For new parents, learning how to assist a newborn with toilet training is crucial. Contrary to widespread assumption, not all newborns, infants, or babies have flawless bowel movements following birth. Your baby’s bowel movements may slow down or stop altogether due to changes in lifestyle, difficulties with feeding, a lack of gut flora, or illness. But it’s not usually a sign of a problem if your kid doesn’t defecate perfectly right away. Parents should therefore take their time, even though there are gentle and non-intrusive methods to get their infant to poop.
These alterations may be much more pronounced in infants who are breastfed exclusively. Newborns breastfed may poop immediately after each meal, save everything for one bowel movement per day, or go days without generating a stool.
Constipation symptoms include fewer stools than usual, straining more than usual to pass stools, and a change in the appearance of the stools from soft and mushy to small, hard pebbles or the size of a large, round golf ball, loose and watery abdomen, bloated or swollen with gas, and painful cramps.
Treatment
Give your infant 1 to 2 ounces of apple, pear, prune, cherry, or other 100% fruit juice once a day if they haven’t started eating baby food yet. If their stools get too loose, stop giving them juice. Mom washing the infant
Instead of feeding them juice if they are old enough to accept baby foods, feed them pureed pears, peaches, or prunes.
Oatmeal, wheat, or barley cereal may be beneficial if your infant eats cereal. Some kids may have constipation from eating rice cereal.
Sometimes relaxing your baby in a warm bath or engaging in leg exercises like riding a bicycle will assist the bowels (Picture 1).
You can try a glycerin suppository if your kid hasn’t pooped in a few days and the juice or pureed meals haven’t helped. The baby should be placed on their back. Put the suppository in their nose carefully (bottom). Suppositories are intended for sporadic use.
Before giving your infant laxatives, baby mineral oil, or enemas to treat constipation, speak with their doctor.
Medical Treatment
Your child’s medical professional may prescribe the following procedures:
Give your kid some medicine.
A digital rectal thermometer should be used to check your child’s temperature. Before inserting it into the rectum, dab a little Vaseline® (petroleum jelly) on the tip. Rectal temperature taking may cause the infant to urinate.
When to Contact a Healthcare Professional
If any of the following happens, get in touch with your doctor right away:
Your infant appears to be experiencing stomach pain and is agitated. When they are in agony, babies will pull their legs up to their stomachs and cry.
· Your infant experiences vomiting and
constipation, and their abdomen seems bloated or gas-filled.
· In their stool, you notice blood. Treatment does
not affect their constipation.
· Irritability
Husain is a physician and he cautions parents against using any home treatments for constipation in babies when it is evident that the condition exists. She also adds that a lack of bowel motions does not necessarily indicate that a youngster is dehydrated. Breastmilk and formula are the only fluids a baby should consume. Infants under six months old shouldn’t be given water by their parents. You can be confident that dehydration is not the problem if your infant makes wet diapers but no feces.
Husain claims that over-the-counter medications can be administered to a baby who is not pooping. Occasionally, I will advise a probiotic, but I prefer first to examine the child and learn about any associated factors, as well as nutrition and stooling history.
The frequency of bowel movements may fluctuate as babies get older and begin eating solid meals. A reduction in bowel motions is not unusual, and parents may even observe their child struggling to pass a stool. Their face may become crimson as a result, or they may grunt as a result. It could be feasible to get things flowing by introducing specific meals if baby constipation or strain is a problem for a child eating solid food. “I suggest the ‘p-foods,'” Husain explains. “Peaches, prunes, and pears,” you say.
Manual Techniques for Assisting a Baby to Poo
According to American Association of Pediatrics Fellow Dr. Daniel Zoller, Medical Advisor to Green Active Family, in addition to probiotics and different food options, there may also be manual ways to get things moving. Despite his warning that the techniques are not “evidence-based,” they are nevertheless helpful.
“Bicycles” is the name I give to one of my particular favorites, says Zoller. “While sitting, put the baby on its back on your thighs. They simulate riding a bicycle by circling their lower legs in a forward and backward motion while holding one in each hand. Repeat this several times daily for 10 minutes or so. While doing this, make faces at your kid and sing or talk to them! Most infants find it to be enjoyable.
According to Zoller, pediatricians should be involved regardless of the approach parents take to help their baby poop. Babies run the risk of being dependent on methods to force them to poop rather than learning and retaining the ability on their own, which would worsen the problem rather than solve it. With the manual rectal stimulation technique, this is especially true.
According to Zoller, “this can be risky since babies may come to rely on it to perform a bowel movement.” I wouldn’t advise doing this unless your pediatrician specifically advised it.
A Short Guide on Helping a Newborn Poop
A newborn can depend on techniques like manual rectal stimulation, so stay away from these.
Instead of focusing on the intervals between baby feces, look for consistency in timing to see whether your child is genuinely having issues.
Probiotics may be tried, but be careful to seek pediatrician advice first.
Add “p-foods” like peaches, prunes, and pears if the infant is already eating solids.
Try putting the baby on their back and cycling their legs as a fun and engaging pastime.
