Daughter having pain with bowl movemtents

My 3 year old sometimes crys when she has a BM. There is not any blood although her stools seem to be pretty large.  I am thinking that they are rather firm also.  I want to know if there is anything that I could do for her to help her.  I don't want to put her throgh any tests that are not needed.  I am into more natural remedies rather than prescription remedies unless absoulutely needed.  She drinks plenty of juice ( mostley apple) and I have been mixing it with some prune juice to see if that will help soften her BMs up.  I hate to see her in pain I am afraid that she will start holding it, if she knows that it is going to cause her discomfort.  Any insight would be appreciated!

[Concerned lady]

Check with your doc first, for peace of mind about these ideas:

1) A very natural way to soften stools(and provide healthy BULK) is to eat some ACIDOPHILUS and BIFIDUS (BIFIDO-BACTERIA). Health food stores & good pharmacies sell these. Keep these "beneficial bacteria" ("pro-biotics") in a cooler between the store & your refrigerator. Mix the "probiotic" powder with clean water, or with juice, in the correct dosage for a 3 year old. Prunes or prune juice are OK, but may cause a little diarrhea, if eaten in excess. You need BULK, not just softness.

Often, antibiotics destroy these beneficial bacteria, with resulting constipation &/or diarrhea. The large intestine then needs to be "re-populated" with the ACIDOPHILUS/BIFIDUS, to create normal (soft, bulky) type stools, again.

2) Avoid too much dried apricots, as these soften stools, but seem to make them too sticky to expell easily.

3) Try to drink non-chlorinated and non-fluoridated water. Hard water (well or spring water) is best. Avoid distilled water. A "Culligan" type solid charcoal filter on the kitchen sink faucet can sometimes be useful. Avoid the "Britta" filter, because it has a "heavy metal" silver, in its filter. Heavy metals can be toxic (not good for people).

4) AVOID "DE-NATURED" FOODS, such as WHITE bread (use whole grain), WHITE rice (use brown rice, preferably "organic"), soda pop, CANDY (use fruit instead), etc. Most "de-natured" "foods" can cause constipation because they are missing the natural fiber (roughage) that "whole" foods have.

4) Sometimes children "hold in" their stools (adding to the constipation problem) because it's the only "power" they think they have, over their lives. (It's an unconscious thing.)

Try to make mealtime a relaxing pleasant time for your child. Let your child CHOOSE WHAT SHE WANTS TO EAT, from a nice array of NUTRITIOUS CHOICES! Try letting her serve herself, and see if this new found power helps her to not "hold in" the bowel movements! (in case this is a factor)

5) Is she getting enough pleasant exercise?

6) Is she drinking enough plain, clean water?

7) Might she have any food allergies?

8) If these don't help, in a few days, consider seeing a GOOD nutritionist, and a GOOD pediatric gastro-enterologist, in case she has some medical condition that needs to be gently corrected.

When you find ideas that help her, tell us what helped! :-)

By the way, I know about this, because I was a very constipated kid! I wish someone had told my parents about these things, way back then! Nice people in health food stores helped me, as an adult, to finally correct the "irritable bowel syndrome" & constipation that I had for too many years, that can USUALLY be easily corrected.

Good luck, and I hope your daughter feels better soon!

Sincerely,
Concerned lady

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