Baby Boy Wont Go Poopie!!!!

At 4 mos. you could get some strained prunes and give them to him on a regular basis and see if that helps the consistency of his bowel movements.
Otherwise, I wouldn't be so concerned about the frequency...some babies just don't go as often.

Well I remember when I was younger my grandma used to get a (thing that you pull buggers out of the nose with) suction thing, and put water in it and put it up the rectum. I know that used to work for my niece and nephews. Good Luck

Don't now if it will work for you, but my friend's son used to get constipated and she'd hold him on the potty and let him push like that. It helped him.

Fiber One, give it to him as a snack each day. It's good for him and will keep him regular.

Hi there! You won't believe this, but I, too, had the exact same problem with my little one! Exact! Heard the exact same answers from my pediatrician, too, and I hate to say it, but it just didn't jive with me; babies will be very uncomfortable if they don't go regularly--breastfed or otherwise. Wouldn't an adult?? Of course. Well, here's what saved my baby boy (and me--because I absolutely couldn't stand seeing him in so much discomfort...and I tried everything under the sun) but, we have found a chiropractor--Dr. Mike Wasserstrom--in Carmel--and my baby went b.m. the very evening after his adjustment. And, each time I've taken him for adjustments, he's gone--and a good amount. By the way, in case you "worry" about chiropractic, please don't. Please informed of it's very healing properties, and that it's absolutely not just for people with sore backs or necks. Additionally, Dr. Wasserstrom (Dr. Mike) has not physically manipulated my son, but uses a device that does NOT hurt, is NOT invasive, but applies repeated pressure upon the area (it will be your baby's sacrum--the lower back) that will stimulate nerves that are connected to the bowels. Dr. Mike promised me "a poopie" and guess what? My baby's gotten one EVERY TIME! Please respond back if you'd like any more info. I think I tried to tell as much as I could. He's changed my baby and I am so pleased with this doctor, his attitude, and my baby's comfort now. Best of luck to you.

try over the counter laxative drops for infants they sell them at cvs, rite aid etc..

We had the same problem, my daughter was breastfeed and used formula to supplement and once i went back to work we went to just formula and the constipation was bad too. So the ped. said give 2 ounces of prune juice a day and i mix it with 2 ounces of milk so she'll eat it.and since then she has been regular poops at least once a day. Good luck

My twins had this problem too, and one would push and cry like your little one. We were on soy formula, and that didn't help the situation. I was worried about giving karo syrup (yes, I did it too and didn't know it could be harmful) and suppositories because I didn't want them to rely on them. I gave them 2 oz of apple juice mixed with 2 oz of water once a day, and that helped one baby but not the other. I work at a hospital, so I went and asked the peds nurses what I should do. They all told me to switch my formula to Good Start. It really helped, and we haven't had a problem since! Also, once you start him on his first baby foods, he should get more regular. Good luck and I hope the problem goes away soon.

Please please please please STOP the Karo syrup IMMEDIATELY! It can cause botulism! Not to mention, little ones are not equipped to digest things like that. I'm really suprised at the amount of people that don't know that! It's just like honey, stay away from it till your little one is AT LEAST a year old.

When I weaned my daughter we had the same problem. She just couldn't go. We just watered down her formula more to give her more liquids. It seemed to help. You could try prune juice too. Give each thing you try time to work. Give him the prune juice, or even pureed prunes, and wait about 3 or 4 days. Maybe combining more water, juice and fruit will help. Soy formula makes things worse for some babies, so you may want to stay away from that. Infant massage may work too. After we started doing it with my daughter, she would poop almost every time. I can give you some strokes to try if you're interested.

I have heard not to do the karo syrup at all, it can be very harmful, but I used baby prune juice and it worked like a charm. Almost any juice will do the trick. Good luck!

