Mommy guilt re: solids and constipation

[Snapdragon]

I am feeling kind of guilty right now. I have one 7 month old baby boy. He became seriously constipated since I started feeding him solids at 6 months. I got so confused by the whole thing! I was hearing so many different sides of how to approach it. On the one hand, some people were advocates of delaying solids- while other people were saying he "needed" solids starting at 6 months. at anyrate- I started him on some of the standard solids at 6 months (applesauce, a little bit of rice cereeal,) then slowly added in sweet potatoes, squash. A few more things. At first I was offering solids every three days or so (other than solids he nurses regularly). Then I started offering every day. He "loved" the solids meaning at least he happily and willingly ate everything I offerred. at my 6 month pediatrician appointment the doc said I could feed him solids once to twice a day. I had people I know feeding their babies lots of solids, and a few waiting.
Anyway- as soon as we started solids he went from pooping every day to pooping every 4 days. Then it started to be every 5 days. And then finally- the breaking point- he went to eight days with no poop last week- at which point I finally called the doctor who recommended a glycerine suppository which worked immediettely. That was 2 days ago and no poop since.
In his constipation time I was aware that the solids were constipating him But the reason I feel guilty is that now I feel like after about 2 wks of this I shold have just stopped the solids completely and gone back to only nursing. His little body wasn't handling the foods well. but instead I just tried stopping solids for 2-3 days at a time and then gave more solids. I don't know why I let him go to 8 days last wk before calling the doctor- I was trying things like prune juice, I was laying off the applesauce and any grains and just mostly offering suqash- and I thought not too much in a day. but- I don't know. Today I talked with my sister who has three little ones and she said I sohuld just stop solids all together and just nurse- for a good while. So I think I am going to do that. Because he hasn't pooped since the suppository poop 2 days ago.
And he seems like his belly hurts- he is more fussy, holds his body stiffer. So I just feel guilty- like I was filling his little baby belly with all this food because I thought I should- I really thought he needed it. I thoght that once he hit 6 months that nursing wasn't enough- especially as his weight percentile was low.
So do you guys think going back to only breastmilk for a few weeks is the right thing? Or for even longer?Until what age is breastmilk only enough for a baby? I think that is what I will do. I just feel sad that I caused him so much constipation and hurt. this parenting thing is hard sometimes, isn't it!
There is so much trial and error and things we just don't know. I know all that but I feel kind of guilty. I guess the flip side is I could have delayed solids all together and maybe something else from that would have made me feel guilty. but I am just bummed that my little baby is having such a hard time poopng and it took me a month to realize I should probaly just lay off the solids all together.

[Ruthla]

Don't beat yourself up. You're doing the best you can with the information and support you have available, and none of us has access to a time machine. You can't go back and undo any "mistakes" you made in parenting. All you can do is go forward from here.

You can try just nursing him today and see if he seems satisfied. If he is, then continue with that for another few weeks. If not, then offer him a few solids AFTER nursing, not before. Keep him away from grains and apples (apples are constipating for some people) and only offer things like pears or prunes that support elimination. Don't "fill his little belly with food" but offer small amounts after full nursing sessions, and I wouldn't offer solids more than once a day. So, while totally nursing (zero solids) is one valid approach, another valid approach would be to offer a tablespoon or two of fruit per day.

You also may want to use another glycerine suppository, move all those solids out of the bottom of his GI system, so he can be happy and comfortable and not wait for the milk-full diet to have its laxative effect.

[Snapdragon]

thanks Ruthla! We (husband and I) are actually debating (not with each other but debating the pros and cons of) if we should give him another suppository sooner than later. It has now been 2 days since poop- we are thinking of giving it another day to see if he goes on his own- only because we aren't sure if the suppository is really harsh on his body? If it isn't harsh on his body or in any way harmful, I would like to give him one tonight just to cleane him out. but if it is harsh or harmful, I would rather just wait another day to see if he goes on his own. Does any one know if it is fine to give another suppository this soon or if it might hurt him?

[Mom2M]

You can definitely give him another suppository, it won't hurt him at all. I think if you wait till tomorrow, it will be even harder to get out.
Don't worry, you didn't hurt him by giving him solids, some babies do fine at that age, he just needs a little more time.
Breastmilk is the most important food for the 1st year.
My 11 month old DD barely eats any solids and she is big and chubby, she basically plays with food and sometimes eats it.
If he likes to pick up food, just make it available and he can eat whatever he gets in his mouth by himself, lol

[Snapdragon]

hmmm- I don't know what is going on with him now. Earlier this evening he was acting really upset as if he was in pain- arching his body in a stiff way and crying- not typical for him at all. We were out a little and got home and gave him his paci and he calmed down- and we decided to do the suppository, thinking maybe his pain was from the constipation- a belly ache. We did the suppository but it didn't make him poop this time! but he calmed down and got pretty chilled out and then we put him to bed and he is now sleeping. So I have no idea. I think I may bring him to the doctors just to see if anything is going on there- and other than that I am going to go just with the breastmilk for a while.
Re: letting him pick up foods- I am way too terrified of him choking to do that! How do you all do that without being scared of that? He has the beginnings of two teeth on the bottom- but omg the thought of giving him something he could choke on is just not appealing at all!! I only have given him things he can easily swallow (purees).

[snoopy5386]

FWIW, my DD who has not really had any meaningful amount of solids has started to poop less frequently, from 2x a day to 1x a day to every other day to every 2 days. It is normal.

And IME, no matter when you start solids, there will be a period of adjustment which frequently includes constipation. It happened with my DD, friend's babies, is a common post on here, etc.

[MamaPhD]

Hugs!

First of all, baby constipation is determined by the hardness of the poop, rather than how many days it's been. Anything from like 7x per day to once a week is normal range. So I wouldn't assume just by counting the days that your baby is constipated. If the poop comes out like hard ball, then it is constipation. Anything like peanut butter consistency is totally fine, even if it comes out after one week. Also babies don't have very strong ab muscles to push out the poop if it gets tiny bit less loose than breastfed poop. So even though sometimes they seem to struggle pushing, it's more of a workout/exercise which they need. If you shortcut that and just give a suppository, you might not be helping in the long run, especially if you do that regularly.

Second, as PP mentioned, starting solids is a transition for baby's gut so babies either tend to go one way or another (diarhea or constipation) just to adjust. It's not the timing per se. If you started solids at 6 months or 8 months, baby's gut will still have to adjust to solid foods. At one point, the only solids DD was eating was prune purees 1x per day and she was constipated!

Lastly, when DD started solids, she went from pooping 1x per day all her life until then to pooping 7x per day, then to 1x per week. Even though our ped assured me it was normal range, I did get freaked out and stopped solids and nursed her for a week then went back on solids. In rerospect, I think that helped ME more than it helped her. During the week DD was back on breastmilk, she pooped like her breastfed self. When we went back on solids, she pooped like solids-fed self. After a couple of weeks, she did find her regularity again. I tried to mainly give her loosening foods like peas, peaches, prunes, pears during this time.

So hang in there & good luck!

[Contrariety]

DS got constipated when he started solids at 6 mos.

DD veeeerrrry gradually started eating solids and only recently at 1 year eats enough that it effects her poop... and she gets constipated. I'm not worried like I was with DS, because I know it's normal. She'll figure it out.

Don't beat yourself up.