Constipation Cure Serum

I'm pretty sure that solids added to our constipation issues.  And I'm quite positive that finger foods have added to it even more.  Maybe I'm making it up in my head.  But Kendall has always had bowel issues and she was improving when the introduction of solids brought it back and then came the finger foods and she seems even worse off.  We give her an ounce of prune juice with her morning and evening bottles.  I try to give them some water or apple juice during the day.  And still she cries when she has to get it out and I feel so bad for her. She even had the smallest amount of blood the last time I tried to help her go (holding her thighs up to her tummy).  So...we're back to prune puree or what I'm starting to call our constipation cure serum.

Prune Puree
I buy the semi-dry prunes in the canister at Walmart.  I throw it in my blender and put enough water to just cover the prunes.  Then I puree until it is lump free.  Then I probably add about another cup of water.  I puree it until it's a semi-runny puree (like yogurt).  Then instead of pouring into ice cube trays I just put it in one big tupperware.  When I'm ready to dish some out I use a metal spoon to scoop it (somewhat like ice cream) and then heat it up in the microwave.

We're going to try prune puree for breakfast and prune juice with bedtime bottle and see where we stand.  Then if it's runny we will just go to puree.  We will also be bringing this up again with our pediatrician at their 9 month appointment on the 30th.

Update:  The prune puree and prune juice were a little too much combined.  I have her at a little less than a tablespoon of prune puree for breakfast and the last two days have been going well so this might be the spot for us.  They say to try things for a few days before adjusting usually.

**From my college Biomed courses (human biology and physiology).  When our body gets ready to excrete waste the last amounts of water are absorbed from the waste through the colon.  So when a person (or baby) holds in waste (or has a "slower" gut) and doesn't rid their body of it when the sensation occurs then it leads to additional water or moisture being wicked out therefore causing harder stool**  So although Kendall's stool isn't necessarily like adult constipation it is pretty firm.  I really believe that she hurts when she does go that she gets anxious about the next time and so she holds it in and it gets more firm and adds to the problem.  So we will be working on getting it super soft or even runny again for a while until (hopefully) she doesn't hold it in anymore.