My 10 month old daughter has had reflux her whole life. She is taking Zantac (1.25mg 2x daily) and Prilosec (1.875 1x daily). Once she started solids (white fruits and yellow vegetables) at 5 months, she started to have issues with constipation. The solutions my pediatrician gave me never seemed to work. Her stool is extremely hard and she goes in very small quantities. She has to strain very hard to make anything happen. She is breastfed and as she is eating solids more frequently, I think my milk supply has decreased. She hates bottles and sippy cups and I've tried all kinds. She doesn't like juice and only wants to take water from a real cup or pint water bottle. Even then she is reluctant to take much liquid (1-2oz). I have been giving her prune juice with a syringe, but haven't had much luck. Does anyone have any advice for me about how to make this change?

She is breastfed and as she is eating solids more frequently, I think my milk supply has decreased.
Well my son just started on cereals and is also breastfed. To keep my milk supply up I was told to always offer the breast when you offer a solid. I also pump when I can to keep the stimulation going. Warm showers and massages of the upper front shoulders in circles and downwards (if that makes sense) helps stimulation also. If she prefers to drink out of normal cups then I'd just let her do so and try to get as much in as possible. Maybe you could try to "sneak" in a little tad bit of juice to the water she will drink a teenie bit at a time and she can get use to the flavor slowly? Just a thought.

Is her stool very dry looking? Pellets? What colour are they? The longer the stool sits in the intestines the drier it will come out. There is a lot of research lately stating that increasing fluids really does not do a significant amount of difference as the overwhelming majority of fluid is absorbed through the intestines and does not help the stool as it travels down for expulsion. Do not read that as "do not give her fluids", just take it that I would not go crazy if she will not increase her fluids.


Sara is the best advocate for the BF and very knowlegeable there, so I would agree to offer the breast more. IF you feel you are depleting your supply, perhaps try pumping or expressing as the breastmilk will help with regularity in your daughter. What about sneaking some prune juice in with something she favours in terms of solids? Mix with youghurt, applesauce, etc. Or, I do know one Mommy who mixed it with milk somehow and her son took it as the taste was hidden.

Good luck

Leigh

I was thinking, I forgot to ask one thing...what makes you think your milk supply has decreased? In most cases, women "think" their milk supply has decreased because they aren't getting that "full feeling/look" to their breasts anymore. That does not neccessarily mean that your supply is decreasing, it's your body adjusting to the supply and demand. I've also read that you never have to worry about "running out" of milk if you continue to BF as there is ALWAYS milk available for your little one.
If you are really concerned, there are a lot of sites out there w/information and you can also talk to someone about a possible med to help w/lactation... I doubt you'd have to go that far though as it is usually one of the above reasons.

Oh, another thing I learned...incase you have a cold... DO NOT TAKE ANTIHISTAMINES as this dries up the milk quite quickly!! I took benedryl before bed ONCE as ped said one time should not make a difference as long as u don't use it frequently. The very next morning and for two days afterwards my milk supply was waaaay scarey low! I thought it was the pump broken or something but it wasn't! It's amazing.

Ella's poop is pretty dry and very dark brown. It's a couple small pellets most of the time, but occasionally it a bunch all smooshed together. How candid! ;)
I'll try giving her more prune juice. She doesn't seem to mind the taste much but it hasn't been too effective. Maybe if I keep doing it I'll get results. Thanks for making me feel a little more confident that her liquid intake isn't neccessarily linked to the her dry, hard poop. I do wish she would have more of a desire to drink out of anything else but my breast.

Ella will be 10 months in a few days, so her desire to nurse has decreased b/c she is starting to self wean. I'm certain my supply has decreased despite my nursing her about every three hours because when I try and pump I don't get more than an ounce. :( If I'm away from her for date night, when I come home I can only pump about 4 ounces out when it was 16 not so long ago.

Thanks for the tip about the warm showers and masage. I have started to massage while I nurse her and she seems to stay on a little longer. I am now taking fenugreek, milk thistle, and drinking red raspberry leaf tea to help me get back to the way it used to be. I'm starting to notice a difference after 36 hours :D
It's a good tip to pass on to anyone else you now who might be having trouble...

THANKS!!!

Fenugreek worked wonders for me when I was trying to relactate. I hope you have success with it. Will she eat pureed prunes? Or maybe something with apples in it? Sorry I'm not much help in this department as I'm currently trying to get my little one NOT to poop.

I'm certain my supply has decreased despite my nursing her about every three hours because when I try and pump I don't get more than an ounce.

I was going to suggest offering the breast every hour or two or pumping in between feedings even if there's nothing coming out just to get the stimulation. But it sounds as though you're coming along w/all the other stuff after 36 hours, that's great!

I am only able to pump about 4 oz now, as well. I use to pump about 8, but never 16!! Do you have a "mac daddy" pump?

LOL! I have Ameda's Purely Yours electric pump. It works great, although I wish I had Playtex's new one. It massages while it pumps, so I bet you can get even more milk out.
The fenugreek works great if you ever need/want to get more milk. The more the merrier. BTW, I gave Ella a ton of watermelon at a BBQ on Saturday and she had the softest poops yesterday!

Sorry about Ella's hard poop. We, too, have struggled at times with MAtthew's poop.... hard little rabbit poos but I'm pleased to say that things are much better now. He always has fresh fruits and veges at every solids meal and I do try and add water (rather than milk) with the solids. The prune juice should be quite effective.. you need to offer it a couple of times a day to get things started and then reduce the amountonce she satrts going regularly. Good luck!