Have you tried talking to the doctor about maybe adding some Benefiber to his diet? I had the same problems with my daughter. She would scream and hide when she was trying to poop. We also started to notice that she was passing blood. We took her to the doctor so many times that we gave up and finally took her to Children's Hospital. Her normal doctor suggested Miralax. We used that a few times just to get her going. We found using it more than 2 days caused our daughter to poop every 15 minutes and we were then worried about dehydration. We found a wonderful doctor there that suggested we try using small amounts of Benefiber in her juice to help maintain the fiber level. I'll be honest and say I wish we would have found the doctor from the hospital sooner because she worked miracles for my daughter. Of course we had it ok'd through her regular doctor but everything completely changed. Now she goes poop at least once a day with no problems. I hope this helps. Good luck!!

I sure do feel for you! My 2nd son had the same problem when he was about 2 months old. He was put on soy formula at that time because he would cry non-stop and barely sleep when he drank the milk-based formulas. So the soy formula made him a happy baby, but then he got very constipated. It was very solid, and he would cry when he tried to have a bm. So, I talked to my son's doctor about this. He said that it is common for soy formula to cause constipation problems. So, he said it was ok for me to give him 2 oz of prune juice each day for the rest of the time he was taking the soy formula. So, I would pour 1 oz of prune juice in with his first bottle of the day, and if I needed to, I would pour 1 oz of prune juice in his afternoon or evening bottle. But, most of the time the 1 oz prune bottle in the morning did the trick. He pooped normally from then on. After a while, some days I would not give him any prune juice because his poop was runny. And, since he has been eating baby foods, he has not had a drop of prune juice! And, he is still drinking soy formula. Hope this helps!
A. M

You may want to change your formula. My son had the same issues when he was young and still at 15 it can happen. I had to change to a soy formula for him. I don't know what you are using but talk again to your doctor or find one who will talk to you. I can't believe he told you to give him juice at such a young age. That does not seem right. I have tried caro syrup and it has worked. He may have some allergies and you definitely do not want any long term problems. It sounds like you need to find another doctor. I hope you gradually went from breast to bottle. ANd you don't want to jump around too much with different things that can contribute. Stick with one things for a time to allow his body to get used to it. Remember his body is new and this stuff is new to him. ALso try massaging his tummy. Good luck to you.

My baby was having the same problem, only he is younger than yours (he is 12 weeks today). My pediatrician wouldn't let me give him anything because of his age. He would go days without having a bowel movement. We kept giving him Karo syrup to get him to go, and then when he would go, it would be rock hard. We tried changing formulas, watering down formulas, etc. (Actually, I asked a pharmacist if I could order formula without iron and they said companies stopped selling it because so many babies were becoming anemic that they would rather parents have to deal with constipation!) Finally I got so fed up and I started giving him children's fiber in his bottle at night. It has been working. He has been having regular bowel movements (about once a day) and they have been very soft. If we forget to give it to him he gets bound up again. It's worth a try!

When my son was smaller (he's 10 months now), I would give him prunes if he got constipated. Usually, within 24 hours I had a huge messy diaper to change. If he is content, I wouldn't worry too much about it, but if he's straining to go and not going, I would talk to your pediatrician about it. My pedi told me a long time ago that it was normal for them to go a week without a bowel movement and not to be worried if it happened. However, my son has had minimal problems in that area.

Good luck!

Have you tried prune juice? About a 1/2 ounce is all you need. (I made the mistake of giving my son (2 1/2) like 4 ounces and I thought he would never stop going!) If that doesn't work they have baby lax which they don't much care for but it does the trick. You may also start him on fruits like prunes or any other fruit high in fiber. Also, they make infant vitamins with fiber so that may be an option. Good Luck!!

