# Help! Constipated DS won't drink :(



## welsh (Feb 14, 2007)

DS has an ongoing problem with constipation and I'm pretty sure that it's because he will not drink.
The doc's advice was fruit and veg at every week, make sure he gets lots of activity and maybe he's afraid to go because it hurts.

Ok, decent advice but....DS eats really well incl. fruit and veg.
He doesn't stop running around except for naptime and meal times.
He's grunting and trying really hard to poop all the time. Really concentrating on it. I feel so bad for him.
It goes like this...
Day 1 - He doesn't poo
Day 2 - He tries to poo often throughout the day
Day 3 - He eventually does a huge poo that really hurts him. Recently he's started doing it in the bath (I guess he's nice and relaxed!) so I pick him up and hold him over the toilet to 'help' it along.
Part of the problem also is that when he usually tries to go, he insists on sitting down on the floor. I've bought a potty with handles for him to try so that gravity can assist!!!

ANYWAY, I offer him water all.day.long. Different cups. Open cups. Sometimes he'll take a big drink like if he's eaten hummus or something. Often I'll offer and he'll say 'no, no, nope'. Or take a tiny sip.

He doesn't mind the taste of water because in my desperation, I've given him watered down juice and it makes no difference to how much he consumes.

He nurses x3 per day and x2-3 at night but my supply isn't what it once was so I've no idea how much he's getting. He's wetting 3-4 diapers (disposable) per day/night. So he's not desperately dehydrated.

What do you think Mamas? How can I encourage more fluids?
I have started making lots of soups (adding flaxseed meal) which he loves and avoiding too much bread and pasta (which he also loves).

I'm worried about the effects of long-term constipation. Plus he's a bad sleeper and often seems uncomfortable at night, probably related....
He wants to 'go' poor thing, just can't.

TIA


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## roostery (Jan 23, 2004)

I'd offer lots of apples and pears, juicy fruits with lots of fiber. My DD has never been a big drinker either, and she used to have trouble with constipation, but if she gets apples every day she has an easy time pooping.


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## MissMommyNiceNice (May 1, 2007)

When we were having this problem, I bought my first jars of baby food at the age of 18 mos. Prunes and pear sauce. He ate them up and was back on schedule within a few days. Are you trying drinks with straws? Open cups? I find DS drinks a lot more when he has an open cup or a straw than a sippy.


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## welsh (Feb 14, 2007)

Thanks for your responses. Apples and pears are his favourite fruits and he has them most days.
I do give him prunes - often a jar of babyfood puree like the pp - and he'll eat it up but it doesn't make much difference...strangely!
Yesterday I actually gave him a mini juice box of apple juice and he drank the whole thing! Grrr! I wanted to avoid juice and stick to water...but...
He pooped last night and this morning so it worked!
I'll keep trying everything....


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## lotus.blossom (Mar 1, 2005)

Maybe making him homemade popscicles would encourage him to get liquids. Maybe use plum juice and assorted frozen fruits plus a good yogurt with lots of probiotics? In fact you can also get a liquid probiotic that might be beneficial. My son loved it when he was that age.....


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## MissMommyNiceNice (May 1, 2007)

Juice isn't that bad a thing at his age, especially if it's just once a day or something. I regurally give ds the v8 fusion juices in an effort to sneak fruits & veggies in him!


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## momma_monkey (Mar 26, 2007)

have you looked into food allergies? I ask b/c "not being able to go" was my symptom, until I looked into allergies as an adult. Dairy (cow dairy is often the big culprit) can often cause constipation.

what about making bran/flax seed muffins with a lot of dried fruits? lots of whole grains are good for a diet.

Mostly a question, but would a doc. prescribe a natural (oral) laxative for a child? If he has done "damage" to his muscles his body needs a chance to heal those muscles.

When he poos is it runny at all? Was he previously potty-trained and now he is having more poo accidents? This could indicate something that needs advice of a doctor.

hope he goes soon!


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## EdnaMarie (Sep 9, 2006)

What about getting him to drink out of a straw? Like if you go and get "sodas" from the store, only just get the water from the machine? Or a bottle?

Soups are a good idea. Other alternative drinks... can he have kefir? That always makes me go.


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## LaughingHyena (May 4, 2004)

Some things which seem to make drinks more interesting for my non drinkers are

letting them drink from the toy cups
Straws/straw sippy cups/water bottles
ice, we have some fun ice trays to make bears, arrows and other shapes.

DD likes to make smoothies, we usually use frozen fruit and she likes to hold the blender.


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## welsh (Feb 14, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *momma_monkey* 
have you looked into food allergies?

*I am afraid of this. He had awful problems with mucusy, runny poop as a baby. I did elimination diets and identified cow milk and soy. His symptoms went away at around 8 months but maybe he still has an issue















I think I need to cut dairy from both of our diets and see what happens.*

what about making bran/flax seed muffins with a lot of dried fruits? lots of whole grains are good for a diet.
*Great suggestion, thanks.*

When he poos is it runny at all? Was he previously potty-trained and now he is having more poo accidents? This could indicate something that needs advice of a doctor.
*No. It's normal, formed poop.*

hope he goes soon!

