Baby constipation?

Okay so my friend's baby is 3 and half months old and is 9 or 10 pounds,..possible more. That is true! And I watch him constantly grunt and whine because he can't poop. She says her doctor said just let him grunt it out.. I think the doctor is a stupid...

old man, I'm sure this can be damaging for him. ALL she ever gives him is formula...I wonder what would be best to give him so he could just go?

It's possible he's not constipated at all, but perhaps gassy and that's causing him to do the grunting

It's not typical for a formula fed baby to be constipated...but the only other thing he should be given is sterile water...don't give medications or juice to a 3 month old!

If he's dehydrated, then pedialyte or gatoraid is good. However, I'd strongly urge you to call an "advice nurse" or similar, as they'll give better advice (my younger son had a similar issue when he was young, he's 6 now though, so it's been years since I personaly dealt with a constipated baby).

Also, as ichibanarky mentioned, formula will cause some issues that breastfeeding won't...if breastfeeding isn't an option, then by all means, get a second opinion as I do agree, some doctors are NOT qualified to give medical advice.

ok, I had typed this really detailed answer out - but I hit my back button by accident grr!!

doctors don't give advice about babies...they're doctors...not peadiatrics.. or health visitors..

a trick my friend taught me (whose a midwife) is this, and it worked great for me. my second baby had really bad constipation, and I alsways had to 'help' him 'go'...

when baby is laying on his back, you know the position they go into when you change their nappy (knees up to tummy) well get baby in that position, but knees NOT together... they need to be apart so his legs are 'spread' but knees to tummy and feet as normal down...this makes it impossible for babt to 'tense' up when poop is coming out.

when you're constipated, poo gets really hard, and it can be painfull to pass a bowel movement...and the baby is simply tensing up, this position STOPS that tensing...

noe, next to the bottom hole and in between the cheek bone there is this fleshy area, if light pressure is applied to that area is stimulate the anus's muscles to expel what's in there...and if he's constipated, it's in that area that the poop will be..

the finger goes no where near the 'hole' itself. but you know when you're having a poo, and the poo gets to a certain stage where the muscle in the anal passage takes over and the poop is expelled..with little or no effort from you, thats what you're stimulating, the legs being up stop the babt from tensing up.

the anus is the same diameter as the passage, so anything that comes out will be able to come out, more importantly, it needs to come out. it's a harmless way to help baby poop...

it's really important to also make sure baby keeps VERY hydrated. all the time the poop is in the bowel water is still being extracted from it as the body needs it, and this is where problems can occur..this poop needs to come out becuase the mositure from the poop isn't an ideal way for the body to retain moisture...but through the body balancing out it's water levels, it will take it from where ever it can (osmosis etc) so baby needs to be hydrated so the body doesn't need to seek water from elsewhere...

maybe try a different brand of baby milk...it could be too thick, although constipation is very common...generally babies don't like water!!

but I would advise when seeking advice about babies, she speaks to health visitors / midwifes / or other mums...doctors do infections and bacterias..thinngs they can prescribe for, not help with...

prune juice, only a tiny bit though...and it could be gas too! they have medicine for babies that help with gas! but yes, she should do something, that doctor is an idiot

My daughter had this problem after she stopped breastfeeding and was getting formula (enfamil) so I switched formulas to Nestle. It was a lot easier for her body to digest and no more constipation.

So, my mom has had FIVE children, and I can tell you that what she did ALWAYS worked.
Buy some DARK karo syrup. Mix a teaspoon in 8 ounces of the baby's formula and let him/her drink. Normally within a few hours the baby will no longer be constipated. If it doesnt work that day then do it again the next day, and try it twice. Remember, DARK karo syrup.