Is it okay for a 7 week old baby to use suppositories everyday? Does it have side effects?

Question

My baby girl has not been able to poo without the aid of a suppository for 4 weeks now. The pediatrician has already advised to changed her formula 2x it is still the same. We add water on the formula, my baby still can't poo on her own Her poo is dry. I give my baby some water, still she can't poo with out a suppository.. I just changed her formula yesterday... Help on this

Answer 1

No, it's not ok. I've noticed some parents are overly obsessed with their baby's bowels. Maybe you're one of them.

Putting things in the anus stresses infants. We only do rectal temps if axillary ones are high twice and we only do rectal suppositories on a doctor's order.

Don't keep changing formulas! You should give each formula at least a week or two to see how it goes. You are upsetting her bowels changing the formula frequently and interrupting her natural elimination pattern. Formula fed babies have firmer less frequent stools and like all of us, have different bowel habits. They don't need to go every day. If there are no milk allergies or problems with baby's digestion, she should be taking about 2-4 oz of formula each 3-4 hrs around the clock. If you are using powdered, make sure you are mixing it correctly. Do not add extra water. Do not add any cereal or anything else. Wait a few days. I bet she will go on her own. Have you already tried a low iron formula to see if that helps as iron is constipating or soy formulas?

If no stool in a few days, you need to see a pediatrician and a nutritionist to make sure you are mixing the formula correctly, that you are giving the correct amount of formula, that baby does not have any other co-existing health conditions and that you have not damaged her rectum!

Answer 2

Please take her back and find out what you need to be doing for her and how often. Suppositories every day sounds pretty extreme and unwise unless the pediatrician tell you too. If need be, take her up the hospital and have her seen by another pediatrician. Hopefully the new formula will help, but it'll take a week or two to know. Changing formula's can cause constipation too; so see if she settles on this one after a couple of weeks. But see a doctor or pediatrician in the meantime. Hold off on the suppositories til then.

Answer 3

You shouldn't be using the suppositories every day because the baby will become dependent on them and not be able to poop on her own without them. Please talk to your baby's doctor again. Ask about a prescription for Miralax. It can be mixed with her formula and helps her to go poop on her own. I have used this and know that it works. You should be careful with the water. Diluting the formula too much can mean that she doesn't get the vitamins that she needs. Hopefully you have found or will find the formula that works for her too. Plz talk to your doc asap and stop the suppositories. Best wishes to you and baby!

Answer 4

Try adding either "Karo" syrup (you can find it down the pancake/syrup aisle at the grocery store) or a teaspoon full of brown sugar to the formula. Neither of these will harm your baby and they have a natural "laxative". Also you might try adding a few drops of cod liver oil to the formula. You can't expect this problem to go away overnight. It will take time for anything, even what the doctor prescribes to have an effect, STOP using the suppositories.

Answer 5

No it's not ok! Poor Baby!! I'm not certain about the side effects but you may have to change her formula again until she finds one she tolerates. They have things you can mix with water and some you can mix with her formula if it comes to that. Hopefully you'll hit the right formula soon! If she doesn't begin doing better soon though I'd speak kinda forcefully to her doctor. My Grandaughter had the same problem and it took awhile to make her doctor understand. They ended up giving her the water mixture and she still has to today at 4yrs.
Good Luck and God Bless you and yours!!!
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Answer 6

The side effects are she wont be able to go on her own. Especially if you keep using them.

Soy formula works well for constipation problems.

What about giving her Prune Juice diluted 50% with water?

Breastfeeding is better than bottle/formula feeding.

With our daughter we ended up having to give her Milk of Magnesia to cure, help and assist her with her constipation problems. Worked wonders!

Answer 7

After reading your question I immediately went to my copy of La Leche League's WOMANLY ART OF BREASTFEEDING Frequency of bowel movements varies from baby to baby and even from week to week with the same baby. Some babies may have very frequent bowel movements that are a little more than a stain on the diaper. At first, your baby may have a bowel movement with every nursing. This is definitely not diarrhea in the breastfed baby. It is a sign that he is getting plenty of milk. As he gets older, past six weeks or so, he may have only two or three large bowel movements a week, sometimes only one a week: even less often is normal for some babies. As his bowel movements decrease in frequency, they will increase in volume. There is room for considerable variation among perfectly normal breastfed babies.

Answer 8

Suppositories aren't as "addictive" as people say - they're osmotic laxatives, not stimulants. I'd say go on using them for the time being if she can't do the do without them - but DEFINITELY see another doctor. She may have something serious like Hirchsprung's Disease. (Nb: With me, bowel problems run in the family so I have to study all this).

Answer 9

Dilute prune juice and feed her, stop the suppositories that only hurts. It's because of the formula, stop changing it, decide on one and stick to it.

Answer 10

First of all I would suggest you to get a second opinion from another doctor.
And yes, try changing formula brand again. We changed it 4 times until found the suitable one.
Now using NAN by Nestle.