She's soooo constipated!

On Jun 26, 2:17 pm, Chris wrote:
On Jun 26, 1:42?pm, cjra wrote:



On Jun 26, 1:36 am, Anne Rogers wrote:

you could temporarily cut out the yoghurt, a smootie is probably a
reasonable treatment because of the fruit and liquid in, particularly if
the child won't consume it any other way. I checked your lists of fruits
and veggies, against one I found online, the only clash is cooked
carrots, given she's eating a good mix, it wouldn't harm her to take
that out to see if it makes any difference. There are a couple of the
positive fruits you are missing, plums, apricots.

Ok, I'll throw those in too.

If you remove the yoghurt and it means she eats less, she'll probably
nurse more, which will at least mean dehydration isn't an issue.

She will eat every fruit mixed with yoghurt, but often will push away
fruits on their own. Sometimes when she won't eat the veg, if we mix
with yoghurt she will. But I'll just cut back. My concern is her
'snack' at daycare....I'd rather she have fruit + yoghurt than
crackers. I sent dried fruit pieces today, we'll see how she likes
those.

Other things to try would be activity, have her on her back and pump her
legs, massage her tummy to get things going - I can't remember where you
are on the activity levels, is she crawling? If she's not, but is being
challenged by these foods that do require activity to get through, then
doing her exercise for her could help.

She's a bum scooter. Doesn't crawl on all fours, but gets all over the
place scooting on her bum. I do often bicycle her legs and massage her
belly.

A final trick is teaspoon of karo corn syrup, looking at you meal plan,
I'd stick it in at breakfast time, with the BM that gets added to the
cereal.

If it goes away, just a phase that passed, then I wouldn't worry, but
there are a few different problems that can cause this, so you would
want that checked out. I've heard the tendancy then is for a child to
loose all control, dealable with for a baby in nappies, but not do
easier in an older child. If you go to the doctors, let them give you a
diagnosis and brief overview of treatment, but have another appointment
to determine treatment. What you don't what to end up with is turning
constipation problem into a child not having any control over her bowels
in future.

If it continues another week, I may call the doctor. She seems to be
feeling better now, so I'm less worried. The first 2 weeks she was
pretty miserable and not eating. We'd assumed it was just teething -
which is part of it - but now I'm not so sure.

My kids all developed a certain-smelly type of loose bowel movement
while they were teething. After the first baby had it, I was
immediately able to tell when the other two were teething based on
that BM alone. lol.


yeah, I heard diarrhea is a common teething symptom, but not the
opposite.

cjra wrote:
Thanks for the concern, however she hasn't had any blood in her stool.
They've been black, but no blood.

Did you test them for blood?

Bleeding in the upper GI tract will result in black and foul smelling
stool. Blood in the stool looks like fresh blood only when it *is*
fresh blood, ie from the lower GI tract.

Pologirl

On Jun 26, 6:12?pm, cjra wrote:
On Jun 26, 2:20 pm, Pologirl wrote:

cjra wrote:
If it continues another week, I may call the doctor.

Please call your doctor today. You describe two separate problems:
one is constipation. The other sounds exactly like melena, blood in
the stool from an origin high in the gastrointestinal tract. That is
not an emergency but also not normal and it does require medical
attention because it can be an early sign of a serious problem. Given
her other symptoms (reluctance to eat, distress, hard abdomen), please
don't wait any longer.

Thanks for the concern, however she hasn't had any blood in her stool.
They've been black, but no blood.

Black in the stool *can* be cause for alarm, but not always, so it
would be better if you ran it by the ped. They may just tell you via
phone to bring in a stool sample. I mentioned black and tarry earlier
and that is because that is how blood can appear in certain
conditions. Blood in the stool can appear as black for a number of
reasons. Things in the lower tract, such as a rectal fissure or anal
hemorrhoid, would cause the blood to be close by and then result in
the red that you would expect to see.

Did you test them for blood?

