Could Formula Be Making My 1 Month Old Constipated?

how did you know you didn't have enough milk? one month is hard/to early to gauge it, and at first there isn't as much milk because it is more concentrated and the baby doesnt drink as much in one sitting. is it too late to go back to breastfeeding? as your child grows milk production increases. this is a common fear among nursing mothers but it is often unfounded. i think you jumped the gun into giving her formula IMHO, and yes, this is causing the constipation. if you still want to nurse i would latch her back on. i doubt you're milk-less after only 1 month. the difference in nutrition is like organic fruit vs a box of mac and cheese. make sure you eat well and drink enough fluids, too, to increase milk production.

2 moms found this helpful

It is probably the formula. We did two things for my daughter who had this problem. First, we added an extra ounce of water to the bottle every time. Second, when we noticed her having a hard stool, we would dab a little Vaseline in her bum and lift her legs up to help her push. Ask your ped. at the next visit if they have any further suggestions. Don't switch formulas until then...it upsets their tummies.

You can take a poop diaper to the dr and have it tested for blood in the stool, if so...it could be a diary allergy. Then you would have to switch to alimentum or nutramigian (which I had to do!) Usually dairy allergies are opposite (they give them way runny poops and the temperment is way bad)....be a little bossy with the dr and check it out.

My 2 month old was going through the same thing. I called the doctor and they said that the formula will do that sometimes I am thinking with the iron. So they told me to put Dark Karo syrup 1tsp in the formula 2times per day and that will help. I did that and after the first bottle with the syrup he would poop better. They also said just do the 2 times and then see what happens.

J.,

I had the same problem with my second child also. She would do good on one sort of formula for a day or two, then get really constipated. So I would switch her to a different kind. Finally after days of listening to her cry because it hurt to go to the bathroom, the 3rd type of formula worked wonders for her. So maybe try another type. Good luck!

Hi J.,
Congratulations on your new addition! Formula can cause babies to become constipated. I wouldn't dilute it because she won't be getting all she needs if you do. Try adding a teaspoon of light corn syrup to her bottle. I would add it to just one a day at first and see if it helps. If not add it to two and so on. It will help. It always got my girls regulated and usually it worked with only 1 teaspoon in one bottle. Our pediatrician is the one who recommended it. Good luck!!

My son had alot of gas, found out it was the water I was using. Switched to nursery water and had not had any more problems.

Hi J.! I went through pretty much the exact thing with my daughter who is 11 weeks now. I tried everything under the sun to help with my milk production and I was never able to make more than an ounce at a time. I know how hard it was for me to give it up, and I know how horrible it made me feel when people didn't understand what I was going through, so I encourage you to do whatever it takes to get your baby some food!! We started her on similac organic and the exact same thing happened to her. I did some internet research and found that lots of moms had problems with constipation and organic similac. So, we just switched her to similac advance and it made all the difference in the world! Also try the "I love you" massage, where you draw the letter I, then L, then U upside down from right to left on her belly, and try leg pumping to get her little intestines working. Good luck, and you are doing a great job!!

my 2 1/2 week old got constipated too because he would be hungry still after breast feedin so i would give him about an oz of formula after. the one with iron constipated him so i tried this enfamil...gentlease for gassy and fussy babies and it made him go right away. haha and my son is a lil porker cuz i can get at least 3 oz of milk when i pump so i know he eatin good. he has cut back though. oh and water between meals worked for him too. also i dont know if you would but chamomille tea also works really well for gassy babies. stops their cryin right away. good luck,
A.

Our little girl had the same deal ---- our doc said we could add a couple drops of Dark Karo syrup and that would stimulate the stool. It works. We use it now in our litle boys oatmeal mixture to free him up a bit.

Hi J.,

I had the same problem with my daughter and it is ot good for little girls to strain that hard to go to the bathroom, they can mess themselves up for having kids later in life. My doctor said to put Karo syrup in her bottles and that will help. So i would buy the light colored karo syrup and put about a half inch in the bottom of the bottle and them pour the formula on top, and when you warm up the bottle that syrup will warm up to amd shake into the formula very easily.

Hi J.,

Yes, the formula is causing the constipation. Check out the ingredients and experiment with other brands. I know you can find a more natural brand at Whole Foods that might be better for her.

If you can switch back to breastfeeding, you may want to try that again, as it is certainly better for her and you can control what you eat.

Best of luck to you :)

Warm Regards,
G. Van Luven

When you get a chance call her pediatrician, but it probably is the formula. Babies shouldn't have solid BMs till they start eating solids. You can try a different brand, and maybe dilute a little more also.

