Whatever is bothering your little one, you want to help them in any way that you can. If they are constipated, you would obviously want to try and find any way you could to make them feel better. The very first thing you should try is to take a closer look at their food and make sure to get them the best formula for constipation, so that you can get their tummy on the right track again.
Now, this is, obviously, more easily said than done. There is a lot to consider when you are trying to soothe a constipated baby, which is, of course, why you are reading this!
Best Formula For Constipation
Baby Formula |
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Similac Sensitive Infant *Best Choice* |
(*) Below, you'll find my detailed reviews, but you can also click the links above to see prices and read customer reviews.
Buyer’s Guide
When Should You Worry About Constipation?
Even though your little one can’t tell you exactly what is wrong with them when they are in discomfort, there are several signs that you can keep on the lookout for. These signs include:
Hard Stool
Dark or bloody stool
Hard belly
Difficulty pooping
If your baby doesn’t poop once in 5 to 10 days
If your baby is exhibiting one or more than one of these signs, then they are most likely suffering from constipation.
What Causes Constipation in Babies?
Several different factors could contribute to your poor baby becoming constipated. These include:
Solid Food – Keep a close eye on your little one when you begin to introduce solid foods. Even the smallest practice meal can cause a complete makeover of your baby’s digestive tract, which could lead to constipation.
To help prevent this from happening, you might want to hold off on solid foods until after eight months or so. That way, your little one’s gut has a better chance to develop fully before it has to revamp itself.
Dehydration – If your baby was just recently sick or simply fussy, they could become dehydrated. Since their body doesn’t have enough liquid to go around, this could lead to harder than average stools.
Medicine – Another big factor that comes along with sickness that could lead to constipation are medicines, particularly antibiotics.
Allergies – If your baby has a milk allergy or is allergic to other ingredients in their formula, they will probably become constipated rather early on in their life. Your best bet to combat this is to get them onto a formula that works better for their tummy.
What To Keep In Mind When Looking For The Best Formula For Constipation
After you are completely certain that your poor little guy or gal is suffering from constipation, it is time to start looking for the best formula for constipation so that you can help them out! Of course, there are several factors that you need to take into account before you make your final selection, which is exactly what we’ll go through here.
Types of Formula – When it comes to formula, there are two different types that you can purchase. You can either go with a mix or a premade liquid. Each of these types has distinct advantages and disadvantages when compared to the other.
Mix – Mixes tend to be a bit on the cheaper side than premade formulas. The flipside of the issue, however, is that you need to prepare the bottle each and every time you want your little one to each. While this isn’t the biggest deal of the day, it can be a real problem at night.
Premade – Premade, or liquid, formulas are convenient. Just give them a little shake, pop on the lid, and go to town feeding your baby. They can get really expensive, however.
Hypoallergenic – Whether or not you know that your little one has any sort of food allergy, it is better to be safe than sorry when it comes to constipation.
Since your baby cannot tell you exactly what is wrong, you should just switch right over to a hypoallergenic formula. That way, you can be sure that they won’t have an adverse reaction to the formula.
Ingredients – If you know that your baby is lactose intolerant or allergic to certain ingredients, then it only makes sense to avoid these in your new formula.
Something else that you might want to consider as an additional ingredient to your baby’s formula would be probiotics. These helpful bacteria can assist your little one’s digestive tract in getting back on the right track, which is super helpful.
Package Size – The size of the package that you need depends greatly upon how chronic of an issue constipation is for your little one. If they are going through their first bout with it, you might be able to get a smaller package size. That way, you won’t spend a ton of money on something that you might not need all the time.
If, however, your little one is a frequent passenger on the constipation express, you will want to get the most bang for your buck. The way that packaging usually works is the more you buy, the less each unit costs, though the overall bill will be higher.
Top 5 Formulas For Constipation
1. Similac Sensitive Infant
The Good: Similac has long been one of the premier formula brands for babies with stomach discomforts like constipation, and this one is no different. This formula comes in a powdered form, which is nice and easy to mix together for your little one.
While it is milk-based, it is perfect for any baby that is suffering from constipation or stomach distress due to lactose sensitivity. It also has different vitamins added into the mix, such as vitamin E and DHA, which are crucial to proper development.
The Bad: Even though this formula comes in a powdered form, it is a bit on the expensive side. Each can of the formula will make about 56 eight ounce bottles, which isn’t too bad, although you will need multiple cans to make it through even one month of feedings.
The Long and Short of It: This formula has a lot to offer a baby with a sensitive stomach. It is milk-based, but lactose-free, and has lots of additional vitamins. Though it is a bit expensive, this just might be the best formula for constipation out there.
