11 Week Old Not Pooping

Join Us On Facebook! | CONTACT | BABY BLOG | HOME |

11 Week Old Not Pooping

by Jennifer
(Laurel, DE)

I have 11 week old twins. Twin A is on 1/2 formula and 1/2 breast milk and has no pooping issues. Twin B is on all breast milk and seems to be in a lot of pain when attempting to poop.

He won't poop for a week and only goes when we assist him through a rectal thermometer and holding his knees up. We've tried adding a couple ounces of juice daily, glycerin, massage, a warm cloth. When he eats (breast milk through a bottle) he gets the first 2 ounces down and then arches his back as if he is in pain, but still acts hungry. The pooping problem started at 5 weeks of age. Prior to that we had no problems. What should I do (the doctor doesn't seem to be worried).

Find answers and comments to this question below.

Find more Baby Poop Q&As and other Baby Tips here:

Comments for
11 Week Old Not Pooping

Click here to add your own comments

Aug 25, 2010

Hang in there!
by: Baby Help Line (Brandi)

Hello,

Sometimes babies as young as yours will not have a bowel movement but once a week. There is no reason to worry. You could try massaging your baby's belly area gently to release gas and some poop. Your Dr. is not worried because this is a very common thing for babies under 6 months. As for your baby drinking two ounces and writhing in pain I would try to burp the baby after every ounce or so, if your baby doesn't seem to have any gas or isn't burping lay him/her down flat on their belly across your legs or in his/her bassinet and gently pat and rub their back. This should give you a big burp and then you can try feeding again. Sometimes babies just need a little extra help getting the gas out. Your second child is most likely not the same way simply because all babies are different and while they did share the same womb at the same time they will have different personalities and quirks about them as well as different health concerns. If you have tried all of this and your Dr. still doesn't seem concerned always go with your gut feeling and seek out a second opinion.

Hope this helps you!

Brandi

Feb 12, 2011

same exact issue...any other thoughts on this?
by: Anonymous

My twins will be 12 weeks on Monday. Twin A has had not had any digestive issues. Twin B has been gassy since week 3. They are both solely breastfed now, but we had supplemented with formula during weeks 1-6. Now, they might have about 4 ounces of formula a couple of times/week...mostly because I try not to give Twin B the bottle as it makes him more gassy. We have used Mylacon (sp?) drops with both twins since week 4, but haven't been using them as much lately because I don't think they work. Also, around 7-8 weeks Twin B stopped pooping. Both twins had been pooping like "normal" breast fed babies, 3-5 times/day.

I would not be as concerned about the lack of pooping if Twin B wasn't always in extreme pain. He constantly cries while he tries to pass gas and is constantly straining in pain. We have tried everything...thermometer, gylcerin, warm baths, massage, etc. He is currently taking 1/2 an ounce of diluted prune juice and 1/2 a tsp of Karo syrup at separate times once/day...as suggested by the pedi.

The only thing that has made him poop (poop explosion) is the glycerin, but we obviously don't want him to depend on that to go. Did you find anything that worked for your twin or does anyone else have any experience with this? Thanks.

Feb 14, 2011

Baby in pain
by: Paula (Baby Help Line)

Hi,

For a breastfed baby to both be gassy and have infrequent pooping when 2-3 months old is completely normal. But severe pain isn't. Both the pain and the explosive bowel movements could indicate problems, such as lactose intolerance or anal stenonsis (which means that the anal opening is a bit to narrow). If you'd stop consuming dairy products, your son should be better within a couple of weeks if he does have problems with lactose.

If you suspect anal stenosis or something similar could be an issue, he needs to be examined by a pediatrician to determine what kind of treatment would be appropriate. It isn't dangerous and is usually easily treated, but need to be taken care of.

These were a couple of ideas. I really think you should take your son to another doctor, to have him properly examined

Wish you good luck! When you do solve the problem, please let us know!

Here is a link to a discussion going on among parents with similar problems:

http://www.easybabylife.com/baby-screams-with-every-bowel-movement.html

Warm wishes,

Paula

Click here to add your own comments

Would other parents find this valuable? Share it!

Where would you like to go next?

Find more Baby Questions Answered Here...

What baby info are you looking for?

Return to Easy Baby Life Home

Join EBL Community!

New Community Members get a FREE Baby Safety Checklist right now.
Don't miss out. Join here!

Want more baby tips?

baby care newsletter Never miss a single baby tip! Get the latest news and tips for your pregnancy and baby with our monthly newsletter.
FREE Baby Care Ezine

Your Email

Your Name

Then

Don't worry -- your e-mail address is totally secure.

For more information about the ezine, click here.