No poos in 2 days

[Nani]

My baby Jessica is 3 months old. I have just added another bottle to her diet and now she hasn't done a poo for 2 days. I am using S26 and have just added her third bottle two days ago. She is still on two breastfeeds a day, but has not done a poo.

She doesn't seem unsettled, but I am worried that she might be suffering from constipation.

Any ideas?

Nani :(

[draught]

Many babies don't poo for several days and then do one almighty nappy filler (which in my experience often escapes everywhere and normally at a very inconvenient time) so if she is not unsettled, don't worry too much. My eldest pooed several times a day until she was well over one, but number 2 (who is nearly 7 months) will often wait for a day or two and then do one of the huge ones referred to earlier.
I don't have any experience of bottle feeding, but don't think that changes things too much. Both my daughter and a friend's daughter changed to the two day poo thing at about the 3 month mark. So my advice would be to just keep an eye on her and don't panic yet. (and take a complete spare change of clothes if you are going out!)

[jamb]

My bub can go 2 days without doing a poo. My mum is here at the moment and she tells me I went 2 weeks without doing one when I was about 4 months old. :o She was quite worried but was told apparently it can be quite common. I think keeping an eye on bub and monitoring settled/unsettled is a good idea/

[wattle]

I was worried when my bub hadn't done a poo for 3 days, but the health nurse said that they can go 4 weeks!!!!! So don't worry yet. I'm sure she is fine.

[Rockett]

My breastfed bub,who's now almost 3 months old,didn't do a poo until 2 weeks after we came home from hospital,and now only does one a week!
The doctor said as long as she's happy and content etc,it's ok to go that long without pooing.
That's fine with me as I hate changing pooey nappies! :D

[Chickadee]

I switched dd from expressed breast milk to fully formula when she was about 3.5 months. While on breast she would have multiple poos a day. I basically expected her diaper to be dirty about half the time I changed it. Once she settled into the formula she'd only have one or maybe two poos a day, smellier and also more solid. The formula digests slightly differently than breastmilk does, and so it's natural for their poo to change too.

If you're very concerned then you can call the 1-800 health number and talk to a nurse (I assume this is Australia wide (?), I used it a lot!). You could try offering a bit of water, or even a bit of very dilute prune juice (1 or 2 prunes in water and very lightly boiled for only a minute or so).

Other things you can do are to massage their belly in a circular motion. I forget which direction, but I think it's clockwise. Some leg exercises, in which you gently fold bub's knees up to their tummy also help. Basically you're massaging the bowel gently, helping them squat and also working tummy muscles to help get things moving.

[Rell]

Often babies get constipated when they switch to formula. If it continues you may need to try a defferent formula. S26 maid my daughter constipated so I swapped to Karecare. If you are in the least bit concerned see a doctor just too rule out any bowel problems. I dont belive going 4 weeks is normal. When my son was in hospital he shared a room with a little girl who was having a bowel reconstruction, her problem wasn't picked up untl she was 5 mths old their doctor just thought she was constipated. I dont mean to panic anyone but I just wanted people to be aware that although rare other problems do exist.

[Nani]

Thanks to everyone for their responses. I had read in a few places that 3 days without a poo was normal, but everyone around kept telling me she was too small for 3 days without a poo and that soon she would become very stressed, which worried me.

I tried giving her orange juice with water, which did not help. I then gave her papaya with water yesterday at 5:30 and by 6:30 she had done a big poo, she actually did two yesterday and it wasn't hard at all. Very peanut buttery like.

I think I might change her formula as soon as she finishes this one just to make sure formula isn't affecting her.

MarthaM, could you please give me the 1800 number to ring. I would like to have it just in case.

Thanks again
Nani :D

[Rell]

Hi Nani
Great to hear things are on the improve. I know quite a few people who had troubles when their bubs were on S26. Most people I know use Karicare with no constipation problems. You can buy the indivdual packets of Karicare to try first save buying a tin and finding it has the same affect. Hope you are able to find a formula that suits your baby :)

[Chickadee]

Hi Nani,
I've always called from Western Australia but I think the # is nation wide. If not there may be an equivalent help number in your state you can call. It operates 24 hours a day. The health direct # is staffed by registered nurses who have always been very patient and helpful whenever I've called. They follow a set list of questions to work through the symptoms and suggest resolutions. I'm a first time mum with no family in Australia so called whenever something just didn't seem right but wasn't really worth a trip to the doctors or emergency. Also useful for checking when you really DO need to get bub to the doctor asap.

Martha