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Infant feeding

Get advice and support with infant feeding from other users here.

Original poster

Constipated breastfed baby - help!

58 replies

Annie75 · 31/01/2008 11:48

My DD is nearly six months and has been exclusively breast fed. It's the one thing that has gone really well for us. She's always been a 'colicky' baby - read gassy - but over the last month she's become v constipated, sometimes only going every 6 days. I'm on a day 6 today and have just changed her nappy and she screams in pain when she's trying to go. The poo is thick and sludgy and a honey colour when she does go. In between she farts LOADS!

The doc suggested I give her diluted fruit juice as she might be dehydrated but I thought that she'd get enough water through my milk as I feed on demand. I'm also going to try some baby-led weaning over the next week - the doc also reckoned she was hungry but she's putting on weight just fine.

Any ideas? I hate seeing her in pain and want to keep bf. Thanks!

OP posts:
tiktok · 31/01/2008 12:29

This is not constipation or dehydration - the poo is soft.

Screaming in pain when pooing is something to be taken seriously - and your GP should refer you to someone, or explore the situation more.

Original poster
Annie75 · 31/01/2008 13:02

Thanks, tiktok - I feel as though I'm banging my head against a brick wall. My HV has suggested that I gave up bf since 4 months as she thinks that it's wearing me out - but it isn't, it's the crying from her gassiness that makes me weary. The doc this morning said that I should be weaning her and that she's prob hungry - but she's not even 6 months and that goes against current weaning advice. It also doesn't explain why she's been like this since she was 3 weeks old (although the constipation is a relatively recent thing). I think I'll ask for a referral to a pediatrician...

OP posts:
RuthT · 26/09/2008 20:30

Annie, I have a similar situation. How did this resolve itself?

Miamla · 29/01/2009 17:06

argh, i'm in a similar situation but there aren't any answers on here!
Annie? Ruth? anyone else?

wastingmyeducation · 29/01/2009 17:09

What's the matter Miamla?

gazarka · 29/01/2009 17:22

Hi
my ds was exclusively breastfed until 6m and i could always tell when he was doing a poo and would get very distressed with wind etc. It was only when I mentioned it to my chiropractor during one session that she said she's have a look at him. Apparently there is a valve in their stomachs that doesn't always open properly.
She treated him and after one appointment I could tell the difference, the day after his nappy was completely full. He's had about 4 sessions each time she's massaged the valve and also made sure that he was aligned properly and we have no problems at all - it's like a different baby. He's nearly one and still his main fluid intake is breastmilk and eats really well.
See if you can find a chiropractor that is qualified in pediatrics - not cheap (well mine did ds free!), but worth it
Good luck

Miamla · 29/01/2009 17:29

I've got a (ebf) 6mth old DS who hasn't pooed since last friday. I phoned NHS direct and they said to book an appt with the doc if nothing happens tomorrow. But that means not seeing a doc til next week. he doesn't seem to be in any pain. is crawling and sitting as normal.
nhs direct suggested giving him a teaspoon of freshly squeezed orange juice and cooled boiled water. I've done both of these things but still no joy. i was just wondering if anyone had any other ideas i could try

the chiropractor sounds interesting. are there any negative sides to it?

skay · 29/01/2009 17:32

Try this.

Eat oranges/drink orange juice.

Stay away from apples/apple juice.

(I mean you - not the baby)

wastingmyeducation · 29/01/2009 17:35

Miamla, is your DS on solids?

NotQuiteCockney · 29/01/2009 17:36

Am at the idea that a GP could think that a breastfed baby was dehydrated (all they drink is milk ffs) - and if they did think your baby was dehydrated, then surely hospital admission, not diluted juice, is the solution.

Going long periods without pooing is normal for breastfed babies - as long as the poo isn't hard and dry, there is no problem. Obviously if your baby is distressed, that's another matter.

