6 months, constipation, swappig formula.

[CaptainMummy]

Hannah has been on SMA gold formula since birth. She has always had quite firm poops, and for the last month or so she has been really struggling.
Yesterday she was clearly constipated and in pain. She hadnt pooped for about 5 days, and she was trying to go... She managed a little bit but was screaming and she definitely didnt clear herself out (she was also bleeding a little.)
Last night she woke at midnight and screamed for an hour, her legs were curled up and she was in terrible pain.
She pooped a little again this morning, but again, was screaming and it really hurt her. Didnt clear out again.
I tried to give her water, but she wouldnt take it after the first tiny sip.

I know SMA has more iron than other formulas (according to the HV), and I think this may be causing her the problems. We also started weaning last week which naybe isnt helping.
I have decided to switch to Aptimil first milk, in the hopes that she is overall more comfortable and not in pain. She has been drinking the new milk since this morning (thankfully she took it with no issues) and i have been adding an extra oubce of water to each bottle in the hopes that it will help her little tummy (I will stop the extra water once she poops!)

does this sound okay? Is it likely to be the formula that is making her constipated?
It is so horrible seeing her in that much pain

 

[MindUtopia]

I've heard SMA is really bad for constipation and it's why a lot of people don't use it. It's also very likely that weaning has something to do with it. My daughter regularly went 3-5 days between poos from birth to about 6 months. Weaning did eventually help her become more regular (we eat a very high fibre diet in our house), but the first month was really rough on her tummy as it completely changes how digestion works. I would just try to offer higher fibre foods and steer clear of offering lots of banana or baby rice as they can be constipating. But other vegetables, fruits and grains are usually less so. Also, if you want her to take more fluids, I'd offer more formula, rather than diluting what you do offer. It can screw around with their electrolyte balance if you add more water than it says. Probably less likely with a slightly older baby, but I wouldn't chance it. I also found that gripe water helped a lot to bring on a poo, usually within about 6 hours, when it got really bad.

 

[MrsT&Ben]

My little girl has had trouble with constipation since birth. Try cooled boiled water on its own rather than adding it to her bottles. I'm sure this can also Contribute to constipation. Weaning is a common cause of constipation as it's such a change on their little tummies. Hope she goes soon! It's horrible seeing them in pain x

 

[BabyHopes1974]

Have you asked your pediatrition for help in relieving her pain? I would be calling right away to see what they can do for her. They would also suggest kinds of firmula to help.