Bleeding in the upper GI tract will result in black and foul smelling
stool. Blood in the stool looks like fresh blood only when it *is*
fresh blood, ie from the lower GI tract.

regardless of blood or not, when cjra said waiting another week before
even calling, it didn't seem right, based on my incomplete knowledge, I
was going to suggest before rather than after the weekend if a couple of
days of trying other things didn't help. On the additional info Pologirl
provided sooner rather than later sounds better.

The pain and stomach hardness troubles me, years ago, I was having jaw
problems and had to eat a soft diet for a while, never having had any
bowel problems, I wasn't eating significant fibre in a soft form, so my
diet suddenly lost quite a lot of fibre and I got constipation, but not
the kind where it's there, right at the anus, but difficult to get out,
which is can get jolly uncomfortable, but isn't quite the same sensation
as pain, but backed up higher up, which really was agonisingly painful,
but even then, my stomach wasn't hard, though I'm thin enough that if
you felt in the right place you could feel the solid in the bowel - I
must be pretty prone to it as it's happened twice since, again without
any outward signs. I wish I knew why sometimes it was that way, not the
normal way, I've had the normal way a gazillion times with pregnancy,
iron tablets, painkillers etc.

Anne

Black tarry stools is blood in the stools and it can be a sign of something
wrong.
--
Sue

"cjra" wrote in message
ups.com...
On Jun 26, 2:20 pm, Pologirl wrote:
cjra wrote:
If it continues another week, I may call the doctor.

Please call your doctor today. You describe two separate problems:
one is constipation. The other sounds exactly like melena, blood in
the stool from an origin high in the gastrointestinal tract. That is
not an emergency but also not normal and it does require medical
attention because it can be an early sign of a serious problem. Given
her other symptoms (reluctance to eat, distress, hard abdomen), please
don't wait any longer.


Thanks for the concern, however she hasn't had any blood in her stool.
They've been black, but no blood.

cjra wrote:
O
Thanks for the concern, however she hasn't had any blood in her stool.
They've been black, but no blood.


Black stools = digested blood. She needs to go to the doc.

Michelle
Flutist

On Jun 27, 8:19 am, "Michelle J. Haines" wrote:
cjra wrote:
O
Thanks for the concern, however she hasn't had any blood in her stool.
They've been black, but no blood.

Black stools = digested blood. She needs to go to the doc.


Thanks all for the concern. I did speak with the pedi this am, and she
said the black stools did not sound like blood (and that she's seen
black stools which were not blood). She suggested that as DD *is*
improving this week, albeit slowly, to push the water as much as
possible and if she's still not better by Monday, call again (or if
she worsens, to call immediately). She didn't feel it was a blockage
since she is passing now, but that the slowness in improving was due
to being backed up for 2 weeks.

A week ago DD was pretty miserable, but now, though she's still
constipated, she IS passing stools and is otherwise fine and happy
except for when she's pushing.

On Jun 27, 10:01?am, cjra wrote:
On Jun 27, 8:19 am, "Michelle J. Haines" wrote:

cjra wrote:
O
Thanks for the concern, however she hasn't had any blood in her stool.
They've been black, but no blood.

Black stools = digested blood. She needs to go to the doc.

Thanks all for the concern. I did speak with the pedi this am, and she
said the black stools did not sound like blood (and that she's seen
black stools which were not blood). She suggested that as DD *is*
improving this week, albeit slowly, to push the water as much as
possible and if she's still not better by Monday, call again (or if
she worsens, to call immediately). She didn't feel it was a blockage
since she is passing now, but that the slowness in improving was due
to being backed up for 2 weeks.

A week ago DD was pretty miserable, but now, though she's still
constipated, she IS passing stools and is otherwise fine and happy
except for when she's pushing.

That's good to hear. I'm glad she is feeling better. I know that black
does not always equal blood in the stool because something as simple
as an oreo cookie can turn it that way. lol. Green jello also does
interesting things. tee-hee.

This morning I talked to the pedi in my office, and she wasn't too
concerned but said to push the water and watch her for a few days.
Also to add some pedialyte to make sure we didn't overdo it with
water. (once I explained we'd tried all the usual foods and juices).
She wasn't too worried about the black stool just yet.

