My 12 week old (I can't believe its been that long) has never really had regular bowel movements. He doesn't have a bowel movement every day. He goes several days without having one. Today is day 5 since the last time.
I've had a very difficult time breastfeeding because of medication that I had to be on after delivery that decreased my supply. I struggled with it until Thursday of last week when I finally had to stop completely. Prior to last week I was nursing, but had to supplement at every feeding. However, for about a month, he was having a BM every day, I think because I was on a high fiber diet. The day I completely stopped breastfeeding is that last time he had a BM.
The doctor's office keeps telling me that its normal for him to go so many days but it doesn't seem right. Has anyone had this problem? Please help.
Well, I decided to bring him to the doctor. The told me to bicycle his legs and give him water and 100% prune juice. After more than 24 hours he still hadn't gone and I noticed he wasn't eating as much. So my husband and I gave him a suppository. After two hours he still hadn't gone and he had missed two feedings. That's when we decided to take him to the ER. At the ER, they did X-Rays and something that the doctor saw made them transfer us to Cook Children's. At Cook's they gave him two enemas and he still barely did anything. A Pediatric Gastroenterologist (sp?) was called and they determined from a biopsy that he had Hirschsprung's disease. Two days later he had surgery where they had to remove 10 inches of his colon and intestine. Waiting for your 12 week old to get out of surgery is terrifying. I couldn't stop crying. Eventhough I had faith that God would take care of him. I don't wish this on anyone.
I was (and still am) so angry when they told me what was wrong. Turns out he was born with this and exhibited symptoms from birth. My poor baby has been constipated and sometimes in agony his whole life.
Please learn from me, trust your instincts. I'm not saying go look for every possible disease, but even as a first time mom, I knew something was wrong and I feel like I should have pushed more for an explanation. Eventhough the doctors, and many of you confirmed that my son's symptoms were common, I still should have known that this was different. I just felt in my spirit that there was a problem and I should have trusted myself.
My daughter had a similar problem and the pediatrician recommended 2 oz of baby apple juice (or regular apple juice diluted 1:1)
An old remedy for babies is to try a little bit if Karo syrup in the formula. Not too much, but this should help him have a normal bowl movement if you are worried.
If it's bothering him, you need to do something about it. My daughter wouldn't drink juice so I had to use a suppository a few times.
My 5 1/2 month old son has the same problem. We did see a gastro specialist and she told me that it is probably just the way his system works. A couple things she told me to watch for that would be of concern include hard bowel movements and blood in the stool. Those would be a possible sign of constipation or another problem. My little guy has had this issue pretty much from the beginning, even when I was nursing him. Right now, it has been almost four days for him. :-( But, he does not seem to be in pain at all. Good luck and God bless!
Hi D.,
1 oz or prune juice mixed in with his bottle is perfectly safe to give a 12 week old and will solve the constipation problem completely.
Trust me, I know many Moms who have done this and it really works. If you don't want to mix it with the formula, then dilute it with 3 oz of water. Some babies only like it as a juice form with water but mine would only take it when I mixed 1 oz with his 4 oz formula bottle.
Take Care!
My children were both breast fed, but I have had many friends who formula fed that had this problem. First of all, I would find a new pedi - that's insane in my mind for your child to not poop for 5 days and for a PEDI to act like it's no big deal! I would not - under any circumstance - give my child juice to solve this problem! It sounds to me like the formula that you are using is perhaps the culprit of the problem and I would try using a low iron formula that is much easier for baby to digest. This is not normal and actually can have MAJOR gastro implications down the road (impacted bowels, etc.) Trust your mommy gut and find a new pedi!
My kids were the champs of not pooping. It was mainly a big issue with my daughter although my son had problems as well. I wouldn't be too concerned as long as he is not in pain. My pediatrician at the time suggested giving an ounce to two of any juice that started with P. We used prune and pear because it's the easiest to find. Also it may be his formula sometimes too much iron is the culprit you may want to talk to your pedi about switching.
You don't really pass the fiber you eat on in your breast milk btw.
It's very normal for babies -- especially breastfed babies -- to go a good while without pooping. Some go as long as week with no problems so your Dr's office is right. http://www.umc-cares.org/health_info/article.asp?Category...
Does the baby seem otherwise normal and happy? Or does he seem in distress? If the latter, he's too young for prune juice and avoid water (his kidneys are not developed enough yet). What works is to "bycicle" his legs. You can google this technique. Just cycle those legs and he'll eventually poo.
From: http://www.baby-medical-questions-and-answers.com/baby-po...
How often should my baby poop (poo)?
