Feeding to poo?

[BoSho]

My 14 week old DS is exclusively breastfed, and seems to feed excessively - where he's puking on the boob and still wants more - when he needs to do a massive poo. Each time it happens I think it's a growth spurt, but it always ends up with an enormous explosion

I guess he could be pooing because he's drunk too much, but why would he drink more than he needs? And the puking makes me think it probably isn't a growth spurt because he'd be keeping the milk down if it was

Has anyone else experienced the same thing?

I asked my healthcare worker about this and she said it isn't possible and I should just stop feeding him. Easier said than done.

Why would she tell you to stop feeding him? He probably just doesn't like the sensation of pooing and wants some comfort.

Feeding him is the best thing and it will increase your supply as well.

Other things you could try are giving him a massage or a bath or both.

FWIW both mine did this too, it sounds pretty normal to me.

Am I getting it right - he's puking when having a poo?

Yeah, quite. OK, thanks for the reassurance JJJ. It's a shame everything gets covered in sick, but it seems to work, and I'll try a bath and massage, if he'll let me that is - it all gets quite frantic ;)

Not quite Kayah, he's feeding, and puking, and feeding and puking for ages (up to an hour) until the poo comes.

my dd2 (also 14 weeks) - feeds to help her poo too!! No puke but I can tell she needs to go (sometimes as many as 7 a day) and the sucking seems to help her get rid at the other end for some reason!

he's straining that's why he pukes (I think)
I guess suckling is soothing him
try massaging his tummy
I thing I did it for quite somoetime with my daughter - advice then was to trace the shape of question mark...
has that advice changed?

Dunno about the questions mark Kayah. On front or back?

BoSho you massage his front. Your local Surestart Centre might run courses on Baby Massage if you're lucky. Take a look at too though, I think its a couple of minutes before it gets to the bit you want.

A warm bath might do the trick though too. Have you tried one of the Tummy Tubs?

on above video, go to 2:20 and follow recommended strokes

it is roughly ? shape

Got it! Thanks guys, I'll keep trying. The ? massage worked a bit yesterday, I think. Babies are such peculiar things. It could be any number of things bothering him at the moment - teething, wind, growth spurt - who knows?!

I found this with my DD too! She will usually pull off and start fiddling or sucking her thumb. I then sit her up for a burp and she starts to grunt and do her poo face and usually has a puke at this point hehe!

They say feeding them speeds up gastric emptying. Perhaps it works the same with their bowels?

I was told that babies are most relaxed when feeding hence they find the poo comes easier.not sure whether this is true but ds enjoys a good poo whilst feeding-he rarely poos at any other time (makes me worried about when he's older )
At our local baby massage we were told to massage in clockwise direction on baby's tummy to aid digestion.
Usually I don't hold what hvs say in that high a regard but works for us :)

My DD always struggled with her poos and would quite often feed to poo. I think milk is an antacid so whenever her tummy hurts (i.e. she has wind or needs to poo) she'll want to binge feed. This used to lead to her being sick at every feed. She still does this a little bit at 6 months but is much better now.

It may be that he will grow out of it.