About Poop
Aaah, our one of our favorite topics. It's time to talk dirty again, and Melissa wants your feedback. She writes:
My 9+ month old daughter just recently started solids and she is really chowing down! From the jar we offer Earth's Best Organics (from the "Firsts" line) pears, apples, carrots, and sweet potatoes. From the kitchen I mix whole milk yogurt (pediatrician's recommendation) with mashed banana, and avocado with breastmilk. She is still breast feeding but because I work full time she gets expressed milk in a bottle, about two during the day while I'm away.
As you know, this switch to solids has resulted in a change in the poop texture. It also seems like the little Bean is pooping all the time! Every time I turn around she's got "the face" and seems to be pushing really hard. Her poop has become extremely thick and sticky. The combination of pushing hard and having to wipe a LOT due to stickiness has caused the area where the poop comes out to be very red and sore. She has started to whimper or cry in anticipation when we head upstairs where the changing room is, even if she doesn't need to be changed! And she cries and twists and squirms when we do need to wipe that area.
We are using Bordeaux's Butt Paste after every diaper change, and I have Burts Bees diaper ointment as well, but the problem is not a diaper rash. So I am looking to other mamas out there for suggestions for two things:
1) a salve that will heal or cool my poor baby's inner lining (a temporary fix)
2) some suggestions on solving the problem - what will make her poop less? or change the texture of the poop? or make it easier to poop? Should I change her food type? Feed her less often? I would guess she eats about a jar a day in a couple of sittings (my husband is stay-at-home dad and feeds her when she seems hungry). Is there something natural I should/could add to her food to make it come out easier?
Thanks for any help or suggestion on this indelicate topic!
My 2 year old has always hated pooping. What softened things for us was making sure he always had a water cup with him. Our DR recommended we put a little acidolphilis powder in his water (about a capsule a day.) You can check with your Dr or call the pharmasist at New Seasons to see if your little one is too young for acidophilis. We usually call the one on division and they are extremely helpful.
There is a great salve called unpetroleum jelly that comes in a yellow tube, we get it at Fred Meyer, in the natural section. That will really help with the irritation from wiping. I also rinse the wipes out with water or use a washcloth when he get super red, even the natural wipes have some stuff in them that might irritate things further. It takes their bodies time to udjust to new things so I bet her systems will figure it out soon.
Posted by: clementine | May 25, 2007 at 08:30 AM
Regarding "About Poop" - my son was getting extremely hard poops, and was actually starting to bleed occasionally because of the strain, so I occasionally gave him glycerin suppositories if he was having a hard time pooping, and also pureed prunes and prune juice (only 2-4 ounces) and that helped the poop to be softer. He is now one and is having a much better time. Hang in there. - AE
Posted by: Amy Earhart | May 25, 2007 at 08:31 AM
It's a huge topic, but putting your baby on a potty when she poops is an option to consider. My 8 month old has been doing this all her life, and it means far less poop contacting her very sensitive skin. I think the posture also makes it easier to push. She gets a little alarmed look on her face when she needs to go, and then looks relieved when she knows I'm taking her to the potty. You can google "elimination communication" for information on how to do it.
Posted by: Jenny | May 25, 2007 at 09:10 AM
That red ring around her anus can also be the sign of food sensitivities. Can you remember when it started? If you could eliminate something she is sensitive to that may solve your problem. HTH! :)
Posted by: Karlene | May 25, 2007 at 09:14 AM
Great suggestions so far. If I was home with her I would definitely start putting her on the potty. We can always tell when she's trying to poop. But unfortunately my husband is not really into it, though I'll make the suggestion.
I don't think its a ring necessarily though allergies did cross my mind. I haven't been exactly careful about only trying new things once a week. It's only been a few days that she has been very red and I don't think we've tried anything new in that time. And in fact, last night it looked like the skin had been rubbed so raw that it was a bona fide sore (broken skin), so I put some Neosporin on it.
I think the pureed prunes and prune juice is a great suggestion. I'm going to call it in to hubby right now.
Thanks for the great suggestions everyone!
