Constipation - Any tips?

[Otta]

My poor 3.5 year old has been in terrible pain last night and today, was just wondering if anyone had any tips.

Laxatives not an option because she doesn't drink enough and last time they caused her agony!

[RenF]

Anything orangey always works for my little one. (and for me when I was pregnant/post birth!).

Big glass of Oj, or fresh fruit?

[Bellenden Belle]

Prune juice works a treat. Three tablespoons should do it - and top tip, pour the rest of the carton into an ice cube tray so you don't have to keep buying it.

Payless on Bellenden Road stocked it back in the spring.

[Saffron]

What type of laxatives did you try? Lactulose is a very gentle laxative that is well tolerated with few side effects, IMHO. Definitely steer clear of anything containing senna for mild constipation, as this can cause terrible cramps. For older toddlers/children, you could try a few sips of cooled tea in the morning. The caffeine can help stimulate the bowel.

What do you mean by "doesn't drink enough"? Despite constant messages to the contrary, most of the 'water' content from our diets should come from our food, this includes things like whole fruits and vegetables. If children don't have lots of sugary/salty/fatty snacks, they don't need massive amounts of water to drink. Speak to a dietition if this is an ongoing concern?

Adding fibre to the diet is good in general, but it won't have an immediate effect if the constipation in the lower bowel is quite profound. What about glycerine suppositories? We have used the adult ones on Little Saff a few times. Just cut them in half with a clean pair of scirrors or knife. However, if the constipation has gone on for 3+ days, then sometimes the glycerine just gets pooed out before it can do any good (sorry, TMI, we have a lot of personal experience with this!). So, try to get your LO to 'hold on' to it for a few minutes. Although, even if the glycerine comes out mostly whole, just the physical stimulation in the bowel sometimes seems to have helped.

Despite a good diet Little Saff only has a bowel movement twice a week and is prone to occasional constipation. Even when she was a breastfed baby, she only pooed once a week -- and what a nappy-filler it was!) We talked to the Paed's Consultant and more recently the HV about it. Both said it's normal. If constipation has gone on for 5+ days, the advice from our current HV (who is actually fabulous) is to see the GP for a prescrition for Movicol. Otherwise it's best to let the bowel sort itself out.

A very warm bath also helps sometimes... be prepared with a net. Good luck. :) xx

[Convex]

A friend swears by drizzling oil on the bum to help the poo come out.

Not had to do it myself so can't recommend it personally!

[oimissus]

we've used Lactulose, it's a poo softener, if you will, not a laxative. Poor wee thing, hope she's better soon.

[Otta]

Saffron, she just doesn't drink much, and her eating is hit and miss to be honest. Such a shame as she used to be well up for anything.

Have gotten lots of OJ and water down her via a syringe game, and slowly but surely we're getting somewhere.

[sillywoman]

Our little girl (now a big girl) used to get this badly at around the same age. It sounds awful but we found encouraging her to keep upright (the tummy pains made her want to lie down & slowed the inevitable process) really helped i.e Mr S had to hold her upright in his arms while she tried to wiggle out to lie on the sofa, as did dried apricots (luckily she liked them) and the usual high fructose fruit juice things that have already been mentioned.

[Otta]

By the way, how did the mathmatical genius get over his constipation?

He worked it out with a pencil!

Heh heh.

[sillywoman]

EEeewwww!! Otta!!

[Saffron]

Otta Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> By the way, how did the mathmatical genius get

> over his constipation?

>

> He worked it out with a pencil!

>

> Heh heh.

It's nearly come to that here a couple of times with Little Saff!

Seriously though, it sounds like you're doing all the right things. This seems to be a physiological phase that many children go through, which is probably why GPs are reluctant to interfere unless constipation has gone on for more than 5 days.

Do you have a smoothie maker or good quality blender? Your LO might have fun making fruit and live yogurt smoothies. You can add psyllium husk, ispaghula, or ground flax seed to aid digestion and peristalsis. These are all natural 'bulk' laxatives that soften stools. They often come in powdered/ground form and need to be taken with liquid, hence the smoothie idea.

Lactulose is a synthetic bulk laxative which comes in liquid form. You can give it without much additional liquid, although liquid will help.

None of these bulk-type laxatives are very effective for acute constipation in the lower bowel, as far a I've found with Little Saff. They need to be taken regularly several times a week.

Maybe worth carefully considering how much fluid your daughter actually needs, then implementing a sticker chart for reaching small goals, eg 1-2 oz of water 4x daily with a sticker for each cup finished?

Really hope your LO is feeling better soon. xx

[Otta]

Much better today, we gave her one Movicol this morning in 65ml of water, and she's had a couple of hundred ml or either water or fresh squeezed OJ. Things seem to be moving a bit.

We've had ongoing issues with her, and are taking her to see someone in a couple of weeks. It's meant we've had absolutely no joy with potty training, which I don't really mind, but I want it done in the next 9 months before she starts school, as I don't want her teased by other kids for wearing nappies.

[oimissus]

we are also struggling with poos and potty training (as I think I've posted before), 3rd attempt, wees are fine, she takes herself off to the potty and is very proud of herself, poos she's got some kind of mental block where she simply won't use the potty, and eventually we have to put her back in nappies, together with the lactulose. Not even the promise of Peppa chocs is helping, and normally she'd sell her soul for chocolate. Sigh. I guess they must all get there in the end, it just seems such an epic journey, with nary a Thorin Oakenshield or Kili in sight to ease the way (though Miss Oi prefers Bombur, weirdo).

