6 week old straining to poop for hours

[kisaki]

Hi Ladies,

Coming here for advice as my health visitors are absolutely useless and I don't trust them.
TMI warning, it's all about baby poo :)
My 6-week old is breastfed from a bottle (long story, she's very small and can't latch on yet). She eats about once every 3-4 hours. Till about a week ago, she'd go no 2 after pretty much every feed and it would be loose and yellow or green (and a lot of it). Happy days!

About a week ago (nothing changed that I am aware of) she's started to strain and grunt to poop in the evening. This would go on throughout the night for hours and hours. She doesn't cry but does make the most unpleasant of noises and contracts her abs, burls up her legs, everything to try and push one out. She does it even in her sleep (although I am not entirely sure if she's awake or asleep, it's hard to tell as her eyes are open for only a few moments).

For example, she ate last night at 10PM and then started straining for a poo. She went on grunting the entire night, including 2 more feeds during the night. Every nappy change, there would be the tiniest bit of poop there (more like a skid mark or a very small/dry poo). Then, finally, this morning around 11 (so 12h later!!) the big one came, loose and wet and filled a whole nappy. Then we are happy again, no more grunting till tonight.

This has been happening every night for about a week and I am not sure if it's normal. HVs say it is but I don't see how a baby grunting the ENTIRE night every night is normal. I don't think she's in pain, otherwise she would cry, but still!

She takes infacol before every feed (but did this even before the problem started).
I've tried giving her gripe water and even a bit of baby tea (which the HV's said not to but I am desperate!) but neither seem to help!

I am just worried that she's not getting enough sleep or restful sleep. I did read that babies take a while to learn how to poo properly but she was doing it OK before! I am so confused and concerned, has anybody had the same?

Absolutely have had the same, twice! Current baby is 10 weeks old.

Sounds similar to yours - she struggled from week 5 to week 8/9 and now is much better.

The worst was week 5-7.

Google infant dyschezia for some more technical info.

It's a really difficult period - I feel for you! But you'll get through it.

Both my kids had this as babies. We did three things:

1. Lactulose from doctor
2. bicycle legs and tummy massage
3. poo position over toilet or a potty, basically you can sit on the loo with them, sit all the way back with your legs apart so there's space in front of your crotch for their bottom to hover over the loo, and hold them in a squat position. This is a position that our bodies naturally find it easier to poo in!

That last suggestion was the thing that worked the best!

pediaclinic.net/Constipation-Baby

This link has some good advice including the positions I mentioned above I also found the warm water on the anus thing helpful, as gross as it sounds.

@sheusesmagazines

Absolutely have had the same, twice! Current baby is 10 weeks old.

Sounds similar to yours - she struggled from week 5 to week 8/9 and now is much better.

The worst was week 5-7.

Google infant dyschezia for some more technical info.

It's a really difficult period - I feel for you! But you'll get through it.

Thank you so much, this puts my mind at ease. I did read previously about dyschezia but I didn't think that was it since she could poop before! Fingers crossed it gets better soon. I can deal with it but she just sounds so miserable nowadays!

@Snowisfallinghere

Both my kids had this as babies. We did three things: 1) Lactulose from doctor 2) bicycle legs and tummy massage 3) poo position over toilet or a potty, basically you can sit on the loo with them, sit all the way back with your legs apart so there's space in front of your crotch for their bottom to hover over the loo, and hold them in a squat position. This is a position that our bodies naturally find it easier to poo in!

That last suggestion was the thing that worked the best!

Thank you! I'll ask the GP about 1 I tried 2 but it's almost impossible to do when she's straining as her tummy is constantly contracted and she keeps flexing her legs too! I will give 3 a try but not over the toilet, I'd be too scared I might drop her in LOL

Green poo isn’t good, though, it means too much foremilk and not enough hindmilk.
The trouble with learning to poo is that you have to relax some muscles while using others. It’s a normal stage, it doesn’t mean anything that she was pooing more before, and it may help to stop seeing it as a problem to be fixed.
New babies aren’t supposed to have deep, calm sleep. They can’t sleep on their front, for example, because they sleep too well, which is a factor in cot death.

Oh god I remember this....it was terrible around 5-8 weeks I think and then it got a lot better.

Thank you all that posted here, it really helps just to know that it's not a unique situation and other babies have it too! We'll just wait it out while trying some of the recommendations here.

Hi @kisaki
We have exactly the same with our baby currently. He's just over 2 weeks old and strains, grunts and screams all night. It's so scary as he sounds so unhappy and uncomfortable. We've been to a&e, seen a specialist chiropractor, everyone seems to think it's normal.....but it's can't be normal to strain and make these horrible noises all night.

Did anything work for you in the end? Anything help? I'd try anything to help him out

Hi @middleboop12 how are you getting on now? I've a 2 week old who has been struggling for almost a week now. Praying it will pass.