S. - mom of 2 step sons; a 2 1/2 y/o & 1 on the way!

My son is doing the same thing. He is 9 months now but has always had a problem going. The karo never worked with him but juice does. How much juice are you giving him? My doc said about 2oz of pear juice. My sister said pear juice works the best. But not to scare you it could be a bigger problem. My oldest was really constipated and he actually had a bowel obstruction. Till he was 6 months old he had problems and we were in the drs about once every week and they just kept saying give juice and change his formula and then one morning he woke up and was throwing up bile. After about 7 days in the hospital they did surgery and found what was wrong. So don't let your dr keep blowing it off. Keep on them if it does not get better.

its not too unusual for breast fed babies to go thru non pooping stages. Try diluted prune juice. Dont stress too much.

first i have to say that the dr you went to was incorrect about breastmilk.... it makes them go, more of a natural laxitive. my dr informed me of this as well as i have read that. anyway, try rubbing his tummy, or call the ped's again. if they won't listen then go elsewhere. i know how frustrating this can all be. but it sounds like the formula did it. why don't you try pumping and giving them to him. it'll help

I had (am having) the same problem with my twin girls. They are 5 months old today. The were premature and I'm not sure if that relates to it or not. I fed them breastmilk for 3 weeks, then went to formula. The formula they use is high in iron and they take vitamins too (also high in iron). I know the iron plays a role in it. They also take meds for reflux and that's when the constipation went from bad to worse. This is what I found has worked for us and also what was recommended. 45-55ml's of prune juice once to twice a day. Make sure it is low in sugar, as the sugar is hard to digest at that age and can cause tummy aches. Also, try taking a rectal temp. That will encourage a BM. And last, and probably most important in your case, use some Vasolene or something along the same lines and put just the tip of your pinky finger inside the anus. Be sure alot of lube stays. This will not only help with a BM but will help to aleviate hemroids. If your little one is doing alot of pushing hemroids will become an issue. That in turn will cause pain and will discourage him from trying.

If all of this fails and you are not happy or confident with the answers from your Pediatrician, ask to be referred to a GI specialist. It never hurts to get another doc's opinion.

Good Luck!!

M.

Oh and btw, it's been a couple months now but they still need to drink it everyday to have a BM.

Castor oil or glycerin. Might want to get copies of
NATURALLY HEALTHY BABIES & CHILDREN by Romm and
ENCYCLOPEDIA of NATURAL HEALTH AND HEALING FOR CHILDREN by Weber

OK you are going to think I am CRAZY but this worked for my daughter AND the DR told me to do it. She told me to take a q-tip and dip it in Vaseline, insert only the cotton tip in her bottom(VERY GENTLY!!!), she pushed against me and when I took the q-tip out she produced ALOT of poop. We had to do that about once ot twice a week, sometimes she went right away and other times it took about an hour. The Dr said it was lubing her p alittle so the poop would come out easier. She was much happier when we did this because she could actually go and it didnt seem to hurt as bad. We got to where she would get bound up and my husband would say, ' ok its time to change her oil' LOL he is silly, but it worked every time, My daughter is 7 now and had no problem going potty. I hope this helps. GOOD LUCK

i have been told that sometimes babies only go once a week, but I agree with you. Personally, I'd find a new dr. to get a second opinion.

I had the same problem with my daughter around that age and got the same response from her doctor. "It's normal." Yeah right, if I didn't go for a week I'd be sick and/or in some pain. You can't tell me a kid is any different! Anyways, I tried all the same things you did and didn't get much a difference. And like you my daughter was breastfed and it happened when changing to formula. I wish at the time that I had known what I know now thanks to my training as a massage therapist. I used a simple massage stroke to help move things along and I did this every day for a while.
Take your first 2 finger and starting on the left side of the child's body directly under the ribcage push ur fingers in about half an inch (it doesn't hurt). Pull them from the ribcage down to the hip. Pick your fingers up and this time start under the right side of the ribcage and move across the body to your orginial starting point and back down to the hip.(A sideways "L") Then do the same thing starting at the right hip up to the ribcage and follow your previous traces. (upside down "U"). It is called the I Love You Stroke since each of the 3 strokes is and "I", "L", or "U". I do that and well as take the side of my hand and gently pull down on the stomach from ribcage to pelvic region (in a paddling motion). Another thing that worked (and it sounds weird) is to just simply take your index finger and lightly starting at the bellybutton circling in a clockwise motion out the entire area of the stomach. Always starting at the belly button on that one.
I did all of these with my daughter for a couple of days and it started making her go every day. The reason this massage stroke works is because you help move bowel contents through the colon. You move things out of the lower (descending and sigmoid) colon with the first stroke, out of the middle (transverse) colon with the second stroke, and the upper (ascending) colon with the last stroke.
I've also heard that if you take castor oil and rub it on the baby's stomach (in a clockwise motion) then put a recieving blanket over them and a warm water bottle on top of that and then rock them it will work pretty quick as well.
I know some of these aren't exactly what you would normally hear but after becoming a massage therapist I've started looking for more natural ways to do things and I know these work well. Good luck and if you have any questions about any of what I've put feel free to message me.

