New Parents need advice – Baby Constipated

[drakethib]

We are new first time parents we think our 6 week old is constipated. We are feeding her formula and the nurse told us this is normal for babies. She recommended that we mix dark Caro Corn syrup in her formula.

Anyone her of this or any other home remedies?

Thanks

 

[MagicalMom]

Soaking in a nice warm bath tub used to work for my son. Hope your baby feels better soon.

 

[Bashful2]

DD had a lot of problems with constipation when she was a baby. We used the light Karo syrup in her water. I really don't remember it working all that great. It was still a struggle for her.

 

[Toby'sFriend]

at 6 weeks old my best advice is that nothing other than formula goes into that Baby's digestive system without the advice of your Pediatrician.

 

[julia & nicks mom]

apple juice works well - are you able to give that to her yet?

 

[aprild]

We also used the Karo syrup. It worked ok for us.

 

[tiggersmom2]

I agree with Toby'sfriend.....talk to your Ped. first. When my youngest son was consitpated - around 3 months old - we gave him 2 oz. of prune juice and it worked like a charm.

 

[ChrisnSteph]

Prune juice, apple juice or just plain old water works well. Sometimes it takes a day or two.

 

[Christine]

I don't recommend you do this but it is a funny story.

My DD's first daycare provider was a family friend. She was right off the boat from Italy and had raised six of her own children. DD was about 12 weeks old and she was constipated. I had let her daycare provider know about this. Apparently she was doing some "straining" and was uncomfortable while over there. When I got home to pick DD up, the daycare provider told me all about it and told me that she had inserted some butter up you-know-where. I was astonished and quite taken aback, but I didn't say anything. Anyway, it worked like a charm and we had no more problems after that.

Seriously though, does your babies formula contain iron? Sometimes this causes a problem.

 

[ash&abby'smom]

I also reccommend moving your babies legs in a bicycle type motion. This is good for stomach gas and movement helps pass bowel movements. I also don't think you should give anything until you speak to the ped. She is definately too young for juice. If anything maybe some water. Best of luck with your DD.

 

[sleepyone]

I don't recommend you do this but it is a funny story.

My DD's first daycare provider was a family friend. She was right off the boat from Italy and had raised six of her own children. DD was about 12 weeks old and she was constipated. I had let her daycare provider know about this. Apparently she was doing some "straining" and was uncomfortable while over there. When I got home to pick DD up, the daycare provider told me all about it and told me that she had inserted some butter up you-know-where. I was astonished and quite taken aback, but I didn't say anything. Anyway, it worked like a charm and we had no more problems after that.

Seriously though, does your babies formula contain iron? Sometimes this causes a problem.

My mom told me to use vaseline in this manner but, it worked out on it's own.

ETA: I didn't intend for that pun

 

[ChrisnSteph]

I don't recommend you do this but it is a funny story.

My DD's first daycare provider was a family friend. She was right off the boat from Italy and had raised six of her own children. DD was about 12 weeks old and she was constipated. I had let her daycare provider know about this. Apparently she was doing some "straining" and was uncomfortable while over there. When I got home to pick DD up, the daycare provider told me all about it and told me that she had inserted some butter up you-know-where. I was astonished and quite taken aback, but I didn't say anything. Anyway, it worked like a charm and we had no more problems after that.

Seriously though, does your babies formula contain iron? Sometimes this causes a problem.

Fleet has some little baby suppositories that work great, as well as a liquid "enema". Not really an enema, but a small bulb of some oily substance that you insert, and wait for it to work. We used them for one of my sons who had a horrible constipation problem. Turned out his spincter was too tight, and the Fleets worked like a charm. They should only be used in severe cases though.

 

[Christine]

Fleet has some little baby suppositories that work great, as well as a liquid "enema". Not really an enema, but a small bulb of some oily substance that you insert, and wait for it to work. We used them for one of my sons who had a horrible constipation problem. Turned out his spincter was too tight, and the Fleets worked like a charm. They should only be used in severe cases though.

So, I guess the butter wasn't all that weird then?

 

[ChrisnSteph]

So, I guess the butter wasn't all that weird then?

Nope!

 

[dmslush]

So, I guess the butter wasn't all that weird then?

DD (she'll die if she reads this LOL) was always constipated as a baby! Ugh, if that kid wasn't grunting, she was crying LOL.

Anyway, I would put a little vaseline on a themometer and take her temp. In a few minutes, she would do some poopies.

 

[tw1nsmom]

Please talk to your pediatrician. Corn syrup can harbor botchulism (sp?) spores (like honey does). Not all does, but better to be safe than sorry. Also be careful with the vaseline. You can use it outside the rectum safely. It can help to prevent painful fisures. You just don't want to put it in the rectum. It's not water soluble and can cause problems with infections.

Check with your doctor about giving your baby 1 or 2 ounces of warm water in a bottle. Some other things to try:

Massage babies lower back and tummy
Move babies legs in a bicycle motion
Give your baby a warm bath (can do bicycle motion at the same time)

Good luck. DS had major problems with constipation. Some of the problem ended up being a developmental muscular delay. Things are much better now.

Oh, and one of the reasons (many reasons) that my MIL no longer babysits the twins is that she told someone else in my presence that she had solved DS's contipation by putting vaseline in his rectum. Problem is, she didn't tell me that she'd done it (it had happened a couple of months prior to me finding out), and we had had a conversation before this happened and I had made it quite clear that DS wouldn't have anything put in him that the pediatrician didn't prescribe/approve of.

 

[caribear]

My dd had constipation problems up until she was potty trained. Sitting on the potty really helped her "go." When she was younger the DR told us about the Karo syrup and we did use that on occasion. We also used mineral oil which worked much better (in her milk). We tried prune juice, but she could tell something was different in her milk and refused to drink it. My dd had lots of constipation problems that are TMI for this board. My DR always urged me to have her drink lots of water, but she would only drink milk until she was 2 years old!

 

[tmt martins]

Ok here's one kills 2 birds with 1 stone .throw some towles in the Dryer and sit DBaby in a blanket on top the heat and vibrations work wonders.

 

[mommytotwo]

My daughter had the same problem. So with her formula, we add 1/2 formula to 1/2 soy milk.

 

[aprilgail2]

DD (she'll die if she reads this LOL) was always constipated as a baby! Ugh, if that kid wasn't grunting, she was crying LOL.

Anyway, I would put a little vaseline on a themometer and take her temp. In a few minutes, she would do some poopies.

That is the way her ped. recommends! I did it a few times and no sooner does that therm. come out and she is going! It happened so fast once it was like carvel soft serve following that therm. out!!