Help! Constipated at 12 weeks old?

Hi all,

Quick breakdown of the situation... Darby is 12.5wks, solely breastfed, generally feeding every 3-4 hours. She has reflux & is taking Zoton (lansoprazole) since 6wks.

She normally poos with power (we hear it, smell it & often see it lol) 4-6 times a day, but has not pooed for 24hrs. She's been screaming most of the afternoon up til now & hasn't taken a full feed since 11am today. She's hungry & keeps trying to feed, but after 2 mins or so gets in so much distress she pulls off and screams for a good ten mins!

We've just bathed her, hoping it would soothe her enough to pass a poo, but there is zero in her nappy. She has been passing wind however :)

Any ideas?

xx

My baby just went through this and one of the suggestions - that I didn't get the chance to try as I'm hoping the worst of this is now over - was chamomile tea. I think you cool it down and give them a little in a bottle, but if you search the threads in here or Google I'm sure the advice on that would be more precise.

I also gave him some water to help soften his poo and help things move through the intestines - as you would with an adult. And I know there is some sort of medicine you can get from the dr but I didn't get to that point, laying in a warm bath with him did seem to calm him down for a few hours after.

Sorry this is so vague and disjointed but basically in my situation there wasn't one miracle solution, but it was the combination of those things (or one of them, I'm not sure) that ended up producing that long-awaited poo.

Good luck!!
S xo

That sounds like she is so uncomfortable. I hope she feels better soon.

I wouldn't assume, though, that the problem is constipation. As I understand it, breastfed babies basically can't get constipated, and certainly it is as normal for them to go days without pooing as it is for them to poo several times a day. We've had from several poos a day to DD going 3 days without pooing, so far (6 months old). I've read of babies going a week without pooing! (how scary would that be when it finally came out!).

I hope she's feeling better soon. Have you tried feeding her in different positions, incase she is more comfortable in a different position: maybe lying down side by side, or you sitting her right up on your knee to feed, or whatever else works for you? Might be worth a try.

Hi

I agree .. it may not be constipation. My daughter went through a similar thing at that age. Went from pooping heaps, loud etc. then almost stopped we were really concerned. It turned out she wasnt constipated at all but rather was only going once per week.

Also I found giving her a little water did help and on one occasion it resulted in a number 3 .. yes like the ad on tv hahaha.

Hope this gets sorted soon for you and bubs.

That must be concerning for you hun. Breastfed babies don't get constipated, so you don't need to worry about that. Some babies stop pooing daily at about that age, and in fact can go up to 14 days without a poo and it's not a problem (except if you have to change the nappy when it finally comes ;) ). This sounds quite normal to me so I wouldn't worry. The discomfort can be from the new sensations they feel, or it might be related to the reflux or meds. Just keep breastfeeding as normal and enjoy having some dirty nappy free days. Let us know how the wind goes - if it appears to be causing her distress over the next couple of days we can give you some suggestions to help.