not pooping!!

Laura - posted on 12/16/2009

Take her to the doctor because it could be really bad, the reason is because shes in pain. Give her water shes old enough, just start her off with an ounce or two, and make sure she isnt over eating. Also if u want u can mix some prum juice with a little bit of water and give her an ounce every day in the morning that will work but ask a doctor first. massaging her stomach can also help but very gently....k good luck.

Sarah - posted on 12/11/2009

She needs juice. Preferably apple juice. Because she's still on formula or brest milk, give her the juice first when she's hungry, before she discovers it's not milk. My daughter use to go three or five days, but my doctor told me that the natural way to lossen her bowels was juice.
I'm a mom of four children and my youngest is 3.

Sharon - posted on 12/10/2009

My son used to have a bad time pooping, he could go from 5-7 days without pooping for over the first year of his life. However, he has a rare genetic disorder, that has left him with low muscle tone, so finds it difficult to poop. But since he has become more mobile, we haven't had any trouble for at least the past 6 months.

We gave him a lot of different things, but nothing much helped at all. He was given Gaviscon by mistake, which was prescribed by one of his doctors, and believe it or not, it worked really well!! Wouldn't advise you to give it to your little one, but I would consult your doctor if it would be possible to try this.

Adele - posted on 12/08/2009

God the same problem with my baby, the only thing that really works is pegicol, you can get it from the chemist. That is what the pediatrition prescribed. Putting 1/2 spoon of brown sugar in her bottle makes it a bit easier.

Adele - posted on 12/08/2009

God the same problem with my baby, the only thing that really works is pegicol, you can get it from the chemist. That is what the pediatrition prescribed. Putting 1/2 spoon of brown sugar in her bottle makes it a bit easier.

Jessica - posted on 12/07/2009

thanks for all of your advice alot of stuff to consider. Bentley actually has her feet zoned once a month and when i told the foot lady about it she started seeing her once a week and it has really helped get her system working. I have read alot of info on this topic and talked to alot of specialists because my second daughter had it also and have determind that adults and childeren should have a reagular b.m. every 1 to 2 days if you are not then you need to increase your fiber intake. Which sounds so normal to me all of your suggestions are ways that i can do that. Thanks so much for your concern. She is still having a hard time nursing so i hope that she gets better with that.

Melissa - posted on 12/07/2009

Quoting jessica :

not pooping!!

My 4 month old daughter went 10 days with out pooping and i tried everything but nothing worked so i called the hospital and they said i had to give her a suppository and i didnt want to give it to her but she was hurtting so bad. She pooped for like 2 days straight and now she is so bad shecrys all the time and she will not nurse she acts like it hurts her to nurse and she has not pooped again for like 5 days. Help!!!!!!

Christy - posted on 12/07/2009

My son went thru that when he came home from the hospital and so we called the dr and he suggested using karo syrup! But with karo it takes a few uses before it kicks in! When he got to be 4 months or so we could give him some prune juice! I DO NOT RECCOMMEND A LOT OF IT THO! He had the poops a lot after that! Good luck!!! We also used mineral oil and that also takes a bit to kick in like the karo!

Omega - posted on 12/07/2009

dilute a little bit of prune juice

Christel - posted on 12/07/2009

Yeah, it's probably a reaction the what your eating. I would also suggest eating fruits and vegatable. When my children would get gas and could not move their bowels, my mom gave me an old time remedy.... she would put baking soda on the baby's tongue. Just a little like with your pinky finger. Also try some baby prune juice. Just a suggestion. I hope that everything works out if you haven't the problem already. Take Care.

Tanya - posted on 12/07/2009

My son had the same issue at 2 months and I nurse him too! He went 5 days without pooping and on the 5th day he vomited 5 times. I was so worried that I took him to the doctors immediately and the doctor gave him a suppository. The doctor said to give him prune juice (Gerber makes it pre-mixed with water) and pedialyte to replace his electrolytes. The doc also said that if my son didn't poop within 48 hours to give him another suppository and to repeat the prune juice. I did this for 3 weeks straight giving him a suppository every 3 days and prune juice every day until finally he started to go poop on his own. Even if you give her baby food prunes, that will help. Stay away from banana baby food because that seems to make babies constipated!! Good luck!!!

