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Newborns that are exclusively breastfed mostly pass out soft stools, and it is very unlikely that a newborn baby is constipated. When breastfed babies start eating solid foods and drinking multiple items other than milk, the Baby may show signs of constipation and changes in the stool movements due to changes in diet.
So I am here with some of the best constipation remedies for newborn Babies that are easy yet effective to combat your newborns’ constipation. These remedies will help you treat your babies’ constipation at home.
It sometimes happens that a conscious parent can wrongly consider any other stomach problem of their baby with constipation, which can prove fatal later. First, consider the symptoms of constipation, if your baby is having any of these symptoms for a long time, there may be constipation. But if he/she doesn’t have any of these following symptoms, and you are considering it as constipation, you must consult to a pediatrician for correct diagnosis.
Sign And Symptoms of Baby Constipation:
There are many signs and symptoms of a baby’s constipation. Some of these are as follows:
- Trouble And the difficulty in Passing of Stool
It is a major sign of constipation in breastfed babies. When your Baby is facing difficulty passing the stool, feels irritation, or starts crying in pooping, he is constipated.
- Pain
Due to irregular bowel movements, the babies may suffer from
abdomen pain. If constipation is left untreated, the pain may get severe, so it is necessary to start the treatment.
- Stomach Bloating
During constipation, Baby’s gastrointestinal tract undergoes complex and painful conditions due to very few bowels
movements.
- Hard stools
Due to fewer bowel movements, the Baby faces difficulty in passing out stools. If he is trying to pass out, then due to fewer GIT movements, the consistency of the stool is very hard. That is the reason Baby feels pain and irritability during constipation.
- Change in the frequency of stools:
in the first few days of constipation in breastfed babies, mostly they pass one bowel movement. If the constipation is more severe, the stool frequency can decline to the extent that the Baby is not passing stool for the last three days. In this case, it is necessary to take medical advice. The first and the quick solution is to alter the dietary routine of your Baby.
Causes Of Baby’s constipation:
When you start giving your breastfed baby solid foods, the changes in diet, low fluids content in the diet, and breast milk cause constipation in babies. That is the most common cause of constipation in babies. You may wonder that Why is my breastfed baby is constipated?
Because you have just changed his diet, from breast milk to diet. Some reasons for constipation in breastfed babies are as follows:
- The decreased fiber content in the diet may cause constipation, as fibers present in fruits, vegetables, and grains, cause the softening of stools and make them easy to pass.
- Decrease in the amount of liquid in the diet. If you don’t provide proper fluids to your Baby, then your Baby may face the problem of constipation.
- Few food items are not suitable for your babies, like rice cereal, unripe banana, and cow’s milk. Moreover, foods that contain fewer fibers, such as potatoes, carrots, white bread, and cheese, are also responsible for hardening the stools. By eating these dietary items, your Baby is uncomfortable and feels constipation.
Home-based Constipation Remedies for Newborn Babies:
The symptoms of constipation in breastfed babies may be in a broad spectrum, ranging from mild to severe. In severe cases, babies might experience episodes of fecal impaction or soiling.
Fecal impaction occurs when many days go by without a bowel movement. This means your child’s stool spends longer inside the colon, and the colon becomes backed up. As more stool accumulates, the colon stretches more and
more.
Being a parent of a Baby is one of the blessings of God. It’s the most beautiful feeling that comes when you first glance at your Baby; Parents often become so possessive about their babies. They want to give them all the treasures of life.
Sometimes they could develop gastrointestinal problems like diarrhea, constipation, etc., and remedies like exercise, warm bath, hydration, massage, etc., can help relieve Baby’s constipation. However, most important of all is the “Dietary changes” that would prove beneficial in preventing constipation.
Exercises:
Exercise and motion boost a baby’s bowels movements in the same way that they do in elders. Because infants may not walk or even crawl entirely, a parent or guardian can assist them in exercising to alleviate constipation.
The parent or caregiver can softly move baby’s legs while resting on their back, just like the movement of a bicycle. It improves bowel movement and so helps the stools to move more smoothly.
A warmer bath:
Providing your Baby a warm bath might help him calm and quit stretching their abdominal. Nursing the baby effectively also helps. It may also help to alleviate some discomfort associated with constipation.
Hydration
solid foods are infrequent in fluids. Breastfeeding or formula milk provides adequate fluid intake for early infants, so they do not require supplementary liquids.
Constipated newborns, on the other hand, may benefit from a tiny amount of extra fluid. when a baby is over 2–4 months of age and constipated, pediatricians may prescribe adding a little amount of water or, on rare occasions, fruit juice to the infant’s meal.
Massage baby’s tummy:
Constipation can be relieved by massaging a baby’s tummy in a variety of ways. These are some of them:
- Make Circular motions on the tummy with the fingertip in a clockwise manner.
- Gently pressing Baby’s feet toward the tummy while holding baby’s knees and feet close.
- Stroke from the rib cage down past the belly button with the edge of your finger.
- Taking this advice into consideration, you can help your Baby to poop.
Foods That Help Relieve Constipation in Infants
Dietary changes not only cure constipation in babies but also prevent its prevalence in the future. Foods that are rich in fibers are proved to be effective and beneficial in softening the stools.
- Oatmeal is preferably suitable for the child’s health as it is rich in fibers.
- Whole Grain Bread is good for the digestive system, as it contains 7g of fiber content and helps the kiddies in easy digestion.
- Prunes are good for those children suffering from constipation because prunes are a rich source of multivitamins and thus helps in speeding up bowel movements. Soaked prunes (soaked in water overnight) given to the Baby first in the morning would work effectively.
- Beans are also a source of fibers, so they are also good for babies. It helps in proper digestion and softens the stools for easy excretion.
- Green peas after boiling also provide a laxative effect and ease constipation in winter.
- Broccoli and other green vegetables are rich sources of proteins and fibers.
If constipation is still not clear, you can also add juices to Baby’s diet. For example, 3 oz of juice per day is recommended for a 3-month baby.
Conclusion:
When you start giving your breastfeeding baby solid foods, he is constipated due to decreased fluid content. Initially, in the early weeks, although it may not be severe in form, you must have an eye on it and change the diet of Baby.
In this article, I have covered constipation remedies for newborn babies; these remedies will help you relieve constipation in babies. If the constipation is severe and Baby has not pooped from the last four days, you must consult a pediatrician.
If you have any questions, leave a common below in the comment section. I will answer your query.