8 1/2 Month Old Hasn't Had a Bowel Movement for 10 Days!

[kaylas mama]

Hi Mommies! I need some help.

My 8 1/2 month old DD hasn't had a BM in about 10 days or so. She's never been a daily pooper-none of my three children have, and I started her on (home made) solids about two months ago. She's not really interested in food-she eats about once or twice a day, if that, and it's only about 1-2 TBSP. Again, my other two were like this-they just preferred the breast! And she's been going longer between poops-a week a couple of times-since she began eating. Especially when we tried bananas.

I'm a bit concerned at this point. She wants to poop (she pushes like she's going to have a BM, and she's been gassy, and she's not showing any signs of discomfort or anything. She's not fussy. Her abdomen is not distended or tender. I've been massaging her belly with chamomile oil and doing "bicycle's" with her legs. I'm about to break down and take her to the ped. Really don't want to do that.

Any thoughts???? I should mention that my diet has been really bad for the past month. Due to vacations, visitors and lack of discipline, I haven't been eating well-not enough veggies and fruit at all and certainly not drinking enough water. Hmmmmm...could this be it??

Thanks for your feedback....really need it!

Jill

[ellairiesmom]

I am soooo not an expert on things but I wonder if you ate some prunes/drank some prune juice & then nurse like crazy it could help her?

As for bringing her to the Dr...it's so hard to decide when is the right time to go down that road. I will be following along to see what the more experienced mama's think. Not even sure what a ped would do? Maybe rule out a blockage or something? Although if she is feeling fine & there are no other symptoms besides constipation, could there even be a blockage???

[Norasmomma]

My DD was a daily pooper(gosh the girl still is). My DS started at 3 months only going 1-2xs a week, he has gone 9 days before.

She already has gone a week before, 10 days isn't that strange.

I thought it was totally bizarre when my DS only started going once a week, but my ped just asked if it looked normal and then was like that's just his thing. After my DD I would have never expected something like that, I think the longest she went once was 5 days and that freaked me out, since of course she pooped like 4xs a day.

If it would make you feel better take her in, I'm the same way, I can't stand having to go to the ped.

[annarose999]

My LO isn't an everyday popper either - usually every other day. Once she went 14 days without pooping and although she didn't seem upset or in pain I decoded that was too long and gave her a glycerin enema (I had also tried massage and bicycling before going this route). The enema worked like a charm and she's been fine ever since as long as I remember to give her her probiotics daily. I told the ped about it later and she said that's exactly what she would have done.
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[EmilyVorpe]

We actually have a baby with severe milk/soy allergies and due to a very prolonged illness, he is formula fed. The formula is EXTREMELY binding and he will only go once every 2 weeks...BUT that makes him very sick. His gastrospecialist told me to give him 1-1.5 tsp Miralax everyday. If this is a one time thing, you could try that, just giving it to her once. We have had multiple babies on a little miralax on occassion.
I know its not natural and not ideal, but thats just me sharing what we do...

[Just1More]

You can try some ground flax seed.

[star*mora]

ds1 was like that too. his dr is at one of the unicef breastfeeding-friendly clinics, and she advises no intervention until at LEAST 14 days with no bm if a bub is ebf (and minimal solids as the same time frame happened with ds1)

i did what you are doing - ds1 once went 11 days with no bm - and lots of warm baths too to make sure he was comfortable and he did eventually go. other than the 11 day stint, 5 days with no bm happened several times as well.

if bub seems ok, and you are ok, i'd keep doing what you are doing for a bit longer