How I Helped Ease My Toddler's Constipation!
Hello there, friends! Not the most “fun” topic, I know, but I'm sure I'm not the only mom dealing with a toddler who has constipation! Being that the purpose of this blog is to help my beautiful readers feel more cool, calm, and collected, I figured this is a topic worth writing about! I'm not a doctor, and am in NO WAY giving medical advice, but I hope sharing my toddler's story can help you! Enjoy, and click here for a laugh on poopy training!
How it all started:
First off, my son has always had a belly more on the bloated side. Even with eating organic fruits, veggies, and hardly any processed foods, we still wondered what the reason was for his bloated belly? He was potty trained for daytime successfully in one week at 2 years old, which you can read about in my blog post here. However, he was still hesitant to poop in the potty.
At a doctor’s appointment, we asked his doctor what the reason was for the bloat? She felt his belly, and confirmed, "No wonder he’s got a big belly, he's got a lot of poop in there!" We were shocked to find that he was very constipated, and holding poop in due to the typical "scared to poop" toddler syndrome.
Steps we took:
1. High fiber foods
First, we tried to adjust our son's diet! Even though he was already eating a majority of veggies and fruits, we tried to implement foods that were higher in fiber. We offered foods that had a reputation for helping release bowel movements like prunes, pears, apples kefir, and more!
2. Increase water intake
Although our son only drinks water, we decided to increase it in hopes it would help. Unfortunately, even with a higher water intake, we noticed the same level of constipation!
3. Fleet Pedia-Lax Liquid Stool Softener
Sadly, our son became so compacted even with the above changes that we had to call our doctor again. He was complaining of stomach pain, and leg pain everytime he tried to poop in the potty with no success. Our doctor recommended using this laxative above. We used it, and within an hour, he released a bowel movement! We did this a few days in a row to clear out his system, and help with added relief. We noticed less bloating and discomfort in his stomach area. It was a lifesavor!
4. Pedia-Lax Liquid Glycerin Suppositories
To assist with clearing out his system, under the instruction of our doctor, we gave this enema to help him. Luckily, he pooped within an hour. Thank God, I read the directions prior to giving him the enema because I almost made him DRINK IT. Thankfully, I learned just in time to use it the correct way, which is unfortunately, up the booty. Eh.
5. L'il Critters Kids Fiber Gummy Bears
This was an effortless way to add more fiber to my son's diet, and it only helps that they are absolutely DELICIOUS! Two of these a day give me peace of mind as I've noticed more regular poops!
6. Culturelle Kids Regularity Probiotic & Fiber Dietary Supplement
These probiotics seem to have been the biggest lifesaver, and I’ve heard this from multiple people! My son loves to take them once a day straight out of the powdered packet. We noticed that this probiotic, in combination with the fiber gummies, seemed to make a huge difference with less constipation and bloating! He is now much more comfortable, and not complaining of any pain! Thank the Father!
I can't even explain the relief I feel to have finally gotten my son past the dreaded constipation stage! He may still be a bit fearful to go number two, but I'm so thankful he is no longer in pain!! Have any of your children struggled with constipation, and fear of pooping? Have you tried the above methods? Share in the comments what worked for you! I look forward to reading and learning from each other's experiences! Happy pooping! ;-)
Cool, Calm, and Collectedly Yours,
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