HI, my 14 week old little boy has had a real difficult time with his digestion. Initially, we were dealing with him spitting up constantly and now he is going 3-5 days without a bowel movement. I have to admit that I am starting to get frustrated because I am breastfeeding and I feel like no matter what I eat it is bad for him. First I was avoiding gassy foods to decrease the spit up and now I need to avoid constipating foods. I feel like there is nothing that I can eat. I cut back on a lot of vegetables and salads because that was causing him gas, but because of that he is constipated. Are there any other mothers that had to deal with this. I feel so bad for him. He is so sad when he does not poop and he cries and strains all day. I am giving him pear juice and have done anal stimulation with a thermometer but he has gone 3 days again. The doctor wants him to see a GI doc if this continues and that really scares me. If anyone has any suggestions I would love it. Thanks
it sounds like he might be lactose intolerant. This gives a baby constipation and fussynesss associated with collic. Try switching him to a soy formula for a few days and see if it improves, but still make a GI I am in the Tampa area and I am trying to give these away to the new moms in the area. it's simply a card that takes info, photo and fingerprints of your son, so you have it on record, so if god forbd anything would happen you would have a record handy. If you're interested please email me here or at [email protected]
Hi Lisa... I am a Neonatal ICU baby nurse and also my own children needed help "pooping" when they were babies. We use a litle "chip" off of a pediatric or infant glycerin suppository to help our babies stay regular. Just use a tiny piece, like half the size of the tip of the suppository... smaller than half the size of the tip of your pinky.. put a little lubricant on it.. K-Y or vasaline or mineral oil... and push it in past the rectal sphincter so it will stay in for at least a few moments. I think it gives the baby "focus" on where to push and the "gas" will blast out with any stool.... also rubbing GENTLY, clockwise on your baby's tummy or putting a plastic glove with warm water tied into it may help. And also there are tiny fleets enemas for babies available... just be gentle, don't force anything.. babies rectal mucosas are very delicate so the thermometer is not recommended any more... Good Luck to you and your baby! Sincerely, Debbie [email protected]
Hi Lisa,
It does sound like your little one is lactose intolerant. My sister had ths same problem with my niece. You may want to talk to your ped. about milk alternatives. Also, you may want to try prune juice for the constipation. Since he's only 14 wks, just a teaspoon mixed with a little water (about 1/4c), just enough to thin it out and give him enough to drink. This works wonders for constipation...even as they get older...just adjust the mixture as they get older. Good luck!
It's always a little scary to get referred to a specialist, but the GI doc could hold the answers. My son was a big spitter too, though constipation has never been an issue, more like the other extreme. He was breast fed, and would just gorge himself on the milk. Long story short, after starting with solids he wasn't gaining weight and height as much as he should. After a few checkups with little weight/height gain our pediatrician refferred us to the GI specialist around 17 months. They ran many tests for a variety of things including common allergies, and we found out he was allergic to cows milk and eggs. That helped to identify what the problem was. Now he's doing much better now that we know what the issue is and what to avoid. It wasn't easy to go through the tests (as some tests required a blood draw...thankfully we did it all at once) and wait for the answers, but I'm so glad we did it. Knowledge is power.
Hi Lisa. I feel like I could have written your response. My son is now 5 months old but from birth to about 3 months, he only pooped once every 3-5 days. Because he was breastfed, our pediatrician said he couldn't get constipated. His bowel movements were infrequent but when they came, they were soft and mushy like they were supposed to be. However, the 3-5 days in between were miserable. He would strain and grunt forever and was constantly crying. We began to give him mylanta 2-3 times a day and that seemed to help. He would at least start to go once a day. Now he goes after almost every feeding. It will get better. Keep doing what your doing. Some babies just don't go every day. I think if his bm's are soft and mushy, then it's not that big of a deal. Best of luck to you.
Since you are breastfeeding, you do need to make sure you are eliminating anything at all that could be an allergan. When people mentioned the lactose intolerance, I believe that goes for dairy you are eating as well.
One thing I have done for my son and I did for my daughter when she was a baby was probiotics. These are the beneficial bacteria like what's found in yogurt. The holistic doctor I took my son to recommended putting a little bit on a spoon mixed with a little water and then spooning it in his mouth. Honestly though, I find it easier to add to a bottle. She recommended 2 times a day. In addition to helping regulate digestion, probiotics will help keep him healthy as well.
