Help me get good poo

[babygirlie]

I need help with my menu. I am having bad issues here. This is in regards to my 16 month old (6w pre if that matters).

She had difficulty pooing when she was very young and switched to Alimentum (digested milk protein formula). There was lots of "explosions" but being new I didn't/don't know if that was normal. Well year 1 passes and she gets the ok for whole milk. She like sit fine but her excema on her chin seems inflamed and she is grunting and making a big show about pooping. Loud grunting, face turning red etc. Poop was so hard it would roll out of the diaper sometimes.

So I figure back to Alimentum and now we are back to explosions and right now she has a rash so bad that she screams thinking about me cleaning her. It's so sad. I use plain wet paper towels as the gentle wipes sting.

I just want her to stop pooping so much so I am now giving her whole milk again. Last two days I have been doing both whole milk and formula and her chin is more inflamed and her poop hasn't solidified yet. Her chin isn't cured with alimentum but not as bright red.

Considering her mom has the same issues... tell me what to feed her We don't eat gluten fyi and she is JUST now starting to consider new "solids". She won't fill up on them but is really making progress.

I use to feed fruit with every meal but stopped this last week because of so much diaper rash. I will try to give a menu though.

Menu
Morning, 5 ounces of formula (ish)
1 hour later, 1 banana or more maybe some puffed rice cereal
water/juice 50/50
4 ounce jar or turkey and sweet potato puree with beachnut rice cereal mixed in plus another jar of sweet potato
bottle of formula/milk
2 jars of purees with rice cereal (could be peas, green beans, squash, carrots etc)
bottle of milk or juice (I really don't write this down)
1 jar of sweet potatos and a jar of pears with rice cereal ( could be peaches or applesauce and blueberries)
3 more bottles through out the night formula



Now we are trying to expand our horizons and instead of a banana we tried shredded cheese and the immunity blend veggie mix (yellow carrots, orange carrots, cranberries, califlour). Not sure how much she ate and it was only one meal. This was the first time she tried cheese and seemed to eat it shockingly.

Also been giving her puffed rice cereal. I will dunk it under water so it won't get stuck in her throat or rice milk. I've done that like 3 times it goes over ok.

I gave her avacodo last night and it wasn't eaten. I have given her a gerber bowl of rice chicken soup thing concoction but not much stays in her mouth.

She can't use a sippy cup or spoon (or plate for that matter)



So what am I doing wrong? I know there's fiber in potatoes but it should be the "heavy" kind not the laxative kind. If purees are my main options and no gluten how should I make her menu?

lol hate my title but oh well.. too tired.

[WindyCityMom]

Maybe you could try goats milk? Just a thought.

If she's constipated bananas will make it worse.

My dd is 2.5yo and has had this issue as well. She was also formula fed but did fine with what she had which was just the regular formula. She's currently on benefiber which I mix with her water and she's doing better.

I would personally recommend upping her fiber. Milk products (excluding breast milk) can be horribly constipating. It's like liquid meat. Is she eating whole wheat anything?

I am curious- if she's 16 months old, why is she still eating purees? When did she start solids? Does she have any sensory issues with textures?

Rice cereal will constipate children horribly. It is notorious for that. I'd skip it all together, along with the jarred foods. At her age, I'd start offering more finger foods. If you'd like her to start consuming more high fiber stuff, she needs to start learning to take different textures since fiber is quite textured.

I'd also eliminate juice- IMO juice is completely unnecessary. It's calories that could otherwise be consumed in the form of brown rice, veggies, etc.

[babygirlie]

She has diareah badly right now.
We are not eating gluten (wheat).
Yes, she has texture issues and eating anything but bananas is a whole new thing for us. She's made a leap this week.
well she doesn't eat much and I heard rice cereal (beachnut) has vitamins she needs. Plus I am hoping it will not only be filling but help the diareah.

today's menu so far..

2 bottles of whole milk and 2 ounces of pear puree (we were out and about and a little off schedule)
Now she is eating banana, avacodo, wetted down puffed cereal

[cycle]

Why is she still eating purees at 16 months? Are all of those purees store bought or homemade? The store bought purees have no texture at all and don't even seem like real food, if you have to give her purees I would start making them from foods at home and gradually make them less and less pureed. Thats a lot of milk and milk can be very constipating as well as the banana. Do you know for sure that she has a gluten allergy or are you guessing? Whole grains could be very good for her. As the pp suggested, have you tried goat's milk? Also, why is she still on formula at all at 16 months?

