Hello mamas, I can't tell you how long we've been dealing with this. Basically, since birth, my little boy has had digestive issues. He was always incredibly gassy, colicky...lots of shrieking and crying from the time he was born. He was a regular pooper until he was about 6 or 8 weeks old and then he started to go only 1 time per week. It seemed almost as if he must be holding it b/c he would not go for a week and then suddenly would fill his diaper with a MASSIVE (but soft, back then) BM! Of course, several months later, it became very hard and is often clay-like (and dark in color) and has been that way for at least a year. It really doesn't seem as if he's holding it because he'll grunt and push, but then days pass before he has either several small, or one massive hard baseball-to-softball sized BM. Poor little guy!!
I just don't know how this could be happening either. We feed him prunes almost every day, he drinks a lot of water, we keep him active...I make sure he doesn't have bananas, apples, dairy or high-sodium foods...we've even started giving him flaxoil everyday for the past few months, based on our pedi's recommendation. But, still the consipation!! I'm also still breastfeeding him b/c I'm paranoid about moving to cow's milk or formula because those things are known to constipate and I can't imagine this getting WORSE!
Here's the last background piece and then I'll get to my questions. Thanks for bearing with me...
We have had him tested for several things, such as Celiac, lead, etc. and they all came back negative.
Finally, at this week's pediatrician appt, our doctor mentioned giving him Miralax.
Now, I'm not one to want to give any medicine to my child unless absolutely necessary. Of course, I don't want him to continue to be uncomfortable. However, I also don't want this laxative to build some type of dependency in his body. In other words, if I give him the Miralax, aren't I keeping his digestive system from learning/ doing what it's supposed to be doing? And, if so, then what happens when we stop giving it to him?
Anyway, sorry for the deluge of information, but I would like some advice on what you think about my situation. Have any of you had this problem? If so, then what worked for you? Any recommendations of other, natural methods or foods that I should try before I turn to medications? Also, for those of you with Miralax experience/knowledge, what are your thoughts on its usefulness and/or any reliance that it might cause to a baby's digestive system?
MIralax has been the only thing to work with both of my children. I would not hesitate at all to use it. Like someone else said, it just pulls water to the bowels to make the stool softer.
I can't see the other answers, so this may be redundant, but chiropractic care works awesome for this!!! I have known several people whose kids went through the same thing, and after a couple of adjustments were totally fine!
I used Miralax for one of my daughters. If i remember correctly it was about a month. She did not have many issues after that. Please dont be afraid of the Miralax. This was about 2 years ago and she has no side effects.
Poor little guy. I would try the Miralax and see. You don't have to use it forever, but if it works for him GREAT. I would also look into a pediatric gastrointerologist (spelling?) to get a specialist to check him out. Good luck
Poor little guy! Unfortunately this is all too often a problem with babies these days. Kudos to you for continuing the breastfeeding as without it he may be much, much worse. As a chiropractor, I get the privelege of seeing many children and the resolution of this issue over and over. The advice of flax oil, water and increased fiber is great, but there is one missing link--probiotics and gentle chiropractic adjustments. Probiotics are important because it allows the natural flora in the gut to help with normal gut balance and elimination. Chiropractic helps align the spine so the nerves that control gut motility (the movement of the intestine to move the feces out) can function properly. My office is in Plano, so a little far for you, but I have a great referral for you: http://www.n8heals.com/
This is their website, they are a husband and wife team and caring for children is their passion. Also, here are some clinical research articles on chiropractic and children with chronic constipation.
http://icpa4kids.org/Chiropractic-Research/the-effect-of-...
http://icpa4kids.org/Chiropractic-Research/successful-res...
These are abstracts of the studies so they give you all the pertinent information. There is information on the entire study if you wish to read the entire article.
God Bless and I hope you find resolution soon.
J. Taylor, D.C.
Have your son tested for Hirshsprung's disease. Especially if he has had digestive issues since birth. My DD has a severe case of the disease but many people have very mild cases of it and aren't even detected til late adulthood when they mention that they have been constipated their whole lives. It's definitely worth a looking into.
Totally know what your son is going thru. My 2nd and 3rd child battled this from the get go. Both have been on Miralax since a young age and it did help keep bm's soft. I was hesitant at 1st for the same issues you mentioned above, but my girls were in so much pain!!!
hope you find something that works.
Updated
Totally know what your son is going thru. My 2nd and 3rd child battled this from the get go. Both have been on Miralax since a young age and it did help keep bm's soft. I was hesitant at 1st for the same issues you mentioned above, but my girls were in so much pain!!!
hope you find something that works.
