Thrivin’ Constipation Help Recommendations

 

Goal for bowel movements:

• Frequency: Daily to twice per day

• Appearance: Soft, yet formed log-like stools (NOT balls, clumps of balls, or diarrhea)

  • Bristol Stool Chart for visual of goal

• Experience: Non-painful, not taking longer than 15 minutes to have a bowel movement

 

General Recommendations:

• Diet: Increase your child's fiber intake by offering more whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and legumes. 

  • Examples: whole wheat bread, oatmeal, bran flake cereals, lentils, black beans, kidney beans, soybeans, chickpeas, berries, apples, oranges, pears, carrots, broccoli, green peas, and collard greens; 

  • Limit extra milk and cheese

• “P” Fruit: Plums/Prunes > Pears > Peaches are all especially helpful at getting things moving. Prune juice is ideal, but other more palatable options include pear/prune juice, pear juice, prune/apple juice. Can mix with water in a 1:1 ratio. 

Concentrated options for those over 6 months old:

• Wellements Constipation Support with Prune concentrate and Chicory root: https://a.co/d/5A6fVC7

• Mommy’s Bliss Constipation Ease for kids with Prune concentrate, Magnesium, Fennell, Dandelion extract: https://a.co/d/4vdG7Uq

• Water: Encourage your child to drink lots of water, including a glass with breakfast. You can calculate how much water your child should drink by taking half their weight in pounds and drinking that in ounces

• Physical activity: Regular physical activity can help encourage bowel movements. You can try taking your child for a walk, bike ride, dancing, or just playing outside

• Abdominal massage: A gentle clockwise or right to left circular movement can also help pass stools

• Probiotic: Make sure your child is on a daily probiotic. We recommend using probiotics in bursts, such as for 1-2 months, then taking a break or switching to another formulation. A few of our favorite options include: 

  • *ProbioMed Kids from Designs for Health chewable 

  • **Garden of Life Organic Dr. Formulated Kids + Vitamin chewable

  • Mary Ruth's Kid's Organic Liquid probiotic

  • Hiya pre and probiotic kids chewable 

• Fiber: Should be added daily. Feel free to find your own, but a few we like are:

  • Joy Spring fiber gummy: https://joyspringvitamins.com/products/best-fiber-gummies-for-kids

  • Hiya daily greens and superfoods (powder that tastes like chocolate when mixed in milk or milk substitute): https://hiyahealth.com/products/kids-daily-greens

• Vitamin C: This can be a big help for both the immune system and constipation

 

Dosing recommendation:

Product option:

3-12 months = 100mg twice daily

1 - 3 years = 200mg twice daily

4 - 8 years= 400mg twice daily

9 - 13 years= 1000 mg twice daily

14 - 19+= 2000 mg twice daily

- Green Life Organics: https://drgreenlifeorganics.com/collections/all/products/immune-vitamin-c-for-kids-adults

 - Thorne Vitamin C Capsule: https://a.co/d/iVWAUCP

 - Solaray chewable vitamin C: https://a.co/d/iAxsHoE

 - OR you may have a favorite brand already

 

1st Line Natural Supplements:

Adding in Stool Softener and/or Laxative if the above is not helpful. Start at recommended dose and increase every 2 days if needed to reach goal with bowel movements. Talk with your care provider before moving above maximum dose. 

• Magnesium supplement- Consult with a health care provider before using for a child over 4 years old:

  • Natural Vitality Calm Kids Magnesium Citrate Supplement: https://www.naturalvitality.com/products/calm-kids-powder-mixed-berry-6-oz-170-g-powder-nv4370?_pos=2&_fid=698e628b1&_ss=c

  • Designs for Health Mag Citrate powder: https://a.co/d/8btUt3U

  • Mag-Go Kids by Raise Them Well: https://a.co/d/bUor9Ji

 

2nd Line Natural Supplements:

To be added and used with the tools above

• Senna: Senna is a natural stimulant laxative that can be taken as a tea or in powder, tablet or liquid form. We recommend choosing one of the following options for your child:

  • Joy Spring Pottywise drops (3 years and older): https://a.co/d/31NyxQN

  • Wellements Organic Children’s Laxative with organic Senna Leaf (2 years and older): https://a.co/d/1UF6PTZ

 

3rd Line:

• If your child is still struggling despite the above recommendations, then a Solid Glycerin Suppository may be helpful periodically. 

  • https://a.co/d/62CaOEo

 

Bowel Training:

An important part of getting over severe constipation is retraining the nerves in the colon to sense when a bowel movement is ready to come out. 

• Should sit on a toilet for about 10-20 minutes after each lunch or dinner (if your child has not had a bowel movement that day). Sit with knees and hips flexed using a stool to be in the squatty potty position. 

• Avoid electronics, but drawing, looking at a book, or other similar activity is ok.