GASSY BABY Has Trouble Pooping

When my children were that little I liked to give them Mylacon. It didn’t help them poop, but it did relieve the gas pain. Have you also tried infant massage on her tummy? I have also used that and I still massage my 2 year olds tummy when he is having gas pain. Massaging her tummy will help the digestive tract to move the waste down and out.

For the gas: Mylicon drops. They work wonders!

Also, some exercises to move the gas along - put the baby on her back and move her legs like she's riding a bike. Then push her knees up to her chest and move her legs from side to side. Try also baby sit-ups - sit her up and move her back and forth like she's doing sit-ups.

For the constipation - try straight prune juice (1 oz) in a bottle or if you pump, mix it with the breast milk.

Whenever my daughter was that age I would put little karo syrup in her bottle and that helps the constipation like a charm. I know you are breast feeding, but if you pump or give her water in a bottle, just add a little bit.

Because she is so young and because she is breastfed your baby does not need any extra water, in fact giving her water is bad for her because it takes up room in her belly and makes her feel too full to nurse enough to get all the nutrients she needs. As far as the gas, try systimatically eliminating certain foods from your diet and see how it affects your baby, she may be sensitive to foods that you are eating that she gets through your breastmilk. Dairy products and broccoli are likely suspects. Whatever your favorite food is that you consume a lot of may also be the culprit. Don't just eliminate everything at once, do it one food at a time for a week or two and then re-introduce the food to see what if any effect it has. For gas and constipation abdominal massage can help to provide relief, simply rub her tummy in clockwise circles using gentle pressure, but use enough pressure to affect deeper tissues, not just the skin. Also do a knee-to-tummy push and pedal her legs. The "I love you" tummy stroke is great too, you use a downward stroke over the decending colon, a left to right stroke over her transverse colon, and finally a upside-down U stroke from her acending colon to transverse to decending. For more help and instruction on infant massage contact a licenced massage therapist who has been trained in infant massage.

ALSO: Much of the adivce I have read on the thread is very useful , but some of it can be dangerous, honey is totally unacceptable for use in infants under the age of 1 due to a risk of botulism. Corn syrup and other sugary foods will increase the amount of gas in your baby's tummy, not decrease it. If you decide to use gripe water be careful of the ingredients, some grip water may contain unsafe ingredients such as:
sodium bicarbonate (a.k.a. baking soda)
essential oils and herbal extracts such as dill seed oil, fennel extract, clove oil, ginger extract
alcohol
sugar
citric acid
wheat
gluten
soy
dairy

Hi B. - Congratulations on the arrival of your new little one!

Even in a BF baby, a bowel movement every 4-7 days that is large and soft and passed without pain can be perfectly normal. Constipation is not only the amount of time between BMs but also involves how hard they are and how much pain is involved. If your baby's BMs are hard, it can be a sign she is not getting enough fluids.

My first was very gassy and had problems from his first weeks. Baby massage worked amazingly well to relax him and many of the movements are geared toward helping moves things along in the digestive tract. We used Mylicon drops with a lot of success as well.

Here's a couple of things to try when your little one is gassy:

1. during tummy time fold her knees up into her belly and let her lay there with her bottom in the air. You can also do this when she is laying on your tummy. The warmth will be comforting.

2. with your baby laying on her back on the floor or in your lap, loosely ring your thumb and fingers around her legs just above the knees. Gently press her legs into her tummy and slowly roll her legs from left to right in the direction of digestion for about a count of 5 then let her relax then repeat the motion a few more times as she will allow. Her bottom will rise up a little and she may even turn a little red in the face. She will most likely toot more than once and will be happier when it's over.

Here is a recommendation from my Dr.'s website:

Diet for Infants Under 1 Year:
For infants over 1 month old only on breast milk or formula, add fruit juices 1 oz./month of age per day. Pear or apple juice are OK at any age. (Reason: treating a symptom)
For infants over 4 months old, also add baby foods with high fiber content twice a day (peas, beans, apricots, prunes, peaches, pears, plums).

No doubt whatsoever--your little one is allergic to something you are eating. Most likely dairy---other top allergic foods are wheat, gluten products, shell fish, soy, peanuts and tree nuts, and eggs. I have a great doc who does natural care so no blood tests or medications to test and get your little one better. I swear he saved my eldest son's health!! Let me know if you are interested and I'll get you his number.
J.

