How to help a baby go to the toilet: tummy massage, medicines and folk remedies

2024 Author: Priscilla Miln | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 00:21

Often, due to intestinal motility disorders, the baby may experience constipation, pursuing pain and discomfort in the tummy. Undoubtedly, this phenomenon negatively affects the well-being of the baby and can become a reason for his crying. Sleepless nights and screams in a baby are often associated with this ailment. In the article we will find out how to help the baby go to the toilet and how often he should do it.

Causes of constipation in newborns

Constipation in a baby is indicated not only by the frequency of bowel movements, but also by his general condition. If the baby looks active and cheerful, and his tummy is soft, then in this case you should not take any action. It is worth noting that all babies are individual, and constipation in a month-old baby and older is common. In the first year of life, a baby's stool is usually liquid or mushy. To understand the question of how to help the baby go to the toilet, first you need to understandthe main reasons for this problem. Stool retention can occur due to:

• teething;
• infectious disease or rickets;
• reactions to complementary foods;
• low activity;
• incorrect diet;
• dehydration and malnutrition;
• low body weight;
• transition to artificial feeding;
• immaturity of the intestinal microflora.

It should be noted that constipation in infants can occur due to many factors, but before treating this ailment, it is worth finding out the cause. For example, if it is noticed that stool retention is associated with a change in the mixture or the introduction of a certain product, then it is necessary to monitor the baby's reaction and his condition for a few more days. If stool retention is repeated more than twice a week, then you need to temporarily stop giving these products, and you should also consult a doctor.

How to tell?

Constipation is defined as the absence of stools for 1-3 days. In this case, the child becomes restless. This phenomenon may be temporary or recur quite often. In the latter case, it is necessary to show the baby to the doctor, perhaps there are violations in the diet or deviations in the development of the intestine. In addition, due to the sterility of the intestinal microflora, children under one year old often suffer from colic. They are identified as follows: the baby has a hard and swollen stomach, he cannot release gases and go to the toilet. The treatment is carried out independently with the help of a tummy massage, dill water or special pharmacy drops.

Note

Many mothers are interested in the question of how many times a baby should go to the toilet. Normally, a child up to a year should be emptied daily from one to three times. But it is worth considering its individual characteristics. It is believed that the baby is constipated when he does not go to the toilet for three days. If, after examination by a doctor, deviations in the development of internal organs are not revealed, then there is no reason for concern - this is curable.

It is important to pay attention to the general condition of the baby, how cheerful, calm, whether he has an appetite, whether his stomach is soft. In addition, the consistency of the stool should be monitored, as it is considered normal for the stool to have a liquid or mushy consistency. Hard stools may indicate digestive disorders, which is a signal for contacting a pediatrician.

Effect of nutrition on stool in infants

At such a young age, the digestive system of infants is still imperfect. In this regard, it is worth paying great attention to the quality of the mixture or your own nutrition, especially if the mother is breastfeeding the baby.

Feeding a breastfeeding mother

During breastfeeding, experts recommend eliminating s alty, spicy, smoked and fried foods from your diet. In addition, you should be especially careful with sweets, white bread, rice, meat and boiled potatoes. During constipation in a baby, many mothers wonder what to eat so that the baby goes to the toilet. Doctors advise including prunes, boiled beets andapples, and also remember to drink enough warm water.

Artificial feeding

Frequent change of baby food during infancy can lead to dysbacteriosis or disruption of the gastrointestinal tract. Therefore, when changing the mixture, it is desirable to make the transition as smooth as possible. New baby food should be introduced gradually, about a week, and it is better to do this under the supervision of a doctor who can choose the best option.

Mixed feeding

Constipation in babies is often due to a mixed diet. To solve this problem, it is necessary to establish the process of lactation. In case of certain difficulties, the mother can always consult with a breastfeeding specialist or pediatrician. It is worth noting that not only the quality of food can cause constipation, but also malnutrition.

Starting at six months, children who suffer from constipation should be introduced to complementary foods of fruit and vegetable purees, and add cereal to the diet later. In addition, you can include beetroot or prunes puree in the menu. But what if a month-old baby cannot go to the toilet, because it is too early to give him complementary foods? Everything is simple here! If a mother is breastfeeding her baby, then all you have to do is eat these foods herself, and the effect will be the same.

Treatment and prevention of constipation in infants

What to do when a baby has constipation and how to help go to the toilet? First of all, you need to find out the cause of this problem, and then you can begin to take measures to eliminate it. There is a large numbermeans and methods that help to cope with constipation in infants. We offer to consider some of the most popular, effective and harmless ways.

