Chronic Bowel Movements Issues

by Cinnamon76
(Canada)

Chronic Bowel Movement Issues ... 1 year old...

My 13 month old has a big issue with hard to pass stools. She cries, screams, bounces on her bum, refuses to walk ... etc. to stop herself from going to the bathroom.


If she doesn't go every day it becomes a hard ball at the surface of her anus, to the point that we have to massage beside her anus opening to help her get it out.


Lately, the only place we can get her to go is sitting on the toilet. She doesn't pass a bowel movement with ease. She screams, arches her back, tries to get off ... but the angle and location seem to seal the deal.


This only works if she has been bouncing and whimpering for at least an hour and she can't hold it any longer.


If sitting on the toilet doesn't work I take her to the park to play and the climbing sometimes gets her to go (I'm guessing because she lost focus on clenching her sphincter muscles).


She has always had a problem with constipation and not wanting to take a bowel movement. A week ago she was completely switched from formula (Good Start) to Organic 3.25% Milk. Since it has become worse once again.


Her stools come out as a solid long piece that is hard when you squish it. The initial bit is usually really hard and 25% of the time we need to help her get it out cause she is pushing with out success. There is some blood streaking on her stool.


We are trying warm water first thing in the morning with Aloe Vera Juice. She takes barely a few sips.


She usually eats yogurt (lil ones, danino or activia) with manna bread for breakfast. Then has a bottle (7oz) when she lays down for her nap. Lunch is usually cereal or soup. A few hours later she'll have another bottle.


Supper she has whatever the rest of us are having.


I'm trying to follow suggestions of making sure everything is sauteed, boiled or steamed. We eat whole wheat pastas, meats, brown rice, veggies etc. Then she'll have a bottle with ghee to go to bed with. Usually at another point during the day she'll have another bottle.


I feel at this point I need to remove milk and yoghurt from her diet. I'm feeling like she can't digest dairy properly.

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Hi Cinnamon,

It sounds like you are having a real battle on your hands with your little girls chronic bowel movement issues.


There are some children who have difficulty with dairy, and she could be one of them, of course. If all else fails, that is worth trying.


Here are a few suggestions I would try...

• Try giving her water throughout the day to help hydrate her bowels. It sounds like she is really only drinking milk. She really needs some water too. If you absolutely can't get her to drink plain water, try squeezing an orange into the water to give it a little flavor.
  
  Just keep giving it to her repeatedly throughout the day. Even if she just takes a sip each time it will add up and hopefully make a difference.
  
  
  
• I would stop using the ghee in her bottles for a while and instead get some Salba grain or chia seeds and mix a tablespoon in her yogurt, soup, or some other food each day. It has no taste so she shouldn't have any problems with eating it. These are natural grains that provide essential fatty acids (Omega oils) that help the bowels to function properly.

Start with that for a week or two and see if it doesn't make a big difference. Let me know how you progress and if her chronic bowel movement issues improve.


To your good health!
Angie