It doesn't seem normal for a breastfed baby this young to be constipated like you describe. Breastfeds usually have multiple bowel movements a day, and they are usually quite soft. How much did your doctor look into it to rule out other issues? You may want to ask him to investigate it more - or to find a doctor who will.
As far as the gas, babies are generally 'lactose intolerant', meaning that their stomaches don't have the enzymes yet to break down the lactose (sugars in the milk), and causes gassiness, often painful. This is normal for new babies and they generally grow out of it. In the meantime, try breastfeeding her on just one side during a feeding. The goal is to get her to completely empty the breast before switching. Hind-milk is much thicker, more fatty than the foremilk, which is thin and sugary. The fat helps the milk stay in the stomach longer, giving it more time to break down the sugars and reducing gas and pain. It takes a bit of adjustment, but you can always pump on the side she doesn't eat from - and your breasts will adjust quickly to a change in the demand. This is what my pediatrician/lactation specialist recommended when my baby had such bad 'colic' and it worked great for making him more comfortable and happy.
Good luck!

hi B.

i have the same problem with my 2 1/2 mo old. he just doesnt go for days, then when he finally does, he poos like 5 times at once. his doctor says it is normal for some babies, but i hate the terrible gas pains that he has on the poopless days. and he is so releived after he does go. i am BF too, i tried to reduce the dairy intake on my end (which is a bummer for me) and that sort of helped reduce the gas after a couple of weeks. i also am really trying to help him have great big burps after each feeding to get out all the air at that time. i have been giving him a little dose of tiny tummies gas relief drops at night sometimes as his gas is so bad that it keeps him up for hours.

i always get really excited when he does go on his own, even though i know he is too young to respond to positive rienforcement. i think he just needs to develop those muscles more (he is a butter ball) and to make the effort to poo! i usually end up helping him release after four or five days, it isnt so much fun!

i hope this helps a little. hopefully as they get older they will be able to go more often and more easily.

Since she is still nursing, I'd suggest you both get on a very high quality probiotic.

It sounds like her the balance of good bacteria in her intestines is off. Even it that isn't the ultimate problem, it will certainly help.

You also might try eliminating all dairy products from your diet. It that doesn't work, then eliminate wheat. Both have a very high allergic rate and both can cause the symptoms you are describing.

Good luck!

Blessings,

M.

My grandma gave all the babies Chamamile tea. Try to steep it instead of the bags and add a tiny bit of sugar ina bottle. It will help settle her colic. I had a colicy Breastfed baby.

Also, what are you eating? She might not be digesting what you are eating. I would cut out milk and dairy if you are drinking or eating it to start with.
C. B

Hi B.,

My grandson had colic for 6 months, and pooping problems along with it. After trying many things, I found a product that totally soothed his little tummy and helped him to be regular and the stool soft. It is called Colicease. It is a dill based, natural liquid with no alcohol or anything else that is harmful. It is very mild and good to taste. You can order it from colicease.com It ships out very quickly. I have given it to several other people, and all had the same success. Give it a try. It is harmless and it works.

My daughter was constipated at that age and her doctor had her drink water with some dark Karo syrup. Dark Karo syrup is a mild, natural laxative.

Hi B.,

Since your baby is breastfed, you need to drink a whole lot more water. When my daughter was a little gassy, my sister taught me how to massage her stomach to help with paristolic(sp) movement. Essentially to help her intestinal trac and her bowel work effectively. I could explain the way I was taught, but it would probably be easier to ask a licensed massage therapist. It really helped my kids when they needed it. It might be something you should consider. Good luck.

My daughter had the same trouble. She was really tummy gas. My doctor was useless in this area. A friend with 3 children told me about Mylocan. You can give her some with every feeding it is totally safe and works like a charm. Hope this helps.

