Author Topic: wants to poop - keeping him awake for hours  (Read 1802 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline Meg_s

  • New & Learning The Ropes!
  • *
  • Showing Appreciation 1
  • Gender: Female
  • Posts: 9
  • Location: Germany
wants to poop - keeping him awake for hours
« on: December 16, 2005, 14:10:02 pm »
Hi there! I'm new here and have 1 main gripe about my 9 week old:  he sleeps well, waking for feeds until his 230 (time is approximate) feeding.  He wakes, feeds.. then decides he needs to poop and pass gas, only he doesn't actually do the deed until 5-10am and keeps me awake in the process.  If he's in his crib he screams with discomfort while straining and grunting.  I generally put him in my lap (sitting in bed, knees bent with his back resting against them and his legs bent) for comfort so he can pass gas and hold him when he wails here and there because of a pain.  Sometimes putting him in his little seat will allow him to sleep and fart at the same time, other times nothing will comfort him. 

Any tips?  He's not constipated and I know he's actually uncomfortable instead of just wanting to be in my arms, as when he's really tired he prefers to just go to sleep rather than be held and jostled and such.  He's a pretty good natured baby and unless the gas is hurting will sleep without too much disturbance - even if I have to place a prop in his bed to keep his legs curled up for comfort.

Offline travis's mum

  • BW Aficionado
  • ***
  • Showing Appreciation 7
  • Gender: Female
  • Posts: 126
  • Location: malta
wants to poop - keeping him awake for hours
« Reply #1 on: December 16, 2005, 18:24:18 pm »
Have you tried proping up one side of the matress (top end). While I was still in hospital midwives laid warm towels on DS tummy to help with the uncomfortableness (is that a word?). You can put them in tumble dryer or hang on radiator to warm up.

Is this gas problem only happening at night? Is your LO on formula or breast? If you feel it is a continuous problem maybe you should speak to your ped about it. 

Our DS had a problem with pooping and gas when I stopped breast feeding and changed to formula. This is just a suggestion if you feel it is an ongoing problem which is affecting sleep you should speek to your ped.

hope I was of some help good luck let us know how you get on.

Offline Mom2katiebug

  • Resident BW Chatterbox!
  • *****
  • Showing Appreciation 151
  • Gender: Female
  • Posts: 3221
  • Location: Seattle, WA
wants to poop - keeping him awake for hours
« Reply #2 on: December 16, 2005, 22:28:35 pm »
Just wanted to let you know that we're struggling with this...sort of.  DD screams and cries when pooping.  We tried gripe water with no success (but only one brand) and tried mylicon.  Thought we had it taken care of with the mylicon because her gas really subsided and was easier to pass.  Some of her poops were softer, but we've had a couple that were still a putty-like consistency.  A couple of days ago when she was screaming and crying and I was crying - all from her pooping - I call her doctor again.  He recommended that we try some prune juice in her bottles (which we just started) and said that some babies just don't like to poop.  It's either the sensation that they don't like or using those muscles or something.  In our case, with the constipation, our DD may have already associated those sensations with pain, so she may be responding to what she anticipates even though some of her poops are soft.  I asked "the BW community" for some reassurance and a few people responded that their LOs did a similar thing without having a physical problem.  Most grew out of it.  Unfortunately, your LO does this during "sleep time" and as someone pointed out to me, you can't reset the poop clock.  It should fix itself.  But, you might try a little mylicon in your LOs bottles to reduce the amount of gas.  Or, ask your pediatrician if they have some advice.  But, you're not alone - although I don't hold my LO, she will wake us when she's having gas issues and they can last for hours before she finally goes.
"Remember always that you not only have the right to be an individual, you also have an obligation to be one."  - Eleanor Roosevelt

Offline jenni

  • New & Learning The Ropes
  • *
  • Showing Appreciation 0
  • Gender: Female
  • Posts: 24
  • Location: Cambridge, UK
wants to poop - keeping him awake for hours
« Reply #3 on: December 21, 2005, 21:12:54 pm »
another good tip i was given is a little brown sugar diluted in water - it usually gets the poop out in a matter of hours.  if this works, maybe you need to try introduce the brwn sugar sometime during teh day.

they do outgrow it though, but i think tht if the lo is uncomfortable, they actually clench the muscles, while relaxing is what they need.

other suggestion is to bicycle legs a lot during activity times - my lo really improved with more activity, but at this age, tehy don't naturally move much.

good luck
jenni

Offline lizallan

  • New & Learning The Ropes!
  • *
  • Showing Appreciation 0
  • Gender: Female
  • Posts: 3
  • Location: UK
wants to poop - keeping him awake for hours
« Reply #4 on: December 21, 2005, 21:50:40 pm »
I'm having a similar problem with my son, except he doesn't actually wake up when he wants to fart, just moans and groans in his sleep and moves around his criba heck of a lot. Someone suggested a little lavender oil dotted around the crib to relax him, which is what I am going to do this evening. Will try it for a couple of nights and let you know if it seems to be working or not.

Liz

Diego's Mama

  • Guest
wants to poop - keeping him awake for hours
« Reply #5 on: December 21, 2005, 22:12:58 pm »
I always found bicycling the legs worked wonders for expelling gas.  Both of my boys were having many less issues with gas around twelve-ish weeks.  Things sorta mature more by then.

Are you nursing?  Perhaps some issues with what you're eating?  Have you tried eliminating any foods?