Question

My four-month-old baby has not had a bowel movement for four days after breastfeeding, with no symptoms of abdominal pain. I would like to seek advice on how to handle this situation?

Answer

  1. Increase water intake.
  2. For mothers who breastfeed, it is important to adjust their diet to ensure it is balanced and not too heavy, and to drink plenty of water.
  3. Perform abdominal massage on the baby in a clockwise direction twice a day, for 5 to 10 minutes each time.
  4. If the baby has not had a bowel movement for several days, consider using a baby suppository.
  5. Offer fruits and vegetable juices to the baby.
  6. Control the speed of feeding and avoid giving too much milk too quickly, and make sure the formula is not too concentrated.
  7. Use the soap strip laxative method: prepare a soap strip about as thick as a pen, 3 centimeters long, wet it with water, and insert it into the baby’s anus. The soap will stimulate the intestinal walls to induce defecation.