My 7 week old daughter is constipated. She is being breastfed with only 2 oz of formula per day.?

Question

I doubt it's the iron causing it as there is hardly any in it. Is it too soon to give her prune juice?

Answer 1

When was the last time she had a BM?
Breastfed babies don't usually get constipated.
Is she straining when trying to poop?
If she is still eating well and having wet diapers, I wouldn't worry too much about it, unless it's been longer than a few days.
Don't give her prune juice unless stated by your doctor!

Answer 2

Yes, it's MUCH MUCH too soon to give her prune juice. (Not till at least six MONTHS.)

Your breastmilk is a natural laxative. It is actually physically impossible for an exclusively breastfed baby to get constipated (though they sometimes go up to a week or 10 days without a bowel movement).

Since she's only getting 2 oz of formula, try cutting that out and replacing it with milk.

Answer 3

she is most likely not constipated. if she is breast fed try stopping the formula. formula is harder on a baby's intestinal tract, so it may be making it harder for her to have a bm. if she doesn't have a bm in a couple of days take her to the doctor. breast fed babies have bms less often than formula fed babies, so dont worry too much. also, giving her prune juice is not a good idea. most babies aren't ready for regular food until 6 months old. if you want, try drinking the prune juice yourself.... but dont give her any. just try quitting the formula first before taking any drastic measures.... in the end it will probably end up being nothing to worry about... i had the same worries when my daughter was new, so just wait it out for a little while...she will be just fine.

Answer 4

Funny thing is doctors say there is no such thing as breast fed babies being constipated.But I had that too with my daughter at the age of 8 Weeks, what I did is just drink some prune juice yourself,and it'll work through your breast milk,it worked here.(drink 1/4 cup a day) But when its really backed up ,even just gently rubbing her belly with olive oil will help. But if its bloody , talk to your doctor. Best Wishes, I know what its like.

Answer 5

NEVER give her anything except breastmilk and/or formula and/or sterile water. Boil water and bring to room temp and try a bit of the water and see if that loosens her stool. Absolutely do NOT give her any fruit juices and/or things along that line . Her little digestive system cannot handle it. When was her last bowel movement? Does the forumla have iron? Some babies do not need iron additives in their formula unless the doc tells you to do formula with iron. Best thing is to call the doc and ask him/her. Congrats on baby....and do ask your doctor if the sterilized water doesn't help. Take care. Cyn

Answer 6

How often is she pooping? Is it hard and dry? Is she straining to poop? Does she look like she's uncomfortable? If not, she's probably not constipated.

I would ditch the formula. You're only supplementing with 2oz. It is very easy to increase your supply by 2 oz a day, so ditch the formula (it's more binding than breastmilk) and exclusively breastfeed if you can.

Sometimes babies who are breastfed can go up to two weeks without pooping. It's totally normal (but it can certainly be worrisome!) Don't worry about it, and don't do anything about it. she's far too young for juice, and her behavior is totally normal.

Answer 7

Are you sure she's constipated? A lot of breastfed babies onlty have BMs every few days or even only once a week after the first month. Also, a lot of babies scream, cry, grimace, thrash, turn red, etc. when having a perfectly normal BM. Mine looks like a scene from the exorcist when she has one. Constipation is defined as hard, extremely difficult to pass stool. The key word is "hard"; it's very unusual for bf babies to get truly constipated.

Answer 8

The constipation is probably a result of your diet. If you tend to eat a lot of binding foods yourself, you're passing this on to the child in your breast milk.
Try her on formula for a few days and make sure it is iron free.
I would avoid prune juice in favour of lightly sugared water or diluted chamomile tea.

Answer 9

First, you need to be certain that she is constipated. If she's still nursing well, then her body has probably just slowed down on how often she has bms. I definitely would not give her prune juice. If she is constipated, then you should consult a physician.

Answer 10

Uh, guys, she's breastfeeding AND giving a little formula.

It's normal for breastfed baby not to poop every day. I'd ditch the formula and exclusively breastfeed. If still want to supliment, talk to her doctor about switching to a low iron formula.