HELP constipated baby

[jacko18]

Hi,

This is my first time posting and I’m pretty desperate for advise.

My daughter is 10 weeks old, was on aptimal profurta and at 6 week check up doctor advised she was constipated due to not going for a poo for 5 days at a time and screaming in pain when she went to the point of wheezing and losing her breath while straining. The HV said this was normal (I knew in my heart it wasn’t was was pleased when the doctor said) the doctor advised me to use comfort milk - so changed 3/4 weeks ago to aptimal comfort. The baby is pooing every 2/3 days but is crying still (not as horrific as before but still in some pain) while pooing. The poo is dark green with a thick consistency! I’m now not sure if I should try a different brand of comfort milk or if she could be have a intolerance to the formula.

Any advise or suggestions would be appreciated breaks my heart to see her in pain thanks for reading x

Yes @jacko18 he had a bit of a poo transformation until we weaned him then it was pebbles again.

Also a gentle press to the right and left of bumhole can sometimes start a movement too.

Prepare to be amazed

Oh and regular HIPP!

My sons are in their 30s now, and I've got grandchildren, but some things don't change... I used to give them fresh orange juice (watered down a bit). I also used to peel and core pears and apples, poach them in water and a bit of sugar, then puree them until smooth, feed with a teaspoon. (yes, I know that nowadays you're all advised not to give babies anything but milk for months). My sons are 6ft 2 and 5ft 11, both strong and healthy - food at an early age helped them to be full up and to sleep better too.

Thanks lynne1cat - my mum did all the bottles in the morning and popped them in the fridge for me and I turned out okay I think ha. So many do’s and dont’s these days you don’t know if your coming or going. Will try the water and orange juice thanks x

I’m off to Tesco’s in the morning @2manysweets to get Hipp and I’ve got everything crossed thanks for your help x

@Lynne1Cat you're citing anecdotal evidence, not scientific fact. The reasons babies are advised to be kept on milk until 26 weeks is based on scientific fact, not "my mum weaned me at 8 weeks and I'm ok". OP is clearly very anxious and vulnerable and your advice is entirely contrary to any health professional.

Your children may well currently be fine but the millions with gut problems, gluten and other intolerances which, incidentally can develop at any time, are less thankful to their parents for being weaned so early. Advice changes because knowledge develops and moves on.

OP. Cool boiled water, yup.
Until you get the Hipp, check that you're following the new apti mixing instructions. The new formula has a slightly different method and sadly babies are getting sick.

Leg cycling, gentle tummy massage (always clockwise!) skin to skin to help relax... also. Nappy free time. No hardship in this heat. Perhaps get some puppy pads from the pound shop etc.

Hi there, I had the same problem with my baby girl. I've tried everything- giving her warm water, fennel tea, bicycle circle exercise.. only thing that helped was to change her milk to an organic one. Been on aptamil and cow and gate before and tried this HIPP organic milk and she is a completely different baby. No more colics and pooping everyday! Not going back. They sell HIPP in Sainsburys in powder and pre made bottles. Happy baby = happy me!

I used cooled boiled water on its own, and also with fresh squeezed OJ (1tsp) and also with dissolved brown sugar in for my DDs when they were constipated as babies. That shifted things 😉 also baby massage moving your hand over their belly in clockwise circles to aid the motion.

Similar scenario with my baby. Doctor gave us lactulose to use when desperate and that and the vibration setting on her chair gives her relief. I've only used it a few times as didn't want to become reliant on it and she seems ok now. Vibration setting on her chair and cool boiled water with sugar also definitely helps.

My other dd suffered constipation too when older and we used movicol.

Good luck!

Goodness! This thread reads like a HIPP Organic Milk™️ advert!

Good luck with the pooing OP.

Shame she’s too little for the jumperoo - that would help in a few minutes

Leg Cycling Buț also gently pressing both legs up against baby’s stomach. Amazing farts! A warm bath too.
Gentle massage and pressure on the stomach.

@dementedpixie are you a gp? That's was the advice from mine. It's one spoonful not every day but once.

I wouldn’t give juice because even my older children don’t have juice. It’s not really a health food at all - think of a bottle of juice, there is what, 10/12 oranges in there. Could you eat 10 oranges in the time it take to drink a bottle of juice? Probably not without being very ill. The sheet amount of sugar (yes, even natural sugar when ingested without pith and other roughage) from all that is a huge overload for the pancreas and liver. I’d go for half a teaspoon of sugar over juice, but plain cooled boiled water over that every time.

@IamPickleRick it's a teaspoon of orange juice freshly squeezed from an orange. How much sugar is in that?

How can half a spoon of sugar be different from half a spoon of orange juice beyond the vitamins and roughage in freshly squeezed OJ?

Citrus juices are linked to eczema so I wouldn't give it to a 10 week old baby. Sugar would be better than that. Is it not sugar that's in lactulose?

Lactulose is a synthetic sugar that doesn’t bind so causes the stools to loosen, I believe.

My post was more about the dangers of juice as a whole rather than a teaspoon for a baby, but on principle, introducing things other than water at this stage I just personally wouldn’t do.

There is no roughage in juice, unless the fruit hasbeen blitzed in its entirety. Just the remaining sugar.

Both my DD's had trouble pooing when they were little. I also did the bicycle legs, and flexing the legs towards the stomach, think of squatting but lying on your back. Release the nappy, keeping it in place, do the exercises, bobs your uncle! Interestingly neither of them ever pooped whilst in their nappy..... always when released, I think when babies are on the firm side, they need the extra space to push the poo out!! Also, neither pooped every day, I think we get a bit obsessed with needing a poo every day, some people, and babies, just don't and that's normal for them. Good luck with releasing the trapped issue!!

@IamPickleRick gp suggests it so would assume it's fine

Well the AAP declared last year that they don’t recommend any juice any more for under 1’s and after one it should be mashed or puréed to keep the dietary fibre.

www.aap.org/en-us/about-the-aap/aap-press-room/Pages/American-Academy-of-Pediatrics-Recommends-No-Fruit-Juice-For-Children-Under-1-Year.aspx

It's says not to be included in their diet I hardly think one spoonful once is going to cause harm. A half spoonful of sugar is based on what medical advice?

It says “Small amounts in moderation are fine for older kids, but are absolutely unnecessary for children under 1.”

It's gross but with ds1 I was told by HV to put the tiny metal end of the thermometer up his bum for a few seconds and then back out. It's thin, short and doesn't hurt. Obviously you have to 'lube' it first -cringe-

But I did it when ds1 was a baby he was badly constipated. We'd tried everything. I did that and within minutes he shit 3 nappies worth.

@IamPickleRick my gp in the uk advised it was fine. Can you send the medical evidence on the sugar please