Christine - posted on 12/07/2009

If you child is on forumla, my doctor suggested putting a little prune juice in it and in a day she will be pooping, If she drinks a 8 oz bottle but in a about a 1/2 oz to a 1 oz and she will be fine

Christina - posted on 12/07/2009

My son was older when he sufferred with constipation. Your daughter may be too young for this now, but keep it in the back of your mind if she still has trouble in the future or ask your doctor about doing it now, perhaps in a small dose. I put a teaspoon of mineral oil in my sons drink (milk or juice) once a day and he never had a problem again! Good luck :)

Marjorie - posted on 12/07/2009

I would try massaging her stomach in between meals that would help the a little and maybe adding water to her meals. Be careful though it maybe something more serious have a specialist look at her to make sure she is not backup inside her. It is always good to get a second opinion when it comes to medical advise.

Marjorie - posted on 12/07/2009

Quoting jessica :

not pooping!!

My 4 month old daughter went 10 days with out pooping and i tried everything but nothing worked so i called the hospital and they said i had to give her a suppository and i didnt want to give it to her but she was hurtting so bad. She pooped for like 2 days straight and now she is so bad shecrys all the time and she will not nurse she acts like it hurts her to nurse and she has not pooped again for like 5 days. Help!!!!!!

Annette - posted on 12/07/2009

Hi, I have four kids and I breast fed all of them. My oldest pooped every 24 days, my next every 16-17 days, my third pooped most days for me and my baby pooped about once a month until I introducted solids. None of them were constipated. They did get tummy ache from wind but were not in pain from needing to poop. Thay all poop regularly now! I think we have this misconception that because as adults we poop most days, babies should too and this is simply not the case. It was considered acceptable the length of time all my children went between toilet breaks so long as they were solely breast fed and were still producing wet nappies. Don' panic, Its ok!

Rafizah - posted on 12/07/2009

I'm unsure if you will buy this, but here goes...
My cousin did not poop for a few days some time ago, so my mum did an old method. She took a bar of mild soap, cut/trim it so that it's narrow, wet it so it's slippery, and insert a very small portion into the anus. Just slightly insert and withdraw. My cousin pooped there and then!!

Lisa - posted on 12/06/2009

I used children's acidofilus....rub it in the baby's mouth w/ your fingers 2 - 3 times a day. You can find the powder form in your local natural health food store.

Ashley - posted on 12/06/2009

my son is 3 years old and has always had this problem the doctor says its common i used to have to give him suppositories and it was horrible. try putting a teaspoon of karo syrup in her bottle or prune juice that has worked the best my son takes miralax everyday and that helps also its not something that will make him get dependant on it just brings water into his bowels to soften them and make it easier to poop he still has a hard time goin sometimes but the miralx helps a lot so id ask ur doctor about that hope this has helped you i know how horrible it is to go through when ur child screams in pain cuz they have to poop n cant or are scared to poop or when it just hurts good luck

Danica - posted on 12/06/2009

My second daughter also went for this long between poops. She was in pain so after alot of advice (including the paediatrician saying don't worry till it's 3 weeks!) I did find that suppositories were best for her. Occassionally she still requires one and they always do the trick (she's now 18 months). If she really objects to suppositories, I found that baby accupuncture really worked (they use a laser light instead of needles), but this can get a bit expensive for every poo! I also tried homeopathy (don't bother!), chinese herbs (horrible!), massage (recommended), baby yoga (good results), diluted prune juice (stomach cramps), and baby chiropractor (slight temporary improvement). The great news is that as soon as she was crawling by herself it was all better (she just needed movement) and when she started walking it was better again. I still have to make sure she has a high fibre diet and plenty of water, but I have only used 2 gelatin suppositories since she started walking and only ever when she was in pain.

