Constipated 4wk old

Bonnie - posted on 01/02/2010

Well My son had the same problem and everything the Dr. told us didn't work and then my mother inlaw said that she use to put about 1/4 tsp of brown sugar into the formula just one bottle a day until they have a poop and I tired it cause after 6 days of not going I was getting a little scared and the second day I did the brown sugar it worked and everytime since then as soon as he has not gone for 3 days I put a little brown sugar in and it works on him within the first day off doing so.
I thought it was crazy but I was at my witts end and it worked so good

Lerina - posted on 01/02/2010

I agree with Emily but as for advice the best thing I have found is apple juice but it must be cloudy apple juice.

Sarah - posted on 05/22/2009

A good kind of formula to use to help lessen constipation is Carnation Good Start. If it is a one time thing I would not worry about switching, but if the problem continues you may want to think about changing formulas. My son had this problem and doc recommended Carnation because it is easier for the tummy to break it down for some reason. You can also do 1 teaspoon of DARK karo syrup mixed into one of the bottles daily. You can do prune or apple juice, but not before 3 mos of age. I would use suppositories as a last resort. Sometimes using them too often can cause more issues later on.

Mel - posted on 05/21/2009

i didnt even know that Emily!!
To Nicole, unfortunately formula causes constipation, mine had it for 11 months really bad, its usually easily treated for a 4 week old you can use prune juice which is the most common method, mix 50 mills water to 20 mills prune juice and feed up to 30 mills per day, and also PLENTY of water between feeds. You can get a formula with a stool softener in australia its called novalac constipation but i dont know about there. Also coloxyl drops can be purchased form the pharmacy and can be used from birth but i wouldnt recommend using them on a regular basis because they become ineffective. When she gets older if she still has the same problems you can try orange juice and apple juice, and stay away from rice cereal. pureed fruits and vegies should sort it out like apple and pear but i wouldnt give her any of them til about 3 months.

Other then that the more natural solutions are warm baths and lower tummy massage in a circular motion. you can get suppositories but ive never resorted to this with mine because its really uncomfortable for them. use vaseline on a cotton tip as well sounds grose but works well

Emily - posted on 05/21/2009

Okay, I had to calculate this out. Usually I'm all for feed on demand, and I'm not trying to tell you that you're wrong for feeding on demand. But for every pound that a baby weighs, she should be drinking 2.5 ounces. So if she sometimes eats 4oz 12x a day, she is getting 48 ounces. Meaning she is 20 pounds. But I highly doubt your 4 week old is 20 pounds! It just seems to me that maybe she's getting a little -too- much formula. But i really dont know what to say, i mean if she's hungry she's hungry. You cant NOT feed her, you know? This is something I would bring up with your pedi though.

Bethni - posted on 05/21/2009

My 4yr old began having this problem when she was about 9 months old. It got so bad that I had to help her get it out. To this day she still has trouble going. At about 1 year of age they started her on miralax. If I go a few days without giving it to her, she has trouble going. When she was a baby though, they told me to do the same thing with the thermometer. You just have to be careful. If that doesn't help then ask your dr. She is little to young for miralax or prune juice now.

Tara - posted on 05/21/2009

its quite normal for bubs to only go twice a week especially formual feed bubs i have heard from about 6 weeks os mayb shes starting her bowel routine a lil bit earlier? once they r older and on solids i have also heard the sure fine way to fix constipation in them in brown sugar n water. hope this helps a lil bit , dont stress her body is workign itself out, if it goes a week without a movement then i would start to b a bit more concerned.

Jennifer - posted on 05/21/2009

If you put vaseline on the tip of a q-tip and then very gently rub it just on the inside of her rectum, it stimulates a bm.. If this doesn't work call the pediatrician.