Dumb first time mom question :)

[Donna]

Hi everyone. My quick introduction is that I've been lurking on and off for
a couple of years, and had my first child in December (a daughter, Sarah,
who is now 7 1/2 months old), and my name is Donna. Hi!

I have what is undoubtedly a very silly question, but I cringe at calling
the pediatrician for this one. If you could help me, I'd be very grateful.
Here is the question: How does one know when her baby is constipated? I've
never had a baby before (and before my daughter arrived, hadn't changed a
diaper since 1982 <rolls eyes>) and I don't know what is normal to expect
once a baby has been weaned (recently) and is now on formula and solid food.
Not to get too descriptive, but what is normal for an older baby who eats
equal amounts of solid food and formula?

Follow up question - if it turns out that she is constipated, what can I do
about it? I've been pusing fluids and pears/prunes/wheat cereal. Any other
suggestions of what to try before I call for a prescription?

Grateful thanks in advance,

Donna

[T.R.H.]

New here too, but if I remember right a warm bath seemed to work for my
oldest when she had this. Not sure why, but it worked!

hth


"Welches" > wrote in message
...
>
> Donna > wrote in message
> ...
> > Hi everyone. My quick introduction is that I've been lurking on and off
> for
> > a couple of years, and had my first child in December (a daughter,
Sarah,
> > who is now 7 1/2 months old), and my name is Donna. Hi!
> >
> > I have what is undoubtedly a very silly question, but I cringe at
calling
> > the pediatrician for this one. If you could help me, I'd be very
> grateful.
> > Here is the question: How does one know when her baby is constipated?
> I've
> > never had a baby before (and before my daughter arrived, hadn't changed
a
> > diaper since 1982 <rolls eyes>) and I don't know what is normal to
expect
> > once a baby has been weaned (recently) and is now on formula and solid
> food.
> > Not to get too descriptive, but what is normal for an older baby who
eats
> > equal amounts of solid food and formula?
> >
> If she's not going regularly (say not every other day or whatever she has
> been doing), strains (going funny colours in the face) without producing
> anything or very small amounts (pea sized), and when she does pass
anything
> it is very hard, she may be constipated.
> > Follow up question - if it turns out that she is constipated, what can I
> do
> > about it? I've been pusing fluids and pears/prunes/wheat cereal. Any
> other
> > suggestions of what to try before I call for a prescription?
> >
> Sounds reasonable what you've been doing. Child I knew had constipation
> starting about this time, and it turned out he was allergic to the
formula,
> so keep an open mind that it could be a reaction to a food substance. If
she
> gets constipated like that child you won't be able to miss it, he would
> sometimes go a week without going, which is generally not right.
> Debbie
>
>
>

[Naomi Pardue]

>Here is the question: How does one know when her baby is constipated? I've
>never had a baby before (and before my daughter arrived, hadn't changed a
>diaper since 1982 <rolls eyes>) and I don't know what is normal to expect

>once a baby has been weaned (recently) and is now on formula and solid food.
>Not to get too descriptive, but what is normal for an older baby who eats
>equal amounts of solid food and

Constipation in any baby would be stools that are hard and solid and difficult
to pass, causing the baby pain and difficulty. (Frequency is irrelevent.)

>I've been pusing fluids and pears/prunes/wheat cereal. Any other
>suggestions of what to try before I call for a prescription?

I'd try eliminating constipating foods like cereal, bananas and applesauce.
If possible/practical, you could try adding a little breastmilk back into her
diet.

In general, watch the solid foods. If she's really taking equal amounts of
solids and formula, that seems like an awful lot of solids for a 7 month old.
At this age milk (whether breast or formula) should still make up the great
majority of the diet, with solids just supplements. A few spoonsful at a meal,
along with her bottle, is plenty.




Naomi
CAPPA Certified Lactation Educator

(either remove spamblock or change address to to e-mail
reply.)

[James and Karen Stewart]

One thing that seemed to work for me with my kids, was and still is, baby
apple/prune juice.....it is in the small jar in the baby food section......
it still works when my kids get like that.... and they are 4 and 6 ( My 6 yr
old has trouble with her bowels to begin with).
At 7 1/2 months she should be going poop every other day at the least....
nearly like an adult......
So how you know she is constipated is if she hasn't had a poop in more then
48-72 hrs.....
The juice I mentioned is for babies, not adults, and it is fine to give her
at her age. It might clean her out though..so you might want to just give
her 1/2 the bottle not the whole thing ( it is just a small baby food jar
size).

Karen


"Donna" > wrote in message
...
> Hi everyone. My quick introduction is that I've been lurking on and off
for
> a couple of years, and had my first child in December (a daughter, Sarah,
> who is now 7 1/2 months old), and my name is Donna. Hi!
>
> I have what is undoubtedly a very silly question, but I cringe at calling
> the pediatrician for this one. If you could help me, I'd be very
grateful.
> Here is the question: How does one know when her baby is constipated?
I've
> never had a baby before (and before my daughter arrived, hadn't changed a
> diaper since 1982 <rolls eyes>) and I don't know what is normal to expect
> once a baby has been weaned (recently) and is now on formula and solid
food.
> Not to get too descriptive, but what is normal for an older baby who eats
> equal amounts of solid food and formula?
>
> Follow up question - if it turns out that she is constipated, what can I
do
> about it? I've been pusing fluids and pears/prunes/wheat cereal. Any
other
> suggestions of what to try before I call for a prescription?
>
> Grateful thanks in advance,
>
> Donna
>
>