When my oldest son was about 3 months old, he didn't pooped for a week. I called the pediatrician and he told me to give him 1-2 baby spoons full of baby food prunes. I did that and he went with in a few hours of it, and BOY DID HE EVER GO... EVERYWHERE!!! So, you may want to try that. But I would also suggest you 1) find a new pediatrician that listens to you and seems more concerned for your child 2) possibly find a Gastrointerologist (GI Dr.) to take a look at your little one. IMO, that is not normal to have that much BM issues at such a young age.
(As a side note, my oldest has had periodic ongoing issues with constipation always and will soon be 15. I have IBS (irritable bowel syndome) and think he may as well.)
Good luck and let us know how things turn out.

My 2 year old grandson has issues with poop too. He needs more fiber in his diet. He's so picky. Chicken nuggets are about his only food. He drinks metamusels in his juice cup 2 times a week. He sayss his butt hurts and he knows he needs to poo. but cannot.

100% juice will inevitably make him poo immediately. Children cannot handle the excessive acid from strong juices. Often parents dilute juice when first starting them on fruit items. Try giving him maybe 4 ounces a day. Grape juice tends to loosen things up very well. I really like the Welches brand. Any kind of coctail or punch that has pineapple juice in it will loosen things up. You might also try pineapple baby food. I think I remember there was a pineapple banana Gerber baby food. I am thinking it was a 3 type of food... not sure though. If that doesn't work, you can always give him a bit of prune juice. Heck... that works for me. lol.

You might try grape juice diluted. It will keep his bowels soft and make him go to the bathroom. I gave it to my sons when they were babies to help them and it never hurt them. They are 20, 18, 16 now and the grandbabies get grape juice also diluted. It is what works for us.

J., I used to babysit several years ago and encounter the same problem with one of my little charges. Alot of formulas contain iron. Iron will make it hard for babys to go potty. They do have formulas out that have little or no iron. Also, I started giving her prunes in the morning with her cereal. This helped alot. Are you giving him prune juice? The little one that I watched really had a tough time going, and the prunes in the morning really helped. Are you feeding him baby food yet?
Hope this helped. I'm a Grandma and I have encounted my problems over the years.

I like diluted prune juice for constipated babies. Dilute one ounce of prune juice with four ounces of water and put it in his bottle. It is sweet and babies love it. Just FYI, apple juice has a lot of pectin in it and should not be given to constipated babies. Pectin is the stuff they put into jams to make them Jell up. Bananas have pectin too.

My daughter had the same problem but she was around 6 months and starting solids which is what I think did her in. We gave watered down prune juice to her and nothing. We slowly added more juice and less water until it was all juice. Now she gets 100% prune juice (the adult kind) and baby cereal mixed together for breakfast and at the start of every meal if she seems bothered by not going. Now that she's on solids I can also feed her fiber-filled foods too.

My son at 4 months also had constipation issues but he didn't seem bothered. He went a week between BMs for about a month and was fine- no grunting, unexplained crying, gas, etc). So we left him alone, no intervetions (after several calls to the ped to convince us his was fine) and it worked itself out.

