Constipated baby, please help!

[Hodge85]

Hello,

My baby is on Aptamil First Infant and has been on Infant Gaviscon for a week now. He is 5 weeks old and normally has a poo once a day. He hasn't pooed since Tuesday and yesterday he wouldn't stop crying and straining and he slept most of the day which is very unlike him. We've just had an awfully night where he has grunted, kicked, strained and cried and he's doing the same now that he's woken up. He's clearly in some discomfort, I don't know what to do. He cries the house down when he's awake, I feel like he's constipated.

You need to contact 111.

Contact your GP, 111.

In the meantime, lay your DS on his back and gently lift his legs up one at a time in a circular motion, as if he's pedalling a bike. My HV used to call this cycle legs and it did work for my DDs when they were babies.

I hope your DS is better soon

Call your HV this morning for advice .

Massage his tummy, warm bath, massage the pressure points on his feet underneath each second toe, gently hold his legs up. As a last resort try very gently putting a cotton bud up there. Can you take him off the gaviscon? My GP told me it's the only thing they can prescribe for reflux and colic (aside from over the counter stuff) but my DD was referred to a paediatric team when I told them I refused to give her gaviscon as I knew it would make her constipated.

Gaviscon makes them super constipated, so try and use it as little as possible.

Tip that saved me - use the aptamil ready to feed formula, it really helps to soften their poo. Best tip my HV ever gave me!

Gaviscon made my DD horribly constipated and screaming in pain when she finally managed a playdoh-like poo. Doctor prescribed laxatives. Do call for help

Has the doctor given you the right doseage? My DS at 8 weeks was probably the weight of a 5 week old. He was prescribed 1 satchet per feed. When i questioned the constipation and told them his weight they changed it to 1/4 a satchet per feed. Helped massively.

Please don’t use a cotton bud, I would ring 111 or the health visitor or GP. Don’t let them fob you off, they need to deal with this ASAP and if definitely stop the Gaviscon for now.