In the first week, your baby should have a least 1 - 2 poops per day. This pattern should continue up until about 6 weeks of age.
After 6 - 8 weeks, some babies, particularly breast-fed babies, can poop after every feed and that's normal, while some babies, including breast-fed babies, only poop every few days and that's normal. Formula-fed babies often have less frequent and less liquid poops than breast-fed babies - that's normal.
So you can see that what is normal includes a wide range - if your baby is growing and contented and pooping at least once every week, there probably isn't anything to be worried about.
Hi,
So sorry to hear about your concerns. I don't think it's normal. First and foremost I say to find a pediatrician that you love. You have to have one who's views are in line with your in regards to the health and raising of your little one.
If you want to start breast feeding again it's not too late. I'm a health freak and only ate things that were good for my baby. I drank 32 ounces of water every single time I breastfed. I would pump each breast for 5 to 10 minutes prior to breast feeding. That way my body thought I had a greater demand. Based on the laws of supply and demand your body will make supply more milk if you demand more milk. It's a lot of work but well worth it.
I made a ton of milk. You have to get sleep. If your body is tired or exhausted you won't make milk. You also have to eat enough calories for your survival and that of your baby. Eat six times a day. Your snacks can be an apple or some yogurt but you have to eat something.
I never ever drank sodas or anything with caffeine (sp.). I do not believe in giving stimuants to my kids. If you are still taking prenatal vitamins you may need extra fiber for you and your baby. Apples and prunes should help you both out.
I only breast fed my kids for 6 and 7 months because I was working outside of the home and traveling a lot.
Best of luck.
Hi there, I wanted to let you know I had this problem with my Grandchild as well. I have for the most part raised and am still raising her today. When we brought her home my daughter was breastfeeding but I was the first to notice that even though she was being fed there was nothing coming out the other end. I went to the first doctor visit with my daughter and told the doctor about my concerns and like your doctor was told sometimes they have a hard time at first but that it would get better, she also said that we could put a small supository halfway in her her hinny and hold it there until something comes out. So that day I tryed it, BOY DID THA POOP FLOW. This poor child couldnt poop so we had to help her, and it was terrible for both of us, but I was glad that she was pooping!!! I know she felt better as well. Ever since then in one way or another she has had a hard time pooping. She is 8 now and we give her fiber in her drink and a stool sofener once a week, it helps.
Hope this has helped in some way, just done let him go to long without pooping.
D.,
They are right. It is normal for a new baby to have less BM's then we would expect. They don't have the kind of diet that requires them to do so, so don't worry yourself about it. Just make sure he is have a good amount of pee pee diapers and be surpised when he has a BM diaper. You won't see them much this early in the game.
E.
Oh my goodness....I feel your pain! I have an 8 week old with the same issue, and the same thing happened to my daughter when she was an infant (she is now 2.) It's the formula. Any brand of formula will do it too, especially if they were used to breast milk, which is so easy to digest. And just like yours, my pediatrician said the same thing....that it's normal. However, I know that my baby's tummy hurts b/c he needs to poop! I am breast feeding & supplementing with formula b/c I have a really low milk supply, so he ends up getting way more formula during the day than breast milk. The instant I started him on formula (about 2 weeks old) he quit pooping after every feeding. Now it's once a day if we're lucky. Here are a few things that I've done that have helped moved things along for him....a warm bath, massaging his lower abdomen, Gripe Water at every feeding to aid digestion (I just put it in the bottle every time. You can find it at any drugstore.) My pediatrician also said I can give him 2 oz. of water to help liquify the stools so they'll move (can give an ounce for every month old she said.) I give him that some times too. None of it is a miracle cure by any means, but it does help my son a little. And of course, there's Mylicon to help with the gas pain. The good news is that it does pass as they get a little older & their digestive system matures. Good luck.
Do not use karo syrup! I work for a hospital. And i do not want to even tell you what happen to a infant that was given karo syrup. The infant does not digest it ...
It's ok that your little one hasn't gone for a few days. I have 2 little girls and both had the same problem. My pediatrician told me that it was completely normal, but if I was real worried I could try glycerin suupositories. I did and my baby actually became dependent on them to poop. She was not physically addicted, but got to where she would only poop when I gave her one. I told the doctor and he told me stop them, that it could happen and he should have told me. If you do use a suppository, I would only do it once, to get that initial bm, but then let nature run it's course. It's strange, but little babies can get dependent on that physical sensation of getting them, and it makes them want to poop. ha. So, my advice is just to go with the flow and let his body do the work. Just keep a lookout for extreme fussiness. Another thing you could do is gently massage his belly. This could ease discomfort. Good luck. Having a newborn is not easy, but he'll turn out great. One day you will laugh at this. It's crazy how us moms freak out about poop problems, huh?
