[aRosejd]

Our little guy has just started eating very small quantities of solids over the past couple weeks and now he hasn't pooped for a week. He's had banana, avocado, broccoli, cauliflower and plums all using the mesh feeder. Otherwise he's been ebf up to this point. I also haven't given him any water because he's never even had a bottle and I figured his liquid needs would still be met with just my milk. I'm wondering if he's constipated because 1. I'm not giving him water, 2. His system doesn't like what I'm feeding him, (perhaps the bananas specifically?), 3. Maybe he's not getting enough fiber because we're feeding him everything through the mesh feeder or 4. Maybe he's getting more fiber than he's used to with the intro to solids after being just ebf and now he's all bound up :-( He seems to be a lot less bothered by this than me except for the semi-frequent grunting. He's also still peeing a lot. (FYI we're using the mesh feeder because we tried blw once and he gagged and I got scared... I want to gain the courage to try again.) We've tried the recital thermometer trick, but no poopage thus far.... Thanks in advance for your advice...

 

[JennaRose]

When my daughter was that age she would go 5-6 days without pooping. It never seemed to bother her, I think it bothered me more! Seems like all of the foods your giving him would have plenty of fiber and unless you are juicing them, putting them through the mesh feeder wouldn't remove fiber. I had asked our Ped for advice, she said it's not uncommon for EBF babies to go stretches without pooping because mother's milk is so efficiently digested and the same goes if they have been introduced to a few solids. I would just keep an eye on him and make sure he's not in pain or getting cranky. I don't know if it ever helps, but if my daughter seems to be getting blocked up I would ease up on solid foods and nurse more. Sorry, not to much advice, but I have been there too! Also...cute thing my mom told me, if baby gets constipated while eating solids feed them more foods begining with "P's", pears, plums, peas, etc!

 

[aRosejd]

Thanks so much, JennaRose!

 

[fruitfulmomma]

<p>It wouldn't hurt to start him on water now. He probably won't drink much and will be still getting a lot from your breastmilk, but especially in the heat of the summer mine always wanted to have a sip here and there throughout the day.</p>

 

[3lilchunklins]

Also pureed prunes!

 

[erinmattsmom88]

<p>I second pureed prunes. Works like a charm!!!!</p>

 

[Twincessmamma]

<p>It might be that his body is just absorbing everything he's taking in. But if he does show signs of discomfort and/or pain you could also try massaging his tummy. Remember to always go in a clockwise direction as this is the way the intestines work. It might also be a good way to feel if his tummy is hard or not?</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Banana never constipated any of my three kids, but my sister's daughter gets very constipated from it, so I think that completely depends on each child.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>JennaRose I love your P's tip. I've known about the ABC diet for diarhea (apples, bananas, carrots) but the P's one makes sense for constipation. Thanks for sharing!<br>
 </p>

 

[SunnyB1978]

We have just seemingly resolved this issue. My baby got so uncomfortable that he was leaving scratches on his tummy from clawing at it. Typically, prunes will be quite effective for many babies, and they were definitely a for-sure-she-will-poop-afterward food for my daughter. But for my son, nothing. We used the glycerin suppositories for him for 2 months, and he never pooped unless we did. The pediatrician suggested daily laxative, but we decided to try one more thing first. I started giving him water every time he ate. He doesn't take a bottle, so I taught him to sip from a regular glass. Also, I had been letting him have little crumbs of bread and soggy pasta, so we cut out all wheat. It worked. He has been pooping on his own every 2-3 days for about 3 weeks.