This post is sponsored by Begin Health but all of the opinions within are those of The Everymom editorial board.
"Let’s be real: No one likes to strain to poop… it’s a hard no (no pun intended). After my 14-month-old daughter, Lily, transitioned from formula to cow’s milk and a fully solids diet, we noticed she started struggling with bowel movements. It began with her crawling to a deserted corner of the room to orchestrate a soundtrack of grunts. After increasing her water intake and fiber-rich foods, we hoped we were going in the right direction—but we saw the opposite effect. As if passing a hard bowel movement wasn’t irritating enough, we then started to see blood in her diaper from straining. That was the call for us to take her to the pediatrician to see what else we could do.
Our pediatrician then recommended a probiotic, which we used for six weeks, but unfortunately, we saw no change. We also briefly tried Miralax but ultimately didn’t feel comfortable continuing that route as it wasn’t truly solving the issue. Then, I got some well-targeted ads on the ‘gram from Begin Health (shout out to their marketing department) about their Growing Up Prebiotics. After researching the product and reading countless reviews, I felt confident enough to give it a shot. And I was not disappointed in the slightest. Here’s our experience after a couple of months of trying Begin Health Growing Up Prebiotics to help my kid’s struggle with constipation:
Why Begin Health’s Growing Up Prebiotics works for my kid
Most of us are familiar with probiotics, the live bacteria and yeasts that benefit the digestive system. Well, prebiotics are non-digestible fibers that promote the growth of beneficial bacteria in the gut (probiotics). Begin Health’s Growing Up Prebiotics (GUP) goes a step further than other brands with its unique, science-backed formula. GUP is made with only two ingredients:
- Human Milk Oligosaccharide (HMOs): The most abundant prebiotic in human breast milk that establishes a healthy gut microbiome by feeding the gut good bacteria
- Chicory Root Fiber: A natural prebiotic that supports healthy gut bacteria growth. Studies show that kids who consume fiber such as the chicory root fiber found in Growing Up Prebiotics can see softer, more frequent bowel movements in just six weeks with daily use. And that’s exactly what we saw after incorporating it into Lily’s diet.
Begin Health
Made for kids ages 1+, Growing Up Prebiotics helps with painful, hard poops and promotes regularity in a gentle way.
Provides relief for constipation symptoms
In full transparency, we didn’t really pay attention to Lily’s bowel movements after starting GUP until my husband made her breakfast and forgot that we switched products. He accidentally used the old prebiotic, and all of a sudden, her hard stool was back. I genuinely appreciate a product that almost makes you forget what the issue was in the first place. Within a few days of switching back to Growing Up Prebiotics, her constipation was completely gone again.
The HMO ingredient in GUP boosts good gut bacteria making the gut more balanced and less inflamed. Laxatives are really only a short-term solution (that didn’t even work that great for us anyway) whereas GUP promotes long-term gut health in a gentle and nourishing way. I was also worried that her constipation would negatively impact potty training once we got to that stage (which happens with 30 percent of kids who experience constipation), so I’m glad we found this solution ahead of time. She’s been a much happier baby overall since we started Growing Up Prebiotics, and it’s been seamless to incorporate into our daily routine.
It’s ideal for picky eaters
Growing Up Prebiotics is formulated as a tasteless and textureless powder that’s easily mixed into drinks, soft foods, or snacks. It’s totally undetectable even for the pickiest eaters, and although my Lily has never met a food she didn’t like, most toddlers aren’t that amenable to new foods. We mix one packet into her morning cup of milk (usually 4 to 6 ounces) and she drinks every drop, no questions asked. This makes it much easier to include in the morning rush of getting two kids ready for school. So on behalf of all the busy moms, props to Begin Health for making this product so convenient.
Considering that about 50 percent of kids are picky eaters, it’s much more difficult for them to get all the nutrients their bodies need. In fact, 95 percent of kids don’t meet their daily fiber recommendation—but that’s where GUP comes in to provide 3 grams of fiber per serving.
Supports a healthy immune system
On top of supporting gut health and fiber intake, the HMO ingredient in Growing Up Prebiotics has been found to have other health benefits, like supporting immune health and cognitive development. This was another big selling point for me since Lily had also been struggling with back-to-back ear infections and had been on several rounds of antibiotics. Prebiotics can help support long-term health for kids who frequently take antibiotics like Lily, have a tough time getting a well-balanced diet, or were born early-term via C-section. Finding a prebiotic that softens her stools, repairs her gut biome, and helps build her immunity to fight against those pesky daycare germs all at once is a huge win.
After months of trying countless methods to mitigate Lily’s constipation, Growing Up Prebiotics is the only solution I can confidently swear by. Begin Health also offers a (mess-free) stool analysis test for parents who want to get further insight into their little one’s gut health issues. And for parents with babies under 12 months, Beginbaby Prebiotic + Probiotics is specifically made for babies who have digestion issues or are experiencing extra fussiness from bloating or gas. If you’re interested in gut testing or trying out their prebiotics, be sure to use code EVERYMOM15 for 15% off your first order at Begin Health!
Begin Health
Made for kids ages 1+, Growing Up Prebiotics helps with painful, hard poops and promotes regularity in a gentle way.
Begin Health
For infants ages 0 to 12 months, BeginBaby is a 3-in-1 baby biome builder that nourishes their developing gut microbiome for a strong, resilient start to lifelong health.
Begin Health
To address the root cause of chronic conditions, Begin Health also teamed up with Tiny Health for a mess-free at-home gut microbiome health test for babies and kids ages 0 to 18+. Get your personalized gut health report, delivered in approximately 3-4 weeks.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Megan Kemp, Sr. Sales Manager
Megan is the mom to her spunky 5-year-old son and cute-as-a-button 14-month-old daughter. She handles her busy days with grace and relishes family time spent under the sun gardening, playing sports, or boating at the lake.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Steph Alleva Cornell, Branded Content Editor
With several years of marketing and content production experience, Steph finds joy in capturing life’s everyday moments creatively. As Branded Content Editor at The Everymom, she produces authentic editorial and social content for our sponsors that prioritizes our brand values and readers’ interests.
This post is sponsored by Begin Health but all of the opinions within are those of The Everymom editorial board. We only recommend brands we genuinely love.