Hi I'm Lucy Jackman, the Happy Tummy Dietitian, at Lune & Wild we're here to bring you evidence based advice to support you and help keep our little one's happy and healthy.

This month is all about the Tell-tale signs of an unhappy gut and how to support it.

Before being able to tell if your little one’s tummy is “unhappy” we need to know what is normal, this can help pinpoint when something isn’t quite right! There are many tummy complaints, from reflux, vomiting, to tummy aches and dodgy poops; too many to cover in one blog post.  So for now, I will be focusing on poop! A tell-tale sign of what is happening in the gut.

A normal poop can range in terms of colour, texture, frequency and this can also vary with age (just to make it even more confusing) but just because your little one’s poop is slightly different to their bestie’s, doesn’t mean it is not normal. So, my first tip would be to get to grips with what is “normal” for your little one! So how frequently they go, the normal texture, time of day, usual smell and so on.

We have a good guide for “normal” poop, known as the Bristol Stool Chart (BSC), this is useful for infants who are potty trained, it is somewhat harder to compare when they are squished in the nappy! Nonetheless, it can be a helpful guide:

Type 4 is considered a “normal” or ideal poop, described as a smooth sausage shape (soft but holding the shape), in a nappy this is more a smooth paste like texture.  In little ones who are exclusively breast fed, formula fed or have minimal solids in the diet, type 5 or even 6 can be considered normal – remember its about knowing what is typical or normal for your little one. Formula-fed little ones' poops tend to be a bit more formed compared to breast fed infants and the poops are usually browner in colour, rather than the korma yellow seen in breast fed infants.

Most of you who are reading this blog, will have little ones who have started weaning or are about to wean. This is the time when poops drastically change, new complex components (fibre, different fats, plant and animal proteins as well as a variety of carbohydrates) are introduced and alongside this, there is often tummy symptoms.  

One of the biggest tummy complaints we see when weaning is started, is constipation. This means that the stools are less frequent (less than 3 times per day), difficult to pass and maybe hard in texture (type 1 – 3 BSC), in the nappy, this might look like hard lumps (I’ve had parents describes the poop as canon balls)! Although not very nice, this is extremely common and caused by a change in diet.

  Think about when you go on holiday and suddenly change your diet, your poops change, this is the same for your little one, but good news is, it usually returns to normal without you having to do anything. The same is likely for your little one, as their guts get used to digesting the new complex foods, the stools return to normal.

Here are my top tips for getting things back on track if symptoms persist:

Make sure you’re not over doing it with the fibre!

Fibre is super important for the gut, but too much, too soon can cause constipation in a little gut that is getting used to managing it. Pull back slightly and then build it back in gradually.

Opt for foods which help constipation

• • Kiwi – the magic fruit to get the bowels moving! 1 – 2 per day have been shown to improve constipation and associated tummy ache. The cells hold onto the water, which helps keep the poop soft but they also contain an enzyme which helps the gut contract to push the poop along

  • Sorbitol rich fruits – or all the “P’s”, plum, peach, pear and also pea (check out Lune and Wild first taste pea puree). The sorbitol is a poorly absorbed carbohydrate, which means they help pull water into the gut and keep the poops soft, which makes them easier to pass. These fruits are nice and soft so great first finger foods for your little one. Or offer the stone of a mango with a bit of the flesh left

  • Tomato – of all the veggies the research suggests that those who have a diet with higher tomato intake, have less episodes of constipation. Easy win, as which little one doesn’t like pasta with tomato sauce!? Check out the Lune & Wild Five Veg Sauce and beef bolognaise sauce for an easy way to get tomato into your little one’s diet

  • Offer water with meals, getting the balance right with fibre and fluid can be tricky but offering your little one regular water, especially as they start to drop bottles or breast feeds is super important to keep their bowels regular

As I said, usually the constipation resolves on its own, in my experience when the meals become more balanced and your little one’s gut gets used to its new role of digesting these complex foods. If, however, the symptoms continue, please discuss with a health care professional as for some, medication might be needed.

What about the other end of the spectrum and little one has loose stools?