Posted by: Melissa | May 25, 2007 at 09:42 AM
Try Aquaphor....
Posted by: courtney | May 25, 2007 at 09:44 AM
Foods that are high in fiber will help with softening. I recommend lentils (for any age!) - they have a lot of fiber and are nice and soft. Spinach and other greens (steam them and toss them in the food processor), pears, apples, etc. Try mixing with yogurt if she doesn't like them by themselves, my daughter will eat pretty much anything if it's mixed in yogurt.
Good luck!
Posted by: lapeche | May 25, 2007 at 10:01 AM
Hi! For us, baby food prunes and plums (same thing, really) helped fix the problem. And yogurt and kefir helped keep it from happening. I think the yogurt and kefir thing works because they have beneficial live cultures in them, but not all brands of yogurt do. Wild Oats and New Seasons should have the right kinds.
Posted by: catmom | May 25, 2007 at 10:27 AM
Carrotts and bananas can contribute to constipation so you might cut back on those two for a bit until things loosen up. Pear juice has been a miracle stool-softener for my daughter (you can buy little bottles in the baby food section at most grocery stores)--I dilute it with water and even a little bit takes care of her hard poops very quickly, better than prunes. I've heard flax seed oil mixed in with food and really help too, though haven't tried it yet. And I second the suggestion to wipe or gently wash with only water/washcloth rather than baby wipe when the area is really sore.
Posted by: Emily | May 25, 2007 at 11:21 AM
We found using Calmoseptine ointment (available OTC at the pharmacy) worked great for soreness and protection after pooping. Good luck!
Posted by: Fiona | May 25, 2007 at 11:45 AM
We have had constipation problems with our daughter and now with our infant son we avoid bananas, apples (without the peel), and carrots unless there is something else fiber-filled in the same meal. Look for the "P "foods: Pears, peaches, plums, prunes, and apricots and also spinch, squash and lentils. If it gets really bad (actual constipation) there is a prescription syrup that is so sugary that it draws water into the intestines.
Posted by: AmyS | May 25, 2007 at 11:55 AM
Funny how we're all so into discussing poop! We had some constipation issues with our son when he started solids as well, and one thing that helped a ton was a little apple juice every afternoon. When he was your daughter's age, I diluted it a lot--1/3 to 1/4 juice to 2/3 or 3/4 water, but now he gets closer to 1/2 juice, mainly because he drinks a lot of water throughout the day. It doesnt take much--only an ounce or two and seems to really help.
The other food thing I'd suggest is black beans--my son loves them. They are a good first food because they are small enough that you dont have to cut them, and easy for the babe to pick up and feed herself. And, lots of fiber in beans...
Posted by: NoPo Mama | May 25, 2007 at 01:14 PM
Prunes and pears. When our little one was that age I bought organic canned pears and cut into little pieces for her to self-feed since she preferred that to spoon feeding. Also we switched to Lansinoh brand baby wipes whenever she was really irritated ... they are very soothing. A&D diaper ointment is still our favorite. This too shall pass (until the next time it happens)! Good luck.
Posted by: Nic | May 25, 2007 at 03:56 PM
I love this topic because I have been having some poop problems with my 9month old my son. The doctor told us to give him prune and pear juice, it didn't work ok- it worked once... Then she said a suppository would do the job-yes, it did it but just for another time and we are now going on 5 days without the poop... again. It has been a month of once a week poops! Should I try another doctor? I am from a different country and let me tell you, in these 5 years living in the US I have heard the word constipation more than I ever heard it in my life. Constipation is not a problem where I am from. So this is new-as it is motherhood. So, Melissa try the juices---I am jealous your baby is pooping! And AmyS what is the name of the prescription syrup? I need to get it!
Posted by: maxiosvela | May 25, 2007 at 09:08 PM
What's a good phrase for when you're diagnosing someone over the internet and you're not at all a physician?!? We've got backseat drivers... armchair quarterbacks... perhaps I can be a MacBook MD?
