We have constipation!

As of this morning my dd has terrible constipation. I can't wait till Monday to call her pedi. I'm thinking it's the formula that she is on, that she no longer needs a higher calorie formula. She & her brother were put on enfamil enfacare to increase their weights as they were born at 33 weeks. But dd has definitley put on more weight & she no longer can fit into her newborn onesies.

What agony she was in a moment ago trying to pass a stool...which were hard & clay like.

For those of you who have experienced this or similar what did you do or what helped to ease the constipation?

 

Both of my boys are going through this right now too. The pedi has us adding 1 teaspoon of sugar per 4oz of formula in every single bottle - she said basically, the sugar works like juice. This has worked to ease Kellen's constipation but we are still waiting on Colby . . .

 

My guys went through this so much during the first few months. At first, the ped said give a couple oz of water. That did not work. Then we were told to give prune juice. That did not work. There were times when it was so big and hard that I took a thermometer and tried to chip away at it so that the diameter was smaller so it could come out easier. When it was really bad I would put them in the tub during an episode and it seemed to help it come out. A couple times we used a half of an infant suppository and that did help.

Finally the ped said to use mineral oil. It is not the clear kind. We used Kondermul (sp?) and it is white. We did a tbs in their morning bottle. Finally this worked. Everyday they had a dirty diaper. Just about 2 weeks ago we stopped giving it to them. It is totally safe. The dr. said they could be on it for a long time.

 

like PP we tried the taking temp. trick, then baths, then had to do prune juice which makes them go at least every other day.

Alyson

 

I'd add an extra 1/2 an ounce to a couple of bottles today and see what happens. I bet it'll help.

 

I meant a 1/2 ounce of water, sorry.

 

WE ARE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM . MY TWINS WERE BORN AT 34 WEEKS AND WERE SENT HOME ON ENFACARE. I TALKED TO MY PED AND HE SAID THEY WOULD JUST WORK IT OUT. I ASKED HIM HOW LONG THEY WOULD BE ON THE HIGH CAL STUFF, AND HE SAID TILL NEXT APPT. WHICH IS AT 2 MONTHS. AT LAST WEIGHT MY DD WENT FROM 5 LBS. TO 7 LBS 7 OZ... AND DS WENT FROM 5LBS 2 OZ TO 8 LBS 7 OZ. IN JUST 3 WEEKS!!! MY PLAN IS TO FINISH OFF WHAT HIGH CAL I HAVE LEFT AND THEN CALL THE PEDI WITH THE RESULTS OF THEIR WEIGHT AND SEE IF WE CAN SWITCH. I THINK DOING THAT MIGHT FIX THE PROBLEM. I WOULD TRY SWITCHING THE FORMULA BEFORE WATERING IT DOWN ( THAT KINDS NEGATES THE IDEA OF HIGH CAL ANYWAY.)

 

Mine were constipated a couple of times very early on like yours. Mine were born at around 35 weeks and on soy formula. My pedi suggested putting some KARO syrup in their bottles. I believe it was 1/2 tsp per bottle, but check with your pedi to make sure. But make sure to stop as soon as the stools start looking better, or you'll have the other end of the spectrum to deal with...loose stools! But it worked right away. Also, when we had taken them in to the nurse to check for jaundice like 4 days after they were born, the nurse did the old thermometer up the butt trick, which worked too! I could never get myself to try THAT on my own though!

 

Our girls had that problem when we sitched from breast to bottle, and the pedi had us give 2 oz of 100%apple juice every day for one week. They straightened out real quickly and have never had a problem since.