It wouldn't be a mommy blog if I didn't talk about it (at least once)
I seem to have found myself trapped in a scary cycle of poopy hell the likes of which I have never experienced. It all started last weekend when Little Guy hung out with his baby cousin for the day (read: they stuck their fingers into each other’s mouths and noses all day and shared about a pint of saliva).
Well, turns out that little baby cousin was just getting over a little baby stomach flu, which no one thought to tell me about until after the saliva exchange. (Yeah, thanks a bunch people.)
Anyhow, the next morning I awoke to find my poor Little Guy covered in vomit from head to toe. Luckily, he only had one episode of vomititis. However, we quickly entered DIARRHEA HELL. It was everywhere. And I mean everywhere. On him. On me. On the dog. Ew.
So, I did what any mother would do. *Ahem.* I opened up my Dr. Sears Baby Book to page 690 and read about this thing called the B.R.A.T.Y. diet: “Five foods you can feed your infant that may help slow down diarrhea”. Perfect, I thought! A natural solution to Little Guy’s stomach problem.
So, I dished up the bananas, applesauce and rice cereal at almost every meal and within only 2 days the problem had been minimized, and then yesterday, the diarrhea was gone…totally! I had achieved victory! No antibiotics needed! I was supermom! Or so I thought….
Yes, the diarrhea was gone, but f*king-a if I hadn’t constipated him. He could barely go at all!
So what did I do?
I turned back to Dr. Sears for more advice, this time to page 696 where he talks about treating constipation. His advice?
So, forget Dr. Sears. I need some advice from real moms. What do you think I should do? Quick before I start in with the prunes...
Well, turns out that little baby cousin was just getting over a little baby stomach flu, which no one thought to tell me about until after the saliva exchange. (Yeah, thanks a bunch people.)
Anyhow, the next morning I awoke to find my poor Little Guy covered in vomit from head to toe. Luckily, he only had one episode of vomititis. However, we quickly entered DIARRHEA HELL. It was everywhere. And I mean everywhere. On him. On me. On the dog. Ew.
So, I did what any mother would do. *Ahem.* I opened up my Dr. Sears Baby Book to page 690 and read about this thing called the B.R.A.T.Y. diet: “Five foods you can feed your infant that may help slow down diarrhea”. Perfect, I thought! A natural solution to Little Guy’s stomach problem.
So, I dished up the bananas, applesauce and rice cereal at almost every meal and within only 2 days the problem had been minimized, and then yesterday, the diarrhea was gone…totally! I had achieved victory! No antibiotics needed! I was supermom! Or so I thought….Yes, the diarrhea was gone, but f*king-a if I hadn’t constipated him. He could barely go at all!
So what did I do?
I turned back to Dr. Sears for more advice, this time to page 696 where he talks about treating constipation. His advice?
“Lessen constipating foods [such as]….rice cereal, banans, apples.”And that’s when I realized....I am currently in a scary cycle of poopy hell, and I don’t know how to get out.
So, forget Dr. Sears. I need some advice from real moms. What do you think I should do? Quick before I start in with the prunes...
posted by Cristina @6:47 AM
33 Comments:
My daughter had constipation trouble as an infant (sorry Victoria, but I gotta share) and we took her to a stomach specialist. $165 later, he told us give her 2 teaspoons of Mineral Oil a day. I used an eyedropper and she hated it, but it worked like a charm. It's very harmless.
Peaches and Pears first - before Prunes.
If that fails, a cup of water with a big glop of Karo syrup should get things moving....
I was always told the green veggies help movement, however I have never been in the cycle with Becca, just diarrhea till it was gone. The dr did mention less milk while she had the runs though!!
Good Luck! Nothing is harder than a sick kid :(
I did the Karo syrup and water thing as well.
My kids are the kings (and queen) of constipation. I always did the karo syrup in water or a little sugar in the bottle. Works most every time.
water. my doc told me no on the karo because of the incredibly high sugar content. roxy, as with noah, didn't shit for weeks at a time when she was new. just let it happen. they will eventually dump. or you can go get glycerin suppositories and go that route. those ALWAYS work!
Prunes always worked for us, although I don't suggest going hog wild and giving prunes at each meal. Just one dose, and then see what happens.
As for getting out of the cycle, I think just feeding a combo of foods with fiber along with non-constiptating foods plus plenty of liquids should do the trick.
i covered my eyes for half of this post. POOP TALK.1 EW! lol
we always give Gaige mineral water.....that moves things along usually...lol
OH GAWD. This post made me laugh. Not AT you. With you, darlin'. Gosh, my kids haven't been little like this in AGES. I have no advice for ya. The karo syrup thing sounds good and like the baby won't fight you if you try and give it to him.