In the past I have bought Jarrow brand Baby Acidophilus from the health food store, although the holistic doctor had a different brand for my son. You can find the better acidophilus in a refrigerated case at a health food store like Palm Harbor Natural Foods or Nature's Food Patch.
Please do your research if you take your son to the GI doctor and he/she recommends a prescription. Many of the medicines may be fine for short term, but for optimal health you want to try and avoid long term use of them (especially meds that alter the way a body digests because the system will become lazy and used to having assistance with that process).
Good luck!
Vanessa
I didn't breastfeed but my little ones both had trouble sometimes pooping... My doctor told me to get small glycerin suppositories ( you can get these in a small round jar at CVS or Walgreens in the isle with the laxatives and stomach issues stuff ) and just hold it in their butt until they go... It will get messy but it will help. I would try this before you go to a GI Doctor.
Blessings,
Kim J.
My daughter had the same problem with constipation when she was a few weeks old. My doctor suggested Karo syrup and water or apple juice. Hope this helps a little. Below is a part of an article about using Karo syrup.
AMY
****Corn syrup has often been used by parents to manage constipation in infants, though it is not always necessary. Often, just giving the baby as much as two ounces of water once or twice a day is all that is needed to soften the stools. For infants who are already on solid foods (five months or older), pureed prunes are another good way to treat constipation.
If you are going to give your baby corn syrup, the syrup should be put into water, not into the baby's formula, and just a small amount should be added. A teaspoon in two ounces of water is a reasonable amount. Corn syrup is sweet like sugar, and when it gets into the intestine it stimulates it to move the stool along. It also draws a little more fluid into the intestine, thus making the stools less hard. You don't want to overdo it though, because too much can cause diarrhea and change the balance of salt in the body very easily.****
I had similar problems with my oldest daughter. I got a lot of diferent advice, including stop breast feeding and start har on a soy based formula. The soy formula did not help for her. I regretted not nursing when the soy formula was not working. I did try to Karo syrup and water, that helped. When my younger daughter had problems and would not take a bottle I tried eating shredded wheat for breakfast, and drinking prune juice with lunch. It kept me way more regular than i wanted to be, but I was SAHM so it did not matter. I also bought a suppository that was over the counter and used it evrey other day, but only if I felt like she was becoming very fussy and that was the problem. It was very messy though, and you only needed a small amount. You don't want to use it to often, because they can become dependant. I also used mylicon drops to help with the gas. I tried to give her warm baths twice a day, that help her to relax, and helped to stimulate blwel movements. I would let her sit in the baby bath for a little while, sometimes even adding warm water and removing cold water. WHat works today may not work tomorrow. Trust yourself and do not feel like you are doing anything wrong. I would try different things at home to get relief before I went to the GI. Good Luck.
Is the stool hard when he finally goes? My daughter used to go a few days before pooping then have a huge blow out. It wasn't until we started solids that she had REAL constipation. Where the stool was dry and hard and painful to pass. For her, Bananas are extremely binding! Another poster mention acidophilous (sp), my Ped recommended this as well for my daughter, as her constipation was pretty severe. Don't give up breastfeeding though, its still the best thing you can do for your baby!
Found this for you
Constipation in the Breastfed Baby
By Mary Bibb, BA, IBCLC
Breastfed newborn babies younger than 6 weeks old should have at least 3 stools a day. A young baby who is not stooling often probably needs more milk. An IBCLC can help with concerns about milk supply and baby's milk intake. Having fewer than 3-5 bowel movements a day is not a problem if the baby is gaining weight well.
After 6 weeks of age, some healthy breastfed babies have bowel movements far less often. If the baby seems happy, is gaining weight well, and the stools are soft when they are passed, then it is not a problem. Usually the stool will be very large if it has been a few days (or even more) since baby last made a dirty diaper.
Constipation occurs when the stool is hard and dry when it is passed, not when baby has infrequent stools. A constipated baby might be ill, especially if he is also vomiting frequently, does not want to breastfeed, seems weak and has a dry mouth. If your baby has these symptoms, get immediate medical care.
Babies and toddlers can get constipated from cow's milk based formulas, cow's milk and rice cereal. Exclusively breastfed babies rarely get constipated, but once other foods are added the stools get firmer. The baby's doctor, a registered dietician, or an IBCLC can help you figure out which foods might be causing a problem. Check with the baby's doctor if you are concerned about your baby's pattern of bowel movements.
the symptoms you described could be linked to lactose intolerance.
this just means he may be having problems digesting your milk.
since you're nursing, try avoiding all milk or milk products for three days to see if that helps.