Good luck, and remember, this too shall pass! (no pun intended)

Erin - posted on 12/06/2009

My daughter had a similar problem starting at birth and we went to a Pediatric GI specialist who put her on Lactulose. Her problem was beyond prune juice, Karo, etc (although we tried all of that initially). My suggestion would be to go to a GI specialist if you don't need a referral for specialists (or see if your pedi will refer you). It could be any one of a number of problems, and they know how to assess what is going on. My daughter is 3 now and is off of the medication and all is well. I hope it is not anything serious and you find a solution soon. It is so awful to see your child in pain.

Amy - posted on 12/06/2009

Quoting jessica :

not pooping!!

My 4 month old daughter went 10 days with out pooping and i tried everything but nothing worked so i called the hospital and they said i had to give her a suppository and i didnt want to give it to her but she was hurtting so bad. She pooped for like 2 days straight and now she is so bad shecrys all the time and she will not nurse she acts like it hurts her to nurse and she has not pooped again for like 5 days. Help!!!!!!

My daughter has been having a problem pooping since she was about 3-4 months old. I have been instructed by my peidatrician to give her 1 ounce prune juice mixed with 1 ounce water 2 times a day. That has relly improved her pooping problem. I give the juice in the morning after her feeding and again at night before bed. It has cause some explosive poops at times but if she doesn't poop for a day now she really has a grumbly tummy!

 I wish you the best and if extreme measures need to be done, give her the suppository. It will help all in all!

Marie - posted on 12/06/2009

my daughter used to have the problem until they put put on Miralax. It's a mild laxative that dissolves completely in liquid. they sell in drug stores now but i'm not sure about the strength. I had to give at least one teaspoon per day. it turned out milk or milk-based formula can be binding. good luck it worked wonders for me.

Rhonda - posted on 12/06/2009

Jessica, something you may want to try is aloe juice. Since you are nursing, you can drink it and it will pass along to your daughter. I can consult with you on the amount you should take. If you're interested, just send me an email at rhondarohn@gmail.com and I can respond there. Rhonda

Angolina - posted on 12/06/2009

Quoting Danielle:

You should take her to a Chiropractor. My daughter had the same issue and the Chiro adjusted my daughter when she was 2 months old and she pooped before we left the office and all the way home. Be care not to use too many suppositories, because her system could get used to them and she won't poop without you using one. I also mixed apple juice with cereal to make sure she stayed more regular. If I had any issues where she went more than 3 or 4 days, I would take her back and have her adjusted again by the Chiropractor and she would be fine for a couple of weeks.

apple juice for babies under 9 months will cauz nappy rash

Angolina - posted on 12/06/2009

if you are breast feeding, it is normal for them to not poo for up to 14 days, i know my son did 12 days of no pooing. if baby is bottle feed she needs more water then what she is recieving. baby's should be drinking water everyday just like us BUT WATER MUST BE BOILED, TO KILL ANY GERMS AND BACTERIA, unless they are breast fed, depending on the weather and temperatrure, depends on how much water she should be getting. i would try giving her 10-20ml of water before each feed. (before not after, they are more inclined to drink it when they are hungry) i was told this by my first son's doctor who was highly qualified and recommended. my first son was constipated at the same age, did as the doctor had advised and was fine within 24hrs, lil guy drinks 3 bottles of water a day now....loves it and sure lets u know if he wants his water

Helen - posted on 12/06/2009

I don't care what they tell you... it is the formula... especially if it has iron in it, until this baby is getting some kind of fruit or fruit juice your going to have a problem... and until they are the right age... they cannot have it... because of pestisides. Water... room temp or warm... your baby's preference.. some people put honey... some white syrup... some just water. I give lot's of water... actually we don't give them enough... my pediatrician insisted on it... so did my daughters... big difference in time. I breast fed my children, did not have all these issues that bottle fed babies have... my heart goes out to you... if you can muttle through.