2. Gerber Good Start Infant Formula
The Good: If you are looking for a formula to help your little one with constipation for just a short amount of time, then this just might be the right option for you.
Unlike other formulas where you need to purchase a lot at a time, you can buy this one in packs of one instead. This makes it great for a baby that is only constipated in the short term, although it would work well for a chronic sufferer as well.
The reason that this formula works so well is that it has a built-in probiotic. This will help to get your little one’s belly back on track, making it the perfect formula to use after a sickness or a round of antibiotics.
The Bad: One of the only problems with this formula is that it tends to be a bit tougher to mix. If you are not careful with how it is stored or the lid is not properly tightened, it can become a bit clumpy and would have to be broken down before it will mix properly.
The Long and Short of It: If you are in the market for a short-term constipation fixing mix, then this formula might be a good place to start.
3. Gerber Good Start Infant Formula Gentle
The Good: Sometimes, moms want to breastfeed their babies and, for whatever reason, they just can’t. Perhaps their baby can’t latch properly, or their milk never comes in, but whatever the case, it can be a hard pill to swallow.
If that sounds like you, don’t worry! This formula is great for constipation, but will also help to replicate a mother’s natural breast-milk.
That’s because it has been specially formulated to contain all of the natural prebiotics and probiotics found in breastmilk. Plus, it also has DHA added for brain development. Add in the fact that it is a Non-GMO product, and you can see can see why it is such a good product.
The Bad: As with other Gerber products, this formula tends to get a bit clumpy if you don’t properly store and seal the container after each use. This is, of course, not the biggest deal, but it might lead to you not getting your money’s worth out of the package.
The Long and Short of It: This product is specially formulated to simulate breastmilk, making it that much easier for a baby to digest.
4. Enfamil Nutramigen Infant Formula
The Good: This formula from Enfamil is completely lactose-free, making it a great choice for a baby with a milk allergy. It is also hypoallergenic, making it a great choice for a baby with a host of other allergies that could lead to constipation.
It can be purchased in a variety of different packaging sizes, or as a liquid or a mix.
The liquid formula is very convenient to use. All you have to do is give it a quick shake, pour it into your baby’s bottle, and let them do the rest. It really makes nighttime feedings a lot quicker and easier.
The Bad: Since this is a lactose-free formula, it might take your little one to get used to the taste. It might take several tries before they take it willingly, simply because it has a much different taste than a milk-based formula.
The Long and Short of It: If you are looking for a lactose-free formula that is also hypoallergenic, then you should definitely check this one out. While the taste might take a bit of getting used to for your little one, it could be well worth it.
5. Enfamil Premium Gentleease Infant Formula
The Good: This offering from Enfamil attempts to help your baby with their constipation by mimicking a mother’s natural breast milk. This makes it very easier to digest than some other formulas.
This product is also packed with DHA, nutrients, vitamins, and probiotic. All of this added nutritional value will help your little one to grow and thrive. Plus, the probiotics will help to alleviate and prevent constipation.
The Bad: Since this product is designed to mimic breast milk; it might not work for a baby that has a sensitivity to lactose or other milk-related proteins.
The Long and Short of It: As long as your baby can handle lactose, this is a great formula. It is packed to the gills with everything they need to grow and develop, and the added probiotics should help to eliminate any constipation.
And The Winner Is...
After very careful consideration, I have concluded that Similac Sensitive Infant is by far the best formula for constipation relief. This formula has everything that you could ever want in a formula for your baby. It is easy to digest and full of vitamins, nutrients, and probiotics to not only help your little one to grow and develop, but also to give them some relief from their constipation. I highly recommend that you give this one a try!
What A Relief!
Now, don’t you feel better? Hopefully, after reading through this article, you’ll be able to find the best formula for constipation relief, and your baby can start to feel better too! Thank you so much for taking the time to read this article, and I hope you have a wonderful day!
2 comments
Gerber Good Start Protect is the only thing that has worked for us for constipation- it has a probitoic that really seems to help! Similac has been terrible and my LO gets stopped up every time ive tried to switch back to anything else!
My daughter is 7 months. I BF (breastfeed, or boyfriend) for 2 and since I stopped she’s been as constipated as it gets. I’ve gone back and forth from enfamil and gerber (parents choice brands)…nothing! Finally switched to parents choice similac sensitive infant and I have a pooping baby! No more hard poops either. It worked after only a few bottles. The formula stinks and tastes bad, but it doesn’t seem to bother her. I’m a similac believer!!!