Looser textured poops and very frequent (it can be 10 times or more per day), is often seen in toddlers, from age 1 – 5 years, when previously their poops have been normal.  This is something called toddler diarrhoea, it is reported to effect up to 15% of little ones. Although this is not a sign that the tummy is unhappy, it often causes a lot of stress to parents.  We still don’t fully understand why this happens, but good news is that is usually improves overtime. In the meantime, there are some diet changes that might help.

Fat helps slow down digestion

 so adding in some healthy fat like olive oil or avocado can do the trick.  This trick can also be helpful in those early weaning days if you notice slightly looser poops, especially when you’re offering a single puree, like the carrot or squash from the Lune & Wild range, adding in a small amount of fat can be helpful to “balance” this a little and slow the digestion

Fibre, too much or too little can worsen toddler diarrhoea.

Opting for soluble fibre that “soaks up” the water in the gut and can help firm up the poops.  This includes oats or chia seeds, which are super easy to add to breakfast or simple sauces or puree

Fruit and fruit juice, little ones often love fruit as they have this natural preference for sweeter flavours, but large portions in one sitting, or as a smoothie or juice gives a huge load of sorbitol and fructose, which pulls water into the bowel, making poops waterier.  This is why when weaning on a single fruit, little ones often get lots of loose stools.  Spread the portions out throughout the day or pair with fat or protein to make everything a bit more balanced.

There can be many reasons for looser poops, in the most part these are short term and nothing to be concerned about. However, if the loose poops persist, your little one is losing weight, has micronutrients deficiencies or any other red flag symptoms, they should always be checked by a health care professional. 

Another common tummy symptom is discomfort, now this is very nonspecific, but I am sure you all know (as parents) what this might look like! An irritable little one, maybe a bit more windy but also uncomfortable with the wind, maybe struggling to sleep at night or waking up with possible discomfort. These symptoms are common with constipation, so getting on top of that is crucial. However, many parents also notice it with foods like beans, lentils and other pulses.  These foods are high in poorly absorbed carbohydrates called galacto-oligosaccharides (GOS) and fructans, this means they reach the large bowel intact, the bacteria their feast on the carbohydrates, producing lots of gas as a byproduct. This can cause wind but also distension in the gut, which might be uncomfortable for your little one.  This doesn’t mean that you can’t give them to your little one, they are a great source of prebiotic fibre (the type that feeds the gut bugs and help keep them happy). My top tip would be to start slow, get your little one’s gut used to these types of carbohydrates.  How you prepare them also has an impact. Oligosaccharides are water soluble, which means when they are in the can they leach out into the water.  Therefore, draining them, rinsing them and then cooking them helps reduce the load of the poorly absorbed carbohydrates.  If your feeling anxious about preparing these, Lune & Wild have a great range of products that include beans, lentils and pulses; such as the Sweet Potato & Bean Chilli and Veggie Mousakka to get you started!

There are a few red flags when it comes to tummy symptoms, so if your little one has any of these, please contact a health care professional

• Blood in poop (remember poop can change colour based on what food is eaten, so if your little one has had beetroot, expect a red-looking poop)!

• White stools

• Significant mucus in poops (small amounts of mucus can be normal, it is found in all our guts to help the poop slide along easily but also protect the gut lining from anything nasty we don’t want there)

• Distended tummy with dark green vomiting

• Black poop

• Green poop (can be in the realm of normal, little ones on hypoallergenic formula will often have green colour poops) but if its new and also very foul smelling this is something that should be checked out.

Usually when your little one has tummy symptoms associated with weaning, these are short term, just because of getting used to new foods. 

Over time building your little one’s dietary variety is super important to support their overall gut health and reducing symptoms like constipation, loose poops or tummy ache. My top recommended ingredients for supporting your little one’s gut in the long term are a variety of fruits and veggies (think eat the rainbow), herbs and spices, beans, pulses and legumes and prebiotic foods such as garlic, onion, oats and pulses. My favourite products from the Lune and Wild range to help you achieve this are the Beef Bolognaise, packed with onion, garlic and leeks for a prebiotic hit, five veg hidden pasta sauce, lots of herbs to keep those gut bugs happy and spring green orzo which has a massive 7 different plant points!

Take care,

Lucy 

Please note, this blog does not replace a clinical review with a health care professional and should not be used to self-diagnose, this is for general information only. If you have any concerns about your little one’s tummy, please discuss these with a health care professional.