Bowel Problems

if he has problems with constipation on breastmilk i would definitely NOT switch to formula or cow milk since that REALLY causes constipation. i have yet to run into a formula fed baby that was not constipated. good luck to you

My son had Gas Problems, although he could still go to the bathroom. My Mohter in Law gave me a great home recipie. It worked, I'm thinking it will help release bowels becuase my son would always soak and Dirty his diaper after having it. It was the first 3 months of his life that we used it. You just boil Bay leaves in water. Than put the water in a bottle and have him drink it. I used 1 bay leaf per cup of water.

Hi C.! To test for Hirschsprung's they usally have to do a biopsy to confirm it! That means surgery. I would make sure they have done all of the least invasive tests first before. Have you tried to log what you eat? try to look back and see if something has changed in you diet. Breastmilk is the best possible food for your baby and don't let anyone ever tell you different! I wish you and yours all the best and find ot what the problem is soon!

I too have the same issue with my daughter. She is now 10 months and still only poops every three to four days. I am still breastfeeding her. When she was younger she went as long as 2 weeks without a poop. Her doctor said that since she uses everything in breastmilk, she doesn't produce a lot of poop. I hope this eases your mind a little.

Hi, C.. My son was going through the same thing a few years ago. I don't remember how many days it had been since a bowel movement, but I DO remember something that helped. I just got in the tub with him in nice warm water and got the water up to about the rib cage to help relax the bowels. About a minute later, no problem. Gross, I know, but it worked. This was a recommendation from the nurse. Good luck. I hope it helps!

My daughter has had chronic constipation since she was a baby. She is 4 now. The karo and all the other normal tricks did not work for us either. She ended up severely impacted at 8 months. She has painful bowel movements and occasionally bleeding from tears due to them being hard to pass. Does he seem to be in pain when he has a bowel movement? I am wondering why a pedi surgeon and not a pedi GI. My daughter sees a GI and she has been on Miralax for 3 years now. It helps her alot. She still doesn't go every day though. Her GI said some people just don't go every day. Good luck. I hope you get it all straightened out soon.

My son was 3 months old and went 11 days without a bowel movement. Our doctor mentioned the same thing about hirschsprung's disease. We took him in to have a barium enema done to see if this was the problem. They even told me that since he has not had a bowel movement to be prepared that he will probably go as soon as the procedure was done. He did not go right away it wasn't until I started to nurse him to get him to calm down and then about 30 to 40 minutes later after he was finished eating did he finally have a small bowel movement. My son was also only on breastmilk at this age. He did not have H. disease. They told me that he was just having a hard time digesting and that I needed to start him on prune juice (diluted) or baby food prunes. This is what we did and it helped. He is now 8 years old and doing fine. Hope this helps.

We used apple juice with water...and i changed formula. Good luck i feel for you my daughter had kidney prob and i was terrified. we went to childrens in okc and had some test run and we've been watching her and she is doing great good luck ill be praying for him and you.

Stop making him poop! For a breastfed infant, it is NORMAL to go 7 days without a bowel movement. IMO, you are stimulating too much and causing his body to loose the ability to go. Overstimulation CAN and DOES cause this. I would relax and take a month and see if he can go by himself. Obviously keep in touch with the Ped. so that you can help if it does become necessary!

From Dr. Jack Newman:
"Some breastfed babies, after the first three to four weeks of life, may suddenly change their stool pattern from many each day, to one every three days or even less. Some babies have gone as long as 15 days or more without a bowel movement. As long as the baby is otherwise well, and the stool is the usual pasty or soft, yellow movement, this is not constipation and is of no concern. No treatment is necessary or desirable, because no treatment is necessary or desirable for something that is normal."
http://www.kellymom.com/newman/04enough_milk.html

i would suggest a pediatric gastroeneterologist.. and request some studies... your pediatrician could order the studies too... but you want a "stomache empting study" and possibly a "barium swallow study." You could also give him things high in fiber..like pediasure with fiber. hope this helps as i am sure your little guy is uncomfortable. -mb

Talk to your ped again (or get a 2nd opinion), it's my understanding that it's not bad/unusual for that to occur with babies who are breastfed exclusively...as long as when he does go, it's not painful or uncomfortable (and does not have other issues like being bloody).

try the enfamile gentel ease (dark purple) i think
i did that for my daughter, i did a few full bottles of it and then it made her go too much so i did like every other bottle or even just one bottle

Maybe some flax oil, in small amounts added to food, or maybe try some bentonite, which is volcanic clay, with some pure water....a light dose of it...in the formula.
Flax oil makes it easier to go, and bentonite clay cleanses the system of toxins, healing the intestinal problems. I do realize it is a very small baby though. Those are the only suggestions I have.
Good luck

Breastmilk is the best thing for his digestive tract. The more you try to stimulate his body to have a bowel movement, the less his body has to do it on it's own, and then slows the process even more. If you just keep breastfeeding him, his body will do what it needs to do. If there is a problem, you might want to try chiropractic.

