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try giving her Gripe Water. you can get it at any CVS or Walgreens and it is safe for newborns. my twin girls also had problems pooping at that age and Gripe Water helped their little intestines do what they were supposed to do!

When we had that problem the doctor gave us suppositories and they worked great. Talk to the doctor to see what he/she says.

If she is only 12 days old, I would call her doctor. Any problems with really young infants, you want to let the doc know right away. Good luck and congrats on the new baby!

My 5 month old son started having this same "problem" around that time and still has a bowel movement every few days. Initially he went up to 12 days. You should consult your doctor, but you probably know that and want advice from moms who are experiencing the same thing :o).

First, is your baby breastfed? If so, this is common in breastfed babies.

Second, is your baby constipated? You can tell this is he or she is making grunting sounds, seems to be struggling when using the bathroom or has pellet-like bowel movement.

Third, is your baby having 6-8 wet diapers a day? If your baby is having wet diapers, then he or she may be getting enough food.

Fourth, is your baby gaining weight? He or she should be gaining 1/2 - 1 ounce a day.

Lastly, does your baby seem hungry? This may be marked by crying a lot or sucking on things.

These are things to consider. Also, do a Google search. I found a lot of good information.
I was told to do the following - none of which worked – but I will share as it make work for you: 2 ounces of prune juice, 2 ounces of water, belly massage and bicycling the legs.
What did work was giving my son a glycerin suppository for children/babies. The pharmacist can help you.

Also, I went to a breastfeeding support group class and talked to other moms. I also fed him in the class and then weighed him on a baby scale (so I could know the exact amount ounces he was eating). This helped me to confirm how much he was eating because I would weigh him after he was done eating. This is probably the best way to confirm how much your baby is eating. You can also buy a scale and weigh him after each feeding. I did not do this.

Nevertheless, below is what happened to me:

The first time he did not have a bowel movement in 12 days and we called the doctor. He was about two weeks old. The doctor told us to give him a suppository (glycerin for children/babies). We did and he had a bowel movement immediately (w/in 30 seconds literally). Then he did not have a bowel movement for 12 days again so the doctor saw him. He had an x-ray to see if there was any blockage. There was not. The doctor confirmed that he had enough "wet" diapers, but told me to supplement with formula. I did not supplement with formula because my baby refused it.
I then consulted a lactation consultant. She said that it was normal for a breastfed baby not to have regular bowel movements and it was possible that my son was absorbing all the nutritional value of my breast milk so there was nothing to excrete. I do not know if I totally believe that, but that it was I was told.

My son’s pediatrician said that since I had 10-12 wet diapers a day (6-8 is good), then my breast milk may not be enough calories which is why he wanted me to supplement with formula (I did not supplement).

Then he started having bowel movements weekly (at about three months). The doctor did bloodwork and my son had an ultrasound. The bloodwork came back with elevated liver readings initially, but later came back normal. The ultrasound was normal. All of this took place over a two-month period and the doctor finally said that nothing was wrong. My son just turned 5 months and has bowel movements 1-2 times a week. After all the test I am no longer concerned. He is a happy, thriving exclusively breast fed baby!!!

What do you mean by "difficulty"? Has it just been a few days or is she gassy, or in pain? I believe that they are having to learn how some of these muscles work, but if you are concerned in anyway, call the doctor. The nurse should be able to tell you if everything is normal, or if you should come in...that is what they are there for, don't be afraid to use their knowledge.

definitely talk to doc. this happened to me and the doctor showed me that you use a q-tip with a little vasoline on it and put it slightly in his, well you know, and that will make him pooh. worked like a charm. good luck.

make sure she's getting enough milk. How many wet diapers does she have? I'd also suggest you call your pediatrician. With her being that young she might need to be seen.

If you're breastfeeding, this is normal. Our son #2 would go up to 7 days without a BM (which would then be epic and very messy). The docs told us this was normal.

What helped was changing my diet, making sure to include fiber and dried fruit (including prunes).

Good luck!

that's normal..i used child suppositories..doc said it was totally fine...get some and have them on hand u can make them smaller.

I have used tiny (cut up) suppositories. Then try to figure out diet issues that may be a problem. Good luck.

If your baby is taking breastmilk, it's possible she could go a while in between bowel movements, but at this age just to make sure, DEFINITELY contact the pediatrician for guidance. Also, when she does have a bowel movement check the consistency of the stool. If it is pasty or mushy, it's fine and she's not constipated. Constipation is marked by hard, dry pellets.

talk to your ped. Ours had us use a thermometer or a q-tip to stimulate the rectum to spur on a BM. Apparently some babies need a little help in this department. but, you don't want to do it unless it's necessary, and not very often, and not for long. good luck.

What does "difficulty" mean? Has she had them, but the consistency seems wrong? Or she cries when she is doing it? Or is she not having any at all?

Definitely check in with your pediatrician... a quick phone call would be my first priority... they can guide/direct you.

In addition to massaging her belly, you can "bicycle" her legs as well.

There could be a few things going on.

Is she breastfed? If so, it's really not uncommon to go a few days without BMs.

Your pediatrician should have given you a book called "Your Baby's First Year". It's free from the American Academy of Pediatrics. It was my bible for the first few months of being a new mom so I knew what to expect and when to call the pediatrician. If you didn't get one, I'd ask.

Sometimes, if she's laying on her back, the simple act of pulling her knees into her chest will help put enough pressure on the intestines to get things "moving" and help get gas out.

If it's more than a few days, I'd call the pediatrician to see what they recommend.

My son had this problem and the nurse told me to gently apply pressure to his bottom (down there, where it comes out). I did this with a wipey and it worked very well. He would go instantly. Be sure you have a diaper or something to catch the #2. Good luck.

Do not worry. My son (now 10 months) routinely had BMs only 10-15 days. His doctor said that it was okay as long as he kept gaining weight. He mentioned that this is common for babies that are exclusively breast fed. He said that he had a patient that had BMs every 21 days...every baby is different. Talk it over with your doctor.

BTW, my son wasn't ever constipated. When he had his BMs they looked like normal watery BMs from breast fed babies. This all subsided once he started solids at 6 months. In the meantime we were spoiled with very few messy diapers.

Oh, we also gave him a tablespoon of dark karo syrup in 1oz of water to help him. They also had us use a thermometer to stimulate him rectally if it had been over 10days. But they had us stop the stimulation after he was 2-3 months so he could learn to do it on his own. We saw a Pediatic GI specialist at Cedars for this and other issues (our son was born at 36 weeks and had a 5 week NICU stay, so he was followed for other reasons) Once he left the hospital he went from having a BM each day to the once every 10-15days.

Talk to your doc or lactation nurse SOON, that doesn't sound normal for that young. However, try to massage some A&D on her anus after bath or something. Works well.