12 Wk Old Not Pooping and Spitting Up

K., I think you should take him back to the ped. Especially if he does not normally spit up on top of the pooping problems. Better safe than sorry.

NAET.com for allergy eliminations. Most of the problems we have are allergy related.

Be well.

N.

you are right - glycerin suppositories are no good. increase his fluid intake, never mind the "no water" rule, it should not be applied universally. if that simple trick does not help and even if the hernia scare comes as a reality - take him to professional homeopath.
Good Luck
V.

Hi K.,

While I did not experience the same issues that you have, I would like to pass on a good piece of advice I received from my friend who is a doctor. If you are uncomfortable w/ your pediatrician, you really need to find one that you feel 100% okay with. There should be no reason why you should not visit the ped. if you are feeling that your child needs to be seen. I originally had a doctor that made me feel like I was being overly cautious when I went in. I switched doctors and now have one that has a "better safe than sorry" approach, and it has really helped me out when I have felt worried about something that my daughter was experiencing. You don't need to feel like "the neurotic mom". If something is bothering you, make an appointment and see the doctor. If that doctor makes you feel uneasy about the amount of appointments you are making, then switch to another one.

I wish you the best of luck with your son. It's so worrisome when they are so little.

Take care,
L.

Oh my gosh. You sound so worried.

I'm glad you mentioned he was breastfed. I breastfed both my babies. Good for you. Plus, breastfed babies stools will not be the same as bottlefed babies.

He actually sounds totally NORMAL to me. Babies do kinda jerk and make weird movements too. My first one jerked and so did my second. My second one made grunting sounds all the time.

Both of my breastfed babies wouldn't poop for several days. It's totally normal. So is spitting up! You do need to make sure he is peeing regularly though.

Anyway...but, none-the-less, you should call your pediatrician and speak with the nurse. She will re-assure you there is no problem.

Oh btw: A little trick to remove gas: Lie him on his back, bend his knees towards his chest and gently 'ride the bicycle'. You can also gently move him from side to side. This may even help him to have a bowel movement. It basically removes gas. I did it several times a day with both my babies.

Look, link after link from reputable cites states it is normal for baby not to have a poop schedule.

http://www.babycenter.com.my/baby/dailycare/yourbabyspoo/
Constipation is more in the form of "Symptoms include difficulty in passing stools - which appear like small, dry pellets - abdominal pain and a tight tummy, irritability, and sometimes blood-streaked stools which could be due to anal fissures (tiny cracks in the skin) caused by passing hard stools"
"There is no set frequency for how often your baby should pass stools. In the early months this will depend on whether you are breast- or bottle-feeding your baby. Says Vicky Pigott, "Breastfed babies who are not on solids may pass stools four times a day or more, or only once every three days, but you shouldn't worry about the frequency as long as the stools are soft and easy to pass. But bottlefed babies normally need to pass a stool each day to avoid constipation."

Another one:

http://www.justmommies.com/articles/baby-poop.shtml

"If your baby is breastfed, he may go several days to a week without having a bowel movement. This is nothing to worry about. Exclusively breastfed babies rarely have problems with constipation. If he goes longer than a week, he seems to be in pain, or if you are concerned, call your pediatrician."

Another one:

http://parenting.ivillage.com/newborn/nbreastfeed/0,,40sb...

It is usually around the age of 5 to 6 weeks that a baby's bowel habits may begin to change. Prior to that time, we like to see a breastfed baby stooling at least twice a day. This is one factor that lets us know that he is getting the amount of milk he needs for good growth. After 5 or 6 weeksof age breastfed babies often transition to less frequent, but more abundant stooling. For this age group we like to see regular, substantial bowel movements. Healthy, and happy breastfed babies sometimes only have a bowel movement every 10 days or so.

If your daughter's baby is growing well (about 4 to 8 ounces per week)and does not have signs of constipation, such as dry and hard to pass stools and/or a distended (and uncomfortable) belly, I would not worry about his infrequent stooling pattern. It is also quite common for babies to be restless while sleeping.