I share these two different stories from the same family as proof that every kid is different and it's just a huge science experiment to figure out what works for your little one! :)

Hi J.! I soley nursed my baby daughter, and she was a pooping machine! When I switched her to formula, she slowed down a little. She was eating rice cereal, and of course, that seemed to back her up a bit, but nothing that I would call "constipating". So, with that said, here's what I did... when I gave her cereal, I put baby fruit in it (prunes with apples), and that did the trick! She was back to her normal poopie self! I made sure she's getting the prunes with apples (which pretty much tastes like raisins), avoid the bananas and applesauce, continue with the juice/water, and make sure he's getting plenty of fluids. Just a little piece of advice as far as the suppository goes... it can cause severe cramping for him. I would only use it as an absolute last resort. If he is trying to poop and is crying and pushing and having a hard time, you might even want to try and lube up his little butt to reduce the friction or even wipe him with a warm cloth to stimulate him to push more. First and foremost, make sure he's getting plenty of liquids and foods that will cause him to go. Cheese could back him up too. I wish you the best of luck!!

Ok. Let me just say if you have used suppositories or enemas and your child has not went to the bathroom, you need push your doctor. Thats not normal. If you feel something is wrong with your child, don't let it go. Moms know best about their child. If your ped won't do anything, make an appt with a pediatric GI(gastroenterologist.) My sons first ped completely ignored some GI issues he had. I knew something was wrong. I switched peds and went to a GI doc. My son had a GI disease that who knows how long would have been untreated or making him sicker. Not saying there is anything seriously wrong with your son, just stating you have to be the advocate for your child. Don't take no for an answer. If doc says its normal or whatever. Make her prove you wrong, treat it or run test, do scope.

I know what you mean about it is hard watching them struggle tring to go to the bathroom. I am also a first time mother! Just last month my son 3mths couldn't go to the bathroom so I went out and bought little tummys LAXATIVE DROPS by Little Remedies. I gave him less then .25mL in the afternon and next morning he went. Since he is 4mths old have you started jar food yet..? if so I will try some prunes. I started my son about right around 3mths, and prunes was my next step if this medicine didn't work. I got the medicine at Target in the pharmacy asile. I hope this helps.

Try boiling mint leaves and than strain. Use the strained water in a bottle and that should help a little. Other than that go to WebMD or search on about.com. Some homeremedies are safe but some are just not. Apple juice, prune juice are all good. Rub the belly and kinda knead it a little. When my youngest was having that kind of problem due to the fact that we tried the bottle while breast feeding, and she became very constipated. Give a little prune juice or apple juice (warmed) and massage the belly especially when he's straining. He might be getting too much IRON or fiber some where along the line. That could also be causing him to be constipated. Sometimes it is extremely hard to be patient and put up with this stuff. Also check his temperature. If it ends up high, I would take him in. Get another opinion if your not comfortable with your pediatritions input. Good Luck!

My son had the same problem and finally when I switched from Infamil to Nestle Good Start formula, the issue cleared up. I might add he had reflux and spit up a lot on Similac and Infamil but as soon as we started the Nestle it all stopped and he was less gassy also. I hope you find some relief for your little guy!

Add some fiber to his diet by giving him prune juice. Prune juice is loaded with fiber and it should help to regulate his system to where he can poop and not have it hurt. Not many people would suggest this because prune juice doesn't taste the best but it does work. I had to do this with my youngest when he was about 9 months old. He is constipated that is why it is hurting him so much. Give the good old prune juice a try.
D.

I am 31 and have been married for almost 12 yrs. My husband and I have 3 boys ages 10,7, and 4.

My daughter is 6 months old and has had the same problem even when she exclusively breast fed. I tried karo at first and it didn't work, but after crying while watching my baby suffer I decided that I would try again. We put more in until we could get her regular and then have kept it at that level ever since. She hasn't been constipated in a while now, and when she does get constipated it is when I decide to see if she could use less karo. Also, you could try prune juice mixed with water in a bottle. I would put more water than prune juice though because babies don't like the taste wither! Once your baby starts eating eating solids it would be a good idea to get him started on prunes. Water helps with constipation and is good your babies kidneys once he starts eating solids, but only give about 4 oz.

It is so sad to see them hurting with this and not be able to help them! My nephew had the same problem, and my sister in law used something called Little Tummies. You can get it at any store in the medicine aisle. She swears by it and said it worked miracles. I hope this helps!!

B.

