Help! Toddler Constipation - advice needed

[roxyk77]

My 19 month old daughter has recently been suffering with constipation on and off for 3 weeks now. She's really struggling to pass a bowel movement and is clearly very distressed about it and now too frightened to do so holding it in, she is in lots of agony. I have now exhausted nearly all options (see below list) so wondering if anyone has any new suggestions or advice on how to handle

What we've tried so far:

- fluids, lots of of as thinking this could be due to hot weather

- fruit; all varieties (excluding bananas and apples) - lots of pears

dried fruit, prunes, apricots, plums, figs, etc

- whole grains and plenty of veg

- prune juice

- flax seed oil - mixed in yogurt with dried fruit

- massaging her stomach in a clockwise motion

- exercise, getting her moving lots but its hard as she is getting very grumpy

- aloe vera juice

- we bought some glycerin suppositries but she was so distressed about it we decided it would do more harm than good

- i have also consulted the doctors twice and tried lactulose and now given her sodium picosulfahte but as a general rule i try to go for more natural methods if i can

- finally we are seeing a cranial osteopath at Dulwich therapy rooms tomorrow which i am hoping will get things moving but in case it doesnt...

anyone got anything i could add?

Thanks

[buggie]

orange juice seems to be missing from the list (but know you've listed "fruit" - find it really effective in getting things moving! x

[Vik]

My daughter had the same problem at about the same age, I tried Califig (sold in Sainsburys) in enough pure orange juice to hide the taste and that did the trick almost straight away.

Hope she's better soon.

[curlykaren]

over-ripe pineapple

[Peckhamgatecrasher]

Coffee and cigarettes are pretty good bowel movers, if that doesn't appeal, try sugar in orange juice.

[supergolden88]

Lactulose works if given consistently (and it sounds like you have exhausted the natural methods)

Reflexology on the feet helped but I am not sure I remember exactly how to do it (I think you press your thumbs at bottom of foot and press upwards towards the toes) so perhaps google it?

[KateW]

Muller Vitality yogurts have been really helping my pregnancy constipation; maybe give them a go?

[edanna]

Try clear apple juice - lots of it. It's worth going back to the GP if she still has a problem. Hope she's better soon.

[GinaG3]

Califig, I will second that. My mother used it on all of my family when we were little and all through the generations, hardly ever fails. :)

[ari]

Hi ?

have you changed her milk? After trying everything you have mentioned, the GP advised me to change the milk. I changed from SMA to Aptamil follow-up milk and it worked! The GP told me to look for milk with lower iron content.

Hope your daughter gets better!

[Saffron]

Try herbal fenugreek capsules. You can buy these in any large health shop. Mix them with juice or yogurt. It is thought to work by helping the bowel retain water, so softening the stool without causing cramping like fig or senna supplements. You may have to give them at higher than the suggested dose for a few days to have a result. (It is very safe. I took it while breastfeeding my daughter.)

So sorry and hope everything gets better soon!!