Another one:

http://family.go.com/parentpedia/baby/care-basics/baby-bo...

How Often Should Your Baby Poop?

An easy rule to follow: If your baby's happy and acting normally, he's pooping the right number of times. This might mean explosive bowel movements ("projectile poopy") every 15 minutes, or no poop for over a week (beware when it finally comes).

Some babies poop in their sleep, some as they nurse. Some worry their parents for weeks and then have five explosive super-stinky poops in half an hour (oh joy!). As your baby's intestines mature, he will probably poop less frequently. Try not to get hung up on your baby having "regular" bowel movements. It's worth repeating again: As long as he seems happy, he's pooping the number of times he needs to.

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So, hopefully this helps assure you that you have a healthy baby that all the nutrients from mama's milk are staying with him! He's growing and gaining weight. Once again, don't worry about those jerky movements. Babies are not coordinated yet.

Is he eating regularly? Have you noticed any pain or discomfort while eating? Does he cry during or after feedings? My 2nd had the same symptoms (plus the poop had mucus in when he did get it out). Anyway, my little one has atypical reflux without the vomiting. That's why it took so long to figure it out. Once I got him on the correct meds, he starting pooping normally. Oh, and his poop and gas smelled before the meds. Smelled bads. Soley breastfed babies do not have smelly poop or gas for no reason

PS. You can't eat anything that will make your son constipated as a breastfeeding Mom.

Hi K.,

Don't be afraid or feel neurotic about questioning your pediatrician about concerns with your baby, as many times as you need to. You pay them for their services. It is better to be safe than sorry later. My younger brother had this problem as a baby and it turned out to be his colon was slightly twisted. Surgery was never performed and he
is 47 years old today. But, only the doctors know for sure, so ask all the questions you want without feeling embarrased. God bless.

Hi K.
When my son was that age he had the same problem (he was also breastfed) and I was told by my pediatrician that he could go up to 10 days in between poops. For me, I do not think that's normal and I could tell my little guys tummy hurt. I may be wrong but I do believe it needs to come out. I took my son to an acupuncturist and she gave me some massage techniques on his tummy and back and it worked like a charm. Not sure if you're open to that route but it really did work. He became regular after I started the massage and I continued it for a few weeks until he didn't need it anymore.

Just an option to throw out there.
Good luck
A.

I have a few questions for clarification. Are you supplementing with formula at all? That can change your babies bowel movements. Are you solely breastfeeding and if so, are you drinking tons,and tons of water? The water will help your baby and you and I would try that first. Make sure you are eating lots of fiber and healthy foods as well so that it helps your little one.
I would also say, you have a mom's intuition and you know your baby.
If you are drinking and eating well and something just changed with him, I would press harder with the dr. They can make us feel like we are paranoid but the truth is we know our bodies and we know our babies. Trust that. Does he seem like a different baby? The spitting up if it is new could be concerning to me. If he has always spit up, i wouldn't worry about it or if you started formula that could be the cause. If you haven't changed anything and he has started spitting up, then i would wonder if it can't come out one end and it is coming up the other; that would seem like some kind of blockage. I honestly don't know if a hernia would do that but i would ask the dr. If your insurance is good - press for some kind of test if that is what your gut says and also ask the doctor to explain why there would be such a big change.
I have 5 kids and you have to assess each one. Sometimes i just need time to let it work it self out, and at other times I know something is wrong and i have to push for answers.
I hope that this makes sense. I think it is tough being a mom and you are listening to your baby and that is what makes a great mom.

If you are pumping & giving a bottle at all you can add a few drops of flax seed oil to the bottle, completely natural and gentle on their tummies. I currently am helping a mommy out with her set of twins (I am a infant care specialist) and they are both solely on breastmilk, tho she pumps and we bottle feed, and one twin has kinda runny explosive poops and the other is constipated and we add 10 drops of Flax seed oil to his bottle. If you don't give a bottle you could always put a few drops on his tongue just before you feed. Amazing isn't it they both get exactly the same breast milk both their digestive systems are completely opposite.