I have never used that medication and we always hope our doctors are giving us the best advice but I know they always dont know the answer as in my blog http://valerielint.blogspot.com/
My 2 yearold always had hard poops as a baby it was like pellets. We tried everything as well. Eventually is poop loosened and we dont have the problem now. I know it is not good to go that long with out a bowel movement. I would recommend uping his fiber intake naturally. At 18 months he is old enough to start eating fiber bars, buy cereal with high fiber, make sure any noodles you are cooking for him are high in fiber and are not made from white flour. Maybe even instead of medicine try a small amount of a fiber drink mix in with his juice. Also if you have ever watched Dr Oz on Oprah this might be a great question for him, he seems to like to talk about poop.lol Good luck
We've had similar problems with 2 of our kids. I hated the miralax. It just seemed to make them swing between diarrhea and constipation. We now use flaxseed meal which we sprinkle on PBJ. (the flaxseed flour/meal is better than the oil IMO). We also use mineral oil. If I notice 4-5 days have gone by without anything, I give them a tsp of mineral oil plus an m&m candy to take the taste away! I do not use it every day. Finally the other thing that really works and kids love is strawberries. Hope some of these ideas help!
Have you ever tried probiotics? It is a just a little more natural. You can get probiotic drops at cvs, they do keep it behind the counter it needs to be in the frig. It is a a med you can give your child everyday, we use to give my newborn in and it really worked, 5 drops a day.
We now have a probiotic that I can put in her bottle twice a day, florastor kids.
www.biogaia.com This is what we used when she was an infant
I was advised by my niece to use dark Karo syrup when my daughter was a baby. My niece's doctor told her to give it to her childen and she passed the info to me. It has to be the DARK syrup though. Just put a half teaspoon in her bottle with her formula or breastmilk. It works like a charm! It worked very quickly and I was so surprised and relieved when it worked so fast! I used it off and on when she was constipated. It always worked whenever I used it and I really liked that it did not take very much to work..
I also found that pumping her legs like a bicycle helped move things along.
youve gotten alot of good answers. NEvertheless MY son went through this, and were given a prescription for Miralax by the pedi ( which is now available without a prescription) it did help BUT all the constipation made his insides get all messed up to the point where he had to have surgery because of it.
Miralax has worked for me.
I would sugest taking him to a chiropractor he is probably our of alinment. Babies should actuly be adjusted right after they are born. I know it sounds strange but it helps with many things!!! I did not know this when mine where born. They don't adjust like they do adults so don't freek out. And not all do infants and children. I know a great one in Fort Wroth if you are interested Her name is Dr. Vandy and her number is ###-###-#### she is certified in pretiactrics. I go to her and so do both of my boys. Babies are just like us if our taile bones are not in alinement it can cause us to be constipated. Good luck with your little one and God Bless!!!
Both of my kiddos have had issues with constipation. I have them on a supplement that helps a lot! Let me know if you'd like info on it. We have used Miralax before too, but I definitely prefer the natural supplement over meds.
Have you tried karo syrup???
I used miralax for my own problem a few years ago and it really cleared up my problem. Once you get really constipated, it seems to be an ongoing problem. Six weeks on Miralax helped my body learn to be regular, and as long as I followed a sensible diet and drank plenty of water and exercised, I was regular after I stopped taking it. It didn't seem to be addictive but I don't know if it is recommended for a child his age. You might have difficulty getting him to drink it. It has to be mixed with about a cup of water and although it doesn't have much flavor, I didn't really like it. I would see a good chiropractor who has experience with toddlers and can recommend natural treatments. I never believed in chiropractic until I developed several medical problems 4 years ago and started seeing one because my doctor couldn't improve my condition. My chiro has taught me so much about improving my immune system and digestion through healing food choices and supplements.
Have you tried a tummy "massage?" You can massage his tummy in a clockwise direction to help get things moving through his colon. But you HAVE to do it in the direction that the colon works, otherwise you will create the opposite effect. Basically you are "stimulating" the colon to help the waste move through.
Drinking warm water- helps relax the muscles.
Warm bath- Dr. Sears has this suggestion on his website, and I'm too chicken to try it. But he says to fill the bath up with warm water "chest high" on your child, and then do the tummy massage. He says it works like a charm! (Obviously you wouldn't give your baby a bath in water this deep, it is simply to help the muscles relax so he can just have a BM right there in the tub!!! See? GROSS! haha. But if I was desperate, I just might try it!)
Lastly, Miralax is not a laxative, it simply helps draw water into the bowels to loosen up the stool so isn't so dry and hard. (That obviously is what makes it easier to pass.) You can't get "hooked" on Miralax and it is the safest "medication" that I've ever been told of.
Poor little guy- I hope he starts feeling better soon and that any of these things all these great moms are suggesting work for him!
We had this problem also. We started Classical homeopathy with Dr. Dan Cook in Dallas and it worked wonders. Miralax can slow down the digestive tract not to mention what it does to the brain. See a homeopath, craniosacral therapist, go the NATURAL route. Did you see this happen after vaccines?
If you want more info....
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L.