As for breastfeeding, have you tried drinking any teas that help produce breast milk. There are some different ones out there. Maybe join a Leche League group to see what suggestions they might have as well.

Good luck

J.- DO NOT GIVE WATER, as someone else suggested! IT will take her needed nutrition away from her, always breastfeed first then supplement with formula if she is still hungary. Also let her breastfeed as long as she wants, it will help to stimulate your milk. Give your 5 year old a book to sit next to you so he can flip the pages and you can read it while breastfeeding, or a color book.

My 5 month old daughter had the same problem. I tried all kinds of formula. Eventually I found out that the only think that worked for her is Wal-mart's Parent's Choice formula. You can try a Similac sensitive. It's partially broken down and supposedly easier to digest. Personally it made my daughter have diarrhea. Since each baby is different you might have to try a few different brands until you find which one works best for your baby. Good luck I hope this helps. Email me anytime

you need to give her some water also the formula can constipate I dont know about the organic that new from when I had kids My youngest being 9 now but I do know that a bottle of water every day will help

Hi J.! I have heard of this happening with other moms I know who have given their babies formula. Mama's milk is just so much easier to digest and formula is foreign to their little digestive system and harder to digest and absorb. I know how frustrated you must have been feeling that you weren't making enough milk, but have you considered trying to increase your milk supply by pumping or using herbal supplements (fenu-greek, brewer's yeast, alfalfa, etc.)? Even if you were only able to give her what you could from you and supplement with formula if needed, she would have an easier time pooping. By the way, my friend whose baby was constipated from formula was able to go back to nursing and she began pooping regularly again in no time. I wish you and your sweetheart all the best!!!

This is completely normal, I had the same problem with my daughter. The doctor advised to give her some corn syrup which solved the problem very quickly. It will mostly regulate itself. I know it is heartbreaking to watch them straining. Good luck!

If the formula is iron fortified, then YES it could be making him constipated. We actually had to get the prune/apple juice for one of my kids to help with that. The others only breastfed so we never had that problem. I did notice that my 7 month old (who just started cereal and a few other baby foods) will have a thicker stool when he has had too much food or snacks. I just water down a little bit of apple juice and that will do it for him. With one as young as yours, juice is a no-no so you may try alternating with a formula that isn't iron fortified. Or try calling your Dr but they will probably tell you to use a stool softner and that wasn't ANY FUN at all!!!

My daughter has the same problems. She was constipated (sp?) SOOOO badly while on formula. we tried a lot of different kinds. the one the worked BEST for us was the Nestle's Good Start Soy forumla PRE-MIXED. NOT the powder kind. The actual pre mixed liquid was SOOOOOOOO gr8! Her poops were so much better after we got her on that. you could also try 2 TBLS of DARK Karro sryup in 1-2 bottles/day. That helped as well.

Email me if you want anyother tips. I know it's so sad when your little one is having problems, and you can't find a solution fo them.

____@____.com

S.

My daughter had the same problem. We ended up in the hospital. We saw specialist. The solution was to put her on Soy milk,, She took to it immediatly, she slept, so did I. Ever since the change in the formula she has done very well. She is 9 years old now and she gets ill very rare, and if she does she is over it in less time than her brothers or sisters.

You could try formula without iron...I think most brands make it (or only use the iron free when she is constipated), if she has not gone in 4-5 days, i would get a baby enema, you can get them at any grocery store, we have used them on occasion and they work great. They are made by Fleet.

If the formula has added iron it more than likely is doing it. This happened to my son and it is hard to make people believe you. good luck

My daughter had a problem with Enfamil Lipil. She too was getting constipated on her formula. Her dr put her on Enfamil Lipil Low Iron in the pink container. It helped some. I also gave her prune juice when she was about 6 months. Hopefully some of these suggestions work. Unfortunately the drs were never able to let me know what the real problem was but now she is 2 1/2 and on 1 % milk which is working very well for her.

Hi J.!

Absolutely, is my answer to your question! My daughter was horribly constipated once we made the switch around 5 months from breast milk to formula (the same as you, BTW!)... so horribly bad she got hemerrhoids & bleeding... poor baby! :(

Obviously breast milk is best if you can nurse your little love, but if not, I would HIGHLY recommend switching formulas -- immediately -- & find something else. We have used the Nestle Goodstart (orange can)for both our girlies & it has always seemed to work great!

Hope your little one starts feeling better soon!

S.