Baby 3 wks old...And in pain pooing! Pls can any1 help???!!!

[Pr1ncess]

Hi guys...PLS HELP
My lil boy is 3 wks old and is really in pain pooing!(He crys, goes red, kicks his legs and really strains) I have been told by MW that it cant be constipation as his poo is not hard/pellett like (Its like peanut butter!)
still, i have tried water and he hates it and a teaspoon of OJ diluted in boiled water..he is a little better with this but still is not keen and just refuses his bottle!I have tried infacol and still no luck! I have tried rubbing his back and feet too.
I have tried changing his formula and it stopped for a bit but then began hurting again. i get about 8 wet nappies aday and 4-5 pooy ones (Although majority tiny ones) ...I have found that when im feeding him he tends to erm... splat sorry tmi! He has been very windy from day 1 but i wind him a lot and he has no trouble with that area (Like his dad! LOL) any suggestions welcomed... i cant handle my bundle of joy in pain!

was his sphincter checked in the hospital? this is usually done as a matter of course to make sure everything is OK in the bottom department, but it isn't unheard of for it to be missed.

My friend's Ds was BF and she was told he couldn't be constipated as BF babies don't get constiaption; it turned out his sphicnter muscle was too tight and the poor wee mite was literally having to squeeze them out to be crude about it.

Are you using 1st or 2nd (hungrier baby) milk? 1st milk might be a little gentler on his system.

i would make an appointment with your GP to get this checked out. Meanwhile something like weak fennel tea might help. Not sure I'd give diluted OJ myself this young.

pr1ncess, some babies just act like this anyway, doesn't necessarily mean he is in pain.

babies just aren't used to the feeling of doing a poo, they don't do them in the womb, so it's all new.
plus I have read that quite often when they get the need to go they tense up and tighten the anal sphincter which makes it even harder for them to do a poo, hence all the going red and straining.

he will probably just improve with time

Hi, ask to see a pediatrician (not a HV) and say you want the poo tested for occult blood. Sounds like a dairy protein allergy to me. Either from formula or from the protien coming through in your breastmilk (assuming you are eating dairy). But you can't alter the baby's formula without doctor's advice, too risky, so start with the referral. And cut our dairy and wheat yourself, if bf'ing, just to be on safe side. Takes up to two weeks for all the protein to pass from your milk.

I don't think he is in pain tbh - sounds perfectly normal to me - I have a 4 week old on my lap right now doing what you describe (just as his older sisters did)! 'Splat' nappies at that age are spot on (BF or FF)

I'd really not give water and definitely not give him OJ at all (even very diluted).

If he isn't losing weight he is probably fine - speak to your HV / doc or MW for some reassurance - it's awful thinking they are in pain and not knowing what to do

wow...thanks for the quick responses! i started to use sma which i think was too heavy for his belly, now im using aptamel which the HV advised as its softer.
Im going to make a GP app to be on the safe side..im not sure if his sphincter was checked?!

Thanks all

Pr1ncess - I'd agree with the others that it's more than likely perfectly normal.

If he is doing that many poos a day then he is not constipated, no need for oj especially on such a young tummy?
My ds1 used to grunt and strain and go soooo red in the face, but he wasn't constipated, he was just a baby having a poo like new babies dooooooo.
If a baby was in pain then imo they would be screaming.

hI, WHILE HE IS POOING , YOU JUST TRY TO RAISE UP HIS LEGS AND HIS KNEES KINDS OF TOUCHING HIS TUMMY, YOU SEE THE LITTLE BIT YOU WILL PRESS, IT WILL HELP HIM RELEASING THE POO AND YOU CAN TRY THIS WHILE HE HAS WIND ETC AS WELL, HELPED FOR MINE ONE. ITS A TEMPERORY HELP BUT ITS BETTER THAN TRYING STUFF THAT MAY CAUSE ANY UNWANTED EFFECTS ON HIS LITTLE BELLY. ALL THE BEST.