Every now and then my son has a bit of constipation, when I notice that he’s going through this I try to limit the amount of banana or applesauce he has and give him apple juice. My current method is to give him apple juice 2x a day to avoid constipation. I’ve been researching a lot on the internet and in books to find different methods that can help me and other moms out there. Different methods work for different babies and to find the best one to work for your baby. For a baby that is formula fed, try adding an extra bottle of water each day to see if it helps in any way. I'm also adding more pears, peach and strained prunes to his diet, I was quite surprised that he liked the prunes as much as he did.
Common Causes of Constipation
A common cause of infant constipation is a diet that is low in fiber; foods such as bananas, applesauce, cereals, breads, pasta and white potatoes may contribute of cause constipation. My son loves applesauce but what I found is that although it’s okay to give baby apple juice, applesauce is the whole of the fruit and can contain a higher level of pectin (which firms up stools leading to constipation). You can give baby one to two ounces of fruit juice such as grape, prune or apple juice twice daily and practice different exercises to help relieve constipation.
Relieve Constipation Using these Exercises
Gently massage and rub your baby’s tummy in a clockwise direction. Start by placing your hands at his navel and massage in a circular motion, moving out and away from the center of his belly. Another trick to try is the bicycle method, this I’ve heard a few times from the nurses at the hospital. Place baby on his back and lightly hold his legs in a half-bent position, much like riding a bike. Gently move his legs as if he’s riding an actual bicycle, you can alternate this method with a tummy massage. A nice warm bath may help to relax baby and help to get things moving, you can give baby a tummy massage as you’re drying him off.
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