Rebecca - posted on 12/06/2009

corn syrup and warm water

Cathy - posted on 12/06/2009

You can put 1 tsp of Karo syrup in every bottle. It worked for my little man. Also doing a rectal temp helps. I know doing things like suppositories and rectal temps seem hurtful, but it is way better than her being constipated. If she stays that way she can get sick.

Claire - posted on 12/05/2009

When my daughter doesn't poop for more than 4days I give her some bebegel. It works immediately. It like jelly and you can use it instead of suppository.

Jessica - posted on 12/05/2009

Your comment about her not nursing is more concerning than the not pooping situation. If she is not nursing, is she drinking or eating anything else?? If she is a breastfed baby and she is not nursing she could get dehydrated.

When you said that she was hurting because she wasn't pooping (before the suppository), do you think it's possible that something else was bothering her (like late onset "colic", which is now often diagnosed as gastric reflux although I'm not sure they are really the same thing...) and maybe that's still what is bothering her which would explain why she doesn't want to nurse? If she is breastfed only (no formula or solid food) then it's perfectly normal to go 10 days without pooping, as several other mothers have said. Our son did that (pooped only every couple of weeks) until he was quite a bit older than 4 months, in fact he still only poops about every 3 days. He's almost 22 months old but still breastfeeds alot.

It's also possible that she's having alot of gas issues, possibly from something in your diet or just because she's still developing. We used the Infant Gas-X as needed, tummy massage, bicycle legs, and you could also check your diet for things like onions, garlic, beans, etc. I also remember having to try all different nursing positions when our son was around 3-5 months old because he suddenly would not nurse lying down, it seemed to hurt him, he would only nurse kind of "sitting upright" against me (he later went back to nursing lying down, this was just while he was having some kind of tummy issues). Anyway, if your daughter is solely breastfed and pooping infrequently, I would personally get a second opinion before you give her more suppositories, and try to figure out what else could be bothering her. Let us know how she does!

Julie - posted on 12/05/2009

Quoting Sarah:

My daughter did the same thing at 3 months old......it is apparently REALLY common, and perfectly fine (she has since gone 13 days without) I did not intervene, and she pooped on her own. Basically baby is absorbing every bit of what is being digested and nothing left as waste.

Yup, same here. As long as she was exclusively breastfed, she didn't poop for over a week for most of the first 4 months. But once I introduced cereal and other "solid" (pureed) foods, she did become constipated (dry, hard stools, straining to get it out). And I started to try everything: eliminate the rice cereal and switch to oatmeal, no bananas or applesauce, etc on the diet. (My ped. said do NOT use Karo syrup like they did a long time ago.) Then I used liquid suppositories (Pedia-Lax) because the suppository capsules would be pushed out of her bum before they could dissolve to be effective. Now at 8 months, she's still on a prescription medicine that pulls more water into her lower bowels and she can be off and on it whenever needed with no problem ( medicine is called Lactulose). She's been on it for about 2 months and I have not noticed any side effects.

If her stools are still runny and orange, it sounds like its normal for a baby whose diet consists soley of breastmilk.

Good luck!

Jennifer - posted on 12/05/2009

if you are on formulae...try switching to a low iron formula. When my kids were babies, they all were consipated, but when i switched the problem went away.

Monique - posted on 12/05/2009

I have been told that breast feed babies can go 10 days without doing a poo. Whereas some with go every day. Formula fed babies should go no more than 48 hours without a bowel movement.

Terri - posted on 12/05/2009

Give your baby drinks of water. As long asits boiled and cooled it won't do any harm...babies dehydrate quite quickly especially if in a warm environment. Some babies are very thirsty and so should be given additional fluids, rather than keep feeding them, which is not always the solution, as they feel full and still can't empty their bowels.

