Natural Therapies for Constipation

Constipation can be very concerning to parents since babies don’t really do much other than eat, sleep and poop! When your baby is not performing one of these tasks correctly, as a parent we tend to panic. Eating and sleeping can be more challenging to correct depending on your child, but there are plenty of tricks to get your babies bowels moving. Most of my new parents will ask me about constipation at sometime during their child’s life. This usually happens right around the introduction of solids, but can happen at anytime. It can be normal for a solely breast fed baby to go days without pooping, so don’t get concerned unless he seems to be really uncomfortable and/or it has been more than 5 days. Formula fed babies are technically eating a form of solid food so should be more regular – bowel movements daily or every other day. I have outlined a couple different ideas to help get things moving, so you can pick and choose which options would work best for you and your baby. These treatments can also be used on adults so give them a try if you yourself are struggling with constipation.

  • First and foremost, you need to be drinking plenty of water. The recommendation is half your body weight in ounces daily. Of course this doesn’t apply to the really little kiddos, but is true for adults and older kids.
  • Eat plenty of fiber, such as beans, vegetables, quinoa, etc. Click on the following link for a list of foods that are high in fiber.  https://draxe.com/high-fiber-foods/
  • Pureed prunes for babies that have just started solids. To make these, you can buy dried prunes, cover with water, boil for 20 minutes, and then puree in the blender with some of the water from cooking until it reaches desired consistency. Start out giving child a small amount and continue to increase until you get the desired results.
  • Eat 2 Tbs of ground flaxseeds daily mixed in water, smoothie, or applesauce for the younger kids.
  • Topical Castor Oil: This is a great option for the really young babies. You can place about a teaspoon on your hand and rub on the abdomen in a clockwise direction (when looking at the child) at night before bed. Only use this method 3 times a week as it could cause diarrhea. Click the following link for a brand that I have recommended. https://www.amazon.com/Heritage-Products-1157106-Castor-Oil/dp/B001E17B24/ref=sr_1_17_s_it?s=beauty&ie=UTF8&qid=1511909699&sr=1-17&keywords=castor%2Boil&th=1 
  • Bicycle legs for infants that are struggling with colic or constipation. Click the link to watch a video on how best to perform this technique. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xqEGc7oqcXc
  • Probiotic: Powered for the really young babies or you can get a capsule for kids that can swallow a pill. Aim for a dosage of at least 10 billion CFU.
  • Powdered magnesium: 250-500mg increased to bowel tolerance taken at night before bed because it will also relax you for sleep. You can use this with kids older than 2 years old that have started drinking more water. Start at a lower dosage and increase until you get desired results. If you have diarrhea then back off on the dosage.

 

*All views expressed on this blog are my own and should not replace the advice of your doctor. I also do not have any affiliations with the recommendation that were made above.

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