How to Relieve Constipation in Babies?

“My baby can’t poop!” The number of mothers who say that is not few. If your pup is suffering from constipation, we have told you everything you need to know about constipation in babies in this article.

Why do babies get constipated?

In general, the main reason for the problem of not pooping in babies is due to errors in the feeding program.

• Inadequate and unbalanced nutrition (especially not feeding with fiber foods),
• Less work of the digestive system,
• In the transition to supplementary food, the baby’s acquaintance with foods that may cause constipation,
• various diseases,
• Inactivity,
• Changes in the intestinal flora during the teething period ,
• Cow’s milk allergy ,
• high calcium,
• Potassium deficiency,
• Vitamin B12 deficiency
• Constipation in the family is among the causes of constipation in children and infants.

What causes constipation in newborn babies?

Your baby has not yet switched to solid food, is not teething, or is not taking medication. She is fed only with breast milk. In such cases, “Is a breastfed newborn baby constipated?” you may ask. Yes, this is very natural. Newborn constipation is often caused by the excretory system not yet working as regularly as it should. This situation will begin to settle in the following months. 

Constipation may be more common if the baby is formula-fed. In this case, you can change your baby’s formula by consulting your doctor. 

What are the symptoms of constipation in babies?

• Your baby poops round, grainy, and hard, like goat poop.
• Defecation is infrequent. But remember; Infrequent defecation is not always a sign of constipation. For you to know that your baby is constipated, his poop must be hard and grainy. Soft poop may not be considered constipating. 
• The baby, who cannot poop, suffers from abdominal pain and discomfort in the stomach.
• A constipated baby is restless.
• Contamination of your child’s underwear is also a sign of constipation in babies.

How many days is it normal for babies not to poop?

Your baby is expected to poop in 1-3 days. In other words, it is normal to have soft poop 2 times a day and once in 3 days. However, if this process exceeds 3 days and the poop is hard, constipation can be mentioned.

What is good for constipation in babies?

So, how is constipation in babies, what should be done for the solution of constipation in babies?

• The clearest answer to the question of what is good for constipated babies is to change the diet. Increasing the fluid intake, vegetable-fruit consumption (except bananas), enriching the fat content of the foods and feeding the baby with fiber foods are good for constipation in babies who switch to complementary foods.
• You can add a teaspoon of bran flour to hard foods.
• If you are asking how to soften hard poop in babies , you can drink 25-50 ml of plum or apple juice to your baby with a bottle, glass or spoon.
• Let’s tell which fruit is good for constipation in babies . Pears, plums, apricots and grapes are among the fruits that can be given to a constipated child.
• Unless your baby is very young, you’d better not give more than three cups of milk a day while he’s constipated.
• When the baby is constipated, you can lay him on his back and make his feet cycle. This method, called constipation massage in babies, can work.
• Let’s also say the general rule of constipation treatment: The treatment should be applied twice as long as the constipation period. Therefore, it is very important to follow the nutrition program carefully.

“What is good for constipation in babies, give me the names of the foods so I can feed them.” If you say, Prof. Dr. Let’s share some suggestions from Gülbin Gökçay’s book Child Health and Care in the First 2 Years of Life:

Which food?	How much?
Fruit (apple, orange, apricot, pear) juice	15-20 ml per day
Vegetable soup or puree	2 times a day
Butter, olive oil	Large amount
Cow milk	It should be reduced or cut completely

How to relieve constipation in babies?

Breastfed babies are less likely to develop constipation than formula-fed babies because they are easier to digest. If the constipation problem does not go away even though you follow the above recommendations and make changes in your baby’s feeding schedule, you should definitely consult your doctor. There are some medications used to treat constipation in babies. However, it is not right for us to give drug names for constipation in babies, you should only use them with the advice of your doctor. These drugs work the baby’s intestines and increase the frequency of pooping.

Suppositories can also be given for constipation in infants . Constipation suppositories containing glycerine soften the dried poop in the intestines and facilitate defecation. However, the continuous use of these suppositories can cause the intestines to get used to it and become lazy. For this reason, it is necessary to avoid long-term use of constipation suppository for babies.

How to relieve constipation in newborn babies?

Constipation in a 1-month-old baby is a condition that should be followed. You may wonder if the breastfeeding mother is constipated and the baby will be too . Yes, if you have constipation problems while breastfeeding, it will affect your baby as well. When constipation occurs in a newborn baby, it is necessary to increase fluid intake. Breastfeeding the baby more often than usual helps solve the problem.

If the constipation problem does not disappear or recurs frequently despite this, you should show your baby to a specialist. In cases where breast milk is insufficient, the incidence of constipation is higher in infants fed with follow-on milk. Babies with constipation can be massaged by breastfeeding more.

Constipation in 2 month old babies

One of the most effective methods for solving constipation in a 2-month-old baby is to massage the baby’s navel. Giving your baby a warm bath, increasing fluid intake and applying suppositories can be effective methods.

Constipation in 3 month old babies

If a 3-month-old baby is constipated, you should know that the reason is not related to nutrition. Because the baby is fed only with breast milk. Cycling with your baby’s legs and massaging the abdominal area can help to solve the problem of constipation by activating the intestines.

Constipation in 6 month old babies

Since solid food causes constipation problem, the risk of constipation in 6-month-old babies is higher than in other months. And you said, “My 6-month-old baby is constipated, what should I do?” you may wonder.

If a 6-month-old baby is constipated, it is necessary to focus on foods that work the intestines, such as mashed apricots, prunes and leeks. If there is no change in your baby, you should not neglect to take him to the doctor.

Constipation in 1 year old babies

Constipation is a common problem in babies who consume too much cow’s milk after breast milk. You should take care to feed your baby with juicy, soft, fibrous foods and try the home remedies we mentioned above.

How to prevent constipation in babies?

• When your baby switches to solid food, the grains you put in his meals are not as flour; put it whole.
• Make sure your baby is getting enough fluids.
• Feed your baby with breast milk whenever possible. 
• Apply the constipation massage we mentioned above even if the baby does not have a poop problem. 

In which cases should you consult a doctor?

• If your baby is constipated frequently
• If the constipation problem started suddenly,
• If you see blood in your baby’s poop, you should immediately go to the doctor. Because if your baby is constipated, if left untreated, it can turn into a habit.

During the treatment, the doctor also checks whether there are cracks in the breech area, the location of the breech, whether there is a lack of nervous stimulation in the large intestine, and administers medication if necessary.