Have you noticed your baby experiencing a tighter, harder stomach or a lack of interest in food? Or have you noticed hard pellets in their diaper? This could be the result of constipation. Thankfully, there are tips to treat and prevent constipation for formula-fed infants.
How Often Bowel Movements Occur
All children are different when it comes to their digestive patterns. However, if your child hasn’t made any bowel movements in two to three days, they could be constipated.
Too much formula milk powder can result in constipation or dehydration because it’s too thick. If you’re worried, speaking to your midwife or general practitioner can help you get your baby’s bowel movements on the right track.
Possible Constipation Causes
There are many reasons infants develop constipation, most commonly dehydration or insufficient fiber. Let’s cover what causes constipation.
Lack of Fiber
One of the most common causes of infant constipation is a lack of fiber in their diets. As they get older, the formula you feed them might not allow them to have the bowel movements they need to digest properly. If your baby has started eating solids, introduce them to small pieces of apple, pears, and prunes alongside their baby formula to help progress their digestion cycle.
Dehydration
Dehydration is another key contributor to infant constipation. Factors include contracting an illness (colds, throat infections, ear infections, etc.), teething pain, and not drinking enough fluids with their diets. Not getting enough fluids in their diet can result in more difficult bowel movements.
Tips for Relieving Infant Constipation
Knowing more about how formula-fed infant constipation occurs can help with treatment and prevention in the future. Let’s take a look at how to relieve your baby’s discomfort.
Dietary Changes
Sometimes, a change in baby formula can help aid digestion. European-based baby formula brands, including Holle and HiPP, provide goat milk baby formulas that are easier to digest for infants with stubborn stomachs. Pre and probiotic baby formulas assist in digestive development, helping create healthy gut bacteria for smoother nutritional breakdowns.
Get Your Baby Moving
If you have little ones on the younger side, you can always try other remedies to help relax their bodies. Firstly, you can give them gentle massages on their stomachs or increase skin-to-skin time to improve their digestive systems. You can also try practicing bicycle kicks by gently bending their legs toward their chest or by moving them in a gentle cycling motion.
If your baby is experiencing discomfort, there’s nothing better than a warm bath. It can help relax their muscles and allow for bowel movements to pass.
Babies with optimal nutrition are less likely to experience constipation. At Formuland, our goat milk-based formula is similar to breastmilk and gives babies the nutrients they need to grow. If you’re looking for a formula to help aid digestion and reduce colic, try our European-based formula today. Ask us today about our baby formula brands if you have any questions.