[lonegirl]

I would have to agree with cycle...why still the purees, and wetting down puffs? How about some whole grain breads, pastas. Fibre helps both ways (for constipation and for diarrhea). How about some yogurt with good active bacteria? Rather than the pureed rice cereal why not try a bit of actual rice....it will have more fibre. Apple sauce and apples are also good for bulking up stool.

[konayossie]

Is your DD having trouble swallowing/chewing or just doesn't seem to like chunkier textures? Just trying to figure out if it's something medical or a sensory/preference kind of thing going on with that. Is there a medical reason for continuing the formula past 12 mos or are you just worried about calorie intake?

DS (16 mos) is also picky about his textures, so I feel you on still feeding the purees. Sometimes purees are all we can get in him. I like to make sweet potatoe puree for that purpose--it's super-easy, very healthy, and is good fiber. Also butternut squash is another good one along the same lines. I would NOT use rice cereal--rice is a constipator. If you want to add fiber with cereal, use oatmeal. It's also easier on the tummy.

I don't know about serving applesauce. DS likes it, so we use it (he likes it mixed with plain yogurt), but I'm not sure it would be helpful if you were struggling with conspitation, since apples are on the BRAT diet (bananas, rice, apples, toast).

A fruit we've had good luck as far as not causing diaper rash is blueberries. They will stain your diapers like crazy, but they haven't caused DS problems like strawberries do. And they FOR SURE have a laxative effect.

Also, have you tried lanolin on the diaper rash/eczema? Are you using cloth diapers? A breathable diaper and some good air time will make all the diff in the diaper rash and might allow you to change up some more things in her diet.

[mtiger]

Have you spoken with her pediatrician?

[cycle]

Originally Posted by mtiger

Have you spoken with her pediatrician?

Good start.

[QuestionGal]

There is a product by LifeWay for kids called "Pro Bugs" or something. It's a kefir, loaded with probiotics. You can find it at some grocery stores (our HEB carries it) in their kefir/yogurt section. It does wonders for helping DS's digestive tract and while he can't have regular milk he can have this kefir (it's easier on those lactose sensitive tummies). There are also children's acidophilus that can be mixed into foods/drinks (we mix some into applesauce). Those can be found at a health food store and keep it in the fridge so it doesn't activate and lose it's potency.

Make sure she's getting plenty of water (I'm one of those that believes that kiddos who are eating solids *need* water to help process the solids, not just breastmilk). Cooked carrots are also a good source of fiber (surprisingly)

For bad diaper rash we use "Dr Smith's Diaper Cream" it's about $12 for a tube but is VERY effective and doesn't cause that burning/tingling sensation that some of the other creams cause (desitin)

[Llyra]

I'm wondering if there may be undetected allergies? Mostly because of the eczema, I guess. But also the poop issues-- I'm wondering especially about milk-protein (casein) allergy.

Does she have any developmental delays or challenges? I'm wondering about that because it's unusual for a 16 month old to still be needing to eat purees, and to need cereal puffs to be moistened. My kids could manage ordinary table food by about nine or ten months, without any moistening or anything other than me cutting appropriate-sized pieces. The comment about her not using a sippy cup made me think there might be other issues going on, too.

I would strongly consider adding in some higher-fat solids. Babies need dietary fat for normal growth and development, and the jarred stuff doesn't provide that. I would be offering cheese, whole-milk yogurt, buttered veggies, olive oil, egg yolks, and even some beef liver if you can get it organic. In general, unless there are developmental concerns for why she can't manage textures, I'd be moving away from the jarred foods and moving into whole foods. There's no reason why a normal 16 month old can't eat the same diet as the rest of the family, provided it's a healthy diet, and provided there's enough dietary fat included.

As far as the milk-- what about goat's milk? It can be easier on the belly for a little one. I wouldn't give more than about sixteen ounces a day of any milk.

And I think I'd be looking into undetected allergies, and talking with a good health care practitioner as soon as possible, in any case. And I'd be working on feeding whole foods, not processed stuff from packages.

[babygirlie]

Please read the posts again asI don't want to repeat myself for a third time. Of course I've spoken to my dr about it. He recommended soy milk and no way in heck am I giving a baby anything with soy.

