[Honey693]

DD is 7w old and I think she's constipated. She has really bad gas pains and went from 4-5 poops a day to 1. I called our gp and they said gas drops (which we've been doing) and 1oz prune or apple juice mixed with 1oz water. This seems like a really bad idea to me, but DD is in a lot of pain and I don't know if I'm just being selfish about only wanting her to have breast milk for the first 6 months and this will work and be ok or if it's just bad advice.

 

[Ruthla]

At 7 weeks old, your baby needs nothing but breastmilk. Plus, apples constipate some individuals- using apple juice to treat constipation is just plain stupid. I would recomend prune or pear juice- not apple- if your child was older. I would not give juice to a baby who's not yet ready for solids.

This might be a new 'normal' for your baby. It could be a reaction to something in your diet. Or maybe the baby would benefit from a chiropractic adjustment.

 

[98741]

YOU can eat prunes or prune juice and she'll get it thru your milk. i also would not give my baby juice. try a warm bath with some tummy massage.

 

[tanyalynn]

I'd focus mostly on figuring out what's going on and how to fix it, trying to see what's changed recently, like that. If it were my kid, my first two guesses would be food and chiropractic and/or cranial-sacral visits.

 

[sonshine_rae]

It's very normal for a EBF baby to spread out their poops, sometimes they will even go 10 days between poops, so once a day really is not a big deal. Usually this will occur sometime after 6 weeks (though for some babies it can be earilier too).

The way to tell if a BF baby is constipated is IF the poop is hard, if the baby still has soft mushy poops, they are not constipated.

Gassiness can come from foods you eat, or just from their digestive systems still developing, personally I prefer Baby's Bliss Gripe Water for gassy baby issues.

Also I totally agree with the PP's no juice for a baby so young...

 

[wannabe]

It is normal for an exclusively breastfed baby to space out their poos around six weeks. They can go for up to two weeks between poos.

It is very unusual for a breastfed baby to be constipated. If when she goes it is hard and pebbly (indicating constipation) you need to have her seen by the doctor, because it's very very abnormal.

 

[To-Fu]

Quote:

Originally Posted by sonshine_rae It's very normal for a EBF baby to spread out their poops, sometimes they will even go 10 days between poops, so once a day really is not a big deal. Usually this will occur sometime after 6 weeks (though for some babies it can be earilier too). The way to tell if a BF baby is constipated is IF the poop is hard, if the baby still has soft mushy poops, they are not constipated. Gassiness can come from foods you eat, or just from their digestive systems still developing, personally I prefer Baby's Bliss Gripe Water for gassy baby issues. Also I totally agree with the PP's no juice for a baby so young...

Couldn't have said it better!

Mama, trust your intuition on this one. I wouldn't give my 7-week-old baby fruit juice, either.

 

[Flor]

Quote:

Originally Posted by sonshine_rae It's very normal for a EBF baby to spread out their poops, sometimes they will even go 10 days between poops, so once a day really is not a big deal. Usually this will occur sometime after 6 weeks (though for some babies it can be earilier too). The way to tell if a BF baby is constipated is IF the poop is hard, if the baby still has soft mushy poops, they are not constipated. Gassiness can come from foods you eat, or just from their digestive systems still developing, personally I prefer Baby's Bliss Gripe Water for gassy baby issues. Also I totally agree with the PP's no juice for a baby so young...

I agree. My babe went from everyday to once every week at about that age. When he got older (not sure how old, but maybe 1 year? Older?) He started going more frequently. Now he's 5, and it's everyday, sometimes more! I've also been told over and over that "rabbit poop" means constipation, not infrequent bowel movements. Babies change so much from month to month. If this is the new "normal" it will change again in a few . One thing that helped with gassiness for me was single side feeding.

Scoll down to "lactose overload"
http://www.breastfeeding.asn.au/bfinfo/lactose.html

 

[shanniesue2]

I work at a daycare and my supervisor came by to let me know that there had been a recall on Mylecon.

Just FYI
http://www.mylicon.com/page.jhtml?id...ss_release.inc

 

[Sioko]

I'd examine my diet to see what has changed to cause the new gas problems. It's normal for EBF babes to go for longer periods w/o poop. Their bodies are very efficient at digesting mommas milk.

immature digestive systems make it difficult to pass stools at times, co-ordinating their anus (to relax) and their abdomen (to tighten) is a hard trick that's why it looks so difficult and painful sometimes when baby poops.

 

[Shanana]

If it's causing her pain, then you need to do something about it. Both my girls were infrequent poopers, and for both it was a problem (painful, gassy, etc.).

Make sure you are drinking enough water. That really helped with dd2. We get so busy that it's easy to forget, so start chugging!

Another thing you can do is rub some castor oil on her tummy, and this may help her move her bowels.

I second the chiropractic adjustment and craniosacral work (you can search for a cs therapist here).

Another thing that helped us tremendously was homeopathy, but not until we saw a trained homeopath (also an intuitive healer). I never have much luck with the Hylands, etc., stuff I get at Whole Foods.

You can also give probiotics. All of the care providers we've seen recommend the HMF brand, you would use Natogen for a baby (you can get it through the website of the holistic ped we've seen here). I just lick my finger, dip it in the powder and put it directly in her mouth. Try once or twice a day and see how it goes.

It's possible it could be something in your diet. I did total elimination diets with both my girls (for a variety of reasons - gas, reflux, etc.). They suck royally. Didn't help dd1. It did help dd2 with her reflux, but nothing else (gas, burping, infrequent poops, etc.).

When dd1 was older and on solids, I would give her pureed prunes (Earth's Best brand, mixed with oatmeal), and I think that helped too. But I think ideally you want to correct the underlying digestive issue, so things like bodywork, homeopathy, probiotics will take you in that direction.

Good luck!