You can never be a neurotic mom. Your pediatrician should make you feel comfortable enough to call them and go there everyday if you have to. If they don't have the solution, ask them to let you see a specialist. If you are not comfortable with your doc, switch docs. I have many friends who didn't have a good relationship with their first choice of doc. They switched and found great docs that they can speak to about anything.

For the constipation you should try moving his legs like he is bycicling for a bit. Also, give him some supervised tummy time. That used to get my lil one's bowels moving.

i would see a doctor as soon as you can if you feel something is wrong. i have 3 children and always feel like i overreact when i take them in but 9 times out of 10 i have been right so don't underestimate your motherly instincts even if the doctor does. you know your child the best and you know if he is in pain.

Go to the doctor.

Yes, the hernia could VERY well be causing this. So could a twisted intestine (you'll see that mentioned a lot in my posts...they run in my family). This could be very very serious. Or it could be mild. You need trained medical advice.

I would recommend calling the nurses hotline at the nearest children's hospital and finding out if this is something that can wait until tomorrow or if you should go to the ER now.

* * *
Note: Some kids only poop every few days to a week. Especially If they're breastfed, and it's no worries whatsoever. Heck some adults only go once a week. HOWEVER, they don't have the symptoms of pain, discomfiture, and vomiting that you're describing. It's ALWAYS better to be the neurotic mum, than to be the mum with the horror story of their child almost dieing, because they were afraid of being embarrassed. Many parents on "regular" schedules get freaked out by their child not eliminating how they THINK they should be. Either too often or too few. Good on you for relaxing an listening to the doc to 'wait and monitor', so many parents just freak out and don't listen, but it's time to ring them up again.

A fever would be indicative (in my limited experience) of a bacterial/viral infection, or of a ruptured intestine. Either of which demand medical care. Doc's ALWAYS say if something wonky is going on and a fever develops to bring them in because that has just narrowed the number of possible causes and heightened the severity. A fever doesn't have to be present for something to be wrong.

K.,

My son was combo fed and even w/ the formula after 9 mos. He still pooped like a BF baby. The body takes what it needs at this point it needs a lot!!!

My son's Pedi was very clear....CALL if you don't know!! Also, he told me that suppositories on infants (and adults) as well as laxatives can make issues worse over time...not better, and can often trick the body to wait for the help, thus causing worse constipation.

Give the doc a call and try to get back on a regular feeding routine and then track the days between poop and what it looks like.(big factor).

Good luck.

It is totally, totally normal for an exclusively breastfed baby to change their stooling patterns at that age. Around 8 weeks, my DD did this. After a while, she would poop only about once a week. Sometimes she would go up to 10 days!

Breastfed babies are not constipated. "Constipated" doesn't mean that a person isn't pooping. Constipated is a medical term indicating the presence of hard, dry stools that are extremely difficult to pass. When he does stool, are his poops hard and dry? If not, he's not constipated.

Breastmilk is so easy to digest that a breastfed baby just doesn't produce that much waste. Why poop if there's no need to? Why bother with the effort. I would encourage you to let your baby find his own stooling pattern. There are inherent risks associated with the suppositories. The biggest is that he could develop a dependence on that to pass stool.

Just expect that when he does go, he'll really make it a huge poop! Think poopsplosion! :)

I would call my doctors asap/now. It's OK to call them. My doctor told me first time mom's call lots and go in with babies lots and lots of times. I am one of them that did that. Better safe than sorry. Usually I was right to have taken him into see his doctor and when I was not I still felt good about going to his doctor. He could not tell me what was wrong and it is my job to take care of him. If doctor does not help then I would see another doctor for your baby. Your baby is not feeling well and needs help. Let us know how baby is?
Sue

