my advice, for the 1st 4-5mths, you can still wear regular clothes, but in larger sizes. Some good shops to scout around in will be Giordano, Zara, Mango, Topshop. And then when you buy maternity clothes, just buy a few essential and basic pieces, eg. 1 pair of jeans, a pair of black pants, another pair of pants in your fave colour (eg khaki, which matches with most tops) and a pair of skirt. And then buy maybe 4-5 basic tops made of cotton. Also maybe buy 1-2 smart casual outfits, eg. dress, blouse-skirt or blouse-pants combo, for formal occasions, eg if you need to attend a dinner or for Chinese New Year, etc. Of course if you're working you would need to buy some items which you can wear for work, like maybe some work shirts which you can wear with the black and khaki pants and the skirt too.

One more word of advice - when it comes to pants/jeans/skirts, try to buy those items that are meant to last you till you are 9 mths pregnant - these are usually those that have some form of belt-like thingy which allows you to adjust the waistline in accordance to your growing tummy. Some maternity clothes can only be worn up to around 7 mth only, so do beware (trust me, the tummy and waist area gets very large in your 8th/9th mth!).

FYI, the shipping from motherhood website is very straight forward. As long as you have a credit card, you can buy from the website. They deliver to S'pore via UPS International, but the shipping fees are a bit expensive (around US$40-US$70, depending on your purchase amount), so I advice you to buy everything you want/need at one go.
 
Hi Lani,

happy.gif
Thanks for all the tips! Will bear all that in mind. Good advice from someone who's been there and done that! I really appreciate it.

Yes, seeing the maternity wear available locally is quite depressing. That's why I wrote to you after seeing what Motherhood Maternity has! Just trying my luck lah!
wink.gif


All the best as you continue to plan for your family.
 
Hi All,

Just wanted to let you know that my baby is now fine - no more constipation. Her bowel is all ok, ie. the right consistency. I checked with my mum, and she said that if a baby is having constipation, to give water diluted with some sugar. I double-checked this info in the Dr. Spock's Baby & Childcare Book, and apparently she is right. According to the book, just feed baby a little sugar water (1 tsp granulated sugar to 2 ounces water) and he/she should be fine soon.
 
hi lani,
my baby poo twice a day when she's 1 mth old, once when she's bout 2 mths. reaching the 3rd mth, she din poo for 6 to 7 days. went to see doc twice. just last 2 weeks, she din poo for 9 days! see doc again. PD said it's her "system", cos as long as she's not uncomfortable, still happy. still ok. now she's 5 mths old, can take solid so i was told to give her more papaya, prune puree and feed her prune and apple juice fm gerber. she poo 5 days later.
my mum tried many ways, incl the one you mentioned, the sugar water. but nothing seems to work. maybe she's just like mum, constipated.. hehe..
but glad to hear your baby's fine..
 
baby_tara,

u can try abit of yu yee oil after bathing for your baby, else you can just rub your hands until they are warm and press on her tummy gently. this is to help get rid of the wind in her tummy so more comfortable for her and somehow helps to encourage pooing
 
baby_tara
Is your baby on total breast milk? If she is. It is not a problem even if she doesn't poo for 2 weeks. Coz that means your baby absorbs all the nutrients in breast milk. There is nothing to poo.

Don't give your baby apple, babana and carrot if she doesn't poo. They r constipated food
 
Hi Tara,

I was told that it's only constipation if the baby's poo is not soft and slightly hard, and she has slight difficulty passing it. It is NOT constipation if the baby doesn't poo for a few days, but when she does the stool is still soft. So I guess your baby doesn't have constipation, and just like what your PD says, it is just her "system" lah!
 
My daughter is 9 months old has serious constipation. She has hard stool and
will cry in pain each time she passes motion. Sometimes I would see some
blood on her anus after passing motion. Very often she will strain till her
face turns red but when I check her diaper, either there is nothing or
sometimes just a little stain. I give her vegetables, fruits (bananas,
apples and papaya), prune juice and plenty of water. I have also tried
changing the milk formula like Similac, Nan and Enfapro. All these do not
help.
- Should I switch to soy formula?
- I heard that soy formula are for those
who have diarrhea, so will it worsen her condition if I switch to soy
formula?
- Will she get sufficient and essential nutrition from the soy
formula?

Can any mummies here advice ? Thanks in advice.
 
Starry chan,

I think the first thing you need to do is to consult a PD - your daughter's condition seems to be quite serious and nothing you do has seemed to help so far. Besides, blood on her anus/ in her stool is serious and you definitely need to see a PD for that!

Can I check - do you follow the directions on the milk tin strictly when you make her formula milk? Make sure you follow the exact amounts, ie. 1 oz of milk powder to 1 oz of water, and no thicker than that, so as to prevent constipation.
 
