Straining Constantly

I also had to supplement with formula because my son was a little piggy. We actually had to try several formulas before we found one that didn't smell, make him constipated, give him gas, make him spit up, etc. We really like the Good Start formula (the orange bottle not the new green one which didn't sit well with him). I haven't tried the Nestle Soy formula though.

If she does get constipated, you might want to give her some pedialite in a little water. that worked really well for my son when he was about 2 - 3months old.
Good luck to you.

My comment is if she was straining on your breastmilk anyway, you might as well put her back on your breastmilk exclusively. What difference will it make? (if you still are producing enough)
Breastmilk is best right?? Don't give soy milk!! It's the worst of the bunch you can feed. Hopefully, she will grow out of it. Stay strong!

I had similar issues with my now 6 mo. Although, not as bad as your daughter seems. My daughter also had a Barium Enema done and the results were she was fine. I would also suggest a lactation specalist and a second opinion. I went through an elimination diet, for me it's just seems staying away from milk helps, some babies are more sensitive and need to stay away from all dairy. I also supplement with Enfimil Nutramigen, ( it's for babies w/ a milk allergy) it's very expensive, so if you can get your diet right and milk supply up it sure would save you alot of $$$. My DD went from only pooping maybe once a week to now at least every other day! There is also a percription you can ask your Dr. about to help your supply, Domperidone.

Good luck!!!

My son is also 2 months old, and I had the same problem. My pediatrician took us off of enfimil & SImilac & put us on GOOD START since it uses a natural Whey Protein. He has been having 2-3 bowel movements a day, soft. He still strains some, but it is NOTHING like it used to be. I hope that helps!

T.

Hi L.,

I have a wonderful chiropractor who treats infants. Sometimes within a couple of adjusts (to realign what happens during childbirth), the nervous system can begin working like it is supposed to.

He and his wife are in practice together, and are currently treating my son.

Dr. Cameron Sutter ###-###-#### website: www.wellnesshotspot.com

You can google search chiropractic and infant bowel problems to locate studies.

I wish you all the best,

N.

Hi L.,

Do you have a good double breast pump? You should be able to stimulate more milk production that way or via some supplements (Fenugreek) and keeping hydrating.

If I were you, I would contact a lactation consultant or be connected to one via the hospital or ob/gyn.

There are different ways to get more milk and what worked for me might not be what's best for you so I really suggest you do this!

I am still nursing after 2 years and 5 days... and my daughter and I struggled for the first 6 weeks (I pumped to supplement and increase supply, we nursed and nursed and even tried a medicine dropper!)

Eliminating the 10% formula may help...

My situation was very similar to yours. At around 1 1/2 months she began straining and having a very difficult time making a bowel movement - she could be up for 3 hours at a time, straining and pushing, a lot of tears, and no result. We too went to a great GI. I was breastfeeding, but the docs made me try to stop for a little bit and try a formula to see if it was something I might be eating that she had a issue with (but I kept pumping). We tried Enfamil Lipil and Nutramagin. The first had no change, the second made her worse and she vomited it up.

So, I went back to breastfeeding. I have now eliminated:dairy, wheat, soy, gassy veggies, raw nuts and most glutens. The one thing that really seemed to make a difference was the nuts - though, we never saw the full change we wanted.

We put our poor little girl through a barium enema xray which came out negative.

The GI suggested a probiotic, Florastor which seemed to work some. Again, not completely.

She would go days in great discomfort - it wasn't that she just wasn't going, at this point (she was 4 months or so) they may not go for up to 7 days, but she was terribly uncomfortable, so this didn't seem normal.

So, I guess, I'm not giving you much of a quick answer, but, some of these things eased her discomfort, and I think time was the best, her little digestive system has been maturing.

At times when she was really uncomfortable, the GI had us use 1/2 of an infant glycerin suppository. We had to resort to that several times, and after we caused some movement down there, she seemed to have it a little easier on her own. So, I'm not sure how you feel about that.

One note, she was getting better, and then somewhere around 2 1/2 months she got her vaccinations and it set her right back to where she started, so be sure to check with the GI and pedi to make sure they think it's okay to go ahead with these as scheduled. (we had even split them, but the very night, her issues came back big time). A doc in my family thinks it is just that this was her weak spot, and the vaccs, set her back a bit.

