Baby Poop Help!

littlemissmarla

So LO had been struggling a little bit yesterday to poop, she finally got it out and it was almost the consistency of peanut butter and that was about 12:30 yesterday afternoon. Fast forward to just now and she finally had another poop but it was a small firm ball - I know this is a sign of constipation. I'm just freaking out as my pedi office isn't open yet and I'm not sure if this is an emergency or not. Background, we had been doing ready to feed formula and about 1 bottle of breastmilk a day, sunday we switched over to powder and my breastmilk supply has been dwindling. Is this an adjustment period to the powder and lack of breast milk or is there some other issue that could be present. Has this happened to anyone else and what happened. Thanks, just hate seeing my little girl uncomfortable

ETA: we use Similac Soy Isomil, she's 5 1/2 weeks old, and plenty of wet diapers

unaveragejane

I don't think it's an emergency, but I'm not a doc. If I was in this situation, I would call the pediatrician when the office opens.

We used formula with DS1 and his stools changed a lot while we figured out what to use.

Is there a particular reason you're using a soy formula?

darkangel42

Unless there's pain/screaming/redness etc, I would say it's a concern rather than an emergency (also not a doc).

No idea what formula is like in the US but when DD1 had formula back home, her poops were always the small firm ball (bit like Play-Doh or crafting clay) once she went to exclusively formula. She did get constipated a couple of times and it was obvious since she'd go bright red, strain and then poop rocks instead of play-doh.  The doc gave us something for it which was basically baby-safe orange juice and that fixed it for her.

littlemissmarla

We were switched to soy at the hospital, I gave her a bottle of breastmilk I had frozen to hopefully move things along. The pedi said that if it continues into tomorrow to bring her in, but now I'm just confused as to whether I should continue the powder formula or go back to ready to feed - I don't know if that's going to fix the situation or if she just needs time to adjust to the powder.

AMcLaws

My 6 week old DD has the same peanut butter-like consistency in her poops. Doc says it's normal. He recommended possibly trying a different formula (she takes Similac sensitive), but it doesn't seem to upset her tummy. I don't have the money to blow on a bunch of different formulas, hoping one makes a difference. So far, she's ok and we haven't had issues with constipation. He said unless they become pellet like, or are dry and crumbly...not to fret. It's normal.

Shelleybell

littlemissmarla said:

We were switched to soy at the hospital, I gave her a bottle of breastmilk I had frozen to hopefully move things along. The pedi said that if it continues into tomorrow to bring her in, but now I'm just confused as to whether I should continue the powder formula or go back to ready to feed - I don't know if that's going to fix the situation or if she just needs time to adjust to the powder.

DD1 was on soy also and always had firm poops even with ready to feed.  The doctor said it was fine as long as she wasn't in pain getting it out or uncomfortable all the time.  We tried for a brief minute to switch her to powder and she was gassy and in a lot of pain.  We stayed with rtf for the whole year.

littlemissmarla

@shelleybell thanks! I feel like people will think i'm crazy sticking with the RTF.. my mother keeps telling me that she just needs to adjust to the powder but I feel like it just isn't working for her right now. We stopped with the powder and went back to RTF and her poops regulated back immediately along with a bottle of BM. I know it will be more expensive but if that's what she needs then that's just what we will have to do.

Shelleybell

littlemissmarla said:

@shelleybell thanks! I feel like people will think i'm crazy sticking with the RTF.. my mother keeps telling me that she just needs to adjust to the powder but I feel like it just isn't working for her right now. We stopped with the powder and went back to RTF and her poops regulated back immediately along with a bottle of BM. I know it will be more expensive but if that's what she needs then that's just what we will have to do.

That's how we felt.  More money to have a happy baby made me feel much better.