MrsHappy · 29/01/2009 17:36

Miamla AFAIK breastfed babies can and do go a long time between poos and as long as they don't seem in pain it is ok.

The only thing I would say is that whenever I have experienced (my DD went well over 2 weeks once!) or heard about this sort of thing it has started at 7/8/9 weeks. If I were you I would probably see a Dr to ask whether there is any reason why it might start at 6 months, just for peace of mind.

gazarka · 29/01/2009 17:48

Ds didn't seem to have any negatives from the chiropractor, obviously she was very gentle with him and as she's been treating me since dd was 18m (she's 31/2now) I completely trust her. You could always try gentle baby massage yourself - and if on solids dried apricot puree works too.

Miamla · 29/01/2009 19:30

thanks all, lots of different advice! i've heard (and forgotten!) about me drinking orange juice so i'm going to try that frst
really appreciate all your kind words

skay · 31/01/2009 13:14

Miamla, Ruth, Annie,

Any luck? How are LO's feeling this morning?

Miamla · 31/01/2009 18:11

hi skay, thanks for asking
we still have no change here despite me drinking pints of orange juice. DS was 6mths yesterday so we fed him a v cut up, mashed prune. He loved it! I'm hoping it gets things moving!
I've had a chat with DP and while DS is still happy and not in any pain, we're going to see how he gets on this weekend

Perhaps TMI but there was a v small pooey smear in his nappy yesterday. i'm really hoping it happens soon...

chandellina · 31/01/2009 19:22

Miamla - carrot seems to get things moving for my guy. He is six months old and just started solids last week. He often poos only once a week - came today after last one on Monday.

I may look into a chiropractor because he is also very uncomfortable between poos ...

Anyone know a good pediatric chiro in London??

hercules1 · 31/01/2009 20:20

How on earth can the mother drinking orange juice make the blindest bit of difference??

chandellina · 31/01/2009 21:46

strange but true, the midwives warned me about orange juice and mango, and indeed they can move things right along!

hercules1 · 01/02/2009 08:46

I dont believe it. Sorry. I've breastfed for 7 years in total and cannot see how it can possibly affect your breastmilk.

tiktok · 01/02/2009 09:58

Highly unlikely that fruit juice drunk by the mother can affect the breastmilk in this way - any positive results are far more likely to be coincidence

char24 · 01/02/2009 10:10

Has the doctor checked for an anal fischer, it is a small crack at the base of the conxics that can split open when poohing even soft poohs can hurt.
re weaning 6 months is ok for some pureed pear to move the bowel on a bit

lilysma · 01/02/2009 11:03

My DD had a similar thing when she first started on solids but without the gassiness. She cried when she did a poo and they were only every few days at the most, but they didn't look especially hard. The GP said it was constipation and gave her a poo-softening type laxative, which seemed to do the trick, but later the HV said if the poo isn't really hard it isn't constipation, so I never really knew what the issue was. It happened a couple of times and the laxative always sorted it out and then it just stopped happening. Not sure if this is relevant or any help, but thought I'd share in case!
Hope it resolves itself soon!

chandellina · 01/02/2009 13:58

a study this past summer from University of Copenhagen about food mum eats entering breastmilk found that citrus and carrots can chemically alter the milk enough to be tasted and have an effect on the baby.

i don't get though why so many experts say that babies can be affected by dairy, etc. in mum's diet, while others say it's impossible.

Miamla · 01/02/2009 14:10

still no change here so we're off to see the doc in the morning

thanks again for all your comments

tiktok · 01/02/2009 15:16

chandellina, I don;t know that study but it's not news - it's been known for a long time that flavours can enter the breastmilk.

But no one is claiming the flavour of oranges or carrots can make a constipated baby 'go', surely?

Dairy is a different issue. 'Foreign' proteins in dairy can enter the milk - not a problem for the vast majority of babies, of course.

Sorry - you are going to have to explain why citrus eaten by the mother increases the laxative properties of her milk and I don't think you will be able to...