3 Week Old Having Trouble with Bowel Movements

T.

My youngest daughter had this problem when she was born 4 weeks early. As I recall, we had to make weak prune juice for her and if I am not mistaken I also had to feed her tiny portions of baby prunes. She eventually started having BMs but it seemed like it was a long time coming.I don't remember that she cried so much as I was nervous about her not having BMs.We also gave her as much water in a bottle as she would take. She was probably at least 6 weeks or older before she started having regular BMs. I,too was a breastfeeding mom and this was my 3rd child,so at least I had some idea of what was what.I guess for the fact that she was 4 weeks early,altho they would not term her as "preemie",had a lot to do with all that was going on with her. She is now a healthy active 20 year old student at Parkland. Hang in there and don't despair!!!! Take all suggestions and try whatever sounds reasonable for you to want to try. Good luck...............you'll get thru it soon. J.

Hi T.. I can emaphize with you. My boy (who just turned 7 today), also went through a rough period with BM as an infant. The cause was a tight annal band. We went to a specailist and had two options. Dialate him with differnt sized dialators (issued by the Doctor) for 6 months or have surgery. We opted for dialation. Needless to say, after a committed routine and time, there were and are no problems what so ever.....surgery avoided.
This response is a only my story and not a diagnosis.
Good luck, and know that you are great Mom for trying to find a solution. Well done.

I would see another pediatrician. At 3 weeks-- he should not be having these issues-- especially if he is breastfed. Breastmilk contains laxative properties.

I would really see a pediatrician that does not recommend giving your child corn syrup. That is a terrible thing to give a baby.

Theresa,
I had the same problem with my daughter. I didn't like the idea of giving her Karo syrup either but I took her to the ER and had them X-ray her lil tummy, she was backed up with poop! I did try the Karo in every bottle for one full day and she pooped a lot for a couple of days. Then I came across Tummy soothers by Gentle Naturals found it at Walgreens and this seemed to her help even more. It's 100% natural and helps soothe their tuumy for gas, upsets, and constipation. I love the gas part the best cause my little one had so much gas and was always in pain. A little trick that I learned in the Hospital, is giving them the medicine in a nipple and allowing them to suck it down. I hope that you find what ever works best for you and your little one. Best of luck to you!

My baby boy, now 9 months, also had that problem. It turned out he has a cow's milk protein allergy, and he is on special formula, Elecare. We ended up taking him to a pediatric GI doctor in Milwaukee, because my pediatrician just kept telling me he was a 'sensitive pooper', and that he'd get over it. After 8 formulas, we've been fine for the past 5 months!

T.:

what are you feeding your son?

P., RLC, IBCLC
Breastfeeding and Parenting Solutions

Yes i have heard of this solution. I used sugar water, but karo i imagine would work as well.
-D.

Your doctor is nuts - the Karo syrup thing is from the 1950s and I don't think it's been recommended for a LOONG time.

Babies this age grunt and squirm a lot. If you're breastfeeding, he is most definitely not constipated and I expect the BMs are quite liquidy/pasty (like pudding consistancy, right?) Seriously, he's probably just a typical loud squirmy gassy baby. It always surprises me how little babies are like this.

If you're really concerned about him, it's possible that something you have eaten may be disagreeing with him. You can try modifying your diet or even just keeping track of what you eat when he seems upset, and try eliminating these foods. Some moms eliminate dairy and that seems to help. Either way, I would NOT do the Karo syrup thing. Remember - just because he's grunting and squirming doesn't mean he's in pain or even uncomfortable - babies just DO this, to some extent.

My son had that problem and my doctor suggested the same thing. I tried it and it really helped my son out. Just be prepared and have some extra diapers with you because he will poop a lot. Well anyways mine did. Hope this helps.

A.

Yes, I have also heard about Karo Syrup but don't remember how much to put in the bottle. I am a 57 year old gramma about to be another gramma. Good luck and I hope it works for your little one.

Have you tried Mylicon? He's probably just gassy beforehand! Ask your Dr., but I pretty much gave my little one this whenever it looked like she was struggling (from a recommendation of a friend too....I never even heard of the stuff before that)! It's yummy and they like the taste of it! It's totally harmless, and can be given whenever...it just breaks up the gas!

He's pooping 4 times a day...so that's great! I don't think it's a more serious issue since he's having bowel movements!He just needs help breaking it up! Mylicon can be bought anywhere like Target or Walmart. Google "mylicon" and read about it first of course!I used it maybe the first 3 months, then she didn't need help anymore. You can especially tell if he needs it if he's squirming, crying and moving around alot before a bowel movement...

Go to www.mylicon.com and see if he is doing what they list as signs of gassiness and read up on it!! I think that might be it!!

Hope that helps!

HI T.,

My neighbor's son (now 6 months)has been having the exact same issues. She talked to the pediatrician who wasn't much help. I referred her to my son's gastro specialist, since it wasn't getting any better or easier for the poor little guy. He ended up being just plain constipated but the specialist said to lay off the prune juice because it was causing him to be in more pain from all the buildup. She prescribed miralax for him and things are much better. I hope it gets better for your little guy as he gets older and his bowels become more regulated.

Wow, I would definitely find a new ped with that kind of advice. He doesn't seem very breastfeeding friendly. Karo syrup carries the risk of botulism, like honey. No way would I give an infant (especially one at 3 weeks!) that stuff. That is very old school advice. Also, it is totally normal for him to work through bm's at this age and be totally fine. Constipation is very rare in exclusively breastfed babies. The baby absorbs most of the breastmilk and so there is much less waist to poop out. Now, he could be sensitive to something you are eating, but that is more trial and error to find out what it could be.

Hi T.! I have had two beautiful children and they both had a little problem passing stool as well. Karo syrup was the only than that I found worked. You do have to be careful not to over-do it though or it will give the little one the runs. Just mix it in with a bottle of breastmilk twice a day and after a day you should see a difference. Hope this works for you and your baby feels better.