My baby grunts, strains, and turns red when he tries to poop.

My baby grunts, strains, and turns red when he tries to poop.

by Katrina
(Midwest City OK)

My baby is breastfed and when he tries to poop or even pass gas it looks like he's in horrible pain. He cries, struggles, turns red and still sometimes the poop or gas doesn't come out. I'll massage his tummy, gently push his legs up towards his chest and it works for the gas but not helping him poop. What else can I do to help him. My doctor said it was normal for new babies, he's a month old and not to worry. I hate seeing him struggle and want to help; any advice would be greatly appreciated.

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My baby grunts, strains, and turns red when he tries to poop.

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Aug 06, 2009
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It's a learning process
by: Katrina

Katrina,

I agree with your doctor. I know it's hard for you to watch, but this kind of behavior is normal for newborns.

He's spent the last 9 months not having to use his digestive system. Now that he's out, his body has to "learn" how these functions work.

Both my girls went through this stage of "bearing down" hard - mouth in a straight line. They made some pretty hilarious facial expressions (the pictures we took will haunt them forever...;-)

There's not much you can do at this point (nor should you do anything). These are things he must learn for his body to function "normally" in the months and years ahead. Interfering now could cause more serious problems later on.

Now, if he's 8-10 weeks old and still doing this...it's Doctor time. It's still not necessarily a sign of a problem, but is worth getting checked out.

At this age, pay more attention to the color and consistency of the poop than his facial expressions or noises while making them. I know that's pretty disgusting, but it really is a great indicator of your baby's overall health.

In this article, I talk about the normal and non-normal colors and consistencies. It's not necessarily a fun "task", but it is an important thing to be aware of.

much care,
Heather

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Aug 06, 2009
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Submitted by: Katrina

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Katrina, I agree with your doctor. I know it's hard for you to watch, but this kind of behavior is normal for newborns. He's spent the last 9 months not having to use his digestive system. Now that he's out, his body has to "learn" how these functions work. Both my girls went through this stage of "bearing down" hard - mouth in a straight line. They made some pretty hilarious facial expressions (the pictures we took will haunt them forever...;-) There's not much you can do at this point (nor should you do anything). These are things he must learn for his body to function "normally" in the months and years ahead. Interfering now could cause more serious problems later on. Now, if he's 8-10 weeks old and still doing this...it's Doctor time. It's still not necessarily a sign of a problem, but is worth getting checked out. At this age, pay more attention to the color and consistency of the poop than his facial expressions or noises while making them. I know that's pretty disgusting, but it really is a great indicator of your baby's overall health. <a href="http://www.the-essential-infant-resource-for-moms.com/Infant-Bowel-Movements.html">In this article,</a> I talk about the normal and non-normal colors and consistencies. It's not necessarily a fun "task", but it is an important thing to be aware of. much care, Heather

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