Constipation Aggravation

WARNING: This blog post is graphic in parts (when having to do with infant poop), so read on only if you are have a strong stomach/gag reflex. Also, don't say we didn't warn you.

E woke this morning in a very clingy, crying mood. This is very unusual, especially, since she slept the whole night through without waking up once. Usually, she gets up as happy as a clam, ready to get her diaper changed, eat some Mommy meal and then play play and play. Instead what she woke up with was crying, squirminess and not wanting to be put down for any amount of time. "Awww, she just wants to be cuddly" we thought... well, maybe not.

As the day wore on, she seemed to play a little better and be her normal happy self... except when we had to change her diaper. The second she was laid down she would cry loud and hard, straightening out her little legs, squirm back and forth and protest till she was red in the face. We both figured it must be because she started to get a little bit of a diaper rash (from all the solid food poop she's had recently and from using some disposable diapers over the weekend)... well, maybe not.

E also loves to eat. Anyone who's fed her can tell. She eats a lot for a baby who's only been eating solids for 3 weeks. She also eats and actually does better with chunkier/thicker solid paste. So we've been letting her eat as much as she wants. We've also been giving her one new food every week or so, in order to find any allergy culprits (since it runs in the family). So far, she's "mastered" Bananas, Pears, Rice Cereal and Sweet Potatoes. This last week was Sweat Potatoes.. and she liked them!

Well... then comes today. Ian mentions to me in passing that E has a little poopie that pops out a little and then goes back in. He noticed it this morning and again in the early evening. He tells me he thinks her aggravated crying on the changing table and her source of pain (not to mention diaper rash) may be because of this poopie that refuses to be pooped. So what do we do? We grab two infant books and look up "Constipation - Causes, Prevention and Treatment". (Information is Power, right?) In the books they tell us to "Take the child off cow's milk (if they're drinking it) and go back to formula." OK, not useful. Then the books say "Breastfed babies don't get constipation." Hmmm... what if they're breastfeeding and solid food eating? For that, there is no advice. Again, not useful

So, we call our doctor's office and get an advice nurse. She lets us know that certain foods (IE: bananas, sweet potatoes, apples, squash) can cause poop to be more solid and therefore more constipating. She doesn't seem to be worried that E has constipation issues and a poopie that won't poop, since she still gets a little out (don't ask me how, I just know what I clean). She offers advice about soaking in a tub, trying to "jump start" the colon/lower intestines and also giving her a suppository (ew, and ouch). We decide we'll try the bath first and then maybe take-a-rectal-temperature "jump start" idea.

Off to the changing table (to get her ready and disrobed) for her bath... and again starts the crying. She is crying, kicking, squirming and (I think) trying to toot all at the same time. Ian calls me over for some help and to show me this illusive poopie (that I never saw when I changed her today). And sure enough, there's a poopie that is just sitting there... not coming out and our poor little girl crying her head off in pain. Me being the Mommy (and not afraid to touch poopie with my bare hands... yes, my bare hands!!), I think there must be something we can do to help her get this out - she's already trying so hard to get it out that she's turning red! So with Ian on Leg Duty (keeping her from straightening her legs and tightening her butt) and me on Poopie Duty (breaking pieces off as it comes out so that there can be some release and helping ease the poop out of her colon) we aided E's Constipation Aggravation out. It took about 10 minutes, a lot of crying, some massage (there was such hard poop stuck in her colon that you could actually feel the hardness from the outside - like a rock) and some dirty work on my side. And then it was all over and instantly, she stopped crying and was happy.

Wow, who knew poop could be so distressing. I guess if you're one of those unlucky few who get constipation, then you probably know what it's like. Anyways, after that E took her nice bath (still) and laughed and splashed through the whole thing. She let us put on a diaper without a single crying second and then went promptly to sleep as I nursed her to bed. Yeah for messy mommy work and daddy aid. Tomorrow we look forward to a happy baby.

Oh, and we'll remember to give E a variety of good eatings even as we introduce her to new foods, and hopefully avoid any more constipation poopie problems.