Also, with regards to the breastmilk. My milk supply went down after I had to pump for so long while trying the formula, but, it's come back up, I spent a few days feeding her every two hours, and also took the "more milk plus" tincture (you can get it at whole foods or the pump station). Sometimes at the end of the day, it's a little low, but, I can bottle feed her some that I pump in the night.

Feel free to email me if you have any questions.

All the best,

roxane

L.,

Go to another pediatrician and go online to a pediatric site, and hurry up. Do it today. Call another ped. and tell the person who answers that you need a second opinion and fast. If she says no appointment, then ask for a suggestion about whom to call and then do it, now.

C. N.
C. N.

I would be curious to know what an M.D. that is knowledgeable and supports breastfeeding, or a lactation consultant would say about a Mom who "can't keep up with the demands" of a breastfeeding new two month old baby. I have never heard of such a thing. Are you taking care of yourself? Drinking enough water? Very important in making milk. Are you eating healthy food, and getting enough rest? These I would recommend, and leave out the formulas. They can not make them to be as healthy for a baby as breast milk. After all that is what breasts and breast milk is for, to feed our babies. Check your diet further for things that might irritate your baby - caffeine, alcohol, tomatoes, sugar? I'm sure you know that newborns nurse constantly, and a miracle is that their nursing helps to produce more milk, the more they nurse, the more milk you will make to keep up with their needs. Happy nursing, happy bonding.

I recommend you go see a lactation specialist. Sounds like you need to take some more things out of your diet. Not so much fun but it works. I also had to take out dairy, then soy (not fun for a vegetarian) and then wheat. I also took my son to T. chiropractor. This helped with his digestion and before my eyes took him from unmanageable to manageable. Many thought I was crazy but when they saw T. results they believed me. You can goggle milkmaid at home in Sand Diego and they have free breastfeeding support classes or just call them and run your situation by them. Kaiser also has a outpatient lactation consultant on staff and Rose is who I saw. Remember with T. diet elimination that it takes your body 3 weeks to clear something from T. system so it probable won't help over night. That is why I did T. combination of diet and chiropractor. They are so gentle with babies and there is no manual manipulation. Just like acupressure. I went to Dr. Gerken in Chula Vista and he does lots of children and babies. Has 3 young kids himself. I know from experience that taking food out of your died is very hard but once you get into a routine of it and begin to see a difference it is worth it. At around 6 month I was back to eating whatever I wanted........... Ice Cream:)
Amber
email me if you have questions......... I am a certafied lactation educator or I was prior to my 2 babies but that is something that never leaves ya:)
____@____.com

It seems her intake & diet is/has been addressed....but perhaps, is anything wrong with her sphincter muscles, her ability to expel her BM??? Or her body's ability to assimilate her intake and absorb and "digest" it???? Also, what color is her BM? The color can also indicate concerns as well. If it is white for example, this may mean that nutrients are not being absorbed or that there is some kind of intestinal blockage etc.

She is obviously not constipated at this point, as you said her BM is mostly liquid...but yet, she strains a lot to get it out.
It seems puzzling to me that she is straining so much to get out her BM...but yet it is mostly liquid in consistency.... the fact that it is mostly liquid when it comes out... that may signal something else that may be wrong?

Perhaps, investigate this aspect of it?

My son was always a noise & grunting maker when he pooped... but not to the point where he strained so much, as you describe your daughter doing, and his poop was of normal consistency.

Perhaps she is always hungry because her intake is not being absorbed or digested in her body, and is coming out diarrhea like???

Don't feel bad that you have to supplement with formula. I too had to do that with my son, even though I had plenty breastmilk. My son grew like a weed despite.

Also, how is your daughter's weight gain and growth? Is her BM issue affecting this? Does she get dehydrated? Make sure. These are also important points to consider in the whole picture of things....

Just some thoughts to investigate, perhaps.
All the best, and take care,
~Susan

have u tried organinc formula soy based? if not that one then lactose free she may be lactose in tollorent my son was but he was bad tell i gave him whole milk.

Have you tried to increase your supply. I know that this was a concern for me when i first started with DD, but she was just a persistent Breastfeeder, nursing every 1.5-2hours. I kept up this demand for a year and she never had a problem with getting enough. I know women second guess themselves that they don't make enough and it becomes a self fulfilled prophesy. I hope you figure out what needs to be done for our little girl. Best of lucking find the right combination that works for you

The only thing that comes to mind is over-eating. Are you feeding her too much? Your body should be able to keep up with the demand. You might think about visiting a lactation consultant, make sure baby is latching on correct.