[juno]

No real experience with proper constipation, but I do find a good long soft play energy session gets things moving for my rather reluctant 3.5 yr old. Poos really held him back with potty training too OM - had to give up on first attempt. Books helped - 'everybody poos' and 'poo goes to pooland' (http://www.scribd.com/doc/28743654/Poo-Goes-to-Pooland-1-1) seemed to help, although I did feel like I was losing my mind talking about 'mr poo' the whole time...

[oimissus]

not medical or scientific in any way, but we had our first poo in the potty yesterday and I think this might have been helped by the piece of very rich and squidgy chocolate brownie Miss Oi had in a cafe (as well as pea soup at lunchtime)! Not an ongoing solution but might help as a one-off?

[Inkmaiden]

.

[Wren]

My daughter is now 16months and has suffered very badly with constipation since she was weaned.

Her diet has always been very healthy and I'd included fluids, prune juice, lentils etc. but she would still have major problems with every bowel movement and this would lead to inevitable poo-holding, distended belly, discomfort, limited appetite etc.

On my third visit to GP, a new Dr practically whispered whether I'd like to try suppositories, together with half a sachet of movical morning and night.

Well, all I can say is that she is now cured from that evening!

The suppository cleared the stubborn bit of poo straight away and since then I've only needed to give her half a sachet of movical every day and she has had no probs at all.

I'm so relieved that I was compelled to share :-)

[susyp]

just bumping this as on day 5 of what seems to be chronic (and first case of) constipation of my 4.5 year old . she is in pretty bad pain. yesterday we went to the doctor and got some movicol - and i also got fig syrup - so 2 teaspoons of fig syrup yesterday and today, one sachet of movicol half yesterday, 2 today, and it is not budging. She was up most of last night in pain. Have tried massaging her with some warm wet cotton wool while she pushes. tried it on potty watching tv. she is really in such a lot of pain. it's all been brought on by holding it at school and after being told off for taking too long , the first time she went after months of holding it. suffice to say i shall be having words on monday. I think i need to see the school nurse too if nothing hapens this weekend as she will def need helping sorting herself out if it finally lets rip in the week. But would really like to clear it this weekend.

any ideas?

susypx

[hellosailor]

Poor thing, my 2 year old is constipated too and wanders round farting miserably saying 'poo poo' and clutching her bottom. we've been trying to get her to eat dried apricots all day as they usually help and she won't take syrup of figs. Have you tried prunes, dried apricots, lots of sunflower seeds, fruit juice, drinking lots of mugs of warm water (as warm as she can drink it) and a warm bath?

Hope something shifts tonight...

[EDmummy]

Gosh this brings back some terrible memories. Have you tried kiwi fruit? We used to try prune juice, warm water, apricots, warm baths, and pretty much everything else. Good luck and I hope you get her moving tomorrow.

[susyp]

oh thank goodness i looked at some websites and read about how they have to sit on the toilet for 15-20 mins and have their knees higher than their hips - so dug the old potty out - put the telly on - sat next to her and encouraged her to sit and breathe through the pain - took a few attempts but in the end the position meant she had no choice and the biggest thing I have ever seen came out of her. Poor love she had gone completely white with the pain - then she just lay on the sofa looking relieved. A good nights sleep tonight after 3 nights of hell. It hurt when she broke wind earlier after wards so clearly all very sore inside. We have lots of movicol left so i think the advice is is to continue with it to give her bowel a chance to contract again and also to get her over the fear. Harder with a 2 year hello sailor- a friend of mine with same age kid said she put her finger in and dug it out but that seems a little extreme - hope she gets sorted out soon.

going to see the school nurse on monday as this simply can't go on - we had the autumn term with 3x urinery infections as she wouldnt wee at school - now seems ok with that but the poo thing is a problem now - i cant beleive she got told off for taking too long. Absolutely no support for her at all - i know they have to grow up but i can't have her ocnstantly having toileting issues - she had no problems at all before starting school.

It was absolutely awful the past few days as she has been in so much pain. She screamed the house down when it was coming out but i was just so excited it was coming! (remind anyone of anything!)

susypx

[susyp]

Oh...sigh.... we're back here again - last 2 days has been very uncomfortable but not on scale of last week .

Having 2 teaspoons of easifig a day, and 2 sachets of movicol half - the school nurse suggested today we up it to 3 sachets so going to try that tomorrow. It's really telling on her now - she looks very peaky and tired and is super grumpy!

want to try swimming at the weekend as i could imagine that getting things a bit more sorted but a bit concerned about doing it while she is taking laxatives ! So will have to see how it goes this week.

i've got some flaxseed coming, we make our own bread so going to try and put it in there - she's having to put up with proper brown bread too rather than the half and half we normally make to keep her happy!

Eating carrots, apples, broccoli - even a banana a day which she detests. Just bought a load of grapes which someone told me are good cos of the skin ( she won't eat apple skin).

any ideas? help!

susypx

[nunheadmum]

How ripe are the bananas? I find bananas bung me up - apparently not so ripe ones (the only way I like them) do that.

Is she drinking enough? My youngest won't drink and ends up bunged up. A big dish of grapes really ran through her last week though.

Definitely speak to school though - they really shouldn't be telling kids off for taking too long. I mean at that age they can't really have anything that is so desperately pressing to do anyway.

[etta166]

Have you tried lactulose and glycerine suppositories? Weaning gave my daughter appalling constipation for months and nothing would get her to go (no amount of water, figs, prunes, dried apricots etc.) other than a suppository. They work pretty quickly (within 15 mins) to make you go, but it can be painful if the poo is very hard. The lactulose makes the poo softer by trapping water in it, so it only really works if you can persuade your daughter to drink lots as well.