7 week old always straining?

[Louisec128]

My 7 week old seems to have been in some discomfort for about a week now. He is exclusively breastfed. I'm not sure if it's constipation as I hear it's uncommon but not unheard of in breastfed, he hadn't had a proper poo (only tiny tiny fart poos) for about 5 days until yesterday and had a massive poo (which seemed normal although a little gloopey) and I was so relieved thinking he'd be back to normal but he's still straining again today (hasn't been again since then). So in general he feeds fine, I burp him, but then starts to squirm and gets red in the face and appears to be in a lot of discomfort and screams crying which isn't nice to watch. I'm exhausted. I don't think it's anything I'm eating as his poos, when they do come, seem normal? Tried gripe water to no avail. Could this be anything else I'm missing? I did question colic but he doesn't seem "inconsolable" just miserable /in discomfort?

Mine was exactly the same when she was a baby! Never changed anything and eventually she just stopped doing it! Always thought she was straining for a poo when she wasn't hopefully it will pass! Sorry can't be anymore help!

Babies are just kind of... like this. They've never used their digestive systems before they're born, they don't have any voluntary muscle control, the whole thing takes them a while to get used to, and in the meantime there is a lot of straining and grunting. They grow out of it.

My baby was very constipated since birth (only pooing every 3/4 days and the poop was hard rocks when it did come bless him) he was the same as you mentioned always straining but also crying a lot like he had colic, fast forward a few months he is diagnosed with CMPA , since changing to cows milk free diet he is regular as clockwork and the doctor says the constipation was a side effect of the CMPA. Probably unlikely to be the same for you but just wanted to me too as I waited far too long to get him looked at and wish I had changed him to cows milk free diet sooner

This baby is breastfed and isn't constipated. I'm not saying CMPA is impossible, but there's nothing particularly to suggest it here. Straining is normal for any baby.

It sounds like wind to me. Might not be colic but you could always try a bit of gripe water.

I've spoken to hv who's coming by tomorrow so I'll see what she says. I disagree with you though @ShiverOfSharks, my first wasn't like this at all and he was premature not like my second who was term!

@Louisec128 sorry just re-read your original post and realised you'd tried gripe water. Maybe infacol might do the trick or failing everything else, sign up to baby massage classes and see if they help?
Let us know how you get on!

Please let us know how you get on as my 7 week old as exactly the same and I’ve run out of ideas!

So hv and gp agreed to try lactulose, have him 2.5ml at 1pm yesterday and he had a big poo at 4pm so haven't given him anymore and will use on an as and when basis, however, he still seems unhappy and is grunting kow (2am). I don't think it's colic as there doesn't appear to be a pattern to when he's uncomfortable? Don't think it's reflux either. I'm now questioning whether it is in fact cmpa although he's not showing many of those symptoms either so I don't know :( He has his paediatric check today with the gp so I will see what she says...

Sorry but have to agree with the majority here.. my boy also missed days of pooing, was always grunting and straining especially at night.. he also got really bad cramps around 4-8 weeks.. i cut cow milk out of my own diet as i thought it could be that he was getting it through my breastmilk but didnt help at all..
he only grew out of the severe grassiness by 3,5 months and still at times wakes up straining now at 4 months.. its just a baby thing, some have it some dont

If the stool is soft then he isn't constipated. The straining and grunting is just what newborns do. It's called infant dyschezia. It's normal and unfortunately there's absolutely nothing to be done for it! He will grow out of fairly soon.

Both of my breastfed babies did this. It's normal. Never been any dairy in my diet.

Yup. Newborn guts just don't work very well. Nothing is wrong.

How is their weight gain? This happened to my now 15 week old - often going 6 days without a poo. Turns out they weren't gaining as expected and had a tongue tie.
Now they go roughly once a day!

Came to say just this 👏

Infant dyschezia is not uncommon.

It takes them time to figure out pushing at the same time as actually relaxing the exit!