Newborn Constipation

Newborn constipation in an infant, toddler or child can be severe. There are natural ways to help treat and relieve symptoms including food and massage. So before buying medications that can have negative consequences on a baby's tiny developing body, you might want to try a few home remedies for constipation or baby gas.

My Baby Is Constipated, What Can Help?

Here are two simple things you can do for your baby to almost immediately stop constipation.

1. Prune Juice

2. Abdominal Massage

Prune Juice For Constipation

If your infant has constipation symptoms, you can give him/her a small amount of prune juice mixed with water. Your baby will only need a teaspoon or less. Usually a few drops on the tongue will go a long way. Your baby might make a strange face in reaction to the taste of the prune juice. It could take a few hours for your baby to have a bowel movement or it could happen immediately. Candida albicans or a baby yeast infection (yeast overgrowth) is also associated with constipation.

Abdominal Massage

Many cultures use massage as a remedy for constipation relief. Abdominal massage can help infants, children, and adults. This particular massage is called the "I Love You" massage.

Start by laying your baby on his back to move gas bubbles along and sooth abdominal pain.

Grab him by the ankles with one hand, gently bend his knees so his belly stays relaxed.

Picture a large upside-down U on your baby's belly. This represents the large intestines or colon along which gas passes. It begins on your lower right, crosses below his ribcage, and runs down his left side, to end at the lower left at rectum.

Make a single gentle stroke (I) from your baby's ribcage down to the hip on his left side. This will move gas to rectum. Then stroke from right side to left, just below ribs and down left side again (making upside-down L). Lastly, begin at baby's lower right side, near leg, and stroke upward, across middle again, and back down left side (making and upside-down U).

Reference: Comforting Your Crying Baby by Sandy Jones

Reference: The Fussy Baby by Dr. Sears