Breastfed baby straining to poo, lots of pained crying :(

[minties]

Not sure what to do! I didn't think breastfed babies had issues pooing? Thomas never did , even when he didn't go for 10 days once.

Sophie is in pain right now, red faced, legs pulled up and head curled in straining and screaming. Some poo came out, it was the normal texture for having not gone for 3 days (normal for her). Runny but not liquidy.

Poor girl is exhausted but can't sleep, what can I do?

This happens every time she needs to poo, so basically every 3 days she's miserable .

 

[korndogger123]

Sometimes my baby gets like that, but I don't think its her trying to go poo. I think its more of her having gas, and having that gas makes it hard for her to go poo. I just try to get her to relax because when she is crying red-faced and straining I know it makes it harder for her to get the gas out. Ususally she gets the gas out while I comfort nurse her, or just rock her. After she lets her gas out, she usually gets poopy. I once put her in the tub and the warm water relaxed her and she pooed everywhere in the tub! I just know once I hear that DH sized fart I get so happy for her.. who woulda ever guessed that would make me happy! LOL.

 

[km12446]

I agree, only a mum can be genuinely pleased to hear their child man fart...or poo everywhere!! My LO struggled like this at about 8 weeks old, I rang my health visitor who promptly told me, 'breasted babies DON'T get constipated!' In her best teacher voice! Anyway thing I found to help were rubbing her lower tummy firmly but gently in a round clockwise direction, doing bicycle legs slowly pushing her knees into her tummy and making her tummy warm so a nice warm bath helps or a towel warmed up on a radiator for a minute of two. We tried infacol and gripe water but it seemed the difficulty wasn't burping but the other end. Good luck, its horrib watching them suffer xxx

 

[Sproglet]

Robyn gets like this- usually because she has trapped gas or when she does a green poo.

By the way, we use Dentinox which not only helps upper gas, it passes through the system and helps all the way along. You just have to give it regularly for a few days so it can work its way down.

 

[minties]

By gas do you guys mean burping or farting? Sorry but I never know on BnB. If I said I had gas = burp and wind = fart. But seems the opposite with babies.

She only ever gets like this on poo day, normal gets rid of gas and wind no problem.

She's still upset and it's been 12 hours since she started crying, it's 10pm now so can't go buy any medication but will jump in the bath with her.

Poor thing is miserable. She's normally only awake 45 minutes at a time with 4-5 naps and has been awake for hours, which I am sure is what's really upsetting her now. She's fussing at the breast too, keeps screaming on it.

 

[Sproglet]

I never know with Robyn either! She has the same symptoms/cry for trapped burps and trapped farts, if winding her doesn't help then it's tummy massage and leg cycling time.

Sorry, but I don't know what else to suggest!

 

[JohnsMom]

My little guy was constipated for 6 days- they took a scan and he was pretty packed full... his doctor told me before the scan that he wasn't constipated but did the scan because I insisted he was, and I was right! They gave me a prescription for glycerine suppositories to use once a day until he started to go again. Second day doing it and we are back in business I was so excited for the poosploshion that happened once he was finally able to go lol

 

[minties]

Thanks for all the support. I think the 'needing to fart' theory suggested was accurate.

Very rough night last night, didn't help that we had a family drama which involved having to take in a guest. Our house is tiny so it's a bit cramped and OH had to sleep in the room with us and whined all night about Sophie. Grr.

Thanks so much everyone, I think I'd go nuts sometimes without this forum.

 

[popat]

I used to just offer the boob when DS got like that and that normally helped him poo/fart.

X

 

[summer rain]

My eldest was like this very grumpy and fussy when it was poo day and even when he was potty training he would be freaking out and acting weird when it was poo time, he used to end up getting really constipated because he'd avoid going as long as possible. Sounds gross but have you tried giving her a warm bath when she gets like this? Some babies find it really comforting to poo in the bath xx