Danielle - posted on 12/05/2009

You should take her to a Chiropractor. My daughter had the same issue and the Chiro adjusted my daughter when she was 2 months old and she pooped before we left the office and all the way home. Be care not to use too many suppositories, because her system could get used to them and she won't poop without you using one. I also mixed apple juice with cereal to make sure she stayed more regular. If I had any issues where she went more than 3 or 4 days, I would take her back and have her adjusted again by the Chiropractor and she would be fine for a couple of weeks.

Madilyn - posted on 12/05/2009

Breastfed babies are different. They can go up to 14 days without pooping and their poo should be orange in color with a thin baby food consistincy with curdles in it. It should not be mashed potato consistancy if the baby is exclusively breastfed, though if ANY formula is in the babies diet, all these rules are changed

Kathleen - posted on 12/05/2009

Iam a mom to a 3 year old boy who has chronic constipation due to his diagnosis. Our PCP, as well as two other physicians from a children's hospital, recommended Miralax daily. You can buy it over the counter and it has no long term side effects. It is a stool softener. My son has been taking Miralax for the past two years. And FYI...in speaking with one of the specialists, we found that a child should have a BM at least once a day, orange in color and of mashed potatoe consistency. The darker and harder the stool, the longer it's been sitting in the colon. Start out slowly with the Miralax; 1/4 tspdaily for the first week and increase by 1/4 tsps weekly unitl you find the right dosage for your daughter. But as always, consult her physician first.

Madilyn - posted on 12/05/2009

Bananas are a binder I wouldnt do this. Prunes are a better option

Lorraine - posted on 12/05/2009

I went through the same thing with my daughter, it took her ten days on different occasions. Her pediatrician said not to worry, this is more common in breast fed kids. The pediatrician also recommended I put a teaspoon of karo white corn syrup in a bottle with her water or milk. I thought she was nuts but because i was at my wits end i gave it to my daughter and it worked.

Allison - posted on 12/05/2009

just give her some prunes! just a small jar of the babyfood will do the trick in the same day...

Katie - posted on 12/05/2009

a teaspoon of karo white corn syrup in a bottle with water or pump some breastmilk and mix it with. i went through this with both of my sons, and this is an old time remedy that will help.

Jean - posted on 12/05/2009

Quoting Karen:

Jessica....WOW! You've gotten a ton of good advice here! I hope it helps ease your stress level a bit. If you care to take a little more from a Mom of 3 grown children and a Nana to 4 beautiful grandchildren, I have just a few words of wisdom to pass on.

Use the suppositories. They will NOT harm your daughter. Use the massaging techniques that have been suggested....those also work wonders! Adding more water and fiber to your diet is excellent advice. AND giving her diluted pear or apple juice, even at her age, WILL NOT harm her in any way. If you can get her to take a bottle, the Caro syrup does work.....that method has been around since my kids were babies! Just a couple of teaspoons in about 2 ozs. of water should help. However, with how well the pear and apple juice work, I prefer that method over Caro syrup.

Both of my grandsons had this same exact problem. It's heartwretching and you feel so helpless. I know. You'll get through this honey....and so will your daughter. Talk to your doctor to make sure there are no other problems. Don't be afraid like you are gonna sound crazy.....you won't!! and keep us posted on how things are going. Good Luck!

be careful with the caro syrup - - may be too much for an infants system - - a lot of simple carbohydrates in the system sends her little gut on overload and of course she will poop, but it can also be a shock to her whole system - - even giving pedia-lyte would be preferable - - in face pedia-lyte over water or any of those things will give her more fluids for her body to handle the poop without upsetting her electrolyte balance - - just a thought :)

Jean - posted on 12/05/2009

if you are nursing exclusively, make sure you are drinking enough water - - if you have added formula or other foods, you may want to back off and return to just nursing - - the hospital is a great resource when you have a new born, but you really should be talking to your pediatrician and go over everything in your baby's daily routine.......if you are feeding formula, maybe it is not diluted enough...

