Tummy Troubles

B's tummy acted up again! This time it's constipation.

We introduced her to stage 2 milk and after two days of the fm, I find her always crying trying to push her poo out! Such poor thing! She really cried out loud and tears rolled down! It pained my heart to see her in such pain! This pushing and crying carried out for 2 days over 5 times before she finally could pass her motion! The stools were all hard and bloody. When she moved her bowels, I could see the relief on her face! We, including A, are all very happy for her too!

I read up a little on this topic of constipation. To get things moving for a constipated infant, you could try the following:

- change the baby's feeding pattern e.g. if you began new foods, return to the looser-stool diet
- engage in some physical exercises. Exercise improves digestion and speeds the passage of food through the intestines.
- for bottlefed baby, give your formula-fed baby an extra bottle of water a day
- gently massage and rub baby's tummy in a clockwise direction. Place your hands at baby's naval and massage in a circular motion, moving your hand(s) out and away from the center of baby's belly.
- Place baby on the back and lightly hold the legs in a half-bent position. Gently begin to move the legs as if riding a bicycle. This may also help to relieve a baby who is gassy.
- give baby a warm bath
- try giving 1-2 ounces of diluted fruit juice such as grape, prune or apple-prune twice daily
- adding more fiber to the diet by trying strained foods such as: apricots, pears, prunes, peas, peaches, spinach, plums. Barley or oatmeal cereals or most vegetables are preferred
- avoid baby foods such as rice cereal, applesauce and bananas and toast
- insert the glycerin suppository, wiggle it a bit, which stimulates the tense rectal muscles to relax and eases the passage of the hard stools

[Edited on 5 Jul 2012: I always thought that the constipation was due to the stage 2 formula but later on, I had a revelation that it was due to the increased amount of milk I gave her. The more than double milk intake, I almost confirmed, was the very cause of the constipation!]


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