kfeusse Posted February 21, 2013 Share Posted February 21, 2013 My dear friends went to China to pick up their adopted daughter...and they are concerned she is slightly constipated. (no BM during the last day) What is the real truth with apples, applesauce and apple juice? My understanding is applesauce will casue constipation, apple juice will help with constipation and apples will help keep you regular, but not really do much if you are not....is that correct?? She doesn't like apple juice. What else can they do for her....she is 17 months old. these are a few things her mom has said about the diet she is one (baby): She drinks her mixture of formula/rice cereal three times a day - 8 ounces each time She has several ounces of congee (cooked down rice in lots of water) and bananas daily. She will not drink water or even watered-down apple juice. We've not changed anything in her diet, other than adding fresh fruit. She likes the formula and cereal; the "recipe" that our guide suggested goes down well. It is NOT what she was having at the orphanage, though. So what advice would you give? I already told her to stop feeding her bananas...thanks. She isn't in any pain as of yet..so maybe things will work themselves out too, right?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SKL Posted February 21, 2013 Share Posted February 21, 2013 I would give her apples if she will eat them. She might not be constipated if it's only been one day. My eldest (also Asian genetically) normally skipped a day as a baby. If she was on day 3 without a BM, then I pushed the apples. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SailorMom Posted February 21, 2013 Share Posted February 21, 2013 Mandarin oranges work very well. I'm not sure if the citrus might be too rough on her tummy if she isn't used to it.... the canned ones are a bit less harsh. Have them leave out the banana if they can. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinder Posted February 21, 2013 Share Posted February 21, 2013 IMO it's only been a day. Has she been taken from the orphanage into a different location? I know for my dd even that small of a change can upset her regularity. She once went on a weekend trip with dh to visit his mom and dd didn't "go" the whole weekend--the environment was just too different. It might just take a couple days for her to relax enough. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Suzanne115 Posted February 21, 2013 Share Posted February 21, 2013 I agree that it is normal for some babies to skip a day or two. Our adopted Chinese daughter will often skip a day or two between BMs. I would give it a day or two. The baby has been through a huge transition and it might be normal for her anyway. That said, our baby who was 13 months at the time did get very constipated when we were in China. We didn't change her food either, but her nannies told us she had been having an upset stomach so they may have given her medication that caused it. We bought jars of prunes and tried those, but we eventually had to give up and give her a suppository. The suppository worked and she felt so much better. We took a lot of medicine with us because this was our second international adoption, but maybe her guide can help her find some medicine. I hope her baby isn't really constipated and that everything goes smoothly for them. It is an awesome experience! Suzanne Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kfeusse Posted February 21, 2013 Author Share Posted February 21, 2013 that was sort of my thought too...yes, she has been taken away from everybody and everything she has ever known....she appears to be adjusting well to her new family, but that is still stressful for a little one...and I also thought one day is really no big deal either, especially since she isn't in any pain. thannks for the advice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arcadia Posted February 21, 2013 Share Posted February 21, 2013 I'll wait three days at that age. A spoonful (tablespoon) of plum juice would work too for constipation. Or a spoonful of cranberry juice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stripe Posted February 21, 2013 Share Posted February 21, 2013 Peaches? Plums? Sweet potatoes? One day doesn't mean constipated, though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trillian Posted February 21, 2013 Share Posted February 21, 2013 When we adopted our son they told us he would drink juice but when we talked to them again, what they meant was cut up fruit in water. He would drink watered down apple sauce but not apple juice. The added water would help, I'm not sure if it would balance out the applesauce though. The congee is really the same thing - a watered down constipating agent. I'm not sure how they balance. Have they given her a warm bath? That might help relax things. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TammyS Posted February 21, 2013 Share Posted February 21, 2013 If she doesn't drink water, what does she drink? Just the formula/rice? If that's the case, she may have ongoing digestive issues. And why is a child that old being fed that stuff anyway? Other things to try (and I also wouldn't worry at day 1): lots of exercise, moving the body will move the bowels.............deep water bath, at least up to her sternum. Just bathe her normally and let her play for a little while. Warm baths are very helpful for constipation, especially when it's not severe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kfeusse Posted February 21, 2013 Author Share Posted February 21, 2013 I think the Congee is a "normal" food for her...so would that all of a sudden casue constipation...or would it just add to the situation already at hand? Should I recommend she not feed her that for a while too? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SKL Posted February 21, 2013 Share Posted February 21, 2013 Oh, another thing. She may have been trained to poop on the potty. 17mo is definitely old enough for that in many countries. But she doesn't know how to ask for a potty. Maybe she is holding it. Could they try sitting her on a little potty or toilet and see if she goes? