If your weaning baby is struggling to pass overly-hard poo then read on...
It turns out that the bland, easily-digestible morsels that I was offering a constipated-sore-tummy-so-reluctant-to-eat baby were actually BRAT foods (Bananas, Rice, Apples and Toast) which slow down digestion and prolong constipation. Oops.
It is well known that minor constipation can usually be eased by giving plenty to drink. It is suggested to offer breast-fed babies extra breast-milk feeds and to offer bottle-fed babies water alongside their usual milk. But I didn't realise that certain foods should be avoided when constipated.
Avoid offering too many BRAT foods (Bananas, Rice, Apples and Toast) at mealtimes. You might be surprised by the inclusion of apples on this list (sometimes the list says Applesauce) - the fibre in apples (which aids food digestion) is mostly in the apple skin, which is (rightly) removed as a choking hazard when weaning.
Alongside their usual weaning food, also offer small amounts of natural laxatives, such as; a blitzed fig / a de-stoned and blitzed prune / peeled and chopped orange segments / squeezed-orange-juice-diluted-well-in-water, until the blockage (hopefully) passes.
Don't let a constipation problem continue, as the NHS website says; "The longer your child is constipated, the more difficult it can be for them to get back to normal, so make sure you get help early."
I found knowing about the BRAT foods helpful, I hope you do too.