Constipation, especially for formula-fed babies, is common. Breastfed babies hardly seem to get the problem, but if your baby is on formula, you might know just how hellish it can be to have them constipated. They are too young to take regular or natural laxatives, and maybe they haven’t even been weaned yet so you can’t give them fruit or vegetables. What do you do?
Here are some constipation remedies that you can try on your baby if they are constipated. Remember, these are only recommendations, and not prescriptions.
- Massage works great. You need to massage their tummy and their lower back in circular motions to get blood circulation moving. This will stimulate the cells in the colon and it will cause a bowel movement. Do it right after a bath when baby is fresh and relaxed; lay them on a towel, and using baby oil, gently massage him. There might be some crying as the bowel open up, but get ready because a bowel movement is coming up.
- Get some exercise into the baby. The best way to do this is to get them into a kind of bicycle ride. Hold their legs so that they are sort of riding a bike in the air – the knees should be bent. Cycle them for a while. This will stimulate blood flow and get them regular again.
- If the baby is older than 6 weeks, you can try diluted prune juice or diluted grape juice. Do a half and half mix and see if they will agree to take it – sometimes they are averse to new tastes.
- If you are still breastfeeding, you should check what it is in your diet that could be causing your baby to be constipated. It might be that you are passing something on to them through the breast milk without knowing it. It doesn’t have to be something bad, it’s just that baby’s tummy is not yet ready to digest some adult foods, and they are not broken down enough by the time they get to the breast milk.
- If you are just weaning the baby, constipation is common at this time. If they get constipated, depending on the degree of the discomfort, you can withdraw whatever food is giving them constipation. If they are not very uncomfortable, then just reduce the amount, and then get them exercised and try diluted grape or prune juice.
- You should try this only if a doctor has showed you how: a rectal thermometer inserted into the rectum stimulates bowel movement. This is a remedy that doctors use for babies who are frequently constipated.
- Get them out in the fresh air if you can. A baby who is indoors all the time will have frequent problems, even though they might not be serious. The outdoors is an excellent way to give them a different environment for a short while and to get them stimulated.
Some babies can get so constipated that nothing you try seems to help; let your doctor handle it. It could be a signal to another problem.