Hello ! I have 5 and its happened w all! The reason why he's spitting up is cause his tummy is full ! Its sounds like u may have or be eating something that's making him constipated! Do u give him formula or water ? It may help just a lil daily ! Or maybe he's lactose intolerant ! Do u drink regular milk ? Its gonna take a while to figure it all out and changing ur diet will be a big part , until then I would reccomend u helping him by getting a thermometer, lubricating it and gently inserting it in very little in circular motions and it should all come right out ..don't worry it won't hurt him its will acually releive everything inside!!! :-)

Just wanted to let you know that my daughter had an inguenal hernia and was operated on around 12 weeks. I was extremely worried about the surgery, general anestesia, etc, but it turned out to be a breeze. The hardest part was not being able to feed her the morning of the surgery. One thing I wanted to mention is that because she was just over 12 weeks it could be an outpatient surgery. Being a first time mother I knew I would get no sleep the night I brought her home and would have a million questions about if she was recovering ok. I asked if we could be admitted for a night and I was able to stay with her. She was totally fine and I felt comfortable bringing her home the next day and caring for her incision. Today she is almost 4 and her scar is so small I'm he only one who knows where it is. Oh and one more thing, she was very upset when she came out of the anestesia, I immediatly breastfed her and it really helped to calm both of us! I hope he does not have a hernia, but if he does try not to worry too much! Feel free to
message me if you have questions.

I don't know what to do, but your sentence about not wanting to be the neurotic mom caught my eye. Here's how I feel- who cares if you appear neurotic- if you are worried- make an appt! Or at least call. Better safe than sorry right? The doctor won't be annoyed, I promise.

Hi K.. My breastfed baby son went about two weeks without pooping once. And several times he would go only once a week. Our Doc told us it's normal for breastfed babes and I'm happy to report my son is healthy and he did start pooping regularly eventually. I'm not sure why your doc would prescribe suppositories- maybe just to alieve your anxiety. If you don't feel like it's good for your son you're probably right- there's nothing like a mother's intuition. Best wishes!

Hey K.,
My baby is now 6 months old but since she was about 3 months, she has only been pooping about once every 4 days. I was concerned about this too, so I asked the doctor and she said that was perfectly normal for breastfed babies. She said that her system is becoming more efficient with the breast-milk and utilizing all the calories rather than 'wasting' (pooping) them. However, if the baby has really hard stools or seems to be struggling to get her poop out, then she said to bring her in.
On another note, your the mama and you know what's best for your baby...don't ever feel guilty for being 'neurotic'! Mama bears become a little neurotic when it comes to our baby cubs...that's our job :)
The Doctor's job is to address our questions, so don't ever feel bad for asking a ton of them...it's how we learn about our babies.
good Luck,
Sam

Your situation sounds just like mine many months ago (my son is now 21 months old and very healthy). If your baby is exclusively breastfed and his poops (when they happen, of course) are fairly soft (e.g., butterscotch pudding texture), then it is completely normal to poop every few days. At around 2-3 months old, my son would go 4-6 days without a bowel movement, and then have a big poop (often a bit messy). Apparently, that was very normal and, actually, worked out great for plane travel... When I reduced/stopped breastfeeding, my son had a bm about once per day. Thus, unless your son's poops are very hard and solid, he seems entirely normal for a breastfed baby.

Hey K.,
Your age doesn't matter darlin. YOU know when something is out of the ordinary with your baby. You get to talk to the doc as many times as you would like. They work for YOU. :) Since you say that he suddenly stopped being regular, of course you are concerned. The suppositories are fine, but definitely find out what is causing his problem. This is YOUR baby darlin, and you get to do whatever YOU think is right for him. Don't worry about what the doc will think of you, or that you are neurotic. You know your baby. If the doc is not receptive to your calls for help, find another, there are legion of them. Please let us know how things turn out.
Blessings to you and your family,
V.

As others have said, bf babies don't always go regularly. I was told that they can go up to a week without worry. If you are worried, TAKE him in! you know your baby best and if you think there is something wrong, there very well could be. Especially if there may be a hernia involved.
Good luck
R.

i used the suppositories too..my son is now 3.5 years old..totally fine..i just used one on myself b/c i didn't go today! TMI! but they're harmless and they help baby