Poor Baby, Poor Mommy.
I've never heard of Karo syrup or mineral oil. I'll have to look into that.
I'm gonna try the water, veggies, and the peaches, too. Thanks for the suggestions!!
Lots and lots of fluids. Use a pedalyte or Gerber electolic solution. Mark always loved how they tasted so he drank plenty when offered.
Poor little baby! I'm with the other moms...1 teaspoon of Karo syrup in some juice should help. Sometimes just a little extra water does the trick...as does apples, pears, and prunes.
are you still breastfeeding? I usually have the breast, erm, best luck with filling him up on the stuff. thus far, it's worked like a charm. ....
?!?!
Lildb, yep, I'm still breastfeeding. I can't imagine how much worse it would be if not for that! I'll have to do an extra feeding or two. Good idea.
We just went through that. It suuucks. Prunes worked for us but, as Christina said, don't go crazy with them. Start with a little bit and see how everything works out. Pun intended.
1st: let me start off that I just found your blog, and I think you're great. 2nd: let me say you are pretty lucky with the one time vomit, because my 2 girls, ages 6yrs and 6 months just got over the flu. The oldest had it for 4 days anhd then 2 days later the youngest had it for 6 days. We had a puke and poop party for over a week straight. It was so much fun, I suggest everyone try it at least once. (Not really!)
My dr suggested karo syrup to for the baby when she was constipated and the "BRAT" diet for the poop problems. you know, banans, rice,l applesauce, and toast. Good luck
Oh, just wait a little while. He pooped out everything he had in there when he had diarhea. I bet tomorrow he'll be pooping with no trouble at all. ANd if he's not--those baby food prunes do the trick.
Congrats on stopping up the diarhea--around here it always seems to last 10 days no matter what I do.
Since I am still nursing, and because Bean drinks water every day anyway, I just let him ride out his unnatural poop episodes. They usually fix themselves with no special intervention from me.
I LOVE your flow chart (no pun intended)
Evarob, thanks for acknowleging my flow chart. I may not know Photoshop, but I can get pretty wicked with a Microsoft Word Document. Oh yeah.
Ha! That' the best use of a powerpoint slide ever!
The best constipation remedy in my opinion is watermelon. Works for Hailey everytime.
~Jenny
http://blogs.chron.com/mamadrama/
I hope all the advice helps your little guy.
Even though it's not fun or funny living with poo hell, it sure is entertaining to read your story. That's a vicious cycle.
Lots of good advice. All I can say is that we're big on avocado around here. One a day seems to keep Josephine's um...not too and not too...you know what I'm saying.
Avocado and watermelon, huh? Interesting...I would really like to use food to regulate him so these are all good tips.
And on a side note, I must say that one cool thing about blogging is that you can ask dumb-ass new mommy questions about poo and no one will make fun of you. They'll just give you good advice. So thanks, everyone, for not making fun of my post. I know that getting hung up on poo is probably a little bit of "new mom" syndrome :)
Mine had CONSTANT poop cycle problems. It got to the point where I was putting a 1/2 oz of prune juice in every bottle. I never had to try the Karo syrup, but I have a bottle of it at home anyway, just in case. Though if you end up with the prune juice route, I wouldn't recommend full or even half strength. Yeah, that was one fun diaper to change at the beginning of a six hour cross-state trek.
Sorry can't help ya but that is a funny ass diagram! Hope you both get some relief, quickly!
Water works for me. So does peaches.
Good luck...
A bit of prunes mixed up with yogurt does the trick. You boil the prunes in some water -- just enough so that it makes them saucy in the food processor/hand blender/ what ever you fancy. Not too much or you get back to diarrhea, but a couple of tespoons oughtta do it.
That diagram made my day
I shake up some stage 1 or 2 prunes in apple juice. Works like a charm every time.
And I agree, for the future and to keep things "moving" on a regular basis, I keep her hydrated, and feed her a variety of foods.
I'm a day late posting here, so I hope all your worries have been solved by now. My kids are uberpoopers, so I don't have any advice. My youngest eats two bananas every morning... yes, TWO... And STILL poops like it's goin' outa style.
Good luck, missy.
I am hoping all is resolved by now, but I just had to say I LOVE your diagram. :-)
Mineral oil is a petrolium based product, not particularly good to be taken internally. Has no nutritional value and can strip nutrients as it slides through the bowels. Use flax seed oil instead, it is natural and has high omega3s as well.
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