I know you said you don't think it's a diaper rash, but I'm going to gently challenge you on that :-) I'm thinking you've got a doozy of a diaper rash, brought on by loads of new poop and the need for vigorous scrubbing. Our daughter had one that was red and raw, so we took her to the ped and came away with some magic diaper cream that took care of the problem overnight. We applied the prescription diaper cream to heal the sores, then a layer of the unpetroleum jelly as a wetness barrier for prevention (doc's orders). If she's constipated, that's another issue entirely. First you've got to heal her little bum, whether it's a diaper rash or just abraded skin. I vote that you go to the doctor.
Posted by: Allison | May 25, 2007 at 10:05 PM
the diaper rash probably has yeast in it, too. try applying lotrimin cream at each diaper change, and if it is yeast, you'll notice an improvement in a day or two.
Posted by: megan | May 25, 2007 at 11:31 PM
Personally, when my baby's poops were acidic he would generally get a diaper rash DESPITE applying the budreaux's butt paste. People have sworn by it but I've seen it totally not work at all too. We changed to something called triple cream or triple paste and it works like a charm. We've started solids recently and the consistency has certainly changed but what's coming out also has... like bananas seem to be fairly acidic. I also agree that bananas and dairy can be binding so you might want to watch those more closely and try more of the pears and prunes like people have said. Good luck!
Posted by: Shetha | May 26, 2007 at 08:29 AM
Definitely eliminate the bananas. When my daughter had similar problems I boiled or steamed prunes and then put them in the food processor (it seemed like it was hard for me to find them in commercial baby food where they weren't mixed with something else). Pear juice also works well - you can even mix it in with the breast milk. I didn't like the idea of starting juice so young, but even in pretty small quantities it helps. And I agree with others who say you ARE battling diaper rash. It's probably because of the quantity of fruit you're feeding. Even now that she's 14 months old I can still tell when my daughter has had a lot of fruit. Try some veggies & see what happens. Good luck!
Posted by: tory | May 26, 2007 at 09:28 AM
Our ped said that apples, carrots and bananas are all constipants. With our little guy we avoided these for a long time because he was backed up as soon as we began solids. Avocados have tons of fiber, so stick with those! Also, I don't know if you're giving rice cereal, but that's also a big constipant. We switched to oatmeal. When he was really constipated, we'd give him 2-3 ounces of prune juice and wait a few hours (I recommend doing this in the morning so you don't have a blowout in the middle of the night!) A little prune juice everyday was our regimen for a while and it helped keep things moving. Now that he's one, he poops really well and we're able to give him anything... so hang in there! Also, our guy was sensitive to Burt's Bees, so maybe that would be something to avoid... Good luck!
Posted by: Cheyenne | May 26, 2007 at 09:38 AM
we use Aquaphor (not the one in the baby section, just the plain no scent one) for all of our children. we found anything with zinc oxide (sp) would feel like it was burning also the baby wipes burn as well. We would use warm clothes to clean the area and then a final cold cloth to help soothe. we only did that as needed.
we mixed 2oz of juice (apple or grape) with 2 oz of water for both of our daughters and it helped with stools. we found it was the formula that caused both of our daughters to have stool problems. We had to change how often and brands of formula before we found the right combo for the girls.
hope your little one finds relief soon!!!
Posted by: Murphy | May 26, 2007 at 05:19 PM
It doesn't sound like constipation to me. You said she's pooping all the time and it's sticky. That's probably just from the bananas and sweet potatos. (Imagine squishing a banana in your hand. Is that the basic texture?) Water is a great idea, because when isn't it. But I would suggest instead of adding anything you try subtracting. It really sounds like an allergy to me and some food allergies can take several days to flare up. If I had to suggest a food to start eliminating it would be the yogurt. Some babies just don't do well with dairy. And the probiotics are a good idea to whether it's an allergy or not the probiotic should help clense the system faster.
Good luck!
Posted by: Emily Flippin Maruna | May 26, 2007 at 08:27 PM
Wow. So many wonderful suggestions!
First off, constipation wasn't the right word as she WAS pooping. A LOT. But it seemed it was very hard for her to poop out and the consistency was . . . well, not quite like squishing a banana in your hand though close. It was very very thick, like paste, with not enough liquid to it. She had a hard time getting it to leave her body completely, if that makes sense.