My son had the same problem when he was an infant. My friend gave me this advice and it worked every time. I would add a tiny bit of light Karo syrup to his bottle. It always worked for us.
Hi D.!-
Give him a few days since you have stopped breastfeeding for his system to adjsut- My son would constipated and its a amazing what a bit of warm water would do! Going 5 days without a bm doesnt seem normal to me at all- Dont know what area you are in- but I ran into a dr that does house calls- pediatricia
Theresa Mutzig Erwin- my friend swears by her-
###-###-#### - www.kidcalls.net
tell her D. from Party Angels gave you her number.
Congrats on your son and dont worry- it'll all work out- it always does- in the beginning its just likea guessing game gettng their little needs and wants figured out!
I have a 17yr old boy and 13 yr old girl and boy I cant believe how fast it has gone by- I kept a journal for them to read when they are older-
good luck
D. Sansone
www.partyangelsus.com
My little girl had the hardest time transitioning from breast to bottle. Taking the bottle was not a problem, but it took awhile to be able to process it. Her BM's were few and far between for awhile. She screemed because they hurt, too. Your little guy will be be back on track after awhile. In the mean time you can add a little bit of pear juice to his bottle or a little prune juice. You don't want to give him a whole juice bottle at this age, but a splash of it in his bottles is helpful.
The doctor is correct - totally normal, especially since you're switching from breastfeeding to formula. Breastfed babies always poop a lot; not necessarily so with formula babies. When he finally does go, check the consistency and if he is having trouble or it's hard, ask the doctor.
My daughter, almost 1, has had bowel movements since the get go. She'd go almost a week without pooping (which some pedi say is normal for breastfed babies), but she was in pain and discomfort so I'd have to give her Gylcerin Suppository :( Come to find out she's milk/soy intolerant, so I've had to eliminate those things from my diet and that has helped a little bit.
However, we did see a gastro doctor who had a few suggestions. We gave her a few oz. of prune juice daily and once she was old enough to begin baby food (4-6 months) we were to mix Miralax in her cereal/fruit. Peaches, Pears, and Prunes help soften the stool...but you've got a few more months until your little one is ready for baby food.
I wish I could remember exactly but as I recall there are two very normal stages in a babies first few months where the body is using more of the food for growth so less bowel movements are very normal. Please talk to your pediatrician, but I think I remember them being at 13 and 22 weeks. AGAIN, like with everything these are just estimates - each baby is different.
There are remedies. I never let my little ones (now 2 and 6) go over 6 days without helping them, but you really need to let their little bodies do what they need to in order for the operating system to grow like it's supposed to. That being said, one option we used was to dip the end of a rectal thermometer in vaseline and insert it (less than one inch) in the rectum. The babies natural response is to push it out and this creates the muscle movements needed to push the bowel movement out. However, do this on a towel that you can throw away or with a diaper under your baby - as I recall this is still the stage of projectile poop. :) I will also tell you that my pediatrician did not agree with this method - He would rather put my kids on meds to help with the process, but I used this on both of mine and they're just fine. Notes** Never insert it more than a little bit. It should only take a few (4 - 5) times to get results. My pediatrician was concerned that if I did this too often the baby's system would need external stimulation to complete a bowel movement. I assure you that did not happen.
I also had supply problems when breastfeeding and my daughter would frequently go 4-5 days without having a dirty diaper. Our pediatrian also said that can be normal and to ignore all the 'old biddies' telling you the baby is constipated and encouraging treatment. As long has their stool is not in hard balls, they are not constipated. If my daughter went a really long time (5-7 days) we might add an extra 1/2 to 1 ounce of water to her formula bottle one or two times a day, and check in with the dr. Now she is 12 weeks old and on formula only (eventually my breastmilk supply stopped altogether) and she has a bowel movement almost every day. Try to think of it as a blessing! My husband and i joked that we had created the perfect human -- no waste materials whatsoever.
Hi
I too had a "efficiency expert" about 13 years ago. That was kind of my pediatrician's explanation of his bowel habits, that he made the best at digesting his food for a long time. I did breast feed him exclusively and he still got to where he would poop every 13 days! Okay...?! It sounds crazy but he really didn't have any long term effects from it. I would be more worried if he had had formula though. It can make them constipated. I guess he will have to let you know by his behavior. I wouldn't quit mentioning it to the doctor every time you go but try not to worry too much. B.
