We all know how it feels when we are constipated, the discomfort and frustration can be overwhelming. But have you ever considered what your one-year-old baby might be going through when they're constipated? It's definitely not a laughing matter. Their little bodies are still developing and figuring out things that our adult digestive system has down pat.
There could be several reasons why your baby might suffer from chronic or occasional constipation- from diet to medical conditions- but no matter the cause, there are some steps you can take to relieve their discomfort.
Increasing fluids in your child's diet
Hydration - Picture this: someone told you that drinking 2 liters of water a day is good for health, so you decided to up your intake overnight. How would that make you feel—constantly over-full? Water-bloated belly aside; dehydration contributes directly to hard poop trouble in children. Encourage sips throughout the day at regular intervals so they don’t wet themselves before catching hold of nature’s signals.
Here are some other ways fluid intake can help:
- Adding prune juice
- Using extra purified water while making formula or blending foods
- Offering breast milk more often than solids foods
Foods high in fiber - Add plenty of dietary fiber through fresh fruit (i.e., apples), dried fruits like prunes or apricots, beans and lentils, whole grains such as oats...fiber-rich veggies anyone?
Physical Interventions
When changing fluid levels alone isn't enough…
Belly massages - Press gently on your baby's stomach area with downward pressure towards their anus using two fingers – clockwise / anticlockwise motion takes care of gas pains too
Warm baths - As funny as it sounds…fill up the tub halfway with warm water (not hot) after cleaning them then let them played in the water so pooping isn't too embarrassing (like it would be for an adult).
Sitting practice - Encourage your baby to sit on a regular, daily basis and relax. Lactulose syrup or suppository also helps soften impacted stools, making bowel movements easier.
Dietary Supplements
Supplemental food formulae have a looong history of aiding children's healthy digestion…
Vitamin supplements - Some vitamins help alleviate constipation issues by giving your child an added boost of nutrition they might be missing out on. Probiotics are also pretty good additions, helping maintain gut flora.
Summing up their Poopportunity
With enough fluids through our little ones' diet aided with some fiber-through increasing fruits & vegetable intake-digestive challenges can improve noticeably in under two weeks when eating improves along digestive juices that lowers acidity levels before inflammation sets-in 🙂
Hope these pointers were helpful! At the end you’d want comfortability for all babies alike wouldn’t you?