Hirschsprung's disease is a problem with nerve cells in the large intestines. Nerves in the body originate in and around the spine. Sometimes during the trauma of the birth process, the baby's spine can get misaligned. When certain areas of the spine are affected, those nerves in that area are also affected. This may be the cause of his problem.

Would you ever lift your newborn baby by his/her head? Of course not! But that is much less force than what is used to pull the baby out of the birth canal (including C-Section births). That's what I mean by birth trauma.

So, basically I'm trying to explain how chiropractic may be able to help your baby. I cannot guarantee it, but it is gentle and often times helpful when all else fails. I have been in pracice for 14 years, and have seen babies from birth on up for many problems, such as: ear infections, allergies, colic and other digestive disorders. To find a chiropractor near you, check with the International Chiropractic Pediatric Association's website: www.icpa4kids.org.

My prayers are with you.

T. Theriot, D.C.
New Iberia, LA
www.drtheriot.com
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Did your doctor not mention that it is perfectly NORMAL for a breastfed baby to go a week to 10 days without a BM and while not common, some can go up to 3 weeks without having one??? My son is also BF, and he goes once a week. My first son did as well.
Breastmilk is the perfect food for babies, there is little that is unused 'fillers' that need to be excreted, and therefore, not all babies need to poop so often. Yes, most bf babies will do a little poop daily, or several times a day, but it is also ok for them to go days without it. The fact that suppositories, rectal stimilation etc. don't work should say there is nothing there to poop!! These remedies cure constipation which is NOT baby not going every day, and trust me, formula is going to be more likely to cause constipation than your milk.
As long as your baby does not have a firm tummy between poops, and is not miserable, and does not pass firm, pellet-sized stool, he is probably just fine. It is normal for newborn babies to be fussy when trying to poop, for them to grunt a lot, and to look like they are pushing and have nothing come out. Essentially they are practicing, getting used to the feelings of having to poop, and having gas.
When your son does go, if it is semi-soft to liquid, yellow and seedy this is normal.
Please get a second opinion from a different pediatrician (not a family practice doctor, surgeon etc) before you go any further.
from kellymom.com
"Some breastfed babies, after the first three to four weeks of life, may suddenly change their stool pattern from many each day, to one every three days or even less. Some babies have gone as long as 15 days or more without a bowel movement. As long as the baby is otherwise well, and the stool is the usual pasty or soft, yellow movement, this is not constipation and is of no concern. No treatment is necessary or desirable, because no treatment is necessary or desirable for something that is normal."

http://www.justmommies.com/articles/baby-poop.shtml
"Babies that don’t poop for several days
Once your baby is about one month old, he may start having fewer bowel movements. If your baby is breastfed, he may go several days to a week without having a bowel movement. This is nothing to worry about. Exclusively breastfed babies rarely have problems with constipation. If he goes longer than a week, he seems to be in pain, or if you are concerned, call your pediatrician.

Formula-fed babies poops slow down at about a month as well. However, formula is more likely to cause constipation than breast milk. Most formula fed babies will have about one bowel movement a day. Stools should be soft. If you notice your baby’s stools are firm or hard and pellet-like, he may be constipated. If your baby goes longer than two or three days without a bowel movement and he is formula fed, you should give your pediatrician a call.

Babies that grunt and cry when they poop
If your baby does a lot of grunting when he poops don’t worry. This is normal. Babies sometimes grunt, cry or turn red when they have a bowel movement. This is nothing to worry about. A lot of new parents mistake this grunting for straining and constipation. Once your baby gets used to his bodily functions and how they feel, he won’t be as vocal about having them."

http://pediatrics.about.com/od/weeklyquestion/a/04_bf_cns...
"Q. I have some concerns for my 3 month old grandson. He only has bowel movements every 5 or 6 days. They are not "hard" or difficult for him, but just doesn't seem normal to me. It's almost like he has a "blow-out" on those days and doesn't do it again for the same length of time. Just doesn't seem normal for a baby that age because he's a good eater and seems to have no problem with the urine. Dr. has told her to give him prune juice, but he's on breast milk, and of course hasn't started anything else yet. Is this o.k.? Thank you for your help. Buka, TN

A. For an older infant or child, going five or six days without a bowel movement would usually be a problem. In younger infants, especially those who are breastfeeding, constipation is defined more by what the bowel movements are like rather than how often they occur. So a younger infant would be constipated if his bowel movements were like hard, little pellets, or if they were very large, firm and difficult to pass. Some people also consider an infant to have constipation if the bowel movements have a consistency that are thicker than peanut butter and the child strains to pass them.

