I received product and compensation from Mead Johnson Nutrition to create this post written by me. All experiences and opinions expressed in this post are my own and not those of Mead Johnson Nutrition. Consult your pediatrician before making changes to your baby’s diet or if you have concerns related to your baby’s digestive health. Please see the product label/website for acceptable use and benefits. You can contact Mead Johnson Nutrition with product related questions or comments toll free at 1-800-BABY123 or through the Contact Us link on Reguline.com or Enfamil.com.
Having a baby with occasional constipation is not any fun. I know this from personal experience. My daughter suffered from occasional constipation when she was an infant and I felt so helpless as a parent. I think I tried everything you could do to soothe a baby who had occasional constipation, some things worked, some didn’t, but I did learn a lot from the experience.
The first thing I had trouble with was figuring out when she was constipated. Every child is different when it comes to bowel movements so most doctors will tell you that if they haven’t gone in 5 days, then they are constipated. My daughter was fairly regular; she would go at least once a day. So when she hadn’t gone once in at least 3 days, that is when I started to worry. The American Academy of Pediatrics suggests asking yourself the following questions. These signs can suggest actual constipation:
- Is your baby excessively fussy?
- Is she spitting up more than usual?
- Is she having fewer bowel movements than normal?
- Are her stools unusually hard, or contain blood?
- Does she strain for more than 10 min. without success?
If you answer yes to one or more of these, then your baby is probably constipated and you should consult your pediatrician for advice on what to do next.
I would always try the natural options first. I really didn’t want to put anything unnecessary into my baby’s body, especially when she is already feeling bad. The first thing I would do is move her legs in a bicycle motion to help get things moving in her intestine. This only seemed to help her with gas pains and didn’t really do much for her occasional constipation. I would also put a warm towel on her tummy to help as well.
When this didn’t work, it was on to the prune juice. I would dilute it with water and she didn’t seem to mind the taste. You can also use apple or pear juice but I’m telling you, prune juice was a winner for us. She would usually always have a bowel movement within 10 minutes of drinking it.
There is also formula available now that is designed to help babies with occasional constipation. I wasn’t aware of this when my daughter was an infant. If none of the “natural” options seem to work for your baby, you can try Enfamil® Reguline™. I noticed that when I stopped breastfeeding my baby, her occasional constipation got worse. I had to stop due to lack of milk production and give her formula. Enfamil Reguline could have helped her. It has 2 prebiotics in the formula that are similar to those normally found in breast milk to help support digestive health.
I love the thought that a formula is designed to help my baby get complete nutrition while also helping to promote soft stools so she doesn’t have to go through the pain and discomfort. Enfamil Reguline can be given to babies up to 12 months so it can help them through their entire first year. It can be used every day and it is designed to help support digestive health.
Another thing to be mindful of is the actual color and texture of your baby’s stool. I love this Parent’s Guide to Stool that is being provided by Enfamil. You can learn a lot about your baby’s health from the appearance of their stool. I wish I had this on hand when my daughter was an infant. Hopefully, it will help some of you.
There are so many options to help soothe a baby who has occasional constipation. No matter what route you choose to go, make sure that you always consult your pediatrician first and make sure it is safe for your baby. I hope some of these options help you and your little one. I know it can be tough but it does get better, just hang in there. If you have more questions about Enfamil Reguline, you can Contact Enfamil at 1-800-BABY123.
I received product and compensation for this sponsored post written by me on behalf of Mead Johnson Nutrition. All opinions are my own and not those of Mead Johnson Nutrition.
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