J.,
I know how you feel my daughter had the same problem! She had a few problems when she was a few months old and it started again when she began eating baby food so we put 1 oz of prune juice or prune baby food in her fist bottle of the day ( I still give it to her in her sippy cups). It was just enough that she did not have to strain and she would go poo. If he is really clogged up then it might take a day to work but try the prunes, it really does work. R.'

ok I have had this problem to and I have called and called the doctor and they told me to talk to a GI doctor that doctor gave me Miralax and I also tried sugar water and suppostories all of them will work ask your doctor about the
Miralax
I can tell you it took my twins doctor 6 months for my son to go in the hospital bc of him not pooping and throwing up all the time. My twins were 2 months olds when all this started I have seen a GI for all the problems one of the twins had and now he is fine. We went through the changing of the formula to and the one we found work was NEOCATE infant until he got his body use to going to the bath room and not throwing up it worked great. I had tried everything and nothing had worked but then I told the doctor we need help. My twins are now 11 months old and doing great and growing like weeks. If you have any question please feel free to email me I do now what you are going through my email address is
____@____.com
Oh where do you live and would you like to meet and talk some time if you live close please let me know too

thanks

I had, and still have the same problem with my 3 yr old daughter. we tried juice and karo syrup. even changed formulas. the only thing that seems to have worked is miralax. it is a very gentle softener that is powdered and mixed right in her morning milk. being that your son is only 4 months old i am not sure if the pediatrician would recommend it. i didnt start till she was 2. But it wouldnt hurt to ask. Hope you find a solution. I know how horrible it is to watch the pain they go through. In the mean time, you could try to put some vasaline down there when he is trying so the process will be a little smoother and less painful.

Hi J..

I can so sympathize with your situation. We went through this with our daughter - and are still dealing with it to some degree. After several failed attempts at different medications our doctor recommended that we see a Pediatric GastroInterologist. It still took some time but things are finally on the upswing. You might check into that. Good luck!

When that happened, my Mother-in-Law suggested "Braer Rabbit Molasses". A teaspoon in one of the bottles or maybe a couple did the trick for me. Hope this helps.

We had a similar problem with our daughter. Her doctor sent her for some sort of barium test. The barium ran through her intestines to make sure all was well. Everything was fine but we had to do the baby ememas several times and it was so hard to do to her. I would think about tracking his bowel movements and re-talking to the doctor. It is NOT normal to poop only once a week and I would think it would relieve your mind to know there is nothing medical wrong.

I haven't read the many many responses -- glad you got so much advice. But my advice would be to try to bicycle his legs a little. Movement encourages bowel movements. Much luck to you.

I would say first that if you are not comfortable that you are getting adequate care, concern, or attention from your doc, it's time to move on to another doc and another opinion. My son had some issues in this area as well. We used the karo water, diluted prune juice, baby food prunes, apple juice, and suppositories. The advantage that I had was that my doc stuck with me for every step! My son eventually grew out of his issues but I keep the suppositories on hand, just in case. Are you giving the karo every day? That's what I had to do for a while. I used the suppositories if it had been some time. I would seek a second opinion. In the meantime, up we go with the suppositories! Good luck to you and your little one. I do feel for you both! Shannon G.

First of all your son is way too young for suppositories. They shouldn't be given to babies under a year old. Secondly, try prune juice. I had everyone telling me what to try and it was the only thing that worked for us. My son did the same thing and it worked like a charm, and it doesn't hurt him at all!!
Good luck.

J.,
One thing no one mentioned that works well - when you know he has a BM ready and it's hurting him to go, put him in a warm bath with baking soda. Don't know why it works, but it does. (Of course, then you have poop in the tub, but you can always disinfect!) :)
Good luck, J.

My daughter is 14 months old and has had issues with constipation since she started on solid foods at 6-8 months old. (Before that she was exclusively breastfed and pooped about 4-6 times per day. At her worst she pooped every 3 to 4 days and it was super painful for her.) We tried lots of diet changes that your son is still too young for, but finally our pediatrician recommended Miralax and my daughter now goes every 1-2 days with a lot less crying. I don't know what would be a safe does of Miralax for a 4-month-old, but it might be worth asking your pediatrician about it.

