Can we talk poop? And GAS? And Suppositories?

Okay...

so you all know my plight. Colicky 6 week old baby. Bad gas pains. Switched formula a few times. Ended up on Nutramigen. Baby had terrible pain which got better after BM's, which he had twice a day. Because of that pain, the doc suggested I switch to Gerber Good Start. I use "Protect", which includes a pro-biotic.

After 48 hours on it, he hadn't pooped at all and had a ton of VERY STINKY gas. Our doc told us that gas means there's a lot of stool inside him. So, the doc said we could stimulate the area with a Glycerin Suppository. The funny thing was that when I went to do it, I BARELY TOUCHED his little hiney when he just started GOING. I mean a LOT. Thank GOD DH was there to help me catch everything! lol. But... okay - warning - TMI - it came out like toothpaste and was tarry/brown/greenish. I'm used to mustard and this looked like real poop - but WORSE. Is this normal?

Fast forward 24 hours... LOTS of gas and gas pains (poor little guy). So, I inserted a suppository again to try to relieve him. Within a MINUTE, the suppository got pushed out, still intact, by a ton more poop (same consistency as yesterday).

My questions...

a) Is the color/consistency of the poop he's going "normal"?
b) Could this formula be causing him to be more gassy?
c) How often should he be going? I know it's not considered constipation unless it comes out as pellets, but it was amazing how much POOP was in him that he wasn't able to push out - despite him forcing like CRAZY.
d) Is it true that gas is due to stool building up inside?
e) Ya think it's okay to stimulate that area each day - if he hasn't gone in 24 hours and is in a lot of pain? He DID feel better after he went (for about 2 hours) and then was crying hysterically again with gas pains.

FYI... I also do the "bicycle" movements with him, switched bottles a few times (currently using MAM), put Mylicon in the bottle, give him gripe water (as needed) and give him Zantac twice a day.

I know there probably is no answer - just time. But I'll be damned if I don't try to do EVERYTHING I can to make it so he's not in this pain anymore... poor little guy. Plus, it's exhausting to him, me and my DH!
TIA!

Re: Can we talk poop? And GAS? And Suppositories?

My son is almost five months and he's had terrible constipation problems since birth (he is a preemie with an immature digestive system). He usually poops every other day and it is almost always the color you said. Also I'm surprised that your dr recommended glycerin as a first course. I was told that would be our last course and we've actually never used-and we've gone 3-4 days without pooping. It sounds like your son would do great with just some rectal stimulation with a thermometer. Put a lot of vaseline on it and insert it, then twist around a little. The vaseline helps "lube" him up to make it easier for the poop to come and the stimulation from having the thermometer there usually makes them go. They used it all the time in the NICU and then would use glycerin later if that didn't work. We ended up on prune juice and water to keep my son more regular. He's off that now and poops on his own usually every other day but it's like an explosion. He's also a gassy baby. I got this pouch/belt thing for him to wear called Happy Tummies. They carry it at Buy Buy Baby. You warm up the little scented pouch in the microwave and then put it in the belt and that get wrapped around the baby's belly. That was the only thing that made him feel better sometimes. I highly recommend it. Good luck!

Re: Can we talk poop? And GAS? And Suppositories?

When you do bicycle do you rub his belly and "twist" him from side tto side. There's a you tube video I believe I got from here. I can't remember the name. But helped some.

I agree with the thermometer trick as pp, instead of the supository.

How about some prune juice in the bottle evryother day. We did that when dd was really young.

It could be him trying to figure out how to poop or the other formulas working their way out of his system.

If I think of anything else I will post.

Re: Can we talk poop? And GAS? And Suppositories?

When my DD was breastfed she pooped at almost every diaper change, once she was formula fed, Gerber Good Start Gentle Plus, she pooped once a day. I know it's hard to let things be, but going every 2-3 days is fine for them. He is getting used to a new formula and I also noticed the probiotics made her gassy at first too. After about a week things were much much better. Plus you switched formula again so he needs time. FM Blissful for advice on ProBiotics. Her advice while Emmy was gassy was priceless! Sometimes all you can do is just wait it out. I know how hard that is You just want to fix everything right now and make it better.