How can you help a newborn who may be constipated?
7 March 2010 25 Responses
A Parent asks, I believe my newborn is constipated. She had a few hard bowel movements about a week ago. She had a bowel movement around 240 in the morning tuesday and then she drank around 4 almost 5 ounces. She then slept for 4 hours and around 7 730 in the morning she woke up again and as I was feeding her she had a bowel movement. It was alot.Since then she wakes up every hour and only drinks an ounce at a time. She cries alot also. I know they say newborns are supposed to poop twice a day. Is there anything I can do? I called my husband already so as soon as he gets out of work we are taking to her to the E.R. But I’d rather avoid that so if there is anything I can do please let me know…
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You didn’t say how old she is, but, what I did with my son when he was only a few weeks old, was get the smallest rectal thermometer I could find, put a little vaseline on just the silver tip of it and poked it in and out really fast. Poop shot everywhere. I think maybe he was either confused on where to push, or maybe just needed help opening up the door… either way, it worked.
If you are formula feeding, mix a little extra water with the powder to make it less concentrated.
try a warm bath. Im sure her cord is still attached but you can set her backside in the tub with a little warm water. Also try laying her tummy to tummy with you and rubbing her lower back.
I put a little prune juice in my baby’s milk.. just a little amount (1 teaspoon) does the trick.
You could put a tiny bit of baby prune juice in his bottle (if he’s bottle fed).
as long as she has a bowel movement she is fine. My son was like that for a while after he was born. I talked to my doctor and he suggested I try soy formula. I can promise if you give her that she will be pooping!! Check with your doctor first though.
you can try infant massages.if you are breastfeeding you may want to look into changing your diet. if you are bottle-feeding, you may want to change formulas. these things happen all the time. if it continues for 3 or 4 day then consider going to the doctor.
I’m not an expert, though i am a mother of three and grandmother of one. Take a q-tip with vaseline or ky-jelly on the tip and just barely insert it in her bottom while you hold the babies feet up in the air. This might stimulate her to poop. Watch out, it may be messy. Hope it helps.
My son used to get really constipated when I switched to formula from breast milk. I would put a teaspoon(if it was a 6-8 oz full bottle) of dark Karo syrup in his bottle which really helped. Sounds weird but it worked! Check with the MD first but I know it’s ok to do. Good luck!
wow, i don’t think u need to take her to the e.r. as long as a baby poops once a day, they’re fine and if they are constipated, it’s still no reason to haul them to the e.r. just give them some suppositories or an enema. my son get’s constipated alot and he’s done it since he was born. we have just followed the same procedures and he’s been perfectly fine. yeah he gets a little fussy but that’s not abnormal.
first, u forgot to say how old she was…try Gylcerin supporitories, put some vaseline on it first to help it go up the bum, it works, use half of one…try it
My son was constipated at around 6 weeks and his doctor told us to use 1/ 2 of a suppository to help him out. You insert 1/2 of an over the counter rectal suppository and it should help baby out.
You aren’t supposed to do this very often just when you know baby is having trouble going and pain.
This is an old remedy, but my mom used Karo Syrup , about an teaspoon in babys formula , check to see what age. I know it was under 10 months.
i used to give mine some warm water and that used to help.
How can if I tell if my baby’s constipated?
Constipation is rare in younger babies, especially breastfed ones, although it may be a problem in an older baby once solid foods have been introduced.
Breastfed babies may go from having several bowel movements a day in the first few weeks of life, to only having one or two in an entire week. Even when it’s soft or liquid, all babies sometimes have to strain to pass a stool. In fact, before long, you’ll recognise your baby’s particular grimaces and grunts as she works on her bowel movements.
Bottle-fed babies tend to have one firm bowel movement a day, though some may only have a bowel movement once every three or four days. This isn’t considered abnormal unless the stool is hard and pellet-like. True constipation occurs when stool in the lower intestine is pinched by the tightening of muscles, which can stall, and the longer it remains, the firmer and drier it becomes.
Before suspecting constipation, it may help to familiarise yourself with the symptoms below and to understand that in babies, just like in adults, bowel patterns vary.
What are the symptoms of constipation?
For babies 0-3 months old, constipation is rare, even if your baby is formula-fed. Some babies grunt and strain with every movement, although it’s not necessarily constipation. Still, if your baby cries or looks uncomfortable, check with your health visitor or your GP. If your newborn passes solid stools less than once a day, it is generally considered constipation.
For an older baby who has started solids, symptoms may include:
• Irritability, abdominal pain and gastric discomfort
• A hard abdomen
• Abdominal pain which decreases after a bowel movement
• Blood-streaked stools, usually due to rectal fissures caused by passing hard stools
• Hard-to-pass, pellet-like stools
Why does constipation occur?