I gave her a baked pasta last night and she spit every piece out. She also hated the avacado. The last time I gave her pasta she threw up her entire stomach contents all over the floor. (that was just two small bites I tricked her into swallowing by chasing it with a puree but she still knew. She does NOT like chunks in her tummy). I also tried white beans and some pineapple. She didn't eat any of it. I AM trying but she has to do things at her own pace. She refused to eat until I brought her some puree'd food.

[babygirlie]

Thanks QG, I have no idea what Kefir is and will look it up Also didn't know desitin stings. We went and bought two new creams a&d and a parent's choice one both with aloe. We were using triple paste last time.

Lyra, yes, she has development issues. She use to have excema top to bottom but now it's a lot better. I do wish I could nip it in the bud. She gets a strong steroidal cream from her dr that needs to be used everyday or else things go nuts. I hate using medicine on her but she's had it even when exclusively on alimentum (hypo allergenic formula). I know that I'm allergic to milk myself but I still eat it and fight off the nausea. Considering the excema and intestinal issues I've been holding back but loosening up and she did have a half a thing of baby yogurt and I have been giving her cheese. She is not thin but she is also only like 15th percentile. She definately has a belly.





Maybe I should stop asking questions. I just feel worse when people tell me she is abnormal. Times like these I really wish I had family to ask my questions to. This is just a vent really. I need to know if she or me are not progressing properly. I was so high from yesterday where she stood by herself and walked for real for the very first time. And so proud of her for eating the puffed cereal. Then I come crashing down again. *sigh* I just wanted to know what purees would give her less diareah was all.

[luvmybaby333]

I believe people are trying to help you. No, it is not really all that "normal" for a 16-month-old to exclusively be eating jarred foods and formula. If she is having diarrhea on the Alimentum, then I would expect that it is NOT sitting well with her. The inflamed skin sounds like an intolerance to milk, so obviously you would want to stay away from that for the time being.

As far as helping her poop easier, have you tried adding ground flax meal to her foods? My daughter never did purees. We skipped them and started her on solid finger foods at around 7 months. But the shock of going from EBF to eating chunks of banana and salmon caused her to have some trouble with constipation. In order to assist her with this, I coated all of her foods with flax meal. If she ate something softer (like mashed potatoes) then I would mix the flax meal in. She's 26 months old now, and I still mix ground flax meal in with many of her foods. I also add it to many of our family dishes and snacks, since everyone can use a little extra fiber and omega-3s.

Anywho, your post did not come off as a vent at all. It came off as a request for advice, and that's what you've been given. Your situation is fairly unique, which is probably why people were asking for clarification. This is something that most of us don't deal with. As far as your vehement refusal to offer your child soy milk... have you looked into any other milk alternatives? Rice? Hemp? Almond? Honestly, if it were me, I would try the soy in a heartbeat over continuing to give my child formula that makes her have terrible diarrhea or cow's milk that constipates her and irritates her skin.

[cycle]

Originally Posted by babygirlie

Please read the posts again asI don't want to repeat myself for a third time. Of course I've spoken to my dr about it. He recommended soy milk and no way in heck am I giving a baby anything with soy.

I gave her a baked pasta last night and she spit every piece out. She also hated the avacado. The last time I gave her pasta she threw up her entire stomach contents all over the floor. (that was just two small bites I tricked her into swallowing by chasing it with a puree but she still knew. She does NOT like chunks in her tummy). I also tried white beans and some pineapple. She didn't eat any of it. I AM trying but she has to do things at her own pace. She refused to eat until I brought her some puree'd food.

You said nowhere in your post that you had spoken to your Ped.

Have you tried pureeing whole cooked foods at home for her? They will still be pureed but the texture is much different than store bought. If you can get her used to that you can slowly work up to less and less pureed. You can buy hand grinders for pretty cheap. Have you ever tried cooking and pureeing prunes into other food for her? I used to do this for ds when he was a baby and was occasionally constipated. I mixed it with pureed oatmeal and breastmilk, the prunes helped a lot with constipation. I used a mill like this for the prunes, http://www.target.com/gp/detail.html/184-7879274-9107123?asin=B00006G9LI&AFID=Froogle_df&LNM=|B0000 6G9LI&CPNG=baby&ci_src=14110944&ci_sku=B00006G9LI& ref=tgt_adv_XSG10001

Do you know about the book Super Baby Food? Probably worth checking out. http://www.superbabyfood.com/

[Llyra]

A toddler who has trouble handling textures, gumming foods, and swallowing, could maybe really benefit from the help of a good occupational therapist. My DD1 had one for a few months, and she was a blessing to us. We got ours through an Early Intervention evaluation, and she was free and came right to our house.

