My baby is constipated

She can't sleep because of all the grunting. What should I do? I think she is constipated.

First and foremost, constipation means a firm, dry poo. Often babies make a huge fuss about passing a poo but when they do it, it is soft or sometimes runny and you wonder what the fuss was all about.

Small babies may find the sensation of doing poo to be disturbing, so they seem to struggle with the sensation rather than the firmness of the poo. If your baby grunts and groans during sleep but it doesn't wake them up, don't worry!

Some breast fed babies can go for days, even up to 2 weeks without pooing - yet when they do, the poo is soft, so they are not constipated.

A constipated baby has firm dry poo and you need to chat to your nurse about it if that is the case.

Otherwise infrequent poos when baby is breast fed is quite normal.

Got more questions? Book an appointment to speak with one of our baby specialists.

Author: Helen Stevens. RN. RM. MCHN. Manager of Clinical Services, Education and Research. Parent Infant Consultants. 0411880720.

How do I know if my baby is getting enough milk?

Generally you can feel quite confident that your baby is getting adequate milk if they have about 6 'heavy' wet nappies or more in 24 hours. Poos are also a good indication in some babies.

A baby simply can't have lots of wet and dirty nappies if there isn't plenty of milk going in!

My baby wakes up a lot. Are they hungry?

Sometimes little babies can be difficult to read. If you can see and hear the suck/swallow action and you seem to have plenty milk, then it's highly likely your baby is getting good volumes and maybe the frequent waking is not always for food.

Occasionally babies have tummy discomfort that wakes them but they look like they are hungry, so we feed them again, but really we are adding to the discomfort. Sometimes babies just need a cuddle if they have plenty of wet nappies and seem to be feeding well but are waking every 20 minutes or each hour. 

Chat with us if you'd like to know more about your baby's feeding.

Author: Helen Stevens. RN. RM. MCHN. Manager of Clinical Services, Education and Research. Parent Infant Consultants. 0411880720.

Why does my baby feed so often?

Your baby's stomach is tiny. It's about the size of their fist, and only holds small amounts to start with, so feeding frequently is necessary for your baby to gain and maintain adequate nutrition for healthy growth.

Got more questions? Book an appointment to speak with one of our baby specialists.

Author: Helen Stevens. RN. RM. MCHN. Manager of Clinical Services, Education and Research. Parent Infant Consultants. 0411880720.