When any of my younger siblings had gas and constipation, my mom would put a small amount (about 3 oz) of warm water in a bottle and add some dark Karo syrup. It worked wonders! Test it for sweetness, not TOO sweet.
Also, check what you are eating.
One of my daughters had an anal sphincter that was too tight. I had to use a finger cot to help her poo until she was almost a year old. She outgrew it, but literally COULDN'T go unless I helped her.

hey brook, my name is A. and i know just how you feel. my little girl has had pooping problems since she was an infant and is now 2 yrs old. she has the gas and constipation and pain problem too and what i do is put this powered fiber that dissolves in her drinks and i put it in her nap and bedtime sippys. i helps to keep her pretty regular. it doesnt fix it completely but it helps. im not sure what to use on a baby as young as your little one, but check out the powered fibers and the vitamins. it may help a little. good luck:)

Hi I had a very gassy baby that cried alot for 6mo. from the same thing. I used gas drops and a product called gripewater. It is a all natural remedy older I think. It can be found at some walmarts,fred meyers,and most health food stores. It is around 9.00-13.00 a bottle. I thought that was alot but weas willing to pay whatever I had to after awhile. It took care of the problem and got rid of the gas and loosened things up. I think you can find it on the internet too but then there is shipping costs. good luck,J.

I had the same problem with my son when he was that age. always constipated and supper gassy. He didn't sleep well and cried a lot. A friend suggested we take him to the chiropractor. It worked wonders! He was like a different baby after that, happy and regular.

Actually, a baby that is breastfed should only have a bm every few days, even just once a week. Completely normal, does not mean your little one is constipated. It will all change once you start feeding her solids in a few months. My breastfed baby went through the same thing, and I freaked out then too.

Hi B.- When my daughter was that age she suffered the same problem. Even if some babies don't poop for days, it is not comfortable. I would recommend taking the baby to a pediatric gastroenterologist (sp?). I waited until my baby was older, and I wish I would've gone earlier. They have options the regular pediatricians don't know about. You may have to get a referral from your pediatrician.

My daughter as similar problems. She wasn't regular until she was about 4-5 months old. She sometimes went 6 days without pooping!!! My pediatrician recommended a tablespoon of prune juice. I also had to resort to sepositories but only twice. You don't want the baby to get dependent on them. Both of these trick worked well and I also massaged her belly in a clockwise circle when-ever she was really gassy. You can also move there legs up and down into their belly area.

Our son, who was a preemie, is allergic to milk and all cow products. Our dr. prescribed on quarter 1/4 teaspoon (tsp) of mylanta (regular strength) for him after he would eat. If he got constipated on top of the gasm we then used a fleet enema (made for babies). However, we only had to do that twice. You can also use glycerine suppositories to help, but they are not recommended for repeated use, just use rarely.

Our baby had to move to juice to help with constipation, but he was 6+ months old by then. Good luck!

It is normal for your baby to poo only every few days. My youngest when breat feed only went every 6 days and when he went he went and it would be everywhere. Whatch to see if maybe something you are eating is causing more gas. Some babies are just more gassy than others.

I always use Kid-e-Col for my baby. It works like magic. I give it to her and just minutes later, she burps. It also helps when their tummy just hurts. Its for colic and teething. You could also try Gripe Water. I've heard it works for some babies.

Try a small amount of dark Karo Syrup. Add enough to just color the water of a 4 ounce bottle. This is an old remedy for constipated babies that my mom used on me. I used it on my oldest son who wouldn't poop for a week and a half and I got results! Hope this helps you and your little one!!!

every 3-4 days even up to 12 days between bowel movements is actually normal (i know, freaky) for breastfed babies. you DO NOT need to give water to a breastfed baby. there could be a food allergy or sensitivity to what you're eating and is being passed into the breastmilk. consider eliminating certain things from your diet one at a time to find the possible cause and keeping a diary of ANY changes (even if you don't think they're significant) in baby. The number one could be dairy, some moms have to completely go off dairy. keep in mind it can take 2 weeks for it to get out of baby's system, so try eliminating dairy for 2 weeks, note changes, and then if baby seems to be doing better at that time, add dairy back in, note changes and you'll know if that's what's causing this or not. Also infant massage would probably be great for your baby if she's gassy. good luck. and hooray for breastfeeding!!!!!!

Definitely eliminate dairy. Those little white things in the diaper that look like cottage cheese are milk protein and are very hard to digest. If you are not breastfeeding, try raw goat's milk, it is much more nutritious and digestion-friendly. My friend used to mix it with carrot and celery juice that she juiced herself. The only time my son ever had digestion problems was when I drank milk and ate dairy products.

