SiL has recently had twins - they are bf but seem to suffer with terrible constipation - any ideas?

[Jazzicatz]

They are 14 weeks and often go 11 days at a time without doing a poo - thay have been to the dr and they have given them a supository - are there any suggestions on what to give them as a prevention? Tia

If they are gaining well etc etc, then going 11 days at a time is normal. Do they seem to be in discomfort? When they do have a poo, is it soft or hard?

When they do go it is an explosion of wet poo. They do get quite grumbly but not to the point of real discomfort.

Babies are grumbly critters.

I don't think this is a problem. This is well within the normal range for bf babies, at this age. (Different deal if it's a newborn.)

Ok thanks - mine never suffered with constipation - quite the opposite in fact!!!!!!!

This does not sound like constipation. Constipation is classed as straining to poo and nothing happenning and then when they do go, it would be hard and lacking in liquid content. SOrry, but it does not sound like the GP has a clue really. 11 days is failry long to go between poo, but it is certainly not out of the realm for a fully bf baby and would only be a cause ofr concern if there were other concerning factors. If the babies are thriving, are not straining and uncomfortable, and feeding well, then it is more likely to be their normal pattern than anything to worry about.

Yeah, as IlanaK says, the real definition of constipation is about the consistency of the poo - not how often you go. It's possible to be constipated and poo several times a day, as many IBS sufferers know.

Agree with the other posts that it doesn't sound like constipation. However, I was told by a BF consultant that if my DD hadn't done a poo in a while and I needed her to go for my own sake, I should drink orange juice with bits in and that would shift things along.

Please note, that's mum drinking the juice, not giving it directly to the babies!

Disclaimer: I have never tried it so can't guarantee anything, and I didn't ask her how much juice I'd need to drink.

That doesn't sound like it would make any difference. I mean, the bits are fibre, there's no way the fibre ends up in the milk, it never leaves your gut.

Maybe it's just something to get the mum to do while she waits for the poo?

What a bizarre and unscientific piece of advice about the orange juice! Your milk production is not linked to your digestive system after all. How on earth would fibrous bits of orange make any difference to the milk?

Ilanak, Kasbeth, I agree the juice thing sounds bizarre and could very well be wrong.

However, it came from a very experienced BF counsellor so I can only presume it had worked for her in the past. As I said, though, I haven't tried it.

Perhaps there's something in orange juice that passes into your breast milk (as alcohol, etc does). Wouldn't explain the "bits" bit though.

I don't know. I just figured it was a fairly inert, safe thing to try if someone was really concerned about their baby not pooing for a while. If it worked, fab, if it didn't, so you drank some orange juice you may not have had otherwise .

Hi there
My lo went upto 13 days without pooing and he was bf too. My lo used to get very upset for a few days before he went and when he did eventually go it used to come out like playdough! It happened for about 2-3 months and then he just grew out of it and no has had no problems since. Oh I was adviced to do foot massage which apparantly can loosed the bowel! Stomach massage was another one rubbing the tummy in a clockwise direction can help an underactive gut. However I think it is just an immature gut that causes it, so is completely normal

DD1 would go weeks in between poos.
i was so worried, i tried everything

fed her spoonfuls of freshly squeezed orange juice
brown sugar in warm water
cranial osteopathy
homeopathy

the brown sugar in warm water did seem to shift it (not that i am advising that!)
the homeopathy was good too

but if i had accepted it was "normal" maybe it would have been ok. i was really worried about it.