I had problems with my son as well. I wasn't able to breast feed for very long either, and when we made the switch to formula the constipation began. It is not how frequent the bm's are, but their consistency. If the bm is hard (round balls mostly) that is a sign of constipation. We eventually found a formula that worked for him. Nutramigen is what we used. Check with your dr. regarding the consistency, that's the bigger issue. Good luck!
When I had my little girls she went poo every 3 days like clock work!
D.,
When my baby was an infant, she would sometimes go many days without pooping, up to a week. But, eventually, she would do it. It's the iron in the formula that does it, but as long as he poops eventually, and without too much discomfort, my doctor always said it was better for them to have the iron. If he seems to be in pain from the constipation, they do have low-iron formula you can switch to, but I would ask your doctor first.
I worried about it all the time, so I understand how you feel.
It sounds like you could use Original Limu. It is a super food in a bottle and can be used by everyone from babies to seniors. It has been said that it is like mother's milk. It works with your body to help it heal itself. It also is great for helping you go to the bathroom. Check out www.discoverlimu.com/jcarden and find out what it can do.
J.
Yes I had the same proble.It is normal.i know that drives you crazy it did me.My son is now 10 months old and never had any problems cause of it.They did tell me I could if I wanted to give him a little water or juice.if you give the juice give 2 ounces of juice to 4 ounces of water and just use sincle ingredient juices not blended luice like apple strawberry banana.I gave him 2 ounces of apple juice mixed with 4 ounces of the nursery water.I started doing this once daily and it helped some.
D.,
I have the exact same scenerio that you do!! My son is 13 weeks and we have taken him to a GI specialist because now not only is he not pooping and constipated, now he isn't eating. I will say the specialist told me to give him prune juice, but there is NO baby prune juice on the market! I had to find my own prunes and boiled them for 15 minutes on the stove, then let him drink that. It did help him.
Also MAKE SURE you are watching what poop he has! If it looks like small pebbles that means he is constipated or empacted. Head to Dr. right then!
Whenever he would get super fussy I would give him some pediaLax which is a baby glycerin suppository. He would be a happy guy within 5 minutes.
Hang in there and feel free to contact me if you need any support, or you have other questions about what I have been going through!
Good morning D.!!
I know you are freaking out right now....but It'll be ok. I am a first time mom and with my daughter I had a decrease in supply also. If you have changed to formula your son's system is changing also. You could try massaging his tummy, and mking sure that he wakes up to eat. But if you stress he stresses....he senses everything emotion off you. So as my grandmother says...snuggle, kisses, and love will solve everything. I know it sounds silly...but it just works!!! Have a great day!!
~N.
My youngest went through the same thing!! However, it is normal. Our pediatrician said they could go as long as 8 days without a BM. She did go as long as 8 days! Some of her poops were really hard, too. I think a lot of that was the iron in her formula. (I only got to nurse her for 4 months.) I made sure that she was adjusted by her chiropractor on a regular basis and we got through it just fine!
This is normal. My baby went days without pooping even when I was breastfeeding her. When I switched her to formula due to low milk supply that was when she started pooping more often. As long as your baby is not constipated, you have nothing to worry about.
P.S. I think your baby may be too young for juice. You might want to ask your doc about giving them a little water, distilled, or a teaspoon of syrup in the milk if you think your baby is stopped up. Just ask your doctor, she/he will know what to do.
Does he seem to be uncomfortable ? It is normal for a baby to go five days without having a bm. But my Pedi told me that 5 days was the limit.
What kind of formula is he on ? Make sure you put enough water in when you mix. If you don't put enough that can cause constipation.
My sister in law is a pharmacist and she said you can get little baby supoositories over the counter at Wal-greens and other pharmacies. But I'm not sure how old the baby has to be. Check with your pharmacy.
Also will he drink water ? At 12 weeks my Pedi told me that water is okay as long as he doesn't drink more than 8-12 oz a day. There is such a thing as water intoxication but that is mainly for newborns. For 3 month babies they just want to make sure that water is not replacing the formula. Water can really help get those bowells moving.
My son will be 1 year tomorrow. I remember being so worried when he hadn't had a bm in a few days. I feel your stress !! Good Luck !! :)
S.
P.S. I forgot ! Adding 1-2 tablespoons of Karo Syrup alone (with water) or in the formula has been known to help as well. My Pedi told me to use the DARK syrup. And warm it up and mix it with a few ounces of water. This also used to help my little guy. Good luck !
My baby is 15 weeks old and we had a similar problem when i stopped breast feeding. She went from having a BM every day, to one every other day, maybe every third day. My ped told me that if she went longer than three days to give her a couple oz of apple juice mixed w/water. If that doesn't work and she acts miserable we will use a rectal thermometer and vasoline to get things going. It really is normal for them to have changes in BM the older they get, esp after switching from breast milk to formula. I hope I've helped in some way. I know how you feel. It doesn't seem "normal" to me to not have a BM in five days, but give it time and see if it all "works itself out."