Melinda - posted on 12/05/2009

Don't fret. I remember my grandmother giving me this remedy for my daughter some 28 years ago. Put a little vaseline on a thermometer and stick it up her booby. She will poop long time. To diminish air in baby's tummy, put a pinch of baking soda in her water after feeding and add a sminge more of water in her formula. The formula might be too thick and causing her to be constipated.

Deborah - posted on 12/05/2009

Back when my daughter was an infant - if I drank more than a single glass of apple cider a day she would have more dirty diapers than normal - so anything with extra pectin (from apples) should help, so eat a apple a day & drink cider & you may just be able to change things that way - if you're nursing of course.

Karen - posted on 12/05/2009

Jessica....WOW! You've gotten a ton of good advice here! I hope it helps ease your stress level a bit. If you care to take a little more from a Mom of 3 grown children and a Nana to 4 beautiful grandchildren, I have just a few words of wisdom to pass on.

Use the suppositories. They will NOT harm your daughter. Use the massaging techniques that have been suggested....those also work wonders! Adding more water and fiber to your diet is excellent advice. AND giving her diluted pear or apple juice, even at her age, WILL NOT harm her in any way. If you can get her to take a bottle, the Caro syrup does work.....that method has been around since my kids were babies! Just a couple of teaspoons in about 2 ozs. of water should help. However, with how well the pear and apple juice work, I prefer that method over Caro syrup.

Both of my grandsons had this same exact problem. It's heartwretching and you feel so helpless. I know. You'll get through this honey....and so will your daughter. Talk to your doctor to make sure there are no other problems. Don't be afraid like you are gonna sound crazy.....you won't!! and keep us posted on how things are going. Good Luck!

Stephanie - posted on 12/05/2009

It is gross but mineral oil one tsp morning, noon and night. We struggled for almost a year with my daughter to the point when it finally wanted to come out she couldn't poop because they were the size of baseballs. She was in so much pain. Suppositories weren't working, prune juice, apple juice nothing seemed to help but the mineral oil worked. I would still talk with your doctor to see what he thinks.

Karissa - posted on 12/04/2009

Quoting jessica :

not pooping!!

My 4 month old daughter went 10 days with out pooping and i tried everything but nothing worked so i called the hospital and they said i had to give her a suppository and i didnt want to give it to her but she was hurtting so bad. She pooped for like 2 days straight and now she is so bad shecrys all the time and she will not nurse she acts like it hurts her to nurse and she has not pooped again for like 5 days. Help!!!!!!

Both my son and daughter stopped pooping at 3 months. They were not constipated, but seemed liked they couldn't coordinate the muscles correctly to produce a movement.  My son also went 10 days without going, then the doctor finally told me it was ok to use a suppository, he would go immediately upon using the suppository and the poop was soft, this is how I knew it wasn't a true constipation. We used suppositories for about a month every other day then he began going on his own again.  He is now 5 years old and we were having a hard time with potty training, took him to see a urologist who did an X-ray that showed his bowel were litterly backed up to his diaphram with poop. I am totally convinced that it is from when he was a baby, so we are now working on getting rid of all of that and potty training is going well. With my daughter, I was totally aware of what was happening when she stopped pooping, so I used the suppositories everyday, sometimes twice if I felt like she needed it until she began going on her own again. Maybe a month or two of this for her as well. I hoping that she won't have the long-term effects like my son did because I was a little more proactive.  I don't know if this is what is going on with your little one, but another perspective sometimes helps.  They will probably try to tell you that it is normal for a breast fed baby to not poop for several days, but you know your baby better than anyone so it you think something is not right, trust it!  I know it is stressful...hope you get it resolved soon.

Norah - posted on 12/04/2009

You need to get her natural bowel flora regulated by giving her acidophyllus powder in a juice or milk. Follow the directions for quantity on the label based on the babies weight. You can't O.D. on it so I'd probably give it to her 3 times a day until you see the difference then drop it back to once at night. Also don't forget to keep the powder in the fridge or it will die. good luck