Chiropractic is the answer I think! The process of chiropractic removes any interference to the nervous system thus relieving the symptoms like the ones your baby has. My little guys have been getting adjusted, or at least checked out, since they were a day old. I have them checked once a week and it helps keep them healthy and functioning properly. Every adjustment also triggers an immune response in which the white blood cell count increases. White blood cells are what fight off infection and disease and we all know how sick kids can get! Hope this helps. J. L

For some babies it is normal to poop once every few days, but it is only normal if they are not in discomfort. If your baby is having gas, discomfort and infrequent bowel movements then she is having some digestive problems (the digestive system takes time to get strong in babies and some longer than others).
There are a few things to look at. If you are nursing then it is important for you to work with your diet and see what might be affecting her digestion (for my son it was milk and wheat).

Also there are some wonderful chinese medicine techniques that are very gentle and non-invasive for infants and children. You could look for a chinese medical practitioner/acupuncturist that works with children and shoni shin. There are many in the boulder area including South West Acupuncture College and all over the denver metro area as well.

The other technique that is very helpful is acutonics which is using tuning forks to stimulate the acupuncture meridian system. It is very gentle and relaxing and children love it. I do this at Sensorielle wellness center and spa in down town boulder.
All of these modalities are very effective in helping all kinds of pediatric problems (or when they are not at optimum health). They were very effective with my sons cholic and gas discomforts, teething discomforts and eczema problems.

Hopefully some of this information is helpful for you.
Good Luck

Just want to make sure your baby is 3 months old? You said you are also four months pregnant so I am wondering if your baby is older.. although you have 10 month old twins.. SO..I'm not sure! :) :) :)

Anyway, my little guy was constipated a lot. We gave him the dark brown karo syrup in a bottle. You can also get liquid Colase, but depends on how old your baby is. Usually the pharmacy has to order it for you.
A little bit of warm water after your baby eats is good too. Make sure he stays sitting up as it helps to relive gas. Also, I know this is gross, but when you can tell they are uncomfortable, you can put vaseline on a q-tip and kind of open their bum hole.. don't put it inside them, but if you open it up, sometimes lots of gas can be released. It's sounds yucky, but it's worth it when they are so uncomfortable and you are desperate.

i love to try home remedies because they are less expensive and seem harmless. to get your baby to flow i would start with extra virgin olive oil. pour a pea size amount on to a spoon and feed it to the baby. next give the baby 1-2 oz of water every day with a little kayro syrup in it. the water will lubricate the intestines and make for an easier bowl movement. and you can pump the babies legs to help them pass the gas. swadling really tight too. the best way to carry a collic baby is football hold. good luck and god bless.

Have you tried the gas drops? That seemed to help our little one out a lot. Also rubbing of their abdomen area and holding their legs like a frog and gently pushing them toward their tummy while being being bent.
No wants to hear this, but watch what you eat and see if there is something that you eat that makes the baby more gassy.
Hope this helps. Good Luck.

B. -

My baby boy was the same way, he would go 4-5 days with out a bowel movement. We went and seen a specialist. At the time I was breastfeeding and supplementing with formula. My milk never properly came in and so by three months we were basically on formula. The number one thing the specialist recommended was to give him pear juice with his milk. This seemed to help out. His bowel movements were a little more regular and as he gt older even more so. We still give him 100% pear or apple juice with his milk everyday, he is 15 months old. Good luck, it is so hard to watch a baby go through this.

Give her baby magic tea and also drink yourself. It will soothe her from gas and colic.

When my baby had this problem I took Him to the chiropractor. Make sure it is a one that deals with babys. He adjusted his hips and wow did he ever go! I had been to the Dr. and tried enemas and just about anything. I was amazed. His hips were out of alignment from the birth.

I have to admit I am a little alarmed by all the "remedies" you have gotten suggestions for. I strongly believe that breast milk or formula are the only things babies this young should be having. My dr. told me when my twins were little that they don't need water yet, they just can't process it in their bodies the way we do. My girl was super gassy at first as well, and I went through so many bottles of gas drops it wasn't even funny! Mylicon is good, but if your local store has an off-brand that is equivalent I would go with that; I never noticed a difference between brands. Also, it is COMPLETELY normal for a baby who is strictly breastfed to only have a BM every few days. My girl, the one who was gassy, would frequently only go once or twice a week. Try the frog-legs move with her that has been suggested, even if she only passes gas it should relieve some discomfort. Also, I don't know how you burp during feeding, but try burping halfway through on each breast, and that may help get the gas out before it builds up from the entire feeding.
You've gotten lots of responses and advice, good luck deciding what works for you! BTW, my daughter's gas was gone by about 4-5 months old, so it does go away, but I couldn't eat any form of cabbage or broccoli/cauliflower because it caused super bad gas; we never had a problem with dairy.

