My paediatrician has decided DD1 (2.5years) is constipated, as she often skips a few days, while other times poos 3 times a day! But they are always quite firm. Anyway I strongly believe that the main cause of this constipation is that she doesn't drink enough fluids through the day. She sips on a Pump sports bottle of water through the day, but I think she'd be lucky to drink 50ml all day (its hard to say as she constantly gets a cold one out of the fridge.) She will drink quite a lot of apple juice if I give it to her in a cup, so I'm wondering if I should just give in and let her have a daily cup of juice to increase her fluids? I was thinking I could try pear juice or something like that to real help with her constipation. I was thinking if I gave her the juice first thing in the morning with her brekky and brushed her teeth straight afterward it wouldn't be too bad for her teeth. What do you think? At the moment she probably has about 100mls of apple juice about twice a week - her Dad gives it to her on his day's off. I need to increase her fluids somehow. The paed has her on Movicol, but she can't stay on that forever. Its a powder that you stir into water, and she won't drink it so I have to squirt it into her mouth with a Panadol dropper! She has to have 60mls so thats lot of squirts with a 5ml dropper. Anyway what do you think about the juice, or any other ideas for increasing fluids? She has a good diet.

We don't do juice in this house but in you case I think it would be ok. YOu could try watering it down over time so it isn't as strong.

The other thing is I always think mine drink more out of a staw cup than a drink bottle. What about buying 'fun' drink bottle and seeing if this helps? 'Whats New' have straw ones with names on them. They are quite a good bottle and don't spill.

Does she drink from an open cup. Can you include an open cup of water/milk with her lunch and dinner if you aren't already?

You can also buy bigger syringy things from the chemist.


Good luck

Donna

I would definately recommend the pear juice option. DS1 was on movicol for about 9 months for constipation and it never really solved the problem totally. If we missed a dose he would get tummy aches etc. His pead suggested trying pear juice - just one glass each morning half half with water and it has worked a treat. Apparently it has similar properties to prune juice but is easier on the tastebuds. I have also worked hard to get him drinking more water as he was like your daughter and wouldnt drink much at all during the day and I def think that has helped too. He doesnt even need to movicol anymore.

Get her own drink bottle and leave it where she can reach it - if you fill it in the morning then you will know exactly how much she is drinking. Tell her the Pump ones are for grownups.

Give her a cup of something with each meal and morning/afternoon tea.

We had alot of success giving DD paraffin and she only had to take max 5ml every night - heaps easier to manage than a 60ml dose of Movicol.

Steph

Hi there!

After seing a few doctors since November last year with Jess holding EVERY day and then pooping between 9pm-10pm every night (whilst asleep) and having all of them suggest juice, then by all means give it to her. I only wish Jess would drink juice. She will only drink water and milk. She drinks a truck load of water and this still hasn't helped. We've tried Parachoc which she wouldn't take and have basically been using Coloxyl drops for some time. Anyhow we are off to the paed on the 30th April so if I get any good advise I will share.

Rach.x

Our DS was very similar, so we did opt for juice (watered down). We tried pear juice to get things moving along, but it didn't work. Parachoc didn't work. Movicol was the best thing we ever found. DS wouldn't drink it either, so I also put that into juice and sometimes sprinkled it on his food. We spread the whole packet over the day, bit here, bit there. He was on it for about 8 months and eventually didn't need it anymore. Once we started using it, he basically toilet trained himself. I can't tell you how much I love movicol!

We have also since reduced his juice intake again, as he now likes to drink a lot of water...I bought a six pack of "pop-top" juices, gave them as treats until he finished them and then kept the containers and fill them water, he still likes them just because of the pop top.

Anyway, good luck with it.

Thanks guys, I'll definitely give the pear juice a go I think and if things go well I'll slowly cut down the Movicol and take her off it, providing of course that the poos stay soft. becarooney She did a poo in the potty for the first time in ages today, so hopefully things will start to happen with TT for her too, if we can keep the poo soft. She's tt for wees but not poos.

Where do you buy full strength pear juice? At my local Coles they only had apple & pear juice or this Heinz pear drink which is only 33% pear juice and the rest water. Don't think that would pack much of a punch to help with her constipation problems. I didn't buy the apple and pear juice as Mum says that apples are constipating?! Is this true? I thought some CHNs & Drs recommend a tiny bit of apple juice for constipated infants?

Head to the "juice/cordial" isle not the kids stuff. You can get it in those big tall tins IYKWIM that you use a can opening for . Otherwise just buy a tin of pear halfs and use the juice. I think you'll find that even giving her tinned pears will help. They are full of fibre.

Another fan of Coloxyl drops here too !

Just thought I'd let you know Lara that the paed wants me to put Jess on Movicol too. I bought some and will probably give it a go tomorrow.

Went to a friends house the other day and Jess decided to have a popper (apple juice) for the first time and said she loved it. WOOOHOOOO! finally drinking some juice. Got her some pooh bear poppers with pear juice in it though and she doesn't like that. BUGGER!



Just wondering if anyone else buys the regular Movicol?? The chemist didn't have Movicol half strength and told me I could use the full strength and just halve the sachet. I figured that was probably a cheaper option anyhow. Apparantly its lemon/lime flavour as well or whatever the flavour is. Just gotta see whether she will drink it or not now. HMMMMM?????? Has anyone put this in milk???

Thanks,
Rach

I have also had a son with same probs. We didn't like juice but have you tried prune or dates as a fruit or jucie form this worked for us. If she wont take it as either of them put it in a syringe and give her a full syringe.