Medicines

Many pediatricians prescribe lactulose-based drugs to relieve constipation for their young patients. Such means tend to improve intestinal motility and soften feces. But you should not expect an instant result from these drugs, since the desired effect appears only a few days after application.

Glycerin suppositories are also harmless and can be used from birth. They have a lot of advantages:

• help coat the intestinal walls;
• soften feces;
• inserted easily and painlessly;
• help fix problems in the long term;
• not addictive;
• remnants of the candle come out with feces;
• are harmless to all human organs.

If there are no children's candles at hand, then you can use adults, after dividing them into several parts. Although these drugs are available without a doctor's prescription and can be found at any pharmacy, it is recommended that you consult with your pediatrician beforehand.

Traditional medicine

There are many different ways to help a baby go to the toilet. Compote of raisins, prunes or dried apricots, which should be served to babies from six months, will help eliminate constipation. The healing broth is cooled, poured into a bottle and given to children in the amount of two teaspoons before meals. The first improvements can be seen after twelve hours.

A good remedy for constipation is oatmeal infusion, which is easy to prepare: pour two tablespoons of oatmeal into a thermos glass or thermos and let it brew for two hours. After you need to cool, strain through a sieve or cheesecloth, and give this drink to the baby before eating in the amount of fifty milliliters.

Gymnastics

Speaking of what to do to the baby to go to the toilet, you should not bypass gymnastics, since it is she who is an effective remedy for constipation. Before exercising, it is necessary to warm the lower body by applying a warm diaper to it. Then you should massage the tummy of the baby as follows: gently massage it clockwise. After that, you can start exercising. Due to the fact that the baby is not able to do them on their own, the help of an adult will be required. Each exercise is performed lying on your back:

Knee pull-ups

Stretch the baby's legs and grab the heels with the palm of your hand. When moving the arm forward, bend the knees with pulling up to the stomach, and then straighten the legs. This exercise helps not only to eliminate constipation, but also improves the discharge of gases and helps to relieve flatulence.

Feet up

Performed similarly to the previous one, but you do not need to bend your knees, it is important that they remain straight. Raising the limbsand then bring them to the tummy. Figuratively speaking, the baby "folds" in half. This exercise is recommended for children older than six months, as lifting straight legs can cause spastic constipation.

Scissors

Speaking about how to help a baby go to the toilet, one cannot fail to mention another effective exercise. It consists in the following: you need to take the heels of the child in the palm of your hand, spread and bring his legs together.

Bicycle

Probably everyone knows the following exercise, which can be done to the baby from birth. Holding the baby by the heels, we imitate a movement that resembles pedaling while riding a bicycle. Such gymnastics helps to remove gases, after which the intestines are easily emptied.

Complex of exercises

Undoubtedly, massage will be doubly effective when performing a set of exercises. It is not very difficult to do it and each parent will be able to cope on their own:

1. An adult circles around the navel clockwise about ten times.
2. On the side lines of the tummy, you need to hold your hands in the direction from the bottom up and vice versa.
3. In addition to stroking the abdomen, you need to do exercises that involve flexion and extension of the legs. Do ten reps.
4. Before each feeding, it is advisable to briefly lay the baby on the tummy.
5. When moving your palm clockwise over it, pinch the surface, combining with light pats.

Massage helpsstrengthen the abdominal muscles, which significantly improves blood circulation, eliminates pain, colic and constipation.

Do I need an enema?

Prolonged constipation leads to the fact that toxins from the rectum begin to be absorbed into the bloodstream and poison the child's body. Sometimes thick fecal masses can create microtrauma, which entails pain. In the case when the delay in the stool of the baby is three days, and the hard tummy does not give rest, and the above options do not help, then pediatricians recommend doing an enema. For this child, it is necessary to lay on its side, bend the legs slightly and gently administer the enema. It is advisable to pre-lubricate the syringe tip with petroleum jelly or baby cream.

Prevention

In order to prevent constipation in a month-old baby and older children, it is necessary to systematically do prevention. Charging, warm baths with herbs and massage are mandatory daily procedures. In addition, experts advise to keep breastfeeding as long as possible.

In closing

So now we know what to do to make the baby go to the toilet. In this matter, for starters, it is important to find out the cause of constipation, eliminate it, and only then begin appropriate treatment if necessary. It is necessary to prescribe and conduct a course of treatment exclusively by the attending physician. In order for this ailment to visit the baby as rarely as possible, it is worthwhile to systematically carry out gymnastics, feed the baby in a variety of ways, and also eat well.mom.

It is worth noting that eating foods rich in vegetable fiber significantly reduces the risk of constipation. If all of the above rules are followed, the child’s general well-being and mood will improve, thanks to which the mother will become calmer.