Breastfed babies can be sensitive to your diet. One thing I would try is to eliminate dairy from your diet and see if the gas improves. All 3 of my babies were milk protein sensitive. All grew out of it between 9-14mos. If she's only going evey few days, but the poop is soft, she is constipated, she has her own schedule. If the poop is hard, then you really need to look into your diet and see what could be the culprit. I also agree, limit the water in a baby this age. Breastmilk should be their only food. Best of luck

A.

You've heard this from some of the other moms already, but I'll jump in and add to it: your daughter may be sensitive to you eating dairy. Both my babes were the same way--every time I would eat any dairy, they would get painful gas and be very fussy, and would have a hard time nursing, too. I stopped eating dairy and it was like flicking a light switch--totally different kids. My son just turned 7 months and started eating yogurt; he's doing fine with it, so I tried eating some cheese this weekend and he was a-ok. So, they eventually grow out of it once their little digestive systems develop more. I would try cutting out dairy (all of it!) for 3-5 days and see if it helps. I'll bet it does!
Good luck,
S.

I agree that if the stools are soft, you're baby is not constipated. You could try some of the techniques in "The Happiest Baby on the Block" by Dr. Harvey Karp, but she might be outgrowing their effectiveness. It cured our baby's colic. Watch what you eat, too. A food diary can help if it's food allergy related. I don't think you need to hassle the water. Breast milk is perfect. GL! I hope Baby feels better soon!

Try some apple juice. 3 parts water to 1 part juice. Just be sure to supplement with it and not actually replace a meal with it.

If it dosen't help you can try an occasional glycerin suppository when she needs help to go. As little as she is you will probably need to cut it in half.

My little man was exactly the same way. Give her an oz of apple juice diluted with an oz of water. That helped my son go immediately.

What are you eating? Make sure you get lots of fiber, water and acidophillus or probiotics. She may need help w/ her digestion.

Water in an infant can be dangerous so I would watch that. Studies now show their kidneys do not process a lot of water like older kids or adults.
I would say I would take her to a different dr., she should be pooping several times a day.
It could be food allergies with what you are eating too.
I would say too, try Nutramigen formula if you can alternate with breast milk, it is predigested and a lot easier on their system. Mylicon can help with gas but I would be a little more concerned with the constipation and getting to the bottom of it soon! Back up of bile or poop can be serious and cause a lot of problems.
Not to scare you but sounds like your Dr isn't giving you the direction you need.

Try a teaspoon of corn syrup. It was a suggestion my mom had when my son was constipated, and was actually then suggested by his gastroenterolgist (he also had acid reflux, so he had a stomach specialist.) This kept his bowels moving when he seemed to get plugged up. I mixed in the syrup with the breast milk and feed it to him with a bottle.

B.,

Get you some spirits of peppermint, puta drop or two in her bottle and that should relieve her gas.

And give her some prune juice, maybe watering it down to half and half ( half prune juice and half water) and that should help her go poop.

Constipation in babies is normal when they are drinking formula.

At least that was the case with my three boys when they were babies.

Good luck dear, if that doesn't help, go to Web MD and ask what you can do, there is usually good remedies in there for most everythng.

Good luck and let us know if you get the problem solved.
M.

1.
stick her pacifier into good organic HONEY -
and no, there is no harm about it, I raised three kids
using this method:
every time when you give her her pacifier,
stick its tip into honey;
honey stabilizes all the digestion 'mechanism'
has tons of good stuff in it, also.
Once she will grow big and you want her to drop the habit of pacifier,
you just quit sticking it into honey,
and she will lose the interest to this rubber thingie very quickly.

2.
after feeding her, hold her upwards, leaning to your shoulder,
and walk with her around, just take a little walk around the room, or even in the yard,
patting slightly on her back, walk until she will get some
"frogs" out - she will burp couple times,
and then only put her down to sleep.

Hope these natural 'remedies' will help you and your little One!!! :)