It was so thick and sticky that I think it was the wipes that were causing most of the problem on her skin.
We immediately stopped the carrots and banana. The only prunes I could find in baby food were prunes and oatmeal, and she didn't like it very much (not sure I blame her). She seems to have slowed down on eating the past 24 hours or so, preferring to nurse so that has worked out well. Neosporin and the Burts Bees diaper ointment seem to be working well on her skin, as well as just not wiping but patting gently. Thank goodness babies heal quickly!
I am also going to try to switch her to other vegetables. I like the lentils idea. I also just picked up our first box of "Nice Cubes" organic frozen baby food, which seems to be a nice mixture of ingredients. Prune juice is on my shopping list since she didn't like the food. We also have a jar of apples and plums to try.
Thank you so much everyone for all your wonderful comments and suggestions!
Cheers,
Melissa
Posted by: Melissa | May 26, 2007 at 09:45 PM
I know we've covered all the basis here, but I wanted to add something about food allergies based on my recent experience. My daughter is almost 8 months old and started solids at about 6 months. I've been pretty good about introducing one new thing every 5 or so days and found she's actually allergic (at least right now) to bananas and sweet potatoes. It's kind of a surprise since those are typical first foods. But after trying them she got redness around her anus. When I stopped giving them to her, the redness went away. Recently I tried sweet potatoes again, just to see if she outgrew the allergy or if it was my imagination. I gave her sweet potatoes about 3 times in 3 days. Again the redness around her anus, and by the third day it had started to look blistered, and had spread onto her butt cheeks. Stopped the sweet potatoes and now all is well.
With the solids, her poo is definitely thick and pasty, but that seems normal. Nuggets would be more of a concern since that would seem of a sign of constipation.
I use the lansinoh (and target knock-off) baby wipes and LOVE them. They are very soothing and protective, much better than the costco wipes I used on my first daughter, who had many more diaper rashes. Because of the wipes, the only diaper rashes my youngest girl has had so far have been a result of those allergies.
My back-seat driving diagnosis? It's probably not constipation, so prune juice and the like probably won't make a difference (except that it will increase her hydration). It's likely an allergy that's causing the irritation, and until you find out what it is, the rash will keep happening until she outgrows it.
But if the poop really is so thick it might start forming into logs or nuggets, maybe she just needs more liquid than 2 bottles a day. Maybe give her some water/juice during the day and switch to the lansinoh wipes and see if that helps.
Posted by: Danielle | May 26, 2007 at 10:50 PM
One thing that helps get the really sticky stuff off skin is Baby Oil. I had always wondered what it was used for and then when I had my baby, my mom revealed the secret. Baby oil is made mostly from mineral oil, if you want to use something unscented.
Posted by: kirsten | May 27, 2007 at 11:56 AM
I would agree with more liquids, less banana.
And consider cutting out the dairy. My oldest had very strange poops (thick ,sticky, dark) every time he had dairy until around age 3.
Posted by: Lia | May 27, 2007 at 12:24 PM
Update: things seem to be looking better. The sores are healing and I haven't seen any redness return. We had a MONSTER poop this morning but it was more like the old style - runny and messy. I never thought I'd be actually happy and relieved to see THAT particular substance again! :-)
I've stopped trying yogurt and am trying to introduce avocado and more vegetables though unfortunately I got the "no way!" face when I tried a squash/quinoa Nice Cubes today. One thing at a time though!
Oh and just to clarify on liquids - she gets two bottles of expressed milk just while I am at work. Once I come home it is fresh from the breast whenever she wants it. She also enjoys drinking water (or breastmilk) out of a glass or her Kleen Kanteen sippy cup.
:-)
Posted by: Melissa | May 27, 2007 at 02:36 PM
im not sure how to star this i have a 9 month old she just eat aquaphor oitment. i called her doctor and she told me to call the poisent control but im afraid they will call dcfs on me.
Posted by: Yesenia | February 14, 2009 at 02:38 PM