Breastfeeding constipation

What mothers consider constipation, based on adult physiology, is not always so. The first breastfeedings lead to the cleansing of the newborn's body from meconium - the original feces, and the stool is dark in color and odorless. Over the next few days, the nature of the feces and the frequency of bowel movements change: the child defecates 1-3 times a day with a yellowish liquid mass. Up to two months of life, the baby can soil diapers after each feeding, as well as two or three times a day. Then their frequency decreases to 1-2, and if the body absorbs mother's milk well, this happens once every few days. What then is constipation during breastfeeding?

Causes breastfeeding constipation

The absence of a bowel movement for 2-3 days does not indicate constipation. The existence of a problem is indicated by the following behavior:

• eats poorly;
• During feeding, he pulls his legs up to his tummy;
• straining during bowel movements;
• lags behind the norm in weight gain;
• feces and gases have a putrid odor.

What are the causes of constipation in infants? There are several:

• intestinal immaturity, which disrupts its peristalsis. This usually goes away by the second month of life;
• anal stenosis;
• underdevelopment of the large intestine;
• rickets;
• damage to the nervous system that affects peristalsis;
• underactive thyroid gland;
• improper nutrition of the mother.

Foods That Cause Constipation When Breastfeeding

During lactation, it is important to remember that the foods eaten by the mother indirectly enter the baby's body. The following can cause constipation not only in the baby, but also in the woman herself:

• fatty meat;
• unripe bananas;
• polished rice porridge;
• hard-boiled eggs;
• whole milk;
• hard fatty cheeses;
• bakery products, including those made from yeast dough;
• confectionery (chocolate);
• rich broths;
• strong tea, coffee, cocoa.

Constipation during breastfeeding in mother

It is not always the fault of food that a mother suffers from constipation while breastfeeding. This may be due to a previous cesarean section, the body's reaction to anesthesia, stress, medication, or decreased tone of the abdominal muscles. Sometimes, if there are tears during childbirth, a woman is afraid of the process of emptying and constantly holds back the urge.

Constipation in a bottle-fed infant

Constipation is possible in a breastfed baby and with artificial feeding. There are many formulas for feeding children on the baby food market, but there is no universal one that would suit everyone. You need to try, change, but do it gradually, because there may be difficulties with emptying.

When feeding with formula, you should give your baby more water to drink, as a lack of it will cause the stool to thicken.

Treatment breastfeeding constipation

Constipation in children during breastfeeding usually does not require treatment. The mother will only need to adjust her diet. In this way, she will get rid of constipation in herself.

A special diet is not necessary, but more fresh vegetables and fruits are introduced into the diet. Meat and fish are used in lean varieties. Chicken, rabbit, turkey, hake, pollock, navaga, pollock, river fish: pike, bream, pike perch are suitable.

As side dishes, it is best to use baked or steamed vegetables: cauliflower, broccoli, zucchini. Apples are also good baked, fresh ones can cause bloating in a child.

Milk porridges are cooked from whole milk diluted with water, low-fat store-bought milk and various cereals except rice. The diet should include fermented milk products and low-fat cottage cheese. It is important for the mother to drink enough fluids (1.5-2 liters). The meals themselves should be fractional and frequent (at least 5 times a day). [ 1 ]

Products for constipation during breastfeeding

There are a number of products that have a stimulating effect on the intestinal walls: peristalsis improves, the movement of feces and their liquefaction increases. They contain a lot of insoluble fiber: lignin, cellulose, hemicellulose. Vegetables are a good source of dietary fiber: carrots, beets, pumpkin, onions.

Containing a large amount of organic acids, they are also considered effective laxatives: fermented milk products (kefir, kumiss, yogurts without fillers), kvass, fruits (plums, apples, pears).

Of the cereals, these are wheat, barley, oats, and whole grain buckwheat.

Prunes for constipation during breastfeeding

This dried fruit will help to cope with the problem of constipation, but not earlier than a few months after childbirth. It can improve the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract, as well as strengthen the immune system, cleanse the body of toxins and waste due to its diuretic and choleretic effect, and increase efficiency. It contains many different vitamins: C, E, K, PP, group B, minerals: potassium, magnesium, phosphorus, zinc; organic acids, sugars, fiber.

At first, you need to limit yourself to a few berries a day, gradually increasing to 5 pieces. You need to eat prunes after steaming them in water. They are used to make delicious compotes or added crushed to yoghurts.

Suppositories for constipation during breastfeeding

Doctors warn that inducing defecation in a small child using "grandmother's methods" (the tip of a thermometer, a piece of soap) is absolutely forbidden. In case of urgent need, glycerin suppositories should be used, which are sold in pharmacies without a prescription.

Suppositories irritate the inner surface of the rectum, reflexively increasing their motor activity, soften hard feces, facilitating their movement and removal.

For small children, glycelax suppositories are produced, which are used from the age of three months. One suppository in a special dosage (0.75 g glycerin) is administered once a day. The laxative effect is observed 15-30 minutes after administration.

The drug is positioned as emergency aid and is not used for more than a week.

Dufalac for constipation during breastfeeding

The drug is a laxative for constipation and can be very helpful to a woman during breastfeeding, since its active substance lactulose is completely safe for both mother and baby. In some cases, Duphalac in the form of syrups is prescribed even to children.

Lactulose inside breaks down into various acids that absorb water, due to which the consistency of the stool becomes softer and more liquid, then cleansing occurs.

The liquid is taken in the morning during meals in a dose of 5 ml for children under 3 years old, for adults - 15-45 ml. As a rule, the clinical effect occurs after 2 days.

Side effects are very rare, but sometimes occur in the form of abdominal pain and diarrhea. [ 2 ]

Prevention

It is necessary to consult a pediatrician about the problem of constipation in a breastfed baby. But there are a number of preventive measures that need to be taken:

• mom should take care of her proper nutrition;
• the baby should not have a lack of fluid;
• establish a one-time volume of milk to be drunk by weighing before and after feeding in order to identify its deficiency or excess;
• perform massage regularly - circular movements on the tummy in a clockwise direction;
• gymnastics - alternately bending and unbending the legs (bicycle), pressing both to the stomach;
• Place the baby on his stomach before feeding.

In the absence of serious illnesses, everything will get better over time and the mother will receive only joy and positive emotions from her motherhood.