A baby might become constipated because he isn’t getting enough fluids. If the problem persists, it’s important to have a check-up; your doctor may want to rule out illness or anal fissures.
How can I treat it?
You should check with your GP or health visitor before trying anything to relieve your baby’s discomfort. You may be asked to bring her in to be examined.
For an older baby who is on solids, ask your health visitor about adding a few tablespoons of pureed prunes to your baby’s morning cereal, or giving him two teaspoons of prune juice.
Some experts recommend adding a teaspoon of bran to your baby’s cereal, to add fibre, although take care to not overdo this. Try to give your baby fruits and vegetables (in small bits, of course) so he gets adequate fibre, and plenty of drinks, including plain water.
These remedies may also offer baby some relief:
• Try bicycling your baby’s legs if he seems constipated. This may help move stool matter along his intestine.
• If he’s eating solids, cut down on constipating foods, such as rice, bananas, or cereal.
It’s not uncommon for babies to experience constipation, especially once they’re eating solids, as their bodies learn how to manage new foods. With your attention, necessary treatment, and time, he’ll soon establish easier, regular bowel movements.
Your baby could be lactose intolerant – allergic of milk. I am and so is my daughter. She was constantly constipated as baby – and cried a lot. Until we found formula – coats milk.
Speak to your GP.
my doctor told us when this happens to act like you are taking her temp rectally but don’t insert the thermometer to much, and it will make her poop works for my son every time, sometimes they need a little help. be sure to use petroleum jelly on the thermometer also, but maybe you should call and talk to the nurse you may not need to go to the ER
Newborns poop more then twice a day but the poop should not be hard and do not give her anything by mouth or rectum for constipation.Take her to ER or doctor as soon as your husband gets off of work.A constipated newborn could be anything from formula with too much iron in it to a serious bowel condition.
I don’t think it is nessessary to take her to the E.R. for being constipated. First try giving her a few ounces of water in her bottle. I wouldn’t recomend giving a newborn juice so if the water doesn’t work you can go to the store and look in the section with laxatives and they make suppositories for babies, buy those and when you get home slice it in half and insert it and pretty soon she will have an explosion! Also, you can call your pediatritian and the nurse can give you more suggestions. Good Luck
My son was constipated when he was a newborn, my mother in law (she is a nurse) Went to the store and bought _Glycerin Suppositories Laxative-for infants and Children_ All you do is put a little ky jelly around the anus (not in) put a little lube on the tip of the suppositoriy and stick it in to her anus. Hold her in a towel holding her cheeks together for about 5-10 minutes. It actually makes them have a bowel movement. And the Sppository will come out. That is actually what they will do if you go to the ER. and you keep the rest in the refridgerator. It also worked for REALLY bad gas. after we put it in him he felt sooooo much better. . She got mine at Walgreens, but they also have them at walmart. If you want try a warm bath, but it didnt work for my son.
are you doing formula if so put a little less powder milk a little massage in the stomach and abdomen with babyoil will also help this happens frequently when you use formula especialy with iron but this should help i did this with my daughter i also gave her a little water not even an ounce a day even though doctors say they dont need water but that is your call hope this helps
two teaspoons of prune juice and massage the tummy
I knew that I wasn’t regular and I never imagined it was something I could give to my daughter. It turns out that four generations in my family have been chronically constipated since birth. Once we are all older we learn how to take care of it and when my daughter was just a couple days old we learn by the amount and hardness of her stool that she too would be plauged by our abnormalness. I called the doctor and he told us to add a little extra water to her formula which he forced me to switch to since I couldn’t control adding water to breastmilk unless I pumped which hurt so bad so that didn’t help. Even when she was only a couple weeks old she would only poop every other day sometimes sometimes everyday but very rare. It got to a point when she was two that she hadn’t gone in 4 days and I had tried every little home rememdy short or enima. The doctor told me the would have to admit her if she didn’t go with in 24hrs. So left Dr office went to CVS bought a baby laxitive thing that yoyu put up there and squirt the stuff and she cried and I cried and when she did poop it was still really painful. She has actually torn her intestines and now the doctors finaly believe me that this is a problem and she has powder laxitives in one cup of her juice every day. I have tried weening her off so she doesn’t have to be dependant on Meds but it doesn’t work. Stay strong and call your pediatrician they can usually help with those issues and if not he will tell you to come in instead of hanging around an ER. THat is no fun
this happened to my son he got constipated at around 3 days old, my midwife told me to give him just a little boiled water and to add a teaspoon of pure apple juice to it! this worked well and within no time he was pooping the way he should!
You didn’t say how old your baby is so I am just going to say how I help my six month old. since you can give your child baby food at four months I gave my son just a few baby spoonfuls of baby prunes and that really helped him.
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