My daughter is just turning 6-months old this weekend and I have just started her on rice cereal a couple times a week (about 3 weeks ago). She has only been have a BM about 1ce a week. She doesn't seem uncomfortable and she has plenty of wet diapers. When she does have a BM, it is normal, just huge. I will be starting some other solids in a week or so.
My question is should I give her some water or watered down juice to help it along? Is it OK to add water/juice to a BF baby's diet at about 6-months? When, how much, or not at all?? Or should I just not worry? I know it could be normal to only have a BM once a week for BF babies, but wondered also about water/juice in general.
Thanks!!
Thank you all so much for your feedback. I have been having pumping issues the past couple of weeks so I sent a bottle of formula with her to school yesterday and boom...she had a BM. It is just odd that she was a once a day girl, and then went to a once a week. But, she seems OK otherwise, so I won't continue to worry.
We were only feeding her cereal a couple times a week for a couple reasons 1. she didn't take to it well the first time around, she threw it up. So we tried again after a week, same thing, then another week, and she started to eat it. 2. we don't have a full routine yet where we have time to fit it in regularly. We are trying at night after her evening feeding, but that sometimes gets bumped. We are going to start on some fruit or veggies this weekend, and try to start incorporating those into her morning and noon meals. So, I hope it goes well. I also will start giving her some water in a sippy cup (great advice) with her cereal and meals.
You guys are awesome!! Thanks so much for your help.
L.
I was told to give mashed fruit/baby fruit by gerber, beech nut etc. just about half a container a day to help with more regular BMs. Rice cereal can sometimes bind children up or prevent them from BMs on a regular basis. The fruit or juice would probably help regulate. However, my doctor tells me that juice is not really good at this age for them....only about 2oz. a day mixed 1/2 and 1/2 with water. Hope this helps. Good luck.
I only breast fed my son for about a week. He is now 2, but when he was an infant he did have problems. He would have a bowel movement, but it was really hard. Our doctor advised water down prune juice and that worked great. It doesn't hurt to give them juice. He is 2 and I still water it down for him But I only buy 100% juice (juicy juice). Also try mixing some baby fruit in with the cereal. My son loved that.
My daughter had the same problem. Her doctor said to cut out rice cereal and try the oatmeal cereal instead. It helped a little, but my mother-in-law is a massage therapist and she did some stomach massages on her lower abdomine which really helped. She would have a BM after every massage. So maybe you can search it on the internet and give it a try...
Hi there - I have an "old school" pediatrician, meaning he advised that we introduce solids at 4 months (that's how babies in the 60s and 70s were raised - and we turned out fine). And, he suggested that we jump to fruits and veggies -not start with rice cereal. He also said 4 months or so was okay for us to introduce just a few ounces of apple or other fruit juice a day (however, my baby at 8 months, still does not like the taste of juice).
Rice cereal tends to constipate. I would suggest introducing foods that soften stool first - e.g. prunes definitely, pears and peas - before moving on to applesauce and sweet potato (foods that can constipiate). I believe BabyCenter.com has a list of foods that constipate vs. those that don't.
According to my doctor, 6 months is definitely old enough to try juice out - prune juice for your little one if you're afraid of constipation. I would only be concerned about the BMs if it's a sudden change or if there's blood/mucus - e.g. your daughter used to go every day and then suddenly switched to once a week. If she tended to only have BMs once or twice a week before the rice cereal, probably not a big deal.
I know it's easier said than done - but try not to worry too much. It seems like doctors or so overcautious these days about introducing new foods. Anyways, my 2 cents.
Hi! My name is Gill and I'm a mom to two crazy baby boys. The advice that my doctor gave me is that I should hold off on juice until my first son was a year old. Otherwise the baby might want juice all the time and stop drinking formula. As for bowel movements, I would call your doctor and ask, but as long as your daughter doesn't seem uncomfortable, you shouldn't be concerned. Take care!
I started giving my son water at this age in a cup. Just be aware that any liquids he takes in will be a substitute for BM and BM is really better for him. I just gave my son water in a sippy and he threw it around for about 3 months before he actually started using it. I didn't choose to give juice until much older as it is not needed and has so much sugar in it. If you do give juice, make sure it is well diluted.
There's no nutritional reason to give your baby juice - if you decide to (in order to make water taste better) you'll want to cut it at lesat 1/2 and 1/2 with water - maybe more. If she'll drink water straight I'd skip the juice. As for the BM, I wouldn't worry about it. You'll want to give her a few swallows of water when you feed her solids - it helps digestion - but otherwise she doesn't need it.