My daughter is two months old and we have gone through the same thing. She was breastfed exclusively then we began to supplement with formula about 3 weeks ago. She would cry as she was trying to go poop and I had to help her push. Her doctor told us to give her pear juice, mixed with equal parts water. It didn't help her until I gave her 2 ounces of straight juice and now she goes everyday. I give her more juice then water in the morning and equal parts in the evening. I would try just giving your son 2-4 ounces of pear juice twice a day for a day and see how he responds.

perhaps you could try a liquid stool softner, add it to his bottle once a day.There could possibly be a twisted bowel , but if he is moving them now and again I doubt that is the problem.Chiropractors help sometimes with these kinds of problems.

Ok I think I might have your answer!! I have two kids who are on what is called Miralax and it is over the counter. I give them some everyday in juice or in a formula bottle for my 10 month old. I have a 3 year old girl who did fine for the first couple years and then had a horrible bought of screaming and being in pain when trying to poop. We ended up usuing a supporitory and that was horrible. My doctor put her on this Miralax to help soften things up. It does not make her go per say but it softens things up to allow her to go with ease. Part of the problem became that once she was able to go she still was holding it from the pain she had before she was sort of traumatized and that just makes it all worse. Since she started the Miralax it has been much much better.

Now my 10 month old had problems early and I tried brown sugar and water as the doctors told me and even White Grape juice. She was put on this Alimentum formula early on for both this and for reflux but we took her to a Gastroenterologist for the reflux and he put us on Nestle Good Start and said just to give her pears or prunes to get things going poop wise. Well sometimes this worked sometimes not so I called the Pediatrician and asked if she could take this Miralax too and they said yes. I give my 3 year old one tsp in her first juice cup of the day and there is no taste so she has no problems. I was told to put the babies in juice as well but my Mom who watches them is not good about always giving her juice so now I just put about 3/4 tsp in her first formula bottle for the day.

I love this stuff and my kids will be on it all the way through potty training my dr. said but it is worth it for them to be comfortable. Ask your doctor what is right for your baby if you want to try this beacuse the doses are not exact so you may have to adjust them if it is too much or too little. That is what my Ped. told me.

Sorry so long.

Good luck!!

Tricia

Try a product called Miralax. My son used it when it had to be prescribed by a doctor, but now you can buy it over the counter. You need to make sure his bowel movements aren't painful, but it sounds like they already are. He probably has functional constipation (meaning he associates pain with pooping and he holds it back.) If he continues to associate pain with his bowel movements potty training him later will prove to be quite a challenge so you will want to do your best to resolve this problem earlier rather than later. Miralax is a great product that can be used long term (many kids take it for years without side effects.) Hope this helps!

I don't know if you have tried this or not, but it worked for my kids. Give them prunes. They have small jars of baby food prunes. Don't give them a bunch just a little bit for a couple of days and your problem should be gone. I had to keep them on hand for my daughter. I would give her prunes at least once a week even if she wasn't having problems. Just a question, does your son have dimples on his backside right about his butt? My daughter went to Riley for her stomach problems and the doctor asked if she had bowel issues. I said not really and told him what I did. He said that kids that have the dimples on their backs like that usually had bowel issues. She has them. Just a little fact that I thought was interesting. Good luck and when you get him regular try keeping going with the prunes.
Something else I just thought of. My daughter had a milk allergy, I breast fed and she was getting the milk through my milk. After we switched to soy formula the problem was a lot less of a problem. You might try eliminating milk from your diet for a couple of weeks and see if that makes a difference. If you are going to eliminate the milk you should go to godairyfree.com. They give you a list of all of the hidden milk in foods. There are milk based preservatives in the seasoning that McDonalds uses on their french fries. It is in a lot of stuff and if you are going to eliminate it you should completely eliminate it to see the best results.

