10 Week Old with Digestion Issues

My son, who is breastfed and has acid reflux, has gone as many as 10 days between poopy diapers. We called the pedi after about a week and she said to give it a few more days before we started to worry about it. He finally "blew-up" a few days later. Usually he would have one poopy diaper a week before we started solids at 6 months. He did have lots of trouble with gas until he started solid foods. We gave him Gripe Water several times a day. It worked wonders!! I have given it to several new Moms since I discovered it because it worked so well for us!

Mix up some jell-o water. Instead of 1 cup boiling & 1 cup of cold, put 2 3/4 cups boiling....it will not jell. Store it at room temperature....offer warm - not hot - anytime, as often as you want. Best flavors are lemon and orange. This will cause him to perspire and pass a LOT of gas, but it 'fixed' my baby girl in about 3 days....she had awful colic.

Also, as a nursing mom, in addition to leaving off certain gas-producing foods, I drank a lot of tea - green tea, chamomille, peppermint. That seemed to help too.

Good luck.

Try chamomile tea. I know it sounds crazy, it did to me too until I tried it. My son was also a preemie born 9 weeks early (31 weeks gestation). He spent 4 weeks in NICU and came home with a monitor attached! He had reflux and was on zantac and another medicine. He got really bad gas and was just miserable at times, even with the mylicon. I also breastfed him and cut things out of my diet. Then a friend of mine (school nurse) told me to give him chamomile tea, just brew it, cool it, and add sugar (NO honey) and put it in a bottle for him. The minute he started drinking it he started passing the gas, and was so much happier. We didn't have to use the tea every day, maybe a few times a week, and he didn't drink very much any time because it worked so fast that he only drank maybe 2oz. each time at the most. We also would pull his legs up into his belly, kind like you're going to roll him into a ball, and that helps them get the gas out too. Sometimes we would just barely get his bottom of the floor and that would do the trick. Good luck. I hope you get it figured out, it's hard when your baby doesn't feel good, I know.
J.

I had this problem with my newborn too. Turns out she was reacting to my milk. So dietary changes were necessary. But I was already so limited on what I could eat (since found out I am gluten intolerant) that I couldn't do it. She ended up on Neocate, a very expensive formula. But it helped. You can continue to try to eliminate, however. And if you try this route, I HIGHLY suggest you give up gluten which is in ALL wheat products and more. You can research it online to get a list.

In the meantime you might want to try to bottle feed with formula to clear whatever it is out of his system.

Hang in there.

I agree with the others. Casein (milk products) and gluten (wheat products) would be some of the first things to remove from your diet. I'd also be very cautious about getting any more vaccinations. Hold off on them or seek an alternative schedule. Stephanie Cave MD's book What Your Doctor Won't Tell You about Vaccinations is a book to consider.

M. I am sorry you are going thru this I have a 2 month old who was born @ 33 weeks so I know how you feel. I was going to let you know that we too had the same issue and unfortunatly I had to stop breast feeding but we put him on nutramigen and he takes one previcid a day. but we half it half in the morning and the other half at night. He has not been constipated per say he has gone though a day or two without a poopy and then like you said it is massive. He is feeling so much better. I hope this helps good luck

If you're going to try the dietary route, you'll need to give it a few weeks. Plus, be sure to remove all dairy, including whey and casein (read the labels), not just milk products. My daughter had some reflux issues and gas, but wasn't really constipated. We tried Prevacid, but didn't notice any results. She kind of grew out of the reflux around 4-5 months, but is still a little gassy (at 15 months). Good luck! Keep trying and asking questions!

My niece was 4 weeks early and had some digestive problems. She'd strain so hard to go she'd throw-up. The nurses told my SIL to try juice even though she was a preemie and even with all the tummy issues she was experiencing. My SIL was fed up and gas drops weren't working. They tried Gripe Water and it solved the issue.

Usually you would be told to cut out all dairy. It takes a while to work sometimes (maybe 2 weeks). Also Zantac did not work for us but previcid did. It is a little dificult to give to infants because you have to dilute it yourself till they can take the tablet. 10 week maybe too young. My daughter was 4 months when we started it, but it was a life saver.Talk to your pedi. G+od luck.

Both of my children had this problem. My pedi suggested using a suppository. You don't fully insert it, but whenever you notice the straining and know that your child hasn't had a bowel movement just insert it slightly and pull it out a few times to stimulate that area. It always worked and seemed like it provided a lot of relief to my kids.

My daughter had digestive issues when she was itty bitty and my neice had issues with her intestines and a build up of mercury after getting her shots at the hospital after birth. My niece would cry so hard because her tummy hurt and we found out about the toxic build up after we saw our natural health dr. We took both of the girls to our natural health doctor and it was amazing the differences we saw quickly. This might be an idea for you. Just thought I would pass the information along. His name is Dr. Brian Hickey and his number is ###-###-####. He is a great guy and wonderful at his profession.

This sounds just like my son, and I have to tell you that I know I am going to sounds crazy because I thought the pediatrician and the nurses were all crazy when they told me this, but it sounds like he is actually stool holding not constipated or having trouble going. Basically he isn't wanting to go so he is doing everything he can to stop himself from going. My son also had, and still has, severe acid reflux. But what you are describing would not be related to the reflux, though they do go hand in hand. A stool holder will show signs of reflux because of the strain they are putting on their digestive systems from withholding their BM's. You should mention this to your pediatrician and see what they suggest. There are several ways to try to help him stop withholding and start releasing it properly!

Let me know if you have any more questions!

K.
Helping MOMS work from home!
http://www.stayinghomeandhavingfun.com

I am so sorry that your little one is struggling!

It sounds like he is struggling with allergies - which have been addressed. Due to all the antibiotics and all the other medications that were administered, it sounds as though he has been stripped of his natural immunity.

I strongly suggest going to Nutritional Wellness Center and seeing Dr. Larry Davis D.C. - he is able to perform non-invasive tests that can not only detect allergies, but also what needs to be added to your diet to be the most healthful for your son's needs.

He is a kind man and has work wonders for me and several others that I have referred!

His number is ###-###-####

Good Luck!
S.

I know this question is from a year ago, but I think I just stumbled upon wise advice. It is a FREE replay of an interview with Donna Gates, who wrote "The Body Ecology Diet."
http://www.theawareshow.com/connect/gates/

I can definitely relate to your situation. I had similar problems with my first child. Studies have shown that what a mother eats can cause sensativities in her breast fed child. I work with a food allergy support group and often recommend removing all dairy from the diet. Are you just avoiding milk or have you also eliminated cheese, sour cream, yogart etc from your diet? The early use of antibiotics could have had an impact on his digestive system and his immune system. You can help build his immune system by trying a whole food supplement (not a vitamin). I recommend JuicePlus. It is currently being used in a pregnancy study at the University of Mississippi. There is lots of research on it. You can check it out on my website at www.applestozucchini.com Let me know if I can offer any other advice. I've been studying nutrition for over 10 years now. I'd be happy to help. My blog is www.thefoodteacher.blogspot.com

M. I'm so sorry your little guy is having problems. My now 5 yr. old grandson had problems for 2 yrs before we found Dr. Olgenmola with Cook's in Ft. Worth. he is an excelent pedi.gastrologist. I would go see him as soon as you can. We kept waiting for our reg. M.D. to do something & he never thought it was a problem but the opening into the bowel was extremely tiny & needed to be dialated. He finally quit throwing up & started putting on weight. Things got so bad he weighed 17 lbs at 2. but he was active & healthy. So it could be something simple that can be found & fixed early on. Take care. I pray for the best for you both.