There is nothing sadder than seeing my son’s face turn bright red and watch him grunt and struggle while trying to force out a poop. He hasn’t had any issues with constipation in months but the last two weeks he has been struggling a little bit. It’s time to start employing what we have seen to really help him in the past.
Here are tips on how to gently calm the stomach and encourage the bowels to loosen (sorry there is no other way to write that):
Liquids: Make sure your little one is staying hydrated. Water is key to pooping with ease. Prune juice and tomato juice are great for constipation.
Focus on: Foods with fiber like apples, pears, prunes, chia or flax seeds, legumes, raisins. The easiest way I sneak these in is by making smoothies. Don’t go crazy with the fiber because if you introduce too much too quick, that can upset their stomach more.
Avoid: Grains(rice cereal is often a culprit), bananas, applesauce can lead to constipation. We started giving our son teething crackers everyday and he got constipation from them so we had to stop buying them. Also too much dairy can cause constipation.
Remedies: We like Kid-E-Reg, it’s a homeopathic remedy we have been using since our son was six months old. It gently encourages the bowel to cleanse and works really well.
TummyGize: Diluted essential oils safe for kids. I still also use a carrier oil and mix it with coconut oil then apply to the stomach.
Exercises: There are exercises you can do to help constipation. When our son was about six months, we put him on his back and did little cycling movements with his legs.
When all else fails: Suppository. That will get the poop out within 15 minutes. They are only meant for occasional use and we have only used them three times in his 21 months. I’d say try everything else in #1-5 for two days before resorting to a suppository
There are other remedies and foods that can help, this is just what we did!