Baby Not Pooping and Very Fussy!!! Help!!!

Updated on March 01, 2007
T.W. asks from Edmonds, WA
22 answers

My son is three months old and in the last three weeks he hasn't been pooping but once every nine days! I breast feed and I know some babies can go for a week without having a bowel movement. It's just that he is always crying now. He use to be very laid back and rarely cried. I took him to the doctor and they said he isn't constipated. Gas drops have not helped him either. I don't know what to do any more. I have given him warm baths. I tried rubbing his tummy gently. I hold him and try to comfort him but nothing seems to work. He keeps crying and kicking his legs in pain. Please any advice will be greatly appreciated.

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So What Happened?

well first of all I dicontinued my birth control and that seemed to help alot! Next I use the suppositories and those really helped also. He dosen't scream nearly as much. Thank you for all the help. you all are great!!!

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E.V.

answers from Seattle on

I had trouble with my daughter when she was a baby with pooping, also. My mother in law told my husband that we should try about a teaspoon of Karo corn syrup in a bottle with a little water (warm from the faucet would be sufficient). That helped my daughter out tremendously.

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M.L.

answers from Portland on

If you really think he's constipated, use glycerin suppositories. Glycerin isn't a drug, it's just a lubricant, but they work great if that's the problem, and they're only a couple dollars at any drugstore. If they don't work you can try something else but it's pretty cheap and easy to rule out.

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C.J.

answers from Seattle on

I'm a mother of a two year old and a 1 year old (boys). I have a trick that may work. With both of my boys I would fill the bathroom sink with REALLY warm water, NOT lukewarm it has to be just bareable, but of course not hot enough to burn. I would lower them into the water and just hold them there for a few minutes, they both would relax and within seconds expelled all gas or Bowel that was irritating them. I breastfed as well. This trick never failed with my boys. I hope it works. It may take some getting use to for your little one because of the temp of the water, but I'm thinking he is just young enough to relax. I tried this with my neice at around 4 or 5 months and she didnt like it, but my boys were so use to it the WARM water didnt bother them at all. Good Luck!

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A.K.

answers from Spokane on

if the poop is not hard & the child is eating well then it might be normal for her to not go for 9 days. My daughter only went every two to three days untill she was 18 months old & really started eating alot of solid food, now she goes 2 to 3 times a day!!!
For the crying, I would begin at your diet since he is breastfed. Do you drink coffee? Some kids are extra sensitive to food that you would never think of, spices..etc. There is a list on foods to not eat if your child is having a reaction in the baby book by dr. sears. I would also look into another pediatrician...hang in there. Poor little guy. I know how hard it is to watch a baby hurt...have you tried gripe water (found in health food stores?)

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K.O.

answers from Portland on

I have had 6 children and of those 6, 3 of them were colicy babies. Your situation kind of sounds like that. Gas drops never worked for them either. They didn't even make the gas drops back when my oldest kids were born. :) When I put them in the bath with me, they cried so hard, but it helped them to burp things out. I also pushed their legs up to their chests and pumped them. Sometimes this helped and sometimes it didn't. I just swaddled them and kept them in a ball. You know, when you have gas pain, you double up. That is how they feel too, but don't know how to double up. So, I just helped them. It was the hardest times of my parenting life to watch them hurt and not be able to just make them 'all better'!! Sometimes feeding them out of a regular bottle (with breast milk is fine) worked. It gave them extra air to suck in so they could have something to belch out.

I'm sorry I could not be of more help. I wish the best for you and your little one!!!

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D.

answers from Portland on

Two little words have saved my life with my 3 month old breastfed baby - gripe water. It's actually a product called Baby Bliss Gripe Water. Basically, it is a mixture of fennel and ginger that helps ease digestion. It also keeps my daughter regular. I give her a teaspoon twice a day (you can give it as frequently as every 4 hours) and it helps tremendously. My daughter has had a bunch of tummy problems - sensitivity to milk proteins, reflux and just general fussiness. Within 20 minutes of taking the gripe water, she is a new baby - and she absolutely loves the taste. They have a website: http://www.blissbymom.com/?gclid=CMm3lffByooCFQQRYwodMibngg where you can find out who carries it in your area. In Beaverton, OR, we get it from Segal for Kids at the corner of Scholls Ferry and Murray.

I want to add that we use the gripe water in addition to me being completely off of all milk products (including anything containing whey or any milk protein). In addition, she is also on zantec for the reflux. We spent weeks experimenting with the right combination to keep my daughter happy and the gripe water in addition to the other two make for a much calmer and happy baby.

I hope this helps. It has absolutely saved our sanity.

Best wishes for reduced fussiness!

D.

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D.G.

answers from Portland on

what is the poop like when it happens? My son didnt poop for 3 days when he was born. only after the dr put her finger in his rectum to see if it was ok did he poop. he would only poop about 1 every 12 days and then it looked like peanut butter in consistentcy. He wouldnt eat, he screamed alot. nothing helped. his stomach started to pooch.

He was diagnosed with hischsprungs. He had to have surgery to correct it. He was 3 months old when he had his surgery. For months I got the same routine as you. he is breast fed it is normal. but I knew they were wrong and pushed it. Hirschsprungs is a condition where the ganglia cells do not form in part of the intestines and the feces cannot move down. If not caught the intestines can burst. So do some research on it and force the issue to be sure. My son is now a happy healthy 2.5 yr old who poops alot. lol. If you have any other questions about it let me know.

Again, Get another opinion from a doctor. Dont give your baby a home remedy if it has been that long and dont give suppositories without instruction from your doctor. This could cause more damage then good and the suppositories cause cramping which hurts more.

http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/hirschsprun...