Hi Starry Chan,

My gal is 5 months+ old now and she is having the same problem as your gal (except that no blood is spotted). She will pass motion every 4-5 days. Me and my wife are trying all means and ways to improve her situation. Lucky for us, we manage to get some improvement. At least she is doing it every 2 days now. The followings are what we did, hope that that will be useful to you:

1) We dilute the milk (always add 1 more oz of water to the recommended potion)

2) Feed her "china" barley water once a week

3) Feed her with papaya twice a week

4) Feed her prune from Gerber

5) Not forgetting fruit juice (prune, apple, pear)

My gal doesn't like pure water although we do force she to drink it but her intake is really too little.

I heard that it is not good to let baby take too much sweet things, he/she may not want to take pure water in the future.

Anyway, my PD did mention that as long as the baby can still eat, sleep and play. Don't be too worried. Oh... 1 last thing. Me and my wife will like make the "nnnngggg nnnnggg" sound to encourage her to pass motion. It works well with her. Maybe you can try that too.
 
yes Lani, I am very sure the amount of powder I gave is collect.

Thanks Andrew for the kind suggestions, will try out. My daughter, apart from the constipation, is very healthy and active :)

Will consult the PD if no improvement :-(
 
Hi mommies & daddies out there!
great to stumble across this thread! I need advice too..my daughter who is 1 yr and 3 weeks old is also constipated. I notice that her stools are hard (pebble like) since we change from similac follow on - to gain IQ. Anyone experience this with gain IQ?? im now trying to change to a different formula and thinking S26 anyone can give their advice on this??
i tried prunes, prune juice (delmonte) but she doesnt like the taste, apples,plums,papaya, etc...doesnt seem to work.

I will try the some of the advice mention about diluting the formula. Had mention this to PD but he just said to increase the intake of fruits, water,juice and also to change formula.

appreciate if moms and dads could share tips and advice.

thanks in advance!!!!!!
 
hi serene_ho,

i believe ur girl needs more fibre and fluid.. can increase her water intake by adding gripe water or honey or even sugar water..

S26 may be too heaty for ur girl as my girl had s26 soon after born.. she is super constipated and blood on the stool..
 
serene lee, how old is yr girl now? We're not to give honey to young bbs... here's a pc of info I've extracted which I hope will be useful to mommies here:

As your baby grows into a toddler he'll be more eager to sample food from your plate and you'll be eager to introduce some variety to his diet. But not all foods are safe for your child. Some may pose a choking hazard, a few aren't good for your baby's
still-developing digestive system, and others may be potential allergens.


Foods to avoid: 4 to 12 months
Citrus: Introducing citrus juices before age 1 may provoke an allergic reaction, especially if allergies run in your family.

Egg whites: You can give egg yolks to your baby now, but wait a year on the protein-rich whites because he may be allergic to them. In fact, if you think he may be at high risk for allergies, you might even delay giving your baby the whites until he's 2.
(according to the leaflet e PD handed me, it is said that eggyolk(fully cooked) shld be introduced from 9 mths).


Honey: Honey can harbor spores of Clostridium botulinum (botulism). An adult's intestinal tract can prevent the growth of these spores, but in a baby the spores can grow and produce
life-threatening toxins.

Peanut butter: Peanuts are highly allergenic. Rather
than risk a violent allergic reaction, wait until your child is a year old before introducing peanut butter. If you or your mate has peanut allergies, wait until your child is at least 3 before giving
him a PB&J.

Shellfish: Because it can be highly allergenic,experts recommend delaying shellfish in your baby's diet until reached his first birthday (or until he's between 3 and 4 years old if you suspect he's susceptible to allergies).

Tree nuts (like pecans and walnuts): If you think your baby is at risk for allergies, you might want to wait until he's 3 or 4 before giving him nuts; otherwise he can probably handle them when he's 1, as long as they're pureed in food or in nut butters.
(Pieces of nuts pose a choking hazard.)

Other potential allergens: If you're concerned that your baby may be prone to allergies (because you and/or your partner is), you might choose to delay other common allergens like corn, soy, chocolate, or any food that you're allergic to until your
baby's at least 1. Depending on the seriousness of your allergy and other factors, you may want to wait even longer. For help making this decision, talk to your child's doctor.

If you're breastfeeding, avoiding all nuts and possibly eggs and milk in your own diet may help in delaying or preventing allergies in your baby.

There are more info on food for 12 - 36 mths old but I can't rem which website was it that i've obtained these info liao(i've saved up part of it-which I've posted some abv).

Andrew's suggestion on diluting the milk powder and giving China Barley is a good idea but give e china barley water only once a week as wat he's doing - otherwise too much will be 'too cooling' also. And when yr child is able to take semi-solid liao, u can cook vege, like spinach(rich in iron,etc), blend it for him/her to take.
 