Keep in mind that babies who are exclusively breastfed very rarely get constipated. After having very frequent bowel movements during the first month or two, they then begin to go much less often. In fact, some breastfed babies only have bowel movements every week or two. In these children, as long as the bowel movement is watery or soft when they finally have it, then they are likely normal and not constipated. So it sounds like your grandson doesn't need any treatment, since it doesn't sound like he is constipated. In cases like this, I personally don't recommend giving an infant prune juice or doing anything else. Giving extra water, apple juice, or prune juice would be appropriate treatments for an infant that really was constipated though.

Why do breastfed babies have such infrequent bowel movements? Most people believe it is because breast milk gets digested so well that there is not much left over to make bowel movements. Of course, once you start feeding him solid foods, like cereal, that will likely change. At that point, he will likely have more regular bowel movements and they will probably be firmer."

I can come up with at least 20 other sites that will confirm the same thing. You can google breastfeeding bowel movements to see some for yourself.

Frequency is not the key to constipation. Just like another responder said, it can be normal for a baby to go that long without a BM. Constipation is more about the texture of the BM and the difficulty passing it. If his BM is hard, chalky, or very dry and he is straining and/or bleeding, it is a problem. An exclusively breastfed baby should have loose mustardy,seedy yellow stools. If his stools are loose, he is most likely normal.

Still, it is wise to eliminate possible medical issues, just for your peace of mind.

Blessings,
D.

Breastmilk is ALWAYS the better option. And remember that your baby is what you eat. If you happen to have a low fiber diet, try boosting your intake of fresh veggies and whole grains, and see if that helps. And lots and lots of water for you to drink. It will flush toxins from his system as well as yours. If either of you have had antibiotics recently, taking a good probiotic would certainly help (see yeastinfectionadvisor.com). Coconut oil also has great antifungal properties, has a high cooking temp, (makes everything you cook with it taste great), and will help to "lube" yours and his systems. I hope this helps and good luck :}

When my son (who is breastfed) was 8 weeks old he stopped messing his diaper regularly (we had started him on cereal by then). He would go maybe once a week. I also fretted about it and tried suppositories and karo syrup. He never acted constipated or fussy about not pooping. The doctor said he is fine, he will just be one of those babies that doesn't poop often, and so we just let his body to it's thing. He is normal and happy. We started him on foods recently, with green beans first, and it seems to have helped. His stool is of course thicker but more frequent. Just to rule it out, do find out about Hirschprung's. This too shall pass. Welcome to parenthood! The hardest and most rewarding job you will ever have!

Unlike formula, breastmilk can be completely absorbed by babies with very little waste. He may just be going through a growth spurt. When my daughter was little she would routinely go through five or six days without a bowl movement during her growth spurts. He is very young, so definately talk with your pediatrician, but it may just be that he's using all the nutrients you are providing.

As long as he doesn't seem to be in pain, it can be completely normal for an exclusively breastfed baby to only poop once a week. My son was the same way at that age.

http://www.kellymom.com/nutrition/solids/toddler-foods.ht...

Constipation is actually a much bigger problem in babies who are formula fed.

There are several books on breastfeeding that likely would be available at your local library if you need reassurance.

Hello,
Congratulations on your son- how terrific you are breastfeeding him! My son, also exclusively breastfed at that time, also went a week without a bowel movement. We consulted a lactation consultant who was a great help. My son was 6 weeks at the time- in his case there was no problem- he had good weight gain, adequate wet diapers. We were told a change in bowel movements can be common around six weeks. I suggest you talk to a lactation consultant and check out La Leche League if you haven't already. Not to undermine your doctor, but lots of doctors have very little training about breastfeeding and what can be normal in a breastfed baby. Blessings, R.

It's normal after the first couple months for breastfed babies to stop pooping very frequently. My son went for a while only having one poop a week. My husband (a registered nurse) said it was only an issue if it had been more than a week since his last poop. If it reached seven days, then I'd feed my son 2-4 oz of pure prune juice, which really lubed things up.

Breast milk is very efficiently digested; poop is waste material, stuff the body doesn't digest. It sounds like your baby is very efficiently using everything you give him. It's only constipation if the poop (when it comes) consists of hard pellets. If not, and if there are no other signs of illness, then your baby is fine and there is nothing to worry about. Forgive the bad joke, but this too shall pass!

