Charlie has had trouble with constipation on and off for the past 8 months. We’ve tried addressing it by making dietary changes, but over the past month the problem has just been getting worse. I fear that the problem may largely be psychological because Charlie has been on Miralax for the past week, but he’s still been having problems. I think because he has had painful stools in the past, he holds it in, thereby creating an ongoing constipation cycle.

The average toddler has a bowel movement once a day, and Charlie usually goes once every day or two, but constipation does not necessarily refer to frequency. His stools are usually hard, pellet-like, and difficult to pass, which are classic symptoms of constipation. In the past two weeks he has also started complaining about stomachaches, and has been generally cranky until he’s been able to make a bowel movement.

Common causes of constipation in toddlers include:

– too much consumption of milk/dairy
– too much consumption of constipation causing foods (white flour, white rice, apples, bananas, cooked carrots, fatty foods, sugary foods, meat)
– not enough fluids
– not enough fiber-rich foods (fruits, vegetables, whole grains)
– not enough physical exercise
– holding in stools because they are busy playing
– holding in stools to avoid pain, creating a constipation cycle

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We’ve been doing all the classic things you’re supposed to do, and then some:

– eliminating almost all dairy
– diluting milk with increasing amounts of water so that he’s eventually drinking almost all water with just a little bit of milk
– increasing fluids by constantly offering water from the moment he wakes up
– encouraging him to sit on the potty and poop
– giving probiotics daily
– eliminating most constipation-causing foods
– increasing fiber-rich fruits (pears, plums, peaches, prunes), vegetables (peas, broccoli) and whole grains/bran
– offering fruit in smoothies and popsicles
– offering pear and other fruit pouches
– offering pear/prune juice
– switching from white rice to brown

We also have flax seed oil and ground flax seed, which I’m going to start giving Charlie daily. Two teaspoons of flax oil, or one tablespoon of ground flax seed added to food or a smoothie daily is supposed to help constipation. I’ve also got to figure out a way to get Charlie to eat beans!

Although I don’t think there has been definitive research on whether constipation is genetic, it definitely runs in my family. And since we’ve already tried a lot of things to address Charlie’s constipation, including using Miralax, I’ve decided to meet with a nutritionist. I can’t bear to watch Charlie suffer day after day, and I think the longer this problem continues, the more difficult it will be to solve. We probably have to do a bigger diet overhaul, but it’s been really tough since Charlie already is a very picky eater. At this point though, I think we’re going to have to do whatever it takes.

Has your LO ever battled constipation? How did you cure it?