Help!!! Constipation in 3 month old

[Kimberly®]

My friends LO is 3 months old same as mine. Her DS is on Isomil because he is alergic to cows milk. He's been constipated now for 7 days. We'ved tried water, gripe water, and prune juice. Please could someone tell me what we can do to help him?? My friends getting really worried.
My LO was constipated for 5 days and I used prune juice (at dr's recomendation) and it worked really well and really fast. It just doesn't seem to be making much difference for him

Please help..

[damara]

Is your friend's lo breast or bottle fed? After a while, breastfed babies only have a bowel movement once a week or so. In fact the longest mine went was 10 days. My health nurse advised that it is very rare for breastfed babies to be constipated and can often go up to 2 weeks without a bowel movement. If after 14 days still nothing, that's when you should generally start to worry.

[Kimberly®]

Bottle, he is on Isomil.
Thats why we're worried

[Mariek]

Hiya

When my DD had really bad constipation (for over a week) the doctor we saw recommended giving her a 5ml spoonful of pure orange juice - it worked a treat and got things going no problem.

love

[kyemickaj]

Hi There!

My LO is nearly 5 mths old now and has been on formula for about a month or two.  I initially had a little trouble with him being constipated with the transition from breast to bottle and was advised to put 1 teaspoon of sugar into his bottle.  However, I do not recommend that you do this on a regular basis.

I wouldn't be too concerned with regularity as my LO can sometimes go every second day and I know of other babies that go only once a week or more.  My maternity health nurse gave me a great tip... "Do not be worried about how often babies go, but what it is like when they eventually do.  If it is the consistency of playdough, then that's pretty normal... But if it is pebble-like and hard, then they are definately consitpated."  This would be when I would try the teapsoon of sugar.

Hope this helps!
Kylie

[Gage and Sophie's Mom]

Hi there! My son had potty issues too. He did not poopoo on his own until he 7 weeks old. We had to give him suppositories. He was always crabby and in pain.  We tried juice/water, pure juice, karo syrup (there is a slight chance of botulism with this so I dont recommend it without dr. permission), levsin drops ( a perscription), and dropping breast milk. We finally figured out that Gage need to be on lacto-free enfamil. This did the trick! Thank God. I feel for your friend. I hope this helps. Your friend could try mylicon drops to help with his gas if he has any. These are harmless and can be purchased at walmart or target. Also, we started using Dr. Brown's bottles to help with burp/gas. I hope this help.

[Mom2katiebug]

We had some constipation issues and started adding mylicon to my DDs bottles - every one of them.  Has helped with the painful gas she was having and the very painful bowel movements too!  Just need to get them to a daytime diaper, if possible!

[crazycanuck]

Hi There,

Logan seems to have lots of painful gas sometimes for hours and hours before he has a bowel movement and especially right before it's ready to come.  I have infants Ovol drops and give him these when I start to notice he's in pain.....Just wondering if this warrants prune juice to help with getting it out or just giving him the drops?? Today it really screwed up his day because he wouldn't eat because he was in pain.  I'm a little anxious about giving them in every bottle or too often......plus that would be sooooooo costly.....they aren't cheap.  Is the infants Mylicon cheaper??
Any suggestions?

[Mom2katiebug]

Warning:  Long, sort of graphic and may be TMI for some...

My DH bought the mylicon (simethicone) and he didn't remember the price but thought around US$9.00 for the bottle.  I did a internet seach and found prices of around US$10.00.  I think a bottle contains 100 doses.

It says that it's safe enough to use in every bottle, so that's what I'm doing.  My LO will kick her legs for 3+hours before a bowel movement and without the mylicon it is very painful (she screams in pain as it comes out).  Without it, she wouldn't "go" every day (maybe every 2-3 days) and she would poop three times in a row.  After the third one (usually 5-10 minute span), she returns to her normal, happy, smiling self.  Before the mylicon, her poos were very thick - like toothpaste or even thicker.  And, it would throw her schedule off as well - no nap, no eating; crying & fussy for sometimes 6+ hours before going.  With the mylicon, they are much thinner and easier to pass.  She'll go every day (actually every night, somewhere between 3am and 6am).  More like what people have said to expect a baby to have.  She's sometimes fussy beforehand, but more cranky and less crying/screaming.

