who needs to poop?

Ok, so Lorenzo has been having some difficulty the past 4-5 nights. He wakes up very upset and seems really uncomfortable, which then leads to him just wanting to be held all night. I’ve been racking my brain on what it could possibly be: teething, his pajamas, too cold, too hot, the list goes on. Then it dawned on me… he was laying in his crib last night squirming and making it known that he was uncomfortable and upset, then suddenly he gets real quiet and I hear him holding his breath and trying to push…he needs to poop! He managed to get a little something out, but he was very upset during the whole process, and it really seemed like a lot of work for not much outcome.

Since he has recently started on solids, it’s practically inevitable for constipation to be an issue. Not to mention that the suggested first foods (banana, rice cereal, applesauce) all seem to aggravate constipation. Thinking back on the last couple of days he has been eating more banana and applesauce, that’s right, it’s been a combo that has lead straight to the constipation station.

So now we’re on the mend, trying to get more fiber in him to see if it will lead to some much needed bowl relief, as well as sleep. Some recommended foods for constipation relief to try if your little one is having similar issues include: prunes, peas, pears, apricots, and peaches. Personally, this morning we went with some all natural prune juice, which surprisingly he really seemed to like. Or maybe it wasn’t that it tasted good, it was just that he knows what’s going to give him some relief. Because he hasn’t had prunes or prune juice before, I gave him a very small amount. The last thing I want is for his tummy to become even more aggravated by it going to the other extreme, diarrhea.

Lorenzo is still being breastfed, which can lead to more issues with constipation when beginning to introduce solids because his digestive system is only use to this one food that is easily digestible. For babies that are formula fed, constipation can be a little less of a regular issue because baby’s digestive system has already had some practice with digesting food that takes a little more effort.

So now we wait…

Hopefully the combination of prune juice, lots of water, and cutting out the banana and applesauce will bring Lorenzo a much needed full-load diaper, and ultimately, better sleep for all of us.