my two month old son is constipated...?

Question

My two month old son switched from breastmilk to formula 3 1/2 weeks ago. Since then he has been having a HARD time going to the bathroom. We were making him go once a day with a suppository up until last week when he began going on his own daily. We had switched him to low iron formula also. He is now back to not going on his own. He strains and cries although his bowel movements are not hard. I currently putting him on Similac advance formula because I have read it is not healthy to have my son on low iron. Are there any sugestions on how to help my son go to the bathroom without suppositories? I give him 5 ounces of water and 2-4 ounces of juice (either prune, apple, or pear) a day with his formula. Am I just supposed to let him tough it out? It breaks my heart to hear him cry and struggle

as far as switching to formula goes I am unable to produce milk now for some reason so it was something I had to do, unfortunately I can not continue breastfeeding or I would.

and ANOTHER thing... haha sorry, he is on ready made formula. not powder. dont know if that makes a difference.

Answer 1

fold his legs up, and put a little peice of soap in his bottom, that will help soften his stools and make him use the bathroom, my mom showed me that trick. Or take him to the DR and let them tell you. Poor little guy, he's probably in pain!

Answer 2

Parents spend a lot of time wondering and worrying about whether their infant's bowel movements are "normal." In fact, there's really no such thing. Babies' bowel habits are as individual as they are, and over time you'll get to know your baby's routine.

That said, there is a typical pattern to look for in any baby's bowel habits. During the first few days of life, your baby will pass meconium, the thick, black or dark green substance that was in his intestines before he was born. Once the meconium has passed, the bowel movements of a formula-fed baby are typically yellow, tan, brown, or green. As long as there isn't blood in the stool, any color is normal.

A formula-fed baby's stool is a little bit firmer than a breastfed baby's, about the consistency of peanut butter. If it's much harder than that, it may be a sign of constipation, and you should tell your pediatrician. If you're worried about constipation and your baby is younger than 4 months old, don't feed him anything other than formula or breast milk without checking with your pediatrician first. You may inadvertently deprive your baby of essential nutrients if you feed him a pediatric electrolyte solution, water, or juice. Babies over 4 months can have a few ounces of water a day, but if you think he's constipated, you should have another talk with your pediatrician about how best to solve the problem.

Another thing to keep in mind is that around 1 to 2 months of age, many babies go from having several bowel movements a day to going several days between bowel movements. This, too, is perfectly normal. It's not how often a baby moves his bowels, but how hard the stool is once it's passed that's cause for concern. When you introduce cereal and other solids to your baby's diet, you can expect dramatic changes in the odor, color, consistency, and frequency of his bowel movements depending on what he's eating.

Answer 3

I'm sorry to hear you have this problem that I also had with my son (now 4 month) It sounds like you're doing what you can about this just keep giving him some water and juice. Another thing i found out was safe and could help was to put a little light cornsyrup in his formula but call doc first and check. Like for you my sons problems started as soon he had to start with formula (he had problems gaining weight because of acid reflux) it was NAN AR 1 wich is a thicker kind that makes babies not throw up as easy but now I've started him on 1 called NAN pro (from 4 month) and suddenly his problem is gone! (it hardly even stinks lol..)

It's been really heartbreaking and I had to help him use the bathroom once a day (cause if you dont it can get "harder" and more painful the next) so I know what you're going through u poor thing :( but just keep up what you're doing you're doing a great job and know that it will get better soon..

Best of luck to you and the little one!

Answer 4

First off, Call ur Dr and tell him...... My daughter was the same way and ended up having a dip in her gestational tract..... and you really shouldn't try anything untill you talk to your dr. Sugar water does work, but my Dr told me not to use it on my daughter till she was 6 months for digestive reasons.

Answer 5

I go through this with my baby too. I use juice. You can try the thermometer trick. That is supposed to stimulate him to go. Also try Dark Syrup in the formula.....a couple of teaspoons. Make sure you are not packing the formula in the scoop. Make sure you talk to your Dr before you give him anything. He may also be able to suggest other things. When he is strainning to go, bicycle his legs, that is supposed to help him get it out. Good Luck. :)

Answer 6

i am really sorry about your baby ,mine is going through the same thing.first we change to soy milk (work for a week) , then we changed it to liquid soy milk (much better , but she still has some problems ,but a least she can go to the bathroom on her own,with out suppository).
the last thing we try, what the doctor recommended was KARO(corn syrup ,the black one!!), now she goes on her on!! but!!!!! she cries a little because the syrup!!!, it is frustrating .
wish you luck

Answer 7

!!!!! Make sure you are filling his bottle FIRST with water before putting the powder in.. otherwise you'll end up with too much formula... and not enough water... I made this mistake with my daughter...
just in case that is the problem.. good luck!

Answer 8

Look for a low iron formula! It will definately help. Until then, keep up with the juice and suppositories.

Answer 9

try a warm bath it seems to help my son have you brought this up to your pediatrician?

Answer 10

Warm orange juice works like a charm! Must admit though I would have thought the prune juice would have worked.