effort in stooling

[@llli*bloodymeli]

Hi,

It seems that my baby (2 weeks old) is really having a hard time with his bowl movement when he is not breastfeeding. He is really making a lot of effort and in general looks in pain, like he is constipated- only he is not. The stool count is high enough and the stool is liquid.

What is the problem? Is it colic? How can I ease his pain? Is it the food I'm eating?

[@llli*esthervegan]

infants learn how to use their sphincter muscles over time. from what you describe, it sounds normal to me.

[@llli*mommal]

A lot of babies look really uncomfortable when they are pooping or passing gas. And it makes sense, when you think about it- they went from never doing it, ever, to doing it multiple times per day! The whole process of eating, digesting, and excreting is something they have to get used to,

Unless your baby is really crying or screaming in pain, I would guess what you're seeing is normal since he is making enough poops and they are soft. It's unlikely that anything you are eating is causing your baby discomfort, but if you want to try eliminating some common problem foods, you should look at cutting out dairy (many babies are intolerant to cow's milk proteins that can pass into your milk), wheat, and soy. Those are among the top allergens.

[@llli*phi]

What you describe is totally normal as long as the stools look normal. Our pediatrician told me to hold my son as I would to burp him, but support his feet so that he would be in a squatting position. A squatting position forces you to relax the muscles necessary for passing stools (you can see toddlers do this on there own very frequently). This helps make it easier for small babies to pass stools, and may help teach them which muscles to tighten and which to relax eventually.