Hi Serene
My 15mths boy had changed to Gain IQ when he is 1yrs. All along, he got this hard stool problem, not sure if it is connected to Gain IQ. But I know S26 is also v.heaty.
Anyway as long as she poo poo, is ok. Not sure if u hv given her solid food. This may due to her intake of solid food, that's why her poo poo is harder.
You can try to give her prune or papaya - fresh fruit. I give them to my son, next day his stool is v. soft. Also try to give her more water. It will helps.
Hope it helps.
 
Hi (I'm new register with motherhood)
My son is about two months. he seem every 3 to 4 days shitting ah. I told doctor but he said is alright as every formula is heaty that y some babies cant shit...He said if baby can drink milk as normal then will be ok.... Today is e four day, hope my baby is pass motion by today.
Any advice on this???
 
wendy, did u give yr son water? try to give him more water.
otherwise, u might like to dilute e milk powder abit.
 
I've been feeding my daughter water after each milk feed. It helps to "wash" down the milk better and also to clean up the milk residue in her mouth and preventing stickiness. Now it's becoming a habit for her and she does not really like to drink sweet drinks even though I tried feeding her ribena or barley.

In a way that also helps to prevent constipation.
 
My son didnt shit at all. now is e fifth day, Tonight i'll bring him c doctor again. i did give my son water but still useless le. maybe is his system loh. Now i let him drink 120ml water but one and half scoop of milk only as e formula indicated 2 scoop for 120ml water ma.
Is there any other ways then dilute e milk powder???
 
mum05,
btw now still selling similac excellence??? at first we use this but hoh a month ago my hubby went ntuc buy. is similac infant. i'm not sure whether is e packing change or wat le.
maybe after my work i'll ask around those shops
Btw thanks for your reply
 
Hi mummies ,

My girl also having this problem... Now she take similac infant she only shit 2 - 3 days once... I give water every 2 hr , she take 5-10ml only .. I also dun noe HOW ?
 
hi just wonder is it true that similac formular is heaty? my girl drinking breast milk and eating porridge and cereal and brown rice. but she having constipation leh. i gave papaya, banana and sweet potato. dr say sweet potato cannot eat too much cause too much fibre. tot fibre will be good for poo poo??? pls help
 
Im currently using Enfalac A+ to supplement my BB and she will poo within two days. Her stool is of 'okay' consistency. I asked my PD which is a better brand of formula for softer stool and he said that Enfalac is a good but the stool will be slightly thicker. Similac will result in a softer stool but the baby wont poo until a few days longer.

This is because of the palm oil and what not in the formulas (of varying degrees).

Im sticking to Enfalac A+ for the moment.
 
A few websites suggested that banana aggrevates constipation if baby is constipating.. how many months is your baby? can try the apple and prune juice and dilute it further if baby is too young.
 
hi mummies,
my son is abt 2.5mths, he's got constipation prb too.
he didnt shit for 1 day last week, but when he shit, its like rock. and he will cry ..

then i try to feed him lots of water, aft that, he is much better, but his stools are yellowish green in colour...

he used to shit alot, but now, its like 1 time per day..wonder if its normal...
 
hi mummies

my son who is 9mths old also had constipation prob. last time he used to poo every day although there is some difficulties, eg. cry when pooing or the stool was a bit hard but he still manage to shit out. but last wk he din poo for 5 days n the poo was so hard tht we went to c doc and he manage to let him poo out. Now he had not poo for 3 days, I m so worried that he will have difficulties in pooing. I had tried to give him drink the sugar water but it seems of no use.
I need your advise which I can help my son n he was 7kg now which I tik he was a bit under-weight. Moreover, he had been coughing for about 1 month and there was still some phlegm inside his throat and have seen 3 GP and 1 Pd so far.
 
sadwoman - constipation - can try giving more barley water 2-3times a week. give ALOT of water in between feeds. Give prune juice (buy the real prune and juice it out not the apple and prune over the counter), give more vege - spinich. Try giving baby yoghurt. My boy also constipated couple of months back when 1st started cereal. 6whole days no poo. now he poo everyday. I find yoghurt helps. No bananas for the time being. some babies constipated from bananas.

so long he is healthy active and happy baby, i think 7kgs is not a major problem. yes he is on the smaller side. but some babies are just smaller lor. you look at ppl ard you, have big size, small, tall short also mah...
 
Clarissa

Thks for your advice. where can I get the real prune and how do I make water. I did boil barley water but I add it into the milk, is that alright? if not, no sweetness, he doesn't want it. As for baby yogurt, I had advise from the GP that it is not advisable to let him have it.
 
My son is 1 month old. For the last 4 days he had constipation problem, can not pass motion. Before this, every day he can pass motion 3-5 times a day.
Is it save to give him microlax?
 
if he's on formula milk, add more water but retain the same scoop of milk..

else, try to go for a lactose free milk
 
Best to give bb/toddler some fruits if there's constipation instead of medication/laxatives. Like Pia suggests, dilute formula milk a little.
 
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