These recommendations are not medical advice but suggestions which work really well tried and tested on my three children over the years. I love that they are natural and easy enough to do.
I would recommend these from age 6months upwards as this is usually the time when most parents will experience a change in their baby’s bowel movement because of the transition from milk to introducing solid foods.
Firstly let’s look at things you can do to help prevent your baby being constipated
- Avoid introducing solid foods (puree, mashed or finger foods) before baby is six months
- Continue to breastfeed beyond six months if you can and ensure your breast milk is from eating wholefoods natural meals and include plenty of fluids in your daily life especially water.
- Avoid feeding your baby often and large amounts of dairy products such as cheese, yoghurts and cow’s milk before 12 months as these foods will contribute to your baby being constipated
- Consider a good probiotic for your baby particularly if they have had to receive medical treatment and had antibiotics and other medications administered.
- Water during meal times especially if formula fed babies and toddlers
- Avoid introducing refined processed foods before 12 months (this includes, refined carbohydrates such as pastry’s, cakes, white bread, sugary drinks, processes saturated fats,
- Avoid giving unripe bananas e.g. bananas are ripe enough for a baby and toddlers digestion when the bananas have the tiny little black spots on the outside of the yellow skin so the more ripe the better for baby’s digestion. The same with Avocado make sure it is very soft and ripe before using. You should be able to mash a piece of avocado with the tip of your forefinger and thumb when you apply very light pressure and the avocado seed should come out very easily when ripe leaving very little if any at all of avocado on the seed itself. Please check with all fruits even if you are going to cook them.
- Avoid giving baby solid foods after 5.30/6pm this should leave a two hour gap of no solid foods before bed time.
- Avoid offering processed baby rice or white rice porridge as a first food to baby, wait a couple of months.
- Use correct food combination if possible e.g. starch and protein in one meal should not be eaten together. Meat and rice together is difficult to digest but rather Meat and vegetables together will digest well.
If your baby is constipated;
Here are some natural things you can try if your baby hasn’t had a bowel movement for up to three days or more and is also experiencing a lot of flatulence, if also in pain and straining to have a bowel movement. The contents of the bowel movement should ideally not be dry and hard or chalky otherwise it’s also another sign of constipation. You can try either of the suggestions below not necessarily all at the same time, so if you choose to try the chicken broth approach stick to that for at least a week before trying something else. There is also the option of using prescribed medication from your doctor to help relieve the symptoms.
- Offer a chicken broth (liquid only making sure that carcass and other ingredients have been strained), up to a tablespoon daily until constipation is relieved look up my recipe page on how to make this. It’s also a great natural probiotic which can be drunk as a warm drink or eaten as a bowl of soup.
- Offer one to two tablespoons of fresh pressed apple juice with equal water
- Offer two tablespoons pressed Prune juice with about half a cup of water (6/7 tablespoons water)
- Two tablespoons of pressed pear juice add double amount of water
- Peaches either in slices or juiced as above
- Offer Papaya slices or juiced papaya up to two tablespoons daily.
- Peppermint tea or fennel tea, offer two to three tablespoons. These teas are mild enough for baby and will also help with digestive issues.
- Wholegrain oats, soaked overnight then cooked for 10 minutes, add a teaspoon of organic virgin coconut oil to a bowl of cooked oats and serve.
Other natural methods you can try are a simple warm bath for your baby.
Try gentle exercise allowing your baby to lie on their back so you can lift their legs up and down. Allow your baby to guide you as they may want to do the leg kicking independently.
Very educational
Thank you Ricky. I hope you will subscribe to the newsletter available very soon.
Lebo x