[James and Karen Stewart]

and by the way...no first time mom question is dumb...they are all valid
when they are asked in the best interest of your child

Karen


"Donna" > wrote in message
...
> Hi everyone. My quick introduction is that I've been lurking on and off
for
> a couple of years, and had my first child in December (a daughter, Sarah,
> who is now 7 1/2 months old), and my name is Donna. Hi!
>
> I have what is undoubtedly a very silly question, but I cringe at calling
> the pediatrician for this one. If you could help me, I'd be very
grateful.
> Here is the question: How does one know when her baby is constipated?
I've
> never had a baby before (and before my daughter arrived, hadn't changed a
> diaper since 1982 <rolls eyes>) and I don't know what is normal to expect
> once a baby has been weaned (recently) and is now on formula and solid
food.
> Not to get too descriptive, but what is normal for an older baby who eats
> equal amounts of solid food and formula?
>
> Follow up question - if it turns out that she is constipated, what can I
do
> about it? I've been pusing fluids and pears/prunes/wheat cereal. Any
other
> suggestions of what to try before I call for a prescription?
>
> Grateful thanks in advance,
>
> Donna
>
>

[lynn]

In article >,
"Donna" > wrote:

> Hi everyone. My quick introduction is that I've been lurking on and off for
> a couple of years, and had my first child in December (a daughter, Sarah,
> who is now 7 1/2 months old), and my name is Donna. Hi!
>
> I have what is undoubtedly a very silly question, but I cringe at calling
> the pediatrician for this one. If you could help me, I'd be very grateful.
> Here is the question: How does one know when her baby is constipated? I've
> never had a baby before (and before my daughter arrived, hadn't changed a
> diaper since 1982 <rolls eyes>) and I don't know what is normal to expect
> once a baby has been weaned (recently) and is now on formula and solid food.
> Not to get too descriptive, but what is normal for an older baby who eats
> equal amounts of solid food and formula?
>
> Follow up question - if it turns out that she is constipated, what can I do
> about it? I've been pusing fluids and pears/prunes/wheat cereal. Any other
> suggestions of what to try before I call for a prescription?
>
> Grateful thanks in advance,
>
> Donna

I find that Dr. Sears has good advice about medical questions. See their
website: http://askdrsears.com/html/8/t081100.asp

or their book, "The Baby Book."

If you've just switched to formula, it might be the extra iron, as that
webpage describes.

- Lynn

[RuggyKurtz]

>Hi everyone. My quick introduction is that I've been lurking on and off for
>a couple of years, and had my first child in December (a daughter, Sarah,
>who is now 7 1/2 months old), and my name is Donna. Hi!
>
>I have what is undoubtedly a very silly question, but I cringe at calling
>the pediatrician for this one. If you could help me, I'd be very grateful.
>Here is the question: How does one know when her baby is constipated? I've
>never had a baby before (and before my daughter arrived, hadn't changed a
>diaper since 1982 <rolls eyes>) and I don't know what is normal to expect
>once a baby has been weaned (recently) and is now on formula and solid food.
>Not to get too descriptive, but what is normal for an older baby who eats
>equal amounts of solid food and formula?
>
>Follow up question - if it turns out that she is constipated, what can I do
>about it? I've been pusing fluids and pears/prunes/wheat cereal. Any other
>suggestions of what to try before I call for a prescription?
>
>Grateful thanks in advance,
>
>Donna
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>

Hi Donna. When my first daughter went 3 weeks without pooping, the doctor
recommended adult prune juice, with the pulp. Just 2 ounces worked like a
charm. It also does sound like an awful lot of solids too, maybe cutting back
on those will help. The daughter I mentioned above only pooped maybe once a
week, every baby is different, and maybe your baby is using more of the food
you feed, because of a high metabolism. It's not the frequency that means
constipation, but other signs (straining, crying while pushing, etc.). The
prune juice is fine for a baby your age, and I'd give that a shot before trying
to get a prescription.

Brandy

[E]

The only "dumb question" is the one that goes unasked :)
my 2 mo dd groans just to pee, so I don't use groaning/pushing hard as an
indicator :)
Edith
nak

"Donna" > wrote in message
...
> Hi everyone. My quick introduction is that I've been lurking on and off
for
> a couple of years, and had my first child in December (a daughter, Sarah,
> who is now 7 1/2 months old), and my name is Donna. Hi!
>
> I have what is undoubtedly a very silly question, but I cringe at calling
> the pediatrician for this one. If you could help me, I'd be very
grateful.
> Here is the question: How does one know when her baby is constipated?
I've
> never had a baby before (and before my daughter arrived, hadn't changed a
> diaper since 1982 <rolls eyes>) and I don't know what is normal to expect
> once a baby has been weaned (recently) and is now on formula and solid
food.
> Not to get too descriptive, but what is normal for an older baby who eats
> equal amounts of solid food and formula?
>
> Follow up question - if it turns out that she is constipated, what can I
do
> about it? I've been pusing fluids and pears/prunes/wheat cereal. Any
other
> suggestions of what to try before I call for a prescription?
>
> Grateful thanks in advance,
>
> Donna
>
>