C. I'm also a new mom and my baby is 13 days old and had a constipation issue shortly after we came home. We had a friend tell us to take a rectal thermometer insert it like you are taking the temp and hold it there for just a few moments and it will get the muscles working and if they have to poop they will. We tried it and it worked my daughter filled up to diapers after that. Since then we have not had a problem. BTW I was breastfeeding and bottle feeding when it happened. It is not fun to do that to your child but it gives them relief. Just a suggestion.

Give your LO babies magic tea....!!!

Updated

Try to start babies magic tea for your little angel;)

I would wonder if he has any other symptoms. If not, PLEASE keep breastfeeding him exclusively. Formula will REALLY stop him up. I have four kiddos & 3 of them had tummy or bowel issues. If there are other symptoms; e.g., stomach gurgling, excessive crying throughout the day, vomiting, etc., I would suggest seeing a Ped GI specialist.

I will never forget with my first child calling the ped after we hadn't had a bm in a number of days. Her response was that we always worry about the poop of the very old and the very young. :) She said not to worry unless it had been over a week. Just love that lady! Still with her 18 years later.

The reason I tell you that story is to try to put you at ease a bit. The first baby is really scary. But, remember, these are resilient little beings. If you keep things simple, "breast is best', and EXCLUSIVE, I really think this will get better. By the way, I am NOT a breastfeeding fanatic. I have just seen a difference with my own kids.

Best of luck & God's peace. ~ P.

Dear C.,
28 yrs ago I heard the same probable diagnosis for my daughter when she was 3 weeks old. She cried continually. I nursed her every hour around the clock. The surgeon we went to see, thought her anal opening was too small. We went through a series of stretching the opening. It did not help. At 4 weeks she had the biopsy to detect ganglion cells. In our case, she did not have Hirschprung's, but did need a surgery to reposition her opening. Even if your diagnosis is different, I pray the same outcome for you. A healthy child who will grow and mature. She is now mother to 2 gorgeous boys! I remember the feelings I had at the time. It was truly a faith builder. I knew she was a gift from God, no matter what! and that He would help us through the journey whatever way it was going. You're in my prayers - you, your baby's father, and the doctors. Bless you!
D.

when i nursed my first child he did the same thing, he would go days without a bowel movement and i was so worried. the pediatrician said that is normal for a baby who is breastfed. it didn't seem to bother the baby so i didn't mess with him, he just grew out of it.

First of all I wouldn't panic...when I bf my daughter exclusively she would go as long as a week with out a bm....but when she did...whew, look out!!!!! Her pedi said that was VERY normal with bf babies. She told me that bf babies RARELY get constipated and that breast milk was almost fully digested so there was little to poop out. Hope all turns out ok with your little one!!!!!!!

Normal normal normal! What a lovely word, isn't it! :)

A lot of breastfed babies have no waste to put out as a bowel movement. My daughter used to go 20 days between them. My son, on the other hand, only went nine. Bumma!

A lot of people don't know that's one of the big advantages of breastfeeding, fewer poopy diapers!

Okay, now the bad news: Sometimes, after a long time without, there's a LOT when it comes out. Once you find out about how long his schedule is, make sure you have a change of baby clothes with you when you go somewhere around those times: just in case. (my son rarely had problems with blowouts. But you should ask me the parking lot at the grocery store, the rain and a bottle of pet stain remover sometime! LOL)

Sounds like, rather than having trouble digesting breastmilk, he's having a wonderfully easy time of it! Just keep nursing and enjoy it while it lasts (solid food can be a bit of a bummer after that LOL)

Take care!

It has always been my understanding that between 6-10 weeks of age, a breastfed baby's bowel movements become less frequent - some babies going as long as a week. Some things to consider - does he have pain when he does go? Are his stools hard to pass or soft? If they are soft and just infrequent, then this may be normal for your child. If they are hard and paintful and infrequent, then following up with another doctor/surgeon seems to be the way to go. My first baby was exclusively breastfed and he would go quite awhile before having a bowel movement, but they were soft and so it was okay.

i'm sure someone else has suggested this, but have you tried gripe water? My son had the same problem when i breastfed him (he is on formula now) and i went to Nurturing Moment they are wonderful for suggesting items for breastfeeding mothers that are all natural supplements. Hope this helps

I have an exclusively breastfed 4 month old, and it is normal for them to go sometimes a week without a BM, or some babies will have one or more a day, it all depends. I asked my Pedi about it also, cause his is my second and my first had a BM about every other day, but this boy is having about 3 in the same day, one day a week. He said that breastfed babies do such a good job digesting the breast milk that there isn't much waste, so they don't BM as often as formula fed babies. But if you feel there is something wrong, or he cries and acts like he is in pain when trying to BM, then definitely get it checked out.