Missouri Babies

6 week old is constipated

Hello, My 6 week old has been constipated for 27 hours now. He's on both formula and breastmilk. He has always been super gassy but hasn't been able to have a stool lately. I can only imagine how uncomfortable he is. I feel so bad for him. Any recommendations on what I can try/do to help him?

Re: 6 week old is constipated

  • Poor guy! Does he seem like he's in pain? We never had this issue, so I looked in my Baby 411 book. It says that constipation is "diagnosed by the firmness of the poop, not the frequency" and it's okay for them to take a day off. It's considered constipation if he poops and it comes out hard or like marbles. Who knew? (Who wanted to know, really? Tongue Tied)

    It notes that for both breastfed & FF babies, around 6 wks the frequency of pooping decreases because the intestines start to adjust to working and don't need to be going 24/7 like they did right after birth. For BF, they "often poop w/every feeding for the first six weeks of life. Some babies will poop less frequently than that, sometimes only  once every few days. Do not worry unless the consistency of the poop looks like yours." It also says that mature BM is easier to digest than what I imagine is coming out toward the beginning, so the intestines don't have much excess to get rid of.

     For FF it says it's normal to have anywhere between 3-4 BMs/day to once every couple of days, and the frequency slows even more @ 6 wks. If he really is constipated and straining, inserting a rectal thermometer for a minute might help get things going. They also suggest giving a small amt of water, 2 oz or less to under 6 mos. Your pedi might also have other ideas since your DS's so young.

    Hope he is comfortable soon!


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  • I would call your pedi and discuss with them if they think there is an issue. I know when I was concerned about my girls not going for a few days in a row, he told us he only becomes concerned if it is a week without a BM. It is not uncommon for little ones to go a day or so inbetween since their bodies are still adjusting to everything outside the womb.

    If you want to do something to offer relief offer a little extra water in a bottle, massage the tummy, or take warm bath. I have also heard of taking a cotton swab with a little bit of vasaline and rubbing it right inside the anus to help stimulate it. Dark Karo syrup in the bottle also worked for my girls, but ask your dr before doing this, also pear or pruin juice.

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