Don't worry some babies go through this. Here is what you can do, when he is trying to go lay him on his stomach across your lap and and cuff your hands and start patting his back in a rapid motion. This will help move and loosen his insides at that time. Also what could be the reason is because his body hasn't gotten use to the formula and cereals you may be giving him. Just be patient and if it comes to worse take him to his doctor. Also pay attention to the color of his poop because his iron could be too high which also would cause it hard to pass.

When my son went through a stage of not pooping, my pediatrician said that we should just let nature take its course and wait it out but that was too frustrating for me and too painful for him. We gave him a little bit of white prune juice and did not have to wait very long for him to be able to poop. Also, try to exercise his little legs - bicycle moves - to help with the bloating and to get some movement down there. Sometimes just the excercising helped my son.

Save a bowel movement to show to the Peds doctor. If it is truly hard, he will be able to see, and maybe then do something. Sometimes, babies cry when they poop because they are using muscles not usually used. It dones't mean it hurts, and if he is only going once a week this could be the case. Or it could be he is constipated. Without seeing the poop, your Ped can't say for sure. After seeing a poop, if he doesn't give you a satisfactory explanation, then I would seek a second opinion. Usually when you are constipated, you are miserable, and crampy feeling. The fact that he is happy until it is time to poop, makes me wonder if he is constipated. Each baby has their own normal schedule. My son got apple juice every day, and he would poop every 7-8 days.
Good luck, I hope this helps.
R.
Mother of 4 children

2nd opinion!!! Go to a different pediatrician & tell them your problem. Once a week is NOT normal (I don't think anyway) and you don't want him to be so backed up. I would go to a different doctors office & see what they say. Good luck J.!

My sister had the same problem with her daughter when she was an infant. She too had success with switching to Nestle's Good Start formula. I'm not sure what she was feeding initially. Good luck to you both!

I didn't read through all of your responses yet but I take aloe vera GEL for my stomach problems (acid reflux and indigestion) and if I take too much I can get really lose. My daughter sometimes has a hard time pooping so I've started giving her 2 Tbs. a day and she has started to be more regular and her poops are softer. You can get this at health food stores for about 10-15$ for a quart and I would suggest starting out with a TBS a day till he loosens up and then reduce it to keep him regular. The Aloe Vera doesn't taste the best but it is a lot better then medicine. If your son is drinking juice mix it with his juice (a strong tasting one) and he should be fine.
I know my daughter only took formula once when she was young and the week after she couldn't poo at all and was miserable. She refused to take formula after that. You know your child! YOU know when they are uncomfortable and not feeling better then a doctor that spends 15-20min with them once every 3-6 months. If you think there is something bothering your child then you need to do what you think is right to take care of them! I'm happy to hear you aren't just taking what the doctor says to heart and blowing off what your little man is going through.
Disclaimer: I'm not a doctor, this is just a suggestion as to what I would do if it were my child that was having problems. RESEARCH! Take peoples suggestions and look stuff up on your own to find out what will work for you and yours. Good Luck and I hope your son gets to feeling better.
~~~S.

I had the same problems with my daughter when she was a baby. We also used the Karo syrup and it really helped. My old pediatrician actually told us to give it to her. I had never heard it was dangerous until reading the other posts here today! (I should note we ended up leaving the ped. that had told us to give Karo b/c we felt they were not competent.)

I would definately call your ped. and talk with them about the situation. My daughter was put on Miralax when she was about 3 yrs. and took it for almost 4 years straight. The doctor said there was no long term effects and it was safe for kids. (This was when it was prescription only) I don't know if it's safe for infants, but it's worth talking with your doctor about it. If he/she isn't willing to listen to you maybe it's time to find a new one.

Good luck!

KEEP CALLING THE DOCTOR!!! If your son is having painful poops then your doctor needs to listen or you need to find a new doctor. I had the same problem with my son when he was 5 months old. I called the doctor all the time. We tried several things and then FINALLY when my son was 10 months old the doctor prescribed Miralax (which now is available over the counter). Miralax was a miracle! My son still has issues and he is now 6 1/2. However, as long as we are consistent with the Miralax he does pretty well. Good luck! I know it is so frustrating. Don't let the doctor blow you off!!