Finally, we did have an episode once we started the mylicon where our LO had the painful, thick poos again.  I'm not sure what happened - if I forgot the mylicon in her bottles or what.  At first, I thought that it had stopped working, but last night she did her business without screaming.  She did kick her legs and was a bit fussy for about 3 hours beforehand though.  Probably wouldn't have noticed if it had been daytime, but it was 3 - 6am!  Eventually would like to reset her "poo clock" to the daytime, but for now I'll just settle for pain-free poos!

My pediatrician said to try gripe water and mylicon before resorting to prune juice.  I think I'll give the mylicon a few more days and see if it continues to work.  I would give your LO's doc a call and see what they recommend for you.

[crazycanuck]

do you add the gripe water to the bottle....just curious?

[Mom2katiebug]

We put the gripe water in her mouth, towards her cheek.  We tried before bottle and after the bottle, but it didn't work for her.  I asked about it on the boards here before using it and everyone seemed to have their own system - in the mouth, in the bottle, before the bottle, after the bottle, etc.  Others have said to try different brands of gripe water, but with a baby that screams when she goes, I didn't want to have to find, buy and experiment with a bunch of different brands - especially since my pediatrician wasn't keen on the gripe water.  He said it was harmless and if we had it to give it a try, but it doesn't always work.  So we did, but just with one brand.

[Gage and Sophie's Mom]

Poopoos are not supposed to hurt, just maybe a little discomfort. Are you sure it is the drops that are helping? I thought they were just for gas? Is your lo bottle or breast fed? If bottle fed, maybe you need to look at changing formula. That was the last thing that helped Gage. We tried everything.... even straight juice once a day.

[crazycanuck]

Hi There

Logan is having more than discomfort I think but is not constipated.....not hard and pebble like.  I find he just has really thick poops now and he seems to have allot of gas before and after he goes.  Often he is upset by the gas pain and on days like today won't eat until he passes his load........then he's fine.  Not sure about changing formulas.....don't know if its that bad....and to what?  Many of the formulas that are not speaciality ones have the same composition, I've looked.  I have him on a mix right now of Nestle Good Start and Similac Advance.....he was always on the advance but someone told is Nestle Good Start was easier to digest so we thought we would try it and see if it made a difference, we see no change and in fact his poos as I said are thicker now.  So until it;s gone he's on a mix of the two and then will be back on straight Similac....any suggestions??  I know when I give him the drops he has lots of gas immediately after and then does go, it really seems to help so I'm all about prevention and if putting some in his bottles prevents the pain and discomfort I'mm all for it.......why wait until the gas is there and hurting him.  He's always been gassy as well......even when he was exclusively breast fed....Any ideas about formula......I don't want a soy based formula..........his pain and discomfort is not bad enough for that......paedeatricians don't reccommend it unless you really have issues,

[Gage and Sophie's Mom]

The mylicon drops will really help with the gas. We use them too. I also heard that the carnation brand can help. We use enfamil lacto-free formula, and it did the trick. Thank God! I feel for you and your lo. I have been there. I would try some juice. Our ped told us to mix a 2 oz bottle with half water and half pear or apple juice. Maybe you could call your advice nurse just to be sure.

[Mom2katiebug]

I cannot say that the mylicon actually helped soften my DD's poops, but it has helped with her painful gas.  It could have just been coincidence that it softened at the same time (like I said we did have a bad poop episode after starting on the mylicon and I'm not sure why- whether I missed some bottles or what.)

I recommend that you talk with your pediatrician/nurse to see what they recommend. 

As an aside, we were using Similac Advance and have some issues with it - but also using other bottles, etc.  We switched to Costco formula a couple of weeks ago because it's significantly cheaper and essentially the same (we read all the ingredients and nutritional information).  We have considered trying another formula - maybe we'll try the Enfamil - because I can't say I'm really happy about buying or dispensing mylicon in EVERY bottle for the next 45 weeks.  They claim it's okay for every bottle, but I'm suspect...