Baby Straining But Not Constipation – What Can It Be?
May 11, 2009 Author: admin | Filed under: Baby ConstipationMy 6-week old baby is straining a lot to a point that he cries – and usually poop doesn’t even result. However, it is not constipation as he poops regularly once a day and the stool is normal. I will be visiting the doctor soon but any suggestions? I have changed formula a few times – all milk-based. Should I try a another different brand? Could a soy formula help? Is he possibly allergic to the milk-based? He has regular spit up – no vomiting. Straining appears more often than not.
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11 Responses for "Baby Straining But Not Constipation – What Can It Be?"
My daughter did the same when she was a newborn…It sounds like trapped wind and your baby is straining to try and get the wind (burps) out. I don’t think he is allergic to the milk as if he was lactose intollerant he would have dioreah and vomiting and wouldn’t be thriving.
I wouldn’t change his formula again as this could be the result of his increasing wind. Their tummies take time to adjust to new formula so the frequent changes might result in his tummy being a bit “over-loaded”. I would stick to one formula, make sure you have a good winding session after his bottle (remember the secret to burping a baby and getting their wind out is making sure they have a straight back), try and keep him upright for at least 10 minutes after each feed, and if you still have problems I would then go further to look at the bottles you are using.
We resorted to things like gripe water and infacol and this only made our daughter worse (we didn’t realise it at the time but did once we stopped all the meds for wind). We then changed her bottles from Avent to Dr. Browns and our problems were solved… also make sure that when you are feeding him the teat of the bottle is constantly full, otherwise you are letting air into the bottle, which he in turn will swallow.
Most newborns struggle with bringing up their wind because they are so floppy the wind just gets trapped. He will get better the older he gets. In the meantime you can do all of the above to make him more comfortable until he is able to bring them out on his own. Congratulations and good luck
At 6 weeks old my daughter would strain like that and her stool would be regular but I asked my advise nurse at the doctor’s office and she said try putting about a teaspoon of kero syrup (clear) in her bottle of formula. It gave her the runs the first day but after continuing use by the 3rd day (her appointment day) she was regular 2 times a day till she was about 2mths old and now that she is 6 mths she is back to 1 time a day and no more straining (the doctor said she had a slight blockage but the kero syrup losened it.
My baby had this problem in the first 6 weeks. She would strain and make a loud straining sound much like she wanted to do a poo, but she wasnt constipated at all. During the weeks she was straining like this, she developed a cold, and she had alot of phlegm in her chest which she couldnt cough out, as she was so small (3wks), and one day she vomited up all her milk and then she didnt strain again until the next day…anyway, when her chest infection went away, the straining stopped too. Also, she started straining way before she had the cold – maybe your baby is developing a cold or infection too? My daughter also had regular spit ups which gradually disappeared when she fully recovered from whatever she caught, and these went away with the straining.
Sounds like wind to me, but better see the doctor just to make sure
too much iron in formula
Maybe its wind
Gently massage his tummy, try putting him in a sitting up position rather than flat on his back.Sounds like he’s in pain from either wind or constipation.
At 6 weeks you can take your baby down to out of hours surgery at your hospital if your very concerned. If not make sure you at least speak to your health visitor, I was phoning them quite a lot very early on with concerns, its better to be safe.
I have a 6 week old as well, he strains like you have described, too. One thing you definitely should not be doing is constantly changing his formula, if he is not allergic, there is no reason to keep changing it. Some babies do not poop after every feeding, mine also only poops once or twice daily, and the doctor said that is completely normal. I would consult your pediatrician before changing his formula again, all of the changes may be upsetting his little tummy. Good luck!
he should be pooping more then once a day – after every feed as his stomach is tiny and milk is digested easlily so passes through regularly.
You should be going through lots of nappies at this stage .
Check what you are feeding him and that you are making to correct mixture. It may be worth changing the formula but you should visit doctor or health visitor to get advice.
Maybe he has alot of wind.
Hi
I have a 2 month old son and had the same problem when he was 6wks but I read on a website that he could just have a small colon. I gave him about 2oz of apple juice once a week to help him poop a little better. I also got baby mylycon drops (for gas) He now poops fine without straining.
Best of Luck!!!
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