Dairy Ease has a great lactose free milk you can drink.
Listen to your PEdi this might be a medical issue that needs to be taken care of now. I would suggest mylacon drops it might help. good luck
I had some of the same issues Lisa. My daughter was always constipated around 12 weeks to 20, but the doctor never seemed worried and just had me give her a couple ounces of prune juice a day. It seemed to help and eventually her body just adjusted and I could stop the juice. This may be hard since you are nursing, but it's also a good way to introduce a bottle so she can get used to both. Good Luck.
Hi Lisa! I had a similar problem when my youngest was about 3 months. He just stopped pooping! He would go a week and sometimes more with no bowel movement. I felt like he was straining and cranky. I started giving him suppositories to stimulate it and he would go but it was never very much. Finally I called my dr and she said that it is common for babies who are exclusivly breastfed to go a week or two with no bowel movement. They are using all the nutrients and there is no waste. I also read the same thing online. I finally added a little formula to his diet, and eventually all formula, and he began to go more regulary. Hope this helps!
Yes, I have (and still do sometimes deal w/ this w/ my baby girl who's now one years old). When she was young like yours, we used Karo syrup in her bottles. I want to say one tsp. Make sure you get the DARK Karo syrup (it's located in the grocery w/ the pancake syrups). The sugar makes them go. Also, once she's a little older and eating fruits, blueberries worked very well for mine. We were seeing a GI specialist who also told me to use Milk of Magnesia (1 tsp) - but I forget what age that was ok. So, ask your doctor about the KARO and the Milk of Mag. It works like a charm!! One time recently mine was trying to pass a very thick BM and it was stuck half way out - so horrendous for my baby (and me as I didn't know how to help her so when I called they said to put her in a warm bath to relax her). So, maybe try that as well. Best wishes!!
Please check out a supplement called Primal Defense at www.gardenoflife.com. Although this comes in a capsule, you could crush it and give it to him in juice or water. This supplement is remarkable and will remove his gas and relieve his constipation, allowing you to eat what you choose. The owner of the company, Jordan Rubin, almost died at the age of 19 from Crohn's disease and was saved with this supplement. Read his first book for the details.
Best of luck and many blessings to you and your son.
Gloria Morotti
941-748-0142
Lisa - I have dealt with two babies just like this!!! It is VERY frustrating!!! Instead of pear juice, try prune juice. Equal parts of prune juice to water at first. My GI started my oldest (who is now 4) on prune juice at 3 weeks old! We actually started with a medicine dropper (1tsp with half water half prune juice). It worked like a charm. I would do this every day, but it worked. After a while we were up to 2-3 oz (half & half) a day, but it kept him regular (every day to every other day) until I could feed him solids that would help as well.
As for the spitting up - if he is still spitting up a lot, then he may need either something that is thicker than breast milk or may have reflux. It is hard to make a suggestion when you are breast feeding. Because of all of the digestion issues both of my children had, I was only able to breast feed for a few weeks each - I then had to change to bottle to accomodate their digestion issues. If you need a referral for a GREAT pediatric GI - Dr. Arasu is at St. Josephs and his number is 870-4438.
Good luck!
Call a lactationists, such as La Leche. They can suggest a diet for you. I weaned my diet to deal with gas and then slowly introduced foods back in to see what my son would react to. Note: a breastfed baby will probaly not poop every day; its normal to go every 2-3 days. If he is straining, that is not good. Call La Leche. Are you producing enough milk to keep him hydrated???
Hi Lisa,
I went through the exact same thing with my son. I adjusted my diet until I was eating rice and water --- or at least that's what it seemed. I eventually quit breastfeeding in hopes that formula would calm his digestion system down. It did not work. There was no change at all and then I regretted quitting breastfeeding. He eventually just outgrew it and everything seemed to work itself out. I did, however, always have to put a little prune juice in his bottle to keep his bowels moving. That worked great. I did this after I started him on formula. I just put some in his bottles. If you pump, you could give him some prune juice in a bottle. It really helped a lot. He was pooping regularly when I gave him the prune juice and it was such a simple answer. I hope this helps --- hang in there.