At your baby's age we were giving our dd gerber organic prunes for stage 3. half a tub every day was all she needed. when she was older - we started giving her real prunes. She's 3 now and we give her 2 - 3 prunes every day. It works like magic for our dd!
miralax is not approved for children so the recommendation to give it to your son is considered an off-label recommendation and basically experimental. It can lead to more intestinal problems as time goes on. Instead of giving him a laxative, why not look at other options. If you are breastfeeding, what is your diet like? Fresh veggies and fruits, lots of water. My first suggestions is to use blackstrap molasses. Put about a Tablespoon in 8 ounces of water for your baby. If you give too much, he will get diarrhea and too little he will become constipated. Adjust according to your baby's needs. Goat's milk is used by over 50% of the world's population. I would never consider cows milk or cows milk formulas. When you are ready to stop nursing, you can give him goat's milk as it is closest to mother's milk and add molasses to it. This is what I recommend to all my mothers and it is also what my daughter uses for grandsons (youngest is 23 months). You can find it in cans, fresh, and powdered. For babies under one year, there is a specific formula but not for your baby. Just milk and molasses. I would also add a probiotic and there are several powders you can add to the baby's formula. If you took antibiotics during pregnancy or while nursing, it can mess with the baby's natural intestinal flora in addition to your. Flaxseed oil can be helpful but the molasses and goat's milk is best.
Our nephew has has the same problems and has had a lot of success with probiotics. My mil orders them online, but someone else suggested cvs. I agree that the chiropracter would be a good route. Good luck!
My 2 year old daughter has the same problem. We tried Pedialax rather than Miralax. Then we tried Benefiber. The fiber has been helping more for her. I've been trying to get this issue worked out for the last 6 months and the last few weeks have been good.
Miralax is a softner rather than a laxative , it softens that's all. My son used to suffer really badly with constipation and we had to use Miralax , we used it for about a year altogether , we gave it daily in any drink you want to add it to and he will start to have regular BM's that are normal consistency. It will take a few days for you to get the dose right , you will either make him too runny or not soft enough and you just need to alter the dose up or down until you find what is right for him. My son no longer needs to use it , he grew out of his issues and was fine as soon as we stopped using it , we took down the usage gradually , giving it every other day then once or twice a week until we didn't use it anymore.
I would take the Dr's advice on this and use it , it really does help. You want him to be going properly once he shows an interest in potty training , painful BM's can lead them to hold because they are frightened of the pain and then they get leakage , this is what happened with my son as he was already 4 yrs old when we started using Miralax.
Another possibility for you...I just heard Dr. Homero Cavazos, DC (chiropractor) speak at a workshop with my daughter's pediatrician, Deborah Bain, MD. I was very impressed with him. One of their topics was "gut issues" in children...including chronic constipation. What I really like is that they both treat the whole child not just the symptoms as many times there are underlying causes for constipation...and either of them can do some simple testing to see if there are underlying causes for your son's constipation. They won't just treat the symptom with Miralax but will dig deeper to find what might be causing your son's constipation...and then treat it in the most natural way. They also both take insurance. Additionally, Dr. Cavazos is a DAN! doctor and those doctors really know how to treat any sort of gut issue (he works closely with Dr. Bain and I'd recommend either as they both can do the testing). Dr. Bain is in Frisco and Dr. Cavazos is in Plano.
http://www.healthykidspediatrics.com/
http://brainworxcenters.com/cavazos.htm
Best to you,
Jana
I was in your shoes when my oldest was little. In fact, it was like that up until she was 3. I finally found a pediatrician that would LISTEN to me!
Without running a zillion invasive tests, she gave us her "best guess." She also said that it was very possible that when my daughter was young, she had been constipated. When she pooped, it hurt. So, she had learned to associate her bowel movements with pain. That caused her to hold it in, which caused constipation. Basically, it was a viscous cycle. Now, she did offer to refer us to a specialist, but I declined. I hated to put my daughter through that. She was already really self conscious about her "problem." Like you, we did everything we could think of. She drank prune juice twice a day, got suppositories regularly (so not fun), drank lots of water, avoided dairy like it was a plague. Nothing helped.
Then the pediatrician recommended Miralax. Like you, I was really hesitant. I didn't want her to become dependent on the Miralax.
Miralax doesn't make you go, it just helps you go. It helps to add water to the stool so it's not so hard. We started with 1/2 a cap once a day in juice. For the first week she also got half of a chocolate Ex Lax chewable. It was very messy that first week. But then things started to get on track. Since going to the bathroom no longer hurt her, she went more frequently. I gave her the Miralax religiously every day for about 6 months. Then I decreased the dose from 1/2 a cap to 1/4 cap. After a few weeks of that we went to every other day.
It's been a year and she's totally off of the Miralax. We only use it very occasionally. She'll even ask for it if she's feeling constipated. Usually one dose does the trick now. Sometimes she'll need two.
If you've exhausted all other options, it might be time to try the Miralax. Make sure you give it at least a week to work. It might even take two.
The Miralax doesn't have a taste to it, so you can add it to anything. I usually added it to 100% juice, but you can add it to water as well.
Good luck to you! I know how incredibly frustrating this situation can be. I know that you just want the best for your guy :D
