[wordnerd]

OK, so MJ's pediatrician said to start giving him Stage 1 baby foods.... it's been about a week. He gets rice cereal mixed with pear juice in the morning (he didn't like it mixed with formula or water) and has been getting sweet potatoes (organic) at night. The day before yesterday I noticed that one of his dirty diapers had really loose stool in it. I wouldn't call it diarrhea exactly, since it wasn't too liquidy but definitely way less solid than usual (sorry if this is gross!). I took his temperature and he didn't have a smidge of fever, so I just decided to keep an eye on him, figuring it was just the solids playing tricks on his tummy. Yesterday goes by fine, without any loose poops at all. Today, all three have been loose. I'd still not call them diarrhea (my take on that is that it's all liquid, not just soft), but they are definitely not the more solid, formed poops he's been having. He doesn't have a fever, is still eating fine, and isn't acting out of sorts at all. I guess my question is should I be worried? Has anyone else experienced anything like this? I'm wondering if it's the juice and the potatoes that are making him go like this.... the doctor said to stay away from bananas, beans, and applesauce b/c MJ has a habit (or had, I guess) of getting gassy and constipated and those would bind him up. That's why I picked sweet potatoes - I normally don't go in for the organic stuff but that was the only kind of sweet potatoes they had in the store at the time. I'm trying not to worry too much because he's acting perfectly normal and doesn't have a fever and all that, but my husband is away until Friday so I'm a bit paranoid. If he still has loose stools tomorrow I'll call his doctor and hopefully I'll be able to take him in. So if someone could put my mind at ease, I'd appreciate it!

[alteregoeleanore]

I would say the juice is the culprit...and it's been my experience that some babies just have to adjust to the taste of cereal with formula in it--or just cereal at all..so I would skip the juice, and just make it with formula--a tiny bit at a time, and be patient with him, cos he may not like it for a while. But he will adjust, when he figures out that it's all he's gonna get in his cereal. Juice really should be diluted a LOT for a baby--as in 1/4 of a part of juice and the rest water--until he's a lot older--and we still dilute our juice for our kids. In fact, they are lucky to get any--. I hope that helps you feel better--the rice cereal (with the formula) should bind him up sufficiently--back to normal! Good luck!

[froggles_fi]

From my experience pear juice works like prune juice ;D If you are concerned try diluting the pear juice a little more, but if he is happy and has no other symptoms, I wouldn't worry too much.

[mylittlegirl]

I agree with the pp...I think it is the pear juice as my dd's GI doc told me to give her diluted pear juice when she was constipated and it did the trick

[fullojoy]

I just read that it may take up to 15 tries introducing a new food before your baby may accept or like it. So keep trying the cereal with the formula mixed with it. Plus if you start giving him sweets too early (i.e. juice with the cereal) it may give him a sweet tooth so that he turns away from things not as sweet. Just some info I thought was worth sharing.

And I agree with the others - sounds like the juice is making things a little more "juicy" Try removing just 1 of the things from his diet for 3-5 days (either the juice, the cereal, or sweet potatoes). If the loose stools continue, try removing 1 of the other things & see if 1 of them is the cause. Hope your little one if feeling better soon.

[wordnerd]

Thanks, ladies! It didn't even occur to me that I hadn't diluted the pear juice (when I was giving it to him for constipation I was diluting it half and half with water, as directed by MJ's pedi).... I bet that's it. I'll just start giving it to him with just formula and tough it out until he stops rejecting it. Thanks again!