After talking some more, she said it couldn't hurt to call our regular
pedi's office, so I did. Initially they said just to use a
suppository. But after discussing the black stool more, suggested we
come in. The NP recommended we bring in a stool sample, checked her
out and said she was otherwise fine although she could feel the stool
inside her... she recommened the suppository and upping the bran, as
well as water (we always give water, but it has been hot lately and
she is sweating more). I joked that since we decided to come into the
doc's office, today she'd suddenly start pooping well.

Guess what? Tonight after dinner, she pooped! Ok, it wasn't as soft as
I'd have liked, but it wasn't black and it wasn't hard pellets. We'll
still bring in a sample and push the fiber laden foods, and see how
the next few days go.


On Jun 25, 9:23 pm, cjra wrote:
Poor DD. I was about to call the doctor as she wasn't eating solids
much (tho nursing fine), but this weekend she finally started eating
more again.

In the past I've given her prunes or prune juice when she appears to
be a bit stopped up, but it's not been often. However,the past 2 weeks
have been awful for her. Her sleep (never great but getting better)
went down the tubes, she was cranky and miserable all the time. She is
cutting 6 teeth as well, so we chalked it up to that. Then I noticed
she hadn't been pooping. And when she does, it's small hard pellets.
Her abdomen is also really hard and she's clearly in pain. I tried
giving her prunes or prune juice and she just refuses to it, she also
now refuses all other juice although she'll take water. I tried
giving her prunes again tonight and she wouldn't eat them. I did
manage to sneak some prune juice into her peas.

I thought it was the cereal I'd been giving her - I thought it was
multigrain but maybe it was rice, we bought it in Switzerland and had
thrown away the box so I couldn't check. Anyway, I tossed that out on
Thursday.
Friday she pooped again and we thought all was better, but then she
didn't poop at all Saturday, and when she finally did today, it was
small, hard and very very black, almost like charcoal had been rubbed
on her bum (powdery like). Also very very stinky - a different kind of
stink, not usual poop smell.

I put some crushed bran in her dinner and she pooped 2x more last
night, but it was the same - black, hard, smelly, painful. It's more
than she's pooped all week though. Today she pooped once, again small,
hard pellets.

Her diet consists of:
b'fast : multigrain cereal (Earth's Best) with BM and a fruit
lunch: 2-3 veg cubes
snack: yoghurt + 1-2 fruit cubes
dinner: 2-3 veg cubes + yoghurt+fruit
BM throughout the day and night
Cup with water offered at every meal (altho now she won't take it from
the sippy, it has to be directly from the cup which means she takes a
bit less)

She has teething bisquits (barley or wheat) occasionally, but hasn't
been too interested lately.

Fruits a papaya, mangoes, grapes, peaches, blueberries, cherries,
sometimes pears altho she doesn't like them. No bananas (doesn't like
those either)

Veg a beets, carrots, spinach, kale, cauliflower, peas, broccoli,
sweet potato, zucchini, acorn and butternut squashes and another
assortment of 'summer squash'.

She has yoghurt at least 2x/day (she eats everything better with the
yoghurt) - whole milk plain, I'd guess about 1-2 tablespoons each
time.

So what could be causing it? I've read excessive whole milk is a
problem, so worried about the yoghurt, but also read that a yoghurt
smoothie was a good treatment for constipation. I'll put some flax
seed in her cereal tomorrow (just read on Dr Sears that it's good for
constipation). What else can I do as she refuses all juice and tho she
took some prunes yesterday, it didn't appear to do much? Now she's
eating well, but she's still not pooping much.

On Jun 27, 9:44?pm, cjra wrote:
This morning I talked to the pedi in my office, and she wasn't too
concerned but said to push the water and watch her for a few days.
Also to add some pedialyte to make sure we didn't overdo it with
water. (once I explained we'd tried all the usual foods and juices).
She wasn't too worried about the black stool just yet.

After talking some more, she said it couldn't hurt to call our regular
pedi's office, so I did. Initially they said just to use a
suppository. But after discussing the black stool more, suggested we
come in. The NP recommended we bring in a stool sample, checked her
out and said she was otherwise fine although she could feel the stool
inside her... she recommened the suppository and upping the bran, as
well as water (we always give water, but it has been hot lately and
she is sweating more). I joked that since we decided to come into the
doc's office, today she'd suddenly start pooping well.

