TF solution to dd's constipation???

[handzfull]

Please help! My 3yo dd is continually constipated. We eat a pretty nutritious and junk food free diet, not always TF, but I'm trying. She always has very dry and hard bm's and hates to pass them and hates for me to change her. We haven't potty trained yet. I prefer to wait til they come to me one day and say, "Mommy, I'd like to wear underwear now!" Anyway, I'm beginning to think this bm issue may make her not ever want to go on the potty. One thing I think is causing it is milk. Whenever we don't drink milk for a given time (we went without for about 4 weeks this summer and drank only water) her stools loosen up and are more regular. So, what can I do? I want her to drink lots of milk. She loves yogurt and kefir smoothies. But, she can be rather stubborn and pick when it comes to other foods. Any suggestions? Thanks!!

[EmeraldGardener]

Have you tried raisins and/or lots of grapes?? Those use to make my DD an DS GO! My DS also loved cheese of any kind and used to get into the fridge by himself and would eat about 1/2 a package of block cheese at a time! Poor baby--now the DD is lactose intolerant and well Cheese and milk products would make her not stop going! Amazing how two kids can be so different!

[quietserena]

I haven't had the problems with my own DD but from reading the boards here, I've seen that moms have really good results with constipation in kids with two things: 1. more fat 2. probiotic

Several people here have tried more fiber in a toddler's diet and it would bind up even worse, probably because if you're going to add fiber, you have to add sufficient liquid in with it and who can force a toddler to drink more water?

There are kids who don't do so well on dairy - it seems you've found this connection as well. Can you try just yogurt and kefir for a while and see if it's the fresh milk that's causing the problem? That would provide the friendly bugs too. Though I totally understand that it's really hard to control a 3 year old's diet...

So, to add more fat, you could try that coconut oil almond butter thing - half coconut oil, half almond butter, a touch of honey. Can be refrigerated and rolled into balls or kept in a jar and eaten with a spoon. It's been the surefire way of getting more CO in my own diet lately.

[Astrogirl]

I was fighting this a lot too, and my DD went through a stage where she REFUSED to eat fruits or vegetables. Increasing her fat intake worked, as per advice I got here. Slowly I got her eating apples (by relaxing my attitude about the whole thing and just remaining casual) and now she will eat some veggies like broccoli that help.

Flax seed too. I'm not really that educated about TF, i'm just starting out - so I don't know if any of my suggestions are actually TF. We did start raw milk and she LOVES butter and raw cheese, so that might have helped as well. I don't know if this has any merit or not, but I find raw, wet cheeses to be a lot less binding than the store bought bricks.

[tanyalynn]

If you're seeing a connection to dairy, I'd tend to think that taking that out, maybe only for a while, like a year or so, and then maybe re-introducing it, may be the best option. The pp's idea of just fermented and/or cultured dairy is also something to think about. I guess it's easy for me to say, because we had to eliminate dairy last year and I've gotten used to it, but dairy products can be problematic for a lot of people, in various low-level ways, even high-quality dairy.

The probiotic foods are also a great idea--my kids love kimchee--I actually did the recipe straight from NT, I think, little if any modifications, and it turned out well. The carrots are good, too, but the modifications on page 2 (I think) of the Fermented Veggies thread (big, long thread, would need to search for it) make it tastier.

[guestmama9904]

you could make fruit kimchi, without all the spices, maybe just ginger? for me a high fiber diet makes me have constipation. i find the more healthy fats i eat keeps my um, pipes properly oiled and moving! i eat grassfed butter daily, i drink cod liver oil (Nordic Naturals makes kids liquid CLO and capsules that taste like strawberry gum!) and the only milk i drink is organic, low temp pasturized local grassfed milk. grassfed milk is higher is beneficial fats that not-grassfed milk. if you are looking for a healthy fiberous snack try ants on a log with almond butter instead of peanut, much higher in fiber. the keffir i but has added fiber, i forget the brand name but just look at the ingredients.

[handzfull]

Thanks so much! I guess I'll try going dairy free for awhile. Our goat milk supply is supposed to dry up here for awhile since the goats are pregnant. I've never bought goat milk before, so I don't know how long that will be, but it seems like a natural time to start! I love the coconut oil almond butter honey idea, too. I think I'll make those for all of us. Yum!!!

[sapphos]

subbing

[kjbrown92]

Originally Posted by handzfull

Thanks so much! I guess I'll try going dairy free for awhile. Our goat milk supply is supposed to dry up here for awhile since the goats are pregnant. I've never bought goat milk before, so I don't know how long that will be, but it seems like a natural time to start! I love the coconut oil almond butter honey idea, too. I think I'll make those for all of us. Yum!!!

I would go ALL dairy free for a while, before adding goat milk in, to see if it makes a difference. If she's intolerant to both, you won't notice a change and think that dairy has nothing to do with it.

[caedmyn]

Dairy makes me constipated I also tend to get constipated if I don't drink a lot (at least while pregnant and nursing) and if I'm not getting enough magnesium.

[TzippityDoulah]

dairy tends to constipate me too. I have to be careful with it. I started taking pill form probiotics b/c I was having a hard time finding them naturally without having to eat a bunch of dairy.

I recently found coconut milk yougurt though!!

and also i have been eating A LOT more dark greens. it took some time, but I'm finally having more regular um... poos. heh.

Milk is GREAT for some people. but some of us are very sensitive to it... there are many other healthy ways to get fats though.