Also a word of warning - when she first starts eating solids - really for the first few weeks - the BMs will be pretty bad - huge, stinkier than with just breastmilk, and thicker. Once she eats a bit more solids they will solidify somewhat and will be much less gross to deal with (basically back on par with the only-breastmilk-BMs as far as ickiness goes)
I didn't give my son much juice as an infant. One thing I tried when I concerned about the lack of poop - bicyling his legs. Or also rotating them together.
Hi, my baby is 6 months also, and i went for his shots this week, and his doctor recommended that i not give him juice until around 9 months because its really all sugar and no nutrients. She did say though, that if he is constipated, to only give him 4 oz a day...or you can even try some prunes, which is a first food. The constipation isnt evident i dont think as far as how many times your baby has a BM, but rather as to what it looks like. It will look like a hard little ball. Anyway, Gerber has the prunes if you dont find them with another brand. Pears, and other fruits too she said will help it along. Water she said is ok, and may even help when feeding your baby cereal to wash the food down. Hope this helps!
Jules
Hi L.
Your breastfed baby is getting plenty of fluid and nutrients from your milk. Babies can go a full year or longer on just breastmilk and not lack for anything. I'm not saying you shouldn't be offering solids; it depends entirely on your baby and what she shows interest in. My daughter took to solids at 6 months as though I had been starving her; my son has shown little interest, but at one year is a healthy 20 pounds.
It is normal for breastfed babies to go a long time between BMs. As long as she seems comfortable and has a good amount of wet diapers, you don't need to worry about constipation.
As you introduce solids as a new way to get what she needs nutritionally, you can also offer a sippy cup for her to learn a new way to drink. I would suggest only offering water. Juice is nothing more than sugar, really. The sugar inhibitts the body's ability to absorb the water present in juice. If you want her to have the benefit of the fiber in fruit to help her BMs, feed her pureed or mashed fruits.
Hope this helps and happy feeding!
A.
yes, you can give her water/juice. It doesnt hurt any. My youngest was BF and at 6mo intro. her to juice and water with a sippie.. it works wonders.. and helps for inbetweenies... good luck
S.
HI my daughter just turned 6 mo old too. If your doctor hasnt told you rice and bananas are binding, because my daughter is the exact opposite. When you start food their bowel movements change. Add some oatmeal to the rice cereal or just try oatmeal. Good luck. Also, my doctor recommmends mixing the cereal with apple juice or grape juice instead of water because. The juice brings out the iron in the cereal where formula and water dont do that.
hi L...my baby was born in september too and will b turning 6 months soon..i use 2 breast feed her but nt any more..i give her water just to get her used to it as the summer's coming..and i even give her juice,baby food and cereal..so ders no problem giving the baby juice and water..but still its ur wish..
My pediatrician said that there is really no need for juice. My son is almost a year and has only had diluted juice twice. He is happy with breastmilk and water. But it is your choice of course :)
I am not a doctor but I think it is okay to only have 1 BM per week. My son has one everyday but every child is different. Pears have always helped my son "move things along". Also if your worried call your doctor.
L.:
breast milk is 87% water... that is all that she needs/ it is ok. to give her water if you want/
try vegtable or fruits.. they may be easier on her system. cereals often are iron fortified which causes constipation.
P., RLC, IBCLC
Pres. Lactation Support Group, Inc
www.lactationsupportgroup.com
In addition to prunes and watered down white grape juice, you can try adding flax oil to the cereal. If you get the gel caps, just poke a hole and squeeze a few drops on a few spoonfuls. It's completely natural and will help get things moving - just be prepared for an oily blowout if she gets too much. We used it and it really helped regulate.
Also, if you do give her fruit - prunes and pears are good but bananas can constipate. When our daughter isn't having BMs regularly, we avoid the bananas.
Hi L., My suggestion to you is that if you want to try juice do make sure you do half juice, half water. You don't want to give it to her straight. Also, I gave all of my girls cereal everyday with their formula first and then with the juice. I am curious to why you give her cereal just a couple times a week, try everyday. I think it's just better for her digestive tract. But this only a suggestion. You sound like your doing everything okay to me. As long as the baby isn't fussing about gas or being constipated, I think she will be just fine.
I gave my kids water they were also BF babies.. I think it helped actually now the boys actually like water and ask for it!!
