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Hi people,
have a 13 week old baby boy being fed on formula who is constipated can anyone give me advice on this please
So sorry too hear this, its such a terrible thing for both mammy and baby.
Just a few questions, are you breastfeeding? Are you counting the dirty nappies or is the baby in distress and crying while trying to go? The reason i ask is baby bf, my two were and one did a poo on every nappy the other did a poo about twice a week, both can very normal for bf babies
A few things you can try… Firstly what formula (if not bf) are your feeding, i find sma can cause babies to bind up, Aptimel and Cow and Gate are brilliant for keeping babies regular.
Okay… did you try the old tricks like cooled boiled water and brown sugar?
Baby massage is brilliant for this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vseuKsNGmXs
Cycle the babies legs as if on a bike for a few minutes
I always found if either my ds’s were having trouble and grunting away, i would pop on my chest and tap very lightly on their bottom, i felt it gave them an area to focus on iykwim and the poo came much easier.
Good luck x
A public health nurse recommended warm sterilised water with a dash of brown sugar for constipation when my little guy was small and this did help.
Baby massage can help too, rub his tummy from his right to his left side (never the other way, as it pushes food & wind in the wrong direction) and gently push his legs towards his chest a few times too, this can help release wind and get things moving.
If you are worried, contact your public health nurse and ask can you bring him in to see her, there are usually clinics for weighing babies at local health centres each week so you could go along to one ofthem, or you could make an personal appt with her. They are there to help you, so don’t be afraid to call.
You can always pop into your local pharmacy too – most pharmacies have a consultation room now and you can have a chat with them in private and they can make some suggestions for him.
Hope some of that helps.
Best of luck.
If there is no movement for a few days, you’d really need to get him checked by a doc. Otherwise there can be a hard build up that can be painful to pass. There are various remedies available, but with a baby so small (my youngest same age), I’d be inclined to check with doc / health nurse / pharmacist.
Hope baby better by the time you read this
Hi edonnelly,
I’m sorry to hear your baby boy is suffering from constipation. Let me first assure you that this is a very common complaint in babies and children with about 1 in 3 parents reporting this problem at some stage. For a formula fed baby the first recommended action is to increase their water intake e.g. 1- 2 oz per day extra of cooled boiled water given throughout the day and this should be separate to your baby’s formula. It may also help to add some brown sugar to this water if neccessary, alternatively you could seek advice from your pharmacist about a gentle laxative that would have the same effect asdoing this. Other things that may help include genly massaging your baby’s tummy in a circular motion and doing ‘bicycle leg’ movements with him. A warm bath may also help. Finally it is important to mention that any long term or persistent problem should be referred to your PHN or GP. Remember to feel free to call into your nearest pharmacy for a full consultation.
Best Regards.
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