Parents only please! My 5 1/2 month hasn't had a bowel movement in a week what do I do?

Question

The dr said to give hime some pear juice, did that-nothing. prune juice-nothing. he isn't bloated. i haven't changed anything. i breast feed and give him rice or barley cereal twice a day. he is very cranky. he eats fine. please help!

breastfeeding is not a cause of constipation. fyi!

Answer 1

Don't worry too much. It's normal for breastfed babies to go up to a week without having a movement. I would cut out the cereal since it has iron and see if that helps. If he hasn't gone in the next day or two, take him back to your doctor. My son went 7 days a few times but he was fine.

Answer 2

Cut out the rice cereal at least one feeding try giving him peaches. this made my son go the minute he ate it. My 4 month old only goes a couple time a week so its not that uncommon but call the doctor in the morning let him know the juice didnt work and ask about the suppositories. also cut down on the food you are eating if it has a lot of iron in it. There is also this massage you can do for his belly you spell out love on his belly but there is a certian way to do it that makes your hands go along the intestinal track. I'm not sure how to do it but if you look up on the internet baby massage im sure you'll find it

Answer 3

keep giving him some prune juices or if you give him cereal mix some baby prunes in there... sometimes it may take awhile.. How long has it been ? If he still is constipated in the next 2 days I would say take him to the doctor. Good luck and I know how you feel I have 3 kids that have went through that one point in time!

Answer 4

I'd try calling the dr. back, ask him about using a suppository. I've had to do that a few times, you don't stick the whole thing in, I just put it 1/2 way and held it. But ask the doc first. Also, I switched to the Oatmeal cereal instead of the Rice cereal. Doesn't constipate them as bad.

Answer 5

My daughter seemed to have the worst time with bowel movements when she was younger. (She's 17 months old now) My doctor prescribed all the things that yours did and nothing helped. We started using glycerin suppositories once in a while, but I've heard those can cause a dependance on them due to their laxative properties. What really worked for me, even if it was kind of gross, was the baby thermometer trick. Take a clean rectal thermometer and put a tiny bit of vasoline on the end to lube it up. Place it in your baby's rectum and hold it there for a minute or so. Sounds weird, but the thermometer seemed to get things moving. Plus, it didn't involve any laxatives or weird foods. Good luck.

Answer 6

Constipation is the passage of hard stools, that is painful to pass and associated with infrequent bowel movements. Occasionlly, bright red blood may be passed with hard stools. This blood comes from a slight tear in the rectal area from the hard stool.

Tidbits

* Breast-fed babies rarely get constipated. They do commonly develop an infrequent stool pattern after 2 or 3 months of age. These older breast-fed babies may have one stool every 4 or 5 days, but they are soft and mushy and the babies do not seem uncomfortable.
* Newborns should pass their first meconium stool by 48 hours of age, if they do not, notify your physician. Once newborns who are a few days old are feeding well, they should be having 3 to 4 or more stools per day. If they are not, this may be a sign that they are not getting enough milk.
* Constipation is very common in infants starting on solids.
* Some toddlers who are toilet training may become constipated. They may then start to hold onto their stools and refuse to go to the bathroom and this will create further constipation problems.

Call the Doctor immediately if:

* Severe, constant pain for more than 2 hours
* The child is acting sick
* You suspect your newborn is dehydrated and not getting enough milk

Call during office hours if:

* Your newborn under one or two months who is breastfeeding is not stooling at least 3 or 4 times a day and you suspect they are not getting enough milk or gaining weight
* You need direction in treatment because what you have tried is not working



Home Treatment

Babies. In babies under 3 or 4 months a rectal temperature will sometimes stimulate them to have a bowel movement. Prune juice, diluted 1:1 with water may be used to treat constipation in babies over a month or two. In babies on solids, try using prunes, apricots, pears, beans, plums and decrease foods like rice cereal, bananas, applesauce, or rice. Occasionally, a change of formula may be helpful, but talk to your physician before making a change.

Toddlers. Toddlers who are resisting toilet training may become constipated. Sometimes, they do not like using the toilet for bowel movements, but will urinate in the toilet. This can become a behavioral issue and if they start to get scared that their bowel movements will hurt, they try to hold onto to the stool further. Try to keep the stools loose with diet and sometimes with medications. If you feel you have a behavior issue on your hands, discuss this with your physician.

Older children. Over a year, increase fresh fruits and vegetables. Prune juice may be used. Increase bran and use bran cereals or muffins. Decrease constipating foods like milk, cheese, ice cream, rice, bananas and applesauce. Increase water intake. Constipation is very common in the summer months, when children are not keeping up fluid intake to compensate for increased fluid losses from sweating in the heat.

Medications. A natural laxative is available over the counter called Maltsupex. Other laxatives, suppositories and enemas should be used only after your physician directs the usage.

Answer 7

Call your ped right now and talk to them. Don't worry that it is sunday or seems to be not life threatening. It is their job, trust me they do not want you asking on yahoo answers.

Have to say today I have been surfing around the answers here given to some moms asking ? about infants and seriously I think yahoo should close down this forum. Some very very iffy advice given. Some posters even that say they are nurses etc.. but they are suggesting things that could cause harm or distress to an infant. Make you wonder. ((hug)) good luck to you and for heavens sake do not stick a thermometer in the anus unless you know exactly what you are doing.

Answer 8

Before my daughter became regular we put a half package of stage 1 prunes in the cereal bottle. Once the the morning and once at bedtime. It really kept things "going". We don't do this now but always keep prunes on hand here at home at the sitters for last minute needs. We feed her oatmeal cereal rather than rice.

Answer 9

I'm a mother of four kids so I know some old fashioned remedy's OK this may seem sick but it works,.....take a tiny sliver off a bar of soap, and put it in his bum,....... then hold it in there for about a couple of min, then let go, that might help him go, if not call the doc again, or take him to the emergency please! because not going can make him very very sick. And yes I've done that before, and it worked. I learned it from my grandmother. oh and don't stick it very far, just past the surface, and when he goes it will come out. Also stop the cereal for a while.

Answer 10

Maybe the cereal is blocking him up. Also sometimes breastfed babies can go up to two weeks without pooping and it is perfectly normal. Just because he isn't pooping doesn't mean he's constipated. Constipation is more a consistancy thing-- if it is hard and pebble-like it is constipation.

Just be ready for an explosion! It will happen any time now!

Answer 11

First calm down and relax. You aren't doing you or the baby any good by being so stressed out. It happens. The baby will go and if Apple juice or pear doesn't work your babys doctor will know what to do. At least you went to the doctor already. Babys go through this all the time, you are not anlone. It will all be alright.