7 Things To Do When The Baby Suffers Infant Constipation
Bowel movement is very important, even for babies. That is why if he or she does not mess up his or her diapers after more than 3 days, that should at least give you a hint that he or she may be having infant constipation.
Though the first thing to do is to bring the baby to the doctor, as a parent, you can perform certain things to hopefully improve the bowel movements of your newborn:
1. Know about breast-feeding
If you are breast-feeding your baby, then you should know that your child may not really defecate as often as you expect him or her to be. This could be because of the kind of milk you produce.
2. Massage the baby
If you think the baby is constipated, you can start massaging. However, do not massage the belly. Rather, move the legs. Lay the baby in any flat surface, though preferably the bed. One by one, raise the leg and move it as if he or she is riding a bicycle. You can do this as many times as you like, but be careful. If you are dealing with a newborn, the bones and muscles may be too fragile with very excessive motion.
3. Change the milk
You can also check on the milk. Certain formula milk may be causing the problem. You can look for those formulas that fit the age of your child. You can also ask for recommendation from your pediatrician, as well as from other moms.
4. Give yourself some time
Do not immediately panic. Just because the baby has not moved any bowel movements for days does not mean he or she is already constipated. Nevertheless, make sure you can keep close watch of your kid. Normally, if he or she ends up crying and annoyed for most of the time even if he or she has enough sleep and is well feed, it may mean something is wrong inside his or her body.
5. Check his or her diet
The food that he or she is eating may be causing infant constipation. Just like adults, babies also need plenty of fiber, which he or she can get from fruits and vegetables. There are specially formulated baby foods that contain a high level of fiber. Of course, you can always go natural by adding some of his or her favorite fruits and veggies such as bananas, raw tomatoes, and lima beans.
6. Stop the medication
Your baby could be taking some medications, and it is the one that is causing the constipation. Upon the advice or permission from your physician, stop the intake for a while and see if there will be changes. It will also help if you can ask for another kind of treatment, one that does not have constipation as a possible side effect.
7. Consider some forms of treatment
If none of these will change the bowel movement, you can proceed to using certain popular treatments such as milk of magnesia. This one can work as a mild laxative. It is safe to combine with a fiber-enriched meal.
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