Please Help Me! I don't know what to do at this point :(

[LuvnZoobie]

My 14 month old daughter keeps getting constipated. All I feed her is mostly fruits and sometimes I mix romaine lettuce in her smoothies with some chia seeds. I don't know what to do anymore. It breaks my heart when she cries and strains every time she poops. I use to give her baby spinach but then I stopped because I thought that was the reason she was so constipated. I'm starting to think maybe the raw food lifestyle is just not for her. The first time she was constipated so bad I had to take her to the emergency room so I stopped feeding her fruits and just breastfed her. One day she was crying and crying and I kept trying to nurse her and she'll stop crying for awhile then start up again so I gave her a plum to eat and she finished the whole thing like she was starving! Sorry this is all over the place, I just don't know what to do anymore. I can't stand for my baby to be in pain! I don't understand; she eats so healthy but she keeps getting constipated!!!

[Gianni]

I would not feed your baby/toddler chia seeds because the way they expand up to 10 times their original size. That might be what is causing your girl constipation.

[cablegirl]

I agree with Gianni that chia seeds might be part of the constipation. My granddaughter who is still breast feed starts her day off with a green smoothie, alot of berries with some greens and so far seems to be doing well. My niece had sever constipation when she was little and they finally found that a re bounder helped her. Her mom would hold her hands while my niece jumped. I will pray that you find the right solution soon!

[happylife]

I agree with not giving her chia seeds. Also rub her whole stomach area in a clockwise circle, do this very soft for about 10 min's 2-3 times a day. Or look up a chart for foot reflexology and work on the colon area. I have had Moms bring a lot of children to me that had the same problems as your Daughter and it has worked. Good luck.

[LuvnZoobie]

Thanks for the advice. I started giving her chia seeds a few days ago because I thought it would help since its high in fiber. I have also been giving her prunes on a daily basis but it doesn't seem to be working anymore :(

[MysticTree]

water, water, water
Proper hydration is absolutely key. Moist poop passes much more easily.

[Gianni]

Remember that babies' digestive systems are developing. You can't always give them the same things as an adult, but she should be able to handle soft foods at that age - fruits, purées and the like. Perhaps you might want to wait to feed her a raw diet until she is a bit older.

By the way, did you vaccinate your child? I wonder if the constipation could be vaccine related.

[LuvnZoobie]

No, she hasn't had any vaccinations. Today was a good day though, she had two soft poops :) I'm guessing it was from all the watermelon she ate for breakfast.

[Gianni]

Good to hear she is doing better.

You know, ginger is very good with digestion and moving things along. You might try shredding a bit of ginger root and squeezing the juice out of it with your hand. Then you could add that small amount of ginger juice to some apple juice.

[MysticTree]

The largest constituent of water melon is water. Sounds as though she was dehydrated. Glad she's feeling better and that she likes watermelon.

[Gianni]

This is from the book How to Raise a Healthy Child in Spite of Your Doctor (http://www.amazon.com/Raise-Healthy-Child-Spite-Doctor/dp/0345342763) by Robert S. Mendelsohn, M.D.:

The color and consistency of a baby's stools vary considerably depending on a baby's diet. Breastfed babies, for example, usually have stools that resemble loose scrambled eggs. This is not diarrhea; it is perfectly normal and not a matter of concern. There is a danger that your pediatrician may use this normal condition as an excuse to switch your child from breastfeeding to formula milk.

If that happens, pay no attention to him. The most sensible rule to follow is this: if your child is thriving and gaining weight, don't worry about the consistency of his stools, whether they are extremely loose or as hard as marbles. You need to be concerned only if he is not thriving, is losing weight, or if the stools are bloody. In that case, see a doctor. However, if this does become necessary, be wary of medications unless your doctor is able to diagnose a specific cause. Pediatricians are inveterate stool-gazers, inclined to treat loose stools with opiates such as Lomotil. In the absence of a specific disease, a more sensible course, which really doesn't require medical supervision, is to look for food allergies and then eliminate the offending foods. The most likely food is cow's milk.

[Raw Angel Mom]

Stick with fruits to give your child a chance to digest.

Hemps seeds are pack with essential amino acid and my 15 months daughter didn't have any problem at all with them in her smoothie.

The chia see might be too rich for your child and take away the water in the gut.

Young coconut water, would be great and even make a milk with the young coconut.

[LuvnZoobie]

Thank you everyone for ask your advice, I greatly appreciate it. Recently I purchased some Garden of Life Raw Probiotics for kids and she has been doing great ever since :)