“Also, what do they look like? If your child is pooping out little rabbit turds, that is one sign the baby is constipated. Straining, turning red in the face, struggling to have a bowel moment — that is the biggest sign, not number of poops. “If the baby is straining and uncomfortable, there are a few things that I recommend. First is an easy one: Pretend like you’re going to take a rectal temperature. Put a thermometer with a little Vaseline about a centimeter or two in and give a little wiggle around. We call that rectal stimulation. Sometimes a little rectal stimulation after a feed can get the colon moving. GI motility stimulation can be really helpful getting the contents of the bowel to move through the system. “Some people will buy little glycerin suppositories. Those are okay to do as well. When we starting to go down that road, that’s when you should have a conversation with your pediatrician. Because some other problems can present with constipation. “Another thing is to add a tablespoon of plain mineral oil into the baby’s formula. One tablespoon for every four ounces of formula can sometimes act as a stool softener. I don’t recommend adding apple or prune juice until 4 to 6 months age when you’re starting to introduce other foods. What I don’t want people to do is add water and water-down formula. Too much free water can cause problems with electrolyte balance.” — Christina Johns, MD, MEd, FAAP, senior medical adviser, PM Pediatrics, Lake Success, NY
title: “8 Ways To Get A Constipated Baby To Poop” ShowToc: true date: “2024-10-11” author: “Alicia Hayslett”
“Also, what do they look like? If your child is pooping out little rabbit turds, that is one sign the baby is constipated. Straining, turning red in the face, struggling to have a bowel moment — that is the biggest sign, not number of poops. “If the baby is straining and uncomfortable, there are a few things that I recommend. First is an easy one: Pretend like you’re going to take a rectal temperature. Put a thermometer with a little Vaseline about a centimeter or two in and give a little wiggle around. We call that rectal stimulation. Sometimes a little rectal stimulation after a feed can get the colon moving. GI motility stimulation can be really helpful getting the contents of the bowel to move through the system. “Some people will buy little glycerin suppositories. Those are okay to do as well. When we starting to go down that road, that’s when you should have a conversation with your pediatrician. Because some other problems can present with constipation. “Another thing is to add a tablespoon of plain mineral oil into the baby’s formula. One tablespoon for every four ounces of formula can sometimes act as a stool softener. I don’t recommend adding apple or prune juice until 4 to 6 months age when you’re starting to introduce other foods. What I don’t want people to do is add water and water-down formula. Too much free water can cause problems with electrolyte balance.” — Christina Johns, MD, MEd, FAAP, senior medical adviser, PM Pediatrics, Lake Success, NY