[mtiger]

Originally Posted by cycle

You said nowhere in your post that you had spoken to your Ped.

Thank you - I thought I was nuts when I couldn't find it.

Now, this may sound crazy, but.... little kids tummies are not that different from puppy tummies. You can't make sudden changes in what they're eating, or things go to heck really quickly. It's best to mix things together, gradually building up the new food. If you're jumping from, say Alimentum to whole milk back to Alimentum... it's going to wreak havoc on the kiddo's system. And therefore, her digestive tract.

Hence the suggestion of speaking with her ped. S/he may be able to help you figure out how to moderate the changes so that there's a less dramatic result. Diarrhea tends to respond well to the BRAT diet - bananas, rice, apples, toast. If she won't eat it when you mash/puree it yourself, by all means try baby food and rice cereal. Hopefully, that will get you back to level ground with her belly. And THEN you can tackle what may be causing her eczema.

JMO.

[BellaClaudia]

You might also try going to some buffet style restaurant and sit next table with some kids that you spot being there with some other families and
so your child can see what the kids her age are eating and how
as nothing inspires them as seeing other kids doing something.
It might be jsut pieces of carrots or pease on her plate that she will start with but if she will then you can start somwhere..

also what is baked pasta?
I don't know but I would think that for a kid that has some aversion to textures plain and simple food would work better then more "sophisticated stuff".

I would do try to hook her on mashed patatoes, mashed carrot
plain pasta boiled and served with touch of butter (I am talking spaghetti that is REALLY well cooked beyond the recommended time that ends up having it aldente which is hard not soft and baby friendly so cook it till really really soft).

If you can get her started on individual mashed vegetables then you can gradually mash less and less and leave some chunks gradually..

As to bananas.. I would be careful, somehow they make my DD poop always harder.

As to processed foods.. if she has exzema I would stay AWAY from anything that has been cooked outside of my house and is sitting in the store on the shelfs forever and needs either some presrvatives to keep it from spoiling, is irradiated or have no viatmins left after the life shelf it has been living.

I would try to hook her on fruits the same way.. first I would jsut mush fresh fruits.. be it cherries, apples, blueberries (be careful they constipate),
peaches, whatever..

just take piece of fruit, and mush with fork or whatever untill is oh well.. mushed.. and give her.

What also works is to get her excited about food.

Have her looking as you make food and talk about colors.. how cute they look on the plate next to eachother.. make faces on the plate with batches of food.. press smily face with end of fork or spoon into mashed patatoes
batch that you flat first.. oh they can't resist eating smily patatoes..

later you can have her prepare her own food -as in helping you to pick which fruits she wants you to mush or have her mush with you or by herself..

the more you engage her with shopping for food, cooking and serving
and deciding w hich pieces go on the plate and why and all that
the more chances for you to have her to try new things.

And again.. show her lots of kids eating whenever you ahve a chance
stop by any table and point and explain as you pass food court or restaurant window.. any chance. even on TV.

[BellaClaudia]

oh and btw.. learn what contain casein and try to see if the food you feed your little one does not contain it as she mght be allergic to it..

for instance things like cheese - hard cheese and most milk products do contain casein

also.. beware of MSG.. many baby products do contain it just the same althogh not officially listed.

For instance.. take this list, print it out and compare it with all jars of food that you are feeding your little one and you will be surpised how much MSG they have as it is hidden under false names in products like "cornstarch fructose", rice protein, enzyme modified protein..

just to name few.

It is just amazing.

Lastly: as to inflamated chin, make sure you really rinse it after every meal as even trace amount of food or possibly snot from nose might cause or worsen it, as to the bottom and pain.. do take a shallow plastic bowl and fill with warm water and just wash the bottom really well after each pooping especially diarhea as there is nothing that helps better then removing
irritated traces of poop then water. Do not use soap, just plain warm water is plengy and your hand.. just keep wasing and washing and splashing bottom keeping your little one over it.

and then pat dry and wait some time before putting oitnment as hte dryer it is the less irritation as momisture trapped under ontment is not good thing.

to balance her stool and start over I would put her on a one day diet of a
simple starch like mashed patataoes to stabilize her tummy.