I had the same problem with my son. There were a few times he would go about 5 days without a BM. I would stress about it and then magically he would go without a problem. It is totally normal but it is hard as a new mom not to worry. They are on an all liquid diet...how could they get constipated. There is just not a lot that gets wasted and needs to come out everyday. Try to relax. One thing you can do is put lotion on his tummy, massage in small circles (with pressure)clockwise, starting down by his right hip bone, up to under his ribs, accross his tummy, then down to his lower left side- without letting up on the pressure. This is the directions his bowels move adn this will also help if he is crabby with gas.
I had a problem very similar to yours. I have an eight week old daughter (my third). I wasn't producing enough and had to stop breastfeeding her. She went about 4 or 5 days without a bowl movement until her body finally corrected it. My pediatrician said it was okay to give her a third of a baby suppository if she seemed uncomfortable. I did that once and it WORKED immediately. It made her feel better and a couple of days later she had her own bm. I hope that helps. I know it can be frustrating and stressful when your baby doesn't have a bm, but as long as she is peeing regularly I wouldn't worry too much. It will happen.
I think it is normal. When I brought my son home the doctors office said he would not have one for awhile. Then when I asked it I should use a depository they said no. Later on my kids dad ex now decided to take him some place and he did it. He said he had so much poop in him it just kept coming out. I did not see it. But he did exactly what I was told not to do. I think if he had let it be he would have done it on his own. I think you have to trust the doctor and if too much time goes by then call them again. G. W
Give him some Apple Juice or if he will drink it some Prune Juice alittle wont hurt. Trust your doctor and if you cant or dont then you need a new one and at the very least a second opinion. Which you can get now if you want to0. I would try the juice and call him if in a day or so he still hasn't had one and if he seems to get uncomfortable. Fleets enemas will probably be what you need to give him. Good Luck and just know he will more than likley be fine, his new digestive system is getting used to new food!
Hi! My daughter had the same problem with constipation. I never had enought milk to nurse, and nursing and formula really made the constipation worse. I made sure she had a BM at least every other day. I gave her an ounce or two of warm prune juice and that helped. Putting a table spoon or two of cairo syrup in the bottle will also do the trick. The doctor wanted me to give her Lactulose (RX laxative) but it seemed to make her reflux worse, so I stopped that fast! For immediate results Fleet makes liquid suppositories, which when my daughter was really young did not bother her, just make sure to put plenty of vasoline on it. I hope some of these suggestions help you. My little on turned 2 last week, enjoy every minute because the next thing you know they are 2!
I have a 2 month old who goes 4-5 days before pooping. I was worried also. i am breastfeeding but I supplement with one bottle at night before he goes to sleep. I use Enfamil. Anyway, the pedi told me to give one ounce of Gerber white grape juice or prune apple juice twice a day only when it has been 4-5 days. I gave him the ounce of juice and within 5 mins he was pooping!!! i don't know if it was the juice or just luck!! Also, I asked her about giving him water but she said it interferes with the nutrients in the milk. So, she advised against it. We also tried adding water to his formula (e.g. 1 and 3/4 scoops per 5 ozs of water.) This didn't seem to make a difference. Oh btw I also tried the "infant" suppositories. I couldn't keep it in and it kept coming out. didn't work. :)
I am a mom of 3 beautiful kids and I feed all 3 of them different. The first was only bottle fed which was constipated all the time, the second was only breast for 3 weeks and she had no problem pooping because of being allergic to milk and the third was both breast and bottle and she was regular. When my son was a month old he got put in the hospital for several different things and one was the constipation. They used child glycerine suppositories on him and let me tell you he did go! As he got older a pediatrician had us give him child enamas. He told us to give one a night if he did not go but I only did it every other night. He is now 13 and still has that problem off and on but he drinks some Rx now! So NO it is not good for them to go 5 days without pooping!! The poor thing will start just screaming before long and when you take them to the hospital and they take x-rays and tell you he is totally backed up, you feel about an inch tall! Trust me!!!! Hope he gets better!
Hi D.,
When my son was that age, he had similar problems. I remember him going 5, 6, 7 and sometimes more days w/out having a BM. It always alarmed me because I thought he should have at least one a day. My Dr. assured me it was fine but suggested I use Fleet Babylax (a liquid suppository) if he went more than several days. I used these fairly regularly for a while and eventually he became more "regular". Hope this helps!