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T.F.

answers from Eugene on

You know - this is going to sound weird. I personally haven't tried it. But I was told by a friend of mine to rub olive oil onto your babies tummy. It helps soothe them and I guess it works. What I have done is just rubbing the tummy w/out the oil. But if that doesn't work...maybe try the oil. Good luck.

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V.D.

answers from Seattle on

it sounds like he may have colic. if the doc says he is not constipated and he still crys like that. does it have a pattern? does it usually happen at the same time every day? If you still think he is constipated, you can try dark karo syrup mixed with water, half and half, that's what my doctor told me to give my daughter when she was having some constipation problems and it cleared her up within 2 days. its cheap, non medicinal, and babies love the sweet taste, but make sure you use the dark syrup, not the light.

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M.M.

answers from Portland on

hi there,

my son did this also when he was about the same age and the doctor told me the same thing, but nothing worked. i ended up getting a little bottle of plain gerber prune juice - ( any plain prune juice without added junk will do) and giving him only a tiny bit - like 2 ounces. ( he loved it! ) he pooped within a few hours and it did not upset his tummy at all or make him more gassy. i actually did this a couple of times over about a month when he had gone about a week inbetween movements, and it worked well every time. his bowel movements gradually regulated themselves again. good luck!

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K.L.

answers from Spokane on

http://www.walgreens.com/store/product.jsp?CATID=100104&a...
Both of my children had pooping problems too! But they were on formula. I used these suppositories for my kids and they worked instantly! I think the sensation of it makes them want to push it out. They are very affordable, and sold over the counter at pretty much any pharmacy. This was a life saver for me! I would have to do it about every 2 days because the iron in the formula would make them constipated. This is really the only thing I can reccomend. But it was great for us! Good luck!

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A.M.

answers from Pittsburgh on

Karo syrup is a life saver. You can add a tablespoon or so to a bottle of your breast milk and feed it to him. This is an old trick that my granmother always used and then my mom and I used with my daughter who frequently had constipation. It works very well and the sweetness is liked by babies. Good luck to you and your little one.
A.

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L.B.

answers from Anchorage on

Hi T. try giving him some warm water in a bottle it will not hurt the baby we went through the same thing with our first.and it helped her so much and i breast fed her.or see if your peditricion will give you a suppository for his age. if your doc tells you the same thing he isn't consipated take him to someone else. you know about your child.good luck i know it is painful to see them like that.

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A.H.

answers from Portland on

First of all. KARO SYRUP IS POISON FOR INFANTS AND ADULTS, avoid that if at all possible. My son had the same issue when he was an infant, he was breastfed and would only poop maybe once a week. My pediatrician at the time said that a glycerin suposotory(sp) is the best way to go. Just take a little piece of one and it will irrate him enough to go. That worked for me and as soon as he started eating more solid foods he pooped everyday. Good luck! :)

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A.W.

answers from Portland on

I think I would get a second opinion on the constipation issue. It sounds like that is the problem. I used babylax I hink thats what it's called on my daughter. You can get it at any store. My daughter was really constipated when I took her off formula. I hope things get better soon and hope this helps.

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L.W.

answers from Seattle on

I have a couple of suggestions that work for us, I would put about a teaspoon of Karo Syrup and another trick that really works but sounds bad is sticking a thermometer in his behind, Like i said it sounds really bad but you will get fast results.

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J.S.

answers from Portland on

Have you tried using "GRIPE WATER" you buy it in a health food store. My son was very colicky and this really helped with the fussyness. It helps relieve gas the natural way.

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J.C.

answers from Seattle on

I'd recommend a chiropractor (yes for a little baby! mine have gone since they were just days old), and also a little black strap molasses in warm water in a bottle or eye dropper. Sounds crazy but my chiropractor recommended it and it worked like a charm. I know it's hard, so I hope this helps!

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E.C.

answers from Dallas on

I would very strongly suggest talking with another pediatrician and getting his/her opinion. Not pooping for this long would be alarming on its own, but the pain your baby is experiencing is heartbreaking -- maybe another pediatrician would have more ideas or suggestions for you. And you absolutely must rule out anything more serious than "simple" constipation.
Second, absolutely do not give your baby water or anything, period, that is not breastmilk or formula without talking to a pediatrician first. All the home remedies in the world may work for others, but may NOT work for your baby. And then there's the dosage issue -- how much to give?? Talk to a pediatrician first and get his/her input. You can give your baby stuff, but it's impossible to get it back out if he has a problem with it. AND it can cause irreparable harm -- ironic, because it would be given with love and a desire to help him.
I wish you and your baby the best!

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B.S.

answers from Portland on

My daughter had the same issues as an infant, I think it's a very bad idea to give your son water, caro syrup, anything like that. Water will throw off your son's electrolytes and possibly worsen his condition. Caro syrup or sugar water is probably the last thing you want a baby to have. It will give him a tummy ache, because too much sugar is probably very aggravating to a stomach used to just breast milk. I would give your son a suppository if it's really necessary. Breast milk has properties in it that act as diuretics. A nursing baby really has no need for water or other things. However, if he's eating cereal, stop, because solids that early do constipate babies.

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J.D.

answers from Spokane on

Take your finger, place it on his belly button, rotate your finger counter clock wise to relax the stomach muscles. Do this three to six times a day as needed. Do NOT give him water or any forms of laxatives without asking your doctor as this can be toxic for him.

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S.M.

answers from Portland on

We used Karo's syrup, use dark because it hasn't been bleached... just a teaspoon in a bottle will do the trick.. when my daughter went on formula at 4mo she couldn't poop because of all the iron in the formula. we used Karo's syrup, DARK... once a day and she's been fine!!
Also, she had a rectum that was too small and had to have surgery to fix it. The surgeon told us the Karo's syrup trick..so I don't think it is poisin! he's a bit smaller, I'd get a second opinion too!

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