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kfeusse Posted February 21, 2013 Author Share Posted February 21, 2013 If she doesn't drink water, what does she drink? Just the formula/rice? If that's the case, she may have ongoing digestive issues. And why is a child that old being fed that stuff anyway? Other things to try (and I also wouldn't worry at day 1): lots of exercise, moving the body will move the bowels.............deep water bath, at least up to her sternum. Just bathe her normally and let her play for a little while. Warm baths are very helpful for constipation, especially when it's not severe. I think she only drinks her formula/cereal combo...that was waht she had at the orphange and the new parents didn't want to change too many thing at the same time. I just thought of something else...if her cereal is RICE, that would be constipating too, yes? Maybe they need change the kind of cereal, yes?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stripe Posted February 21, 2013 Share Posted February 21, 2013 Also, how about some warmish green tea? I think warm liquid is stimulating, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TammyS Posted February 21, 2013 Share Posted February 21, 2013 I think the Congee is a "normal" food for her...so would that all of a sudden casue constipation...or would it just add to the situation already at hand? Should I recommend she not feed her that for a while too? Are they going to be home with her in a couple of days? If so, I wouldn't recommend any changes to her diet. The whole situation is going to wack the girl's system out in any case. I would just let it alone until they get back. Then they can deal with it as it arises. I'm assuming they wouldn't be planning on keeping her on her non-food diet, so I would expect there to be some digestive adjustment anyway. Unless the girl seems bloated or in pain, I would leave it alone, except to get more exercise and warm baths. And try to get some water in her. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danestress Posted February 21, 2013 Share Posted February 21, 2013 Bananas were a major 'no no' for my constipation prone son. Half a banana could cause 24 hours of real distress. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SKL Posted February 21, 2013 Share Posted February 21, 2013 I would put her through as few changes as possible, especially changes in diet. Food is her comfort. If she is used to rice, then rice is probably not constipating her. One thing to think about is that she has just found herself in the middle of a huge change, and there are very few things she can control. She's doing her best to please her new caretakers, but she maybe scared to death. One thing she can control is when she has a BM (for now, anyway). Considering that, the last thing I'd do is try to force her on day 1 to lose control over that, too. If she still hasn't gone after a few days, then I'd intervene in the most gentle way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trillian Posted February 21, 2013 Share Posted February 21, 2013 If she doesn't drink water, what does she drink? Just the formula/rice? If that's the case, she may have ongoing digestive issues. And why is a child that old being fed that stuff anyway? Other things to try (and I also wouldn't worry at day 1): lots of exercise, moving the body will move the bowels.............deep water bath, at least up to her sternum. Just bathe her normally and let her play for a little while. Warm baths are very helpful for constipation, especially when it's not severe. I think she only drinks her formula/cereal combo...that was waht she had at the orphange and the new parents didn't want to change too many thing at the same time. I just thought of something else...if her cereal is RICE, that would be constipating too, yes? Maybe they need change the kind of cereal, yes?? Often the children aren't given water because it needs to be boiled to be safe. If they are giving her cereal (as a new food) then yes. DS refused to eat congee, although we were told it was his normal food, but I wouldn't change it if she's eating happily. Often the children are given tea, even as toddlers. That might help as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arcadia Posted February 21, 2013 Share Posted February 21, 2013 I think the Congee is a "normal" food for her...so would that all of a sudden casue constipation...or would it just add to the situation already at hand? Should I recommend she not feed her that for a while too? Oh, another thing. She may have been trained to poop on the potty. 17mo is definitely old enough for that in many countries. Congee does not cause constipation if that is what the child is used to. Her body system would have adjusted to it. Congee is just rice cooked with a lot more water. In China, it is common for children to be potty trained by one. I'll just let the child sit on a potty. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Giraffe Posted February 21, 2013 Share Posted February 21, 2013 In China, it is common for children to be potty trained by one. I'll just let the child sit on a potty. This. Sit her on a potty and give her plenty of time. She may be irregular with all the changes, and will need some time to get things moving along. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bolt. Posted February 21, 2013 Share Posted February 21, 2013 Children are not considered constipated until they react the 6 to 10 day range of having no BM. I'd advise your friends to try to simulate 'normal' as closely as possible, even if 'normal' wasn't fabulous in the nutrition department. Fewer changes is better, even if she takes a pause in her guts. I'm sure they are very attentive and being oh so careful with their new precious child. Even so, it's best not to over react to little things like BM frequency (unless its really abnormal). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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