Pooping Difficult For Preemie

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Pooping Difficult For Preemie

by caroline
(canada)

I have a 3 month old baby premature at 28 weeks. Technically 2 weeks, she is having problems pushing her poop out, she is not constipated her stool is very loose.

I've been helping her with a Q-tip and it seems to help. When she pushes she gets very tense.

What else can I do so she can start going on her own again? She is on formula lactose intolerance.

Baby Help Line:

Pooping Issues When Newborn

I'm actually wondering if your baby is having problems pushing out her poop at all - or if what you're seeing is just normal infant behavior.

Babies tend to make a lot of noise when they poop, with all sorts of grunts and straining sounds. They may even go quite red in the face. But this is quite normal - and the fact that your baby's stools are loose when she passes them really makes me think she's not experiencing any real 'problem'.

What happens if you DON'T use a Q-tip? Does it seem to you that she can't poop at all unless you help? If so, then I would recommend discussing the problem with your doctor.

But if she CAN poop and it's just the fact that she tenses up or strains when pooping that concerns you, then personally I wouldn't intervene, but just watch to make sure she doesn't cry or seem overly distressed.

It takes a while for babies' intestines to mature and for their bodies to figure out how to poop; for some babies it takes longer than for others. "Helping them", which is very natural to do as a parent, may very well delay the learning process. Instead of intervening, you can try clockwise tummy massage and a warm bath.

That said, a baby who can not pass bowels at all or who seems to be in real pain, can have medical issues causing the problems, like anal stenosis, which is when the anus is too narrow. So if you suspect that something may not be right, do talk to her doctor.

I hope this helps,

Paula

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Pooping Difficult For Preemie

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Feb 18, 2011

infant
by: Anonymous

My 1 month old son had the same problems when he did go it was soft/runny like any infant on formula. He is on the Similac sensitive soy. I took him to the pediatrician's and they told me when babies are born their bodies do everything for them until they are capable of controling it. When he was 1 day to 3 weeks old his body would go potty on its own. But when he was a month old his little muscles in his bottom was not letting him go. The dr. told me not to do suppositories but just stimulate around the anus to let him know he had to work those muscles or more or less to wake them up. It was like a bubble in there shutting everything off. When i did give him a supository at the beginning it was like it was opening the door to let it come out. He was very fussy and wasn't going for 5 days so that is why i tried the suppositories. When i found out that constipation wasn't the problem the dr.'s more or less told me NOT to help him go let him figure it out on his own. If you continue to do it for him he will rely on you for it.

He figured it out in about a week to a week and a half. He still only goes about every 3rd day but no longer fussy. now we are hanging in there through colic. Hopefully it is only the 6wk colic. To all you moms out there have a great day!

Apr 07, 2011

Same problem
by: Anonymous

Im experiencing the same thing with my boy. He was born at nearly 28 weeks (now technically 5 weeks old) and he strains for a really long time to poo. He is breastfed and his stools are loose but I need to lift his legs to help him. This normally helps but can still take a long time- sometimes up to an hour. I have asked nurses and they say it is normal but it breaks my heart to see him struggling so much. Any advice is much appreciated.

Jul 07, 2011

my 31weeks premature no poop for 3days
by: miraclebaby

had my baby at 31weeks she is now 36weeks had not pooped for 3 days she is breastfed, what do i do?

Mar 12, 2012

q-tip best tip
by: Anonymous

my son is 7 weeks pre and is a minute younger than his sister. he had difficulty pooping so i tried the q tip idea, except i wet the tips with warm water, got results instantly, now he is very happy that he got to poop finally. his poop was also loose. the doctor says that most newborns will hold back a poop sometimes and that there is nothing to worry about. so no panicking new parents.

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