Your little ones face is red, she/he is straining and grunting, then they start to scream and cry in pain. Yes your little one is constipated. There are many reasons a child can get constipated such as, not enough fiber in their diet, too much dairy in their diet, if they are too busy playing sometimes they just hold it until it "goes away". It's very hard to see a child uncomfortable and in pain, luckily there are ways to avoid it and make it better. Here are some tips
Add more fiber - Adding fiber to your childs diet is a good start on avoiding and soothing constipation. Some great high fibrous foods are raspberries, apricots, pears, strawberries, apples, beans, bread, bran cereal, broccoli, oatmeal, dried fruits such as figs and prunes, peas, potatoes with skin and many many more foods are great for adding fiber to your little ones diet. Fiber helps regulate bowel movements.
Add more water - Drinking a lot of water during the day and avoiding dehydration is a good way to avoid constipation or soothe it.
Warm bath - If your child is severely constipated to the point that they are walking funny and scared to poop, try a warm bath, make it a little warmer than usual but not too warm. The warm water relaxes your childs abdominal muscles and intestines, getting things moving along very quickly. Let them sit and play if they can as long as they wish. Usually it takes between 5-20 minutes to work, this method works best when your child is scared to push the poop out because of the pain, the warm water relaxes the muscles in your little ones tummy, pretty much making it hard to stop the poop from coming out.
Apple juice, prune juice - Giving your child fruit juices can get things moving along, do not give them too much as this will cause diarrhea.
Too much milk - When some kids drink too much milk they tend to get constipated. Try rotating the drinks, give milk for breakfast, juice for lunch, water for snacks, milk for supper and milk for bedtime snacks. Always offer water and juice for when your little ones are thirsty.
Tummy massage - Giving your baby a tummy massage can help relax muscles and loosen things up.
If all else fails talk to your Doctor about it, he/she may be able to prescribe a suppository to help move things along. Be careful with the suppositories and be sure to try everything listed above before you ask about them. If you use them too much your little one will become dependent on them.
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