Quick tip for constipation
I've been hearing a lot about constipation lately.
Scroll down for a solution fast.
Constipation is epidemic, painful, and horribly embarrassing in children and adults.
- It's horrifying to witness your child in such pain (or bleeding, or going to the hospital) just when they poop.
- It's devastating when your 7 or 8 year old quietly tells you "I pooped" when they have an accident at the park or school because they've got impacted stool distending their bowel and damaging the nerves that would normally alert them that a bowel movement is coming (and so the liquid stool slips right around the blockage and surprises them when they feel or smell it).
- It's sad when your kid desperately wants to go on sleepovers but doesn't because they wet the bed at night because they've got constipation and gas that makes it impossible to go overnight without having to pee (and when kids don't get enough sleep, it impacts their brain development).
- It's a big warning when (even before they're potty trained) infant or toddler is "with holding," like crossing their little legs and squeezing their bottom to try and prevent the poop from coming.
This is a very big deal, because it's shaping your child's self-esteem - their interpretation of what is possible for them. Your child may feel stuck and limited in a body that betrays them. It doesn't work, causes pain, and they choose to be left out for fear of shameful accidents.
Please don't feel bad if this is your child - you didn't do anything wrong!
Our modern food culture and high-stress-high-screen lifestyle is a constipation machine!
Children CAN poop without drugs.
Here are some reversible common constipation triggers that you might already know, but not know what do do about yet:
Lack of fiber intake (picky eating!)
Dehydration (want to chase your kid with a water bottle all day?)
Too much sitting still/screen time (hello zoom school!)
Dairy-related inflammation (many functional practices REQUIRE a dairy-free diet before they will see new patients)
Inflammatory food reactions (inflammation can decreases bowel function)
Stress/fear/lack of sleep/etc (in fight-or-flight, blood flow is redirected away from our belly, which may lead to constipation or diarrhea)
In time, you can reverse any of these with truly simple steps as long as you have community support and accountability, even if it's just one person to talk to.
Here's something you can do right now (please keep in mind this is not medical advice and I am not a doctor, so consult a practitioner you trust).
Magnesium has been demonstrated for decades to relieve constipation - even impaction.
There are different kinds of magnesium, and the ones most commonly recommended for constipation are:
Magnesium oxide (Like Mag07, available from a couple of companies on Amazon)
Magnesium citrate (Like Mag CALM, available at most grocery stores in a few flavors)
For relieving constipation and nourishing a calm nervous system (hello better sleep, goodbye show-stopping tantrums) .
Our bodies naturally, automatically eliminate any extra magnesium, pulling more water into the stool and creating softer easier bowel movements.
[In the presence of renal disease (more common in the elderly) too much magnesium can lead to side-effects, and this study explains why it's very unlikely.]
Magnesium can be a simple, safe and fast way to help your child poop.
Important note: this is not medical advice and I am not a doctor, so consult a practitioner you trust.
Once your child is pooping easily, you'll likely be able to sleep and think better.
Whew!
Sleeping and thinking better is great relief for overwhelm.
Then you can make a tiny change that will build to eliminate the root cause, and set your child (and you!) on the path to 1-3 easy poops a day (yep, that's normal and natural for our bodies).
Is constipation a problem in your family?
What's working?
Where are you stuck?