Guess what? Tonight after dinner, she pooped! Ok, it wasn't as soft as
I'd have liked, but it wasn't black and it wasn't hard pellets. We'll
still bring in a sample and push the fiber laden foods, and see how
the next few days go.

On Jun 25, 9:23 pm, cjra wrote:



Poor DD. I was about to call the doctor as she wasn't eating solids
much (tho nursing fine), but this weekend she finally started eating
more again.

In the past I've given her prunes or prune juice when she appears to
be a bit stopped up, but it's not been often. However,the past 2 weeks
have been awful for her. Her sleep (never great but getting better)
went down the tubes, she was cranky and miserable all the time. She is
cutting 6 teeth as well, so we chalked it up to that. Then I noticed
she hadn't been pooping. And when she does, it's small hard pellets.
Her abdomen is also really hard and she's clearly in pain. I tried
giving her prunes or prune juice and she just refuses to it, she also
now refuses all other juice although she'll take water. I tried
giving her prunes again tonight and she wouldn't eat them. I did
manage to sneak some prune juice into her peas.

I thought it was the cereal I'd been giving her - I thought it was
multigrain but maybe it was rice, we bought it in Switzerland and had
thrown away the box so I couldn't check. Anyway, I tossed that out on
Thursday.
Friday she pooped again and we thought all was better, but then she
didn't poop at all Saturday, and when she finally did today, it was
small, hard and very very black, almost like charcoal had been rubbed
on her bum (powdery like). Also very very stinky - a different kind of
stink, not usual poop smell.

I put some crushed bran in her dinner and she pooped 2x more last
night, but it was the same - black, hard, smelly, painful. It's more
than she's pooped all week though. Today she pooped once, again small,
hard pellets.

Her diet consists of:
b'fast : multigrain cereal (Earth's Best) with BM and a fruit
lunch: 2-3 veg cubes
snack: yoghurt + 1-2 fruit cubes
dinner: 2-3 veg cubes + yoghurt+fruit
BM throughout the day and night
Cup with water offered at every meal (altho now she won't take it from
the sippy, it has to be directly from the cup which means she takes a
bit less)

She has teething bisquits (barley or wheat) occasionally, but hasn't
been too interested lately.

Fruits a papaya, mangoes, grapes, peaches, blueberries, cherries,
sometimes pears altho she doesn't like them. No bananas (doesn't like
those either)

Veg a beets, carrots, spinach, kale, cauliflower, peas, broccoli,
sweet potato, zucchini, acorn and butternut squashes and another
assortment of 'summer squash'.

She has yoghurt at least 2x/day (she eats everything better with the
yoghurt) - whole milk plain, I'd guess about 1-2 tablespoons each
time.

So what could be causing it? I've read excessive whole milk is a
problem, so worried about the yoghurt, but also read that a yoghurt
smoothie was a good treatment for constipation. I'll put some flax
seed in her cereal tomorrow (just read on Dr Sears that it's good for
constipation). What else can I do as she refuses all juice and tho she
took some prunes yesterday, it didn't appear to do much? Now she's
eating well, but she's still not pooping much.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

My daughter has always pretty much consistently had harder formed
balled stools. I sprinkle a fiber bran I buy from the grocery store
onto everything we eat. It is virtually undectable. Heck, when I was
pregnant and suffering from that myself, I actually added it to my
drinks. The floaties were hard to ignore, but it was undetectable
taste-wise. Afterall, they say that we all barely even get half of the
daily fiber we need. It seems to be agreeable to everyone in my
household. lol. Anyway, I'm glad she is making some process. I just
got my hair done today and the hairdresser was talking about her 5-y/o
getting so bound up they did some x-rays on her. They had put her on
two different drugs, an antibiotic for what they first thought was
vaginosis and then MiraLax, a stool softener. Her tummy got really
upset from that combination and it didn't seem to help anything for
her either.