Premmie has stopped pooing totally - please help

[hollydollymac1103]

Hi - after some advise.

My boy was born at 32 weeks prem. He was fed on 100% expressed breast milk for first 6 weeks and pooped at every feed like clockwork, we gradually moved him on to formula (aptamil 1) and once he was about 50/50 the problems started . He stopped pooing. He has now not pooed naturally for over 3 weeks. Unfortunatly he has become 100% formula fed now because my milk dried up.

we first tried switching to aptamil comfort for colic and constipation - no change. we went to the GP who prescribed glycerine supposotorys as a temp measure and within 10 mins of administering one, he exploded. we left it 3 days ( still on comfort) and nothing, we gave suppository again and same again - he exploded. we went back to the doctors who prescribed movicol powders - baby wouldn't take these as directed with 32ml water so mixed with 32ml water then added 1 scoop aptamil in - fed him that then made rest of feed up in separate bottle to make sure it didn't dilute the movicol, on the 3rd day - he exploded so it abviously worked.

Just to add here - throughout he has had loud, regular, stinky wind and a few times a day goes purple straining and gets a bit upset but hes a very good baby and settles quite well.

I then took him off comfort as I was told it causes more constipation than it solves.

I stopped the movicol as I wanted to try and get him to go naturally ( I hoped that there was compacting and the movicol had cleared one end and glycerine the other) and put him back on aptamil 1 - still nothing. I have had to administer another 2 supposotorys this week ( 1 every 3rd day) but today I left it and it was his 4th day today with no poo ( iwas trying to see how long he woul;d go without going but when he showed pain I couldn't just leave the poor mite)

Doctor is pretty useless and scratches her head everytime we talk about this and just prescribes more medicine but I really don't want him full of drugs. I prefer the supposotorys because its just glycerine and dosent get absorbed but this cant be his long term soloution.

were seeing the consultant who treated him on neo natal ( never had any illness - just early) on Thursday to have heart murmour checked and GP tried to book earlier apt but this one was earlier so has told me to discuss it with him them but Im hoping someone can shed some light? please help!! xx

My dds were both prem and we had similar issues on and off. Try some baby massage techniques. Lie him on his back and bicycle his legs in the air gently a fee times ,
Then bend his knees and scrunch legs up toward tummy and hold a few secs.

Place hand on tummy and rub in large clockwise circle five times then anticlockwise five times

This helps to pass wind and helps with constipation too. Def talk to neonatal pead about it though

Forgot to say when you do the bicycling try do large movements so knee all way into tummy. Babies can get constipated as they don't move around much

I probably should have said weave massaged him, bicycles him, warm cloth, warm baths, thermometer up the botty.... Everything the poor mite. He trumps like a hungover man all the time, we have no proba with wind,just no poo :( thanks for advice thou xxx

And he's still feeding every 4 hours with no prob- taking bet 90&120ml each time. Hes farting away as we speak and it STINKS x

Cant shed light but my DD went 3 weeks at a time with no poo....she wasnt a premmie though. Was given Lactulose and went almost immediately each time but I wasnt keen on drugs. Was advised off the record by a nurse friend to try a tiny bit of brown sugar in water (not sure how old your lo is now so ignore me if tiny!) and it worked like a dream. Went away when she was about 15 weeks..what a worry it was at the time though, every day was poo-watch so I feel for you!

Ah it's nice to know clears up. Funny you should say 3 weeks... He pooped this morning lol

fab news! Well done little boy Hollydolly!