How about infant massage? I know that Kaiser Permanente offers classes, maybe her bowels need a little help. Have you tried rubbing her tummy? Does that help?

I hope she feels better soon!
~N.

My baby is also 2 months old and all I do is breastfeed her. She also strains and grunts when she passes a bowel movement (and has lots of gas too no matter what I eat, or avoid eating). She makes the noises in her sleep too and cries sometimes, just to fall back sleep again.

I read in my "What to Expect" book that straining is normal and common. I've also spoke to other mothers I know and they said the same thing, but we found it to be comical (although maybe it's not as bad as what your baby is going through). The spitting up through the nose...I don't know about. I would ask your pediatrician about it.

Also, a tip about building up your milk supply: you have to just constantly offer your breast. I have very small breasts but built up my milk supply by offering my breast whenever my 2 month old wanted it. That meant having to nurse her almost every hour or half hour during the day for about 2 weeks straight. I thought I was going to go crazy, but that's what my LLL book advised me to do and IT WORKED. Here's the excerpt:
"Another age-related "false alarm" is that babies will experience several "growth spurts" in the first few months of life. Generally, these occur around two to three weeks, six weeks and three months of age or they may happen at any time. These are days when baby wants to nurse longer and more frequently to build up mother's milk supply. Follow baby's lead on this by letting him breastfeed as often and as long as he wants. This will help bring up milk supply quickly. The breasts work on the law of supply and demand. The more baby "tells" mother's breasts to make milk, the more milk she will have.
By allowing your baby to nurse more frequently for a few days, your body will receive the message that more milk is needed for your growing baby. Once your supply has increased, your baby will usually return to his usual routine."

http://www.llli.org/FAQ/increase.html

straining, grunting and crying during bm's at her young age is normal! Breastfed babies have liquid poop! It will stay liquid until she is on regular food, or formula. My son also spit up threw his nose. Try keeping her upright after feedings. She will learn to control the spit up.

http://www.drjaygordon.com/development/bf/galact.asp

This website has information about how you can increase your milk supply. It sounds like her tummy cannot tolerate the formula. Good luck!

i also breast fed..actually just quit at 28 months but i did supplement a bit..and my son had problems w/ formula..what helped was colic tablets by hylands..for some reason that helped his belly..also i used suppositories sometimes to help him..and i used Good Start Supreme's comfort protein formula..it was the only one that he could handle. i was on babyzone and some of the other moms had the same problem and that formula worked for them. i had to eat very bland foods..i mostly stuck to sandwiches ..when u first introduce her to a formula add a little extra water to mellow out the formula and remember only an ounce at a time in the beginning w/ a new formula.
i would try to just breast feed..but if you have to use formula try the Good Start Supreme Comfort Protein one. good luck..i know it's tough and hard to watch them suffer.

Have you tried anything to boost your milk supply? Anything foreign to your baby is going to be worse than your own milk that's made just for her.

i have no idea if this is relevant but when i was a baby i had horrible gas pain and it turned out my sphincter muscles were too tight. it doesn't sound like your baby has gas necessarily, but the straining made me think of it. the ped stretched the muscles it with a lubbed, gloved finger and after that i was fine, according to my mother.
i agree with the other moms that it's unusual that you wouldn't be able to increase you milk supply to breastfeed %100 of the time. breast feeding is totally supply and demand--it just takes some time for your supply to catch up sometimes and you have to breastfeed/pump more frequently for a while. usually supplementing negatively effects your supply. it seems like the formula is complicating the situation, but i don't know your exact situation.

L.,
I'm so sorry you and your little angel are going through this.
I saw that someone had suggestion Good Start formula and I had other mothers tell me this worked for their babies. My baby wouldn't take a bottle so I don't know personally. I cut out everything from diet except rice, turkey, and pears. It still didn't help my little one, but what did really help was the chiropractor. I know it sounds strange, but my daughter went from screaming 4 hours a day to just being a regular baby crying when she needed something. I could tell when her neck was out again, because she'd start screaming. They also take great naps after their adjustments.
As far as your milk supply, if you need to increase it your doctor can prescribe medication to help. Also, your babies stools should be runny at this stage, so I wouldn't worry about that.
Best of luck to you and your baby,
S. G