Thanks for the support!


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## welsh (Feb 14, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *LaughingHyena* 
Some things which seem to make drinks more interesting for my non drinkers are

letting them drink from the toy cups
Straws/straw sippy cups/water bottles
ice, we have some fun ice trays to make bears, arrows and other shapes.

DD likes to make smoothies, we usually use frozen fruit and she likes to hold the blender.

*He does love smoothies. Another good idea! Thanks!*


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## welsh (Feb 14, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *EdnaMarie* 
Soups are a good idea. Other alternative drinks... can he have kefir? That always makes me go.

What is kefir? I keep seeing it in stores here...


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## Shami (Oct 9, 2007)

nak
when i make oatmeal for dd i boil a prune in the water with the oats. then i chop it up in there with a little butter cinnamon and almond milk for calcium. it seems to keep her regular.


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## Shami (Oct 9, 2007)

kefir is a yogurt drink. great for smoothies. Lifeway brand is very wholesome and energy conscious as well. Pomegranate is my favorite. dd's is strwberry. we are trying to aquire a taste for the plain--not there yet. the flavored ones have sugar, but it is from fruit not corn syrup at least. no artificial colors.


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## columbusmomma (Oct 31, 2006)

my DD doesn't drink a lot of water. What's working for us lately is a teaspoon or so of flaxseed oil. In fact, it's worked like a charm! We've also had success with raw blueberries and pear juice.


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## maddycakes (Apr 14, 2008)

Two words: Pureed pumpkin.

It's in a can, usually in the baking section. Not pumpkin pie mix (which is spiced and has some sugar in it), but plain pureed pumpkin. My daughter ate it straight or I would toss her pasta in it as a "sauce". In fact, if you're using whole grain pasta, that's an added dose of fiber right there. I've also worked it into some baked goods like muffins.

My daughter had issues with constipation for the second half of her first year when my supply was starting to dwindle. I actually accidentally found out about its ability to clear the system smoothly....I never read the fiber content of pureed pumpkin until AFTER the big poopy diaper happened. Wow! Now I know!


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## littlelentils (Feb 15, 2007)

ahhh this is soooo my problem although my toddler isnt making grunted noises, she is very constipated. she wont drink ANYTHING other than breastmilk. ive tried water, juice, smoothies... any other suggestions to get liquids down her??


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## simonsmama (Oct 7, 2005)

same problem here. My daughter is TERRIBLE constipated, she will only drink milk or juice, and I really hate to give those to her, but she usually refuses water. I'm concerned because her poop is very VERY hard and it looks like it enlarges her anus when she poops, she cries and screams and I feel like such a bad mother because I dont know what to do about it. We've tried V8 vfusion juice to sneak in fruits and veggies, because she will NOT eat them. No. matter. what. She is all bread bread bread. *I am at my wits end*. I don't know what to do. I talked to the doctor about it, and he just said make sure she eats fruits and veggies and drinks lots of water. I was like.....I can lead a horse to water...but can't make it drink (or eat)!!! I am just out of ideas. Ugh. I feel terrible.


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## alpenglow (Oct 29, 2007)

I second the soups. Or soup broths. Anything liquidy.

Blueberries tends to be our trick - probably because when they thaw (from frozen) they get really juicy....so she gets fibre and fluid at the same time.


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## alpenglow (Oct 29, 2007)

TEA - warm fluids right after a meal usually do the trick for us too.


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## ElaynesMom (May 24, 2008)

My dd went through a few months where she was horribly constipated. It started as her not going I believe due to not enough fluids, then it was compounded by the fact that she would hold it in because it hurt to go.

For us, prunes and fibre filled foods just didn't do it. You need liquid to go along with these things or they just don't work. My dd would not drink out of any type of cup (open, sippy, straw). We eventually found that she would drink from a dropper/syringe or a sports bottle.

My doctor advised us to use glycerin suppositiories every 2 or 3 days after she began taking more fluids. Because she was holding in her bowel movements because she was afraid it would hurt she felt that by using the glycering suppositories for a couple weeks to help her along it would show her that it wasn't painful anymore. *I do not recommend this without talking to your doctor as it may not be best for your situation, and is awful to have to do. This was out last resort after it got pretty bad and other natural measures weren't working.*

Flax oil is also a good suggestion, as are offering soups. Good luck.


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## EdnaMarie (Sep 9, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *welsh* 
What is kefir? I keep seeing it in stores here...

It is related to yoghurt, but with more, uh, tanginess. It's really good for you but make sure it's good and thick. It would be good for a smoothie- we used to mix it with homemade raspberry or currant jams (just, with a fork at the breakfast table, not a proper smoothie). Mmmmmm.

It is also known to "regulate" the irregular.


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