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Age 3 & Digestive Troubles

 
gardener
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For the last 3 months (with no changes in diet or family circumstances!), my precious 3 y. o. niece has had pain throughout the day whenever she has to go #2, and even in the hour or so before. She will start moaning and crying with pain--and if it is a really really bad day, get suppositories. (And that is horrible for everyone, of course.) Her parents plan to take her to specialists, but so far everyone has just wanted to dispense more and more medicines.

As to natural remedies, some have suggested more fiber, but how much is reasonable? And some have suggested Vitamin C, but how much can a child safely ingest? There is just so much I need to learn.

Little Niece is very well-hydrated and has plenty of fruits and vegetables and homemade food. It seems like a weird problem that came out of nowhere. What do y'all know?
 
Rusticator
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A very dear friend's daughter had the exact same thing happen. Her solution was to eliminate dairy. I obviously don't know that that is your sweet niece's struggle, but maybe taking all dairy out of her diet for a few weeks would be worth a shot?
 
Rachel Lindsay
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Carla Burke wrote:A very dear friend's daughter had the exact same thing happen. Her solution was to eliminate dairy. I obviously don't know that that is your sweet niece's struggle, but maybe taking all dairy out of her diet for a few weeks would be worth a shot?


I will tell this to her mother--I promised I would take the question to Permies and let all the brilliant minds work upon it and report back. Thank you for this suggestion!
 
Carla Burke
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Rachel Lindsay wrote:

Carla Burke wrote:A very dear friend's daughter had the exact same thing happen. Her solution was to eliminate dairy. I obviously don't know that that is your sweet niece's struggle, but maybe taking all dairy out of her diet for a few weeks would be worth a shot?


I will tell this to her mother--I promised I would take the question to Permies and let all the brilliant minds work upon it and report back. Thank you for this suggestion!



I hope it's this simple! Dairy isn't fun to cut out, but there are loads of easy replacements, now. At the time they figured it out, it was summer and all her older siblings were eating ice cream, left and right - as she had been, which they think was the final straw, for her poor little system. It broke my friend's heart to have to bring her little girl inside, while all the other kids were enjoying their summer treats, but it didn't feel right to her not to let them have it, either (apparently, popcicles were not their thing).  I had 2 donvier ice cream makers, and the little one was pint-size - way too small for my family, anyway. So, I gave it to her, with some recipes for sorbet. Natalie's troubles went away, the whole family switched to mostly sorbet, and she eventually outgrew it.
 
pollinator
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My husband and I read the GAPS (Gut and Physiology Syndrome) Book a while back, and it has been very helpful in navigating all sorts of health questions. My consistently dealt with constipation, and pain/aches in his intestines as a result. He tried every fiber source (food and supplement) but none of them really made a difference. The GAPS diet, but especially a particular juice concoction has helped. In the mornings he juices a couple of carrots, an apple, and a handful of greens (whatever we have around). He blends in a spoonful or so of homemade sour cream (made with kefir culture) and a raw egg yolk to make a thin smoothie like drink. He drinks this on an empty stomach before any other food. If I remember right, the saturated fats and amino acids in the sour cream and egg yolk help the intestines produce the mucous necessary to keep stool moving through the bowel, reducing irritation and straining. The GAPS diet is quite an endevor, and may not be necessary for your niece, but the juice make a difference on its own. A smaller portion size would of course be necessary for a 3 year old. And Of course, a juicer is an investment, but maybe a friend would have one they could borrow to see if its makes any difference?

Hoping you can find something to help! Probiotic foods would be another recommendation - Yogurt, Kefir (water or milk), Kambucha, Kvass, Saurkraut, etc.
 
Carla Burke
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I have to agree with Eloise - it's entirely possible that GAPS might help. I would, however, advise only trying one thing at a time, so they know what worked and what didn't.
 
Rachel Lindsay
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Yes, I myself have recently been drinking probiotics (kombucha) and I think I feel better overall wellbeing. I will also suggest these things to the family! Thanks very much!
 
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I agree with much of what has already been said.

You asked how much fiber is too much, I don't know though how much is too much.  The bottle of fiber pills that I have says 5 capsules a day though for children under 12 it says to consult a doctor so that is what I would do.

What has helped me the most is papaya and ginger.

Has anyone tried either of these?

Papaya is always my favorite snack.

Canada Dry Ginger Ale is a staple.
 
pollinator
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One of my sons has a bladder condition, and for a while he tended to avoid drinking because it made him need to go to the toilet excessively frequently. A consequence of being consistently a little dehydrated was that he was frequently constipated.

Your little one's problem might be as simple as they need to drink more water, more consistently through the day. In practice we got him a waterbottle with lines marked on it, with hours of the day. He had to drink a whole bottle worth through the morning, and again in the afternoon.

It was battle to get him in the habit of drinking enough, and regularly enough, but now he is back to drinking more normally - he feels thirsty as normal, and gets himself drinks, where he used to ignore/avoid thirst.
 
Anne Miller
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Rachel said, "Little Niece is very well-hydrated and has plenty of fruits and vegetables and homemade food. It seems like a weird problem that came out of nowhere. What do y'all know?



I understand that kids can be finicky eaters at that age so many parents are glad that the kids have found something they like.

By any chance is she eating yogurt or cheese?  Both can be constipating.

I can't eat either unless I eat something to help the constipation that I get from those.

Spinach, pinto beans, or peanuts are things that help me.
 
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