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Babies can cry when pooping. It is normal. However, parents may be concerned if their baby is inconsolable when they’re pooping. Babies usually cry because pooping could be a new experience for them, and it takes time to become familiar with these new sensations. While they might easily learn how to eat or sleep, pooping could be a difficult thing to learn in the initial months.
Your unborn baby is dependent on the mother for everything. After birth, they have to eat, excrete and react to their environment. Therefore when your baby is crying when pooping or making funny faces, you don’t need to get too worried.
Here are some reasons why your baby could groan or cry when pooping that you must take note of:
1. Constipation
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When babies cannot pass stool easily due to constipation, they may cry. If your baby strains and cries when they pass small bits of poop that are dry and hard, they are constipated. In this case, they could have fewer bowel movements, whether breastfeeding or bottle-feeding. This could also be a result of insufficient fluid intake. Ensure that your baby gets sufficient water. Older babies can stick to fruit juice and increase fiber intake through vegetables like spinach and fruits like pears and plum (1).
2. Growth And Development
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If your baby isn’t sufficiently nourished and underdeveloped, they could have difficulty pooping. Adults also need to make efforts to poop since it’s a process that needs muscle coordination for proper bowel movement. Now a newborn’s coordination is yet to develop. They may also struggle to find a comfortable position to poop when the pooping sensation strikes.
3. Diaper Rash
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Another reason why your baby seems to cry when pooping could be diaper rash. Sometimes when babies wear diapers for a long time, they may develop rashes. They can cause pain and irritation when your baby poops (2).
4. Gas
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Gas troubles can cause pain in the tummy for your little one. And most formula-fed babies suffer from gas (3). Babies can swallow gas when ineffectively latching on their mother’s nipples while feeding on nipples of bottles or incorrect positioning while being fed. This can lead to a bloated tummy that can make them cry when pooping and even when they fart (4).
5. Colic
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Babies can cry when or after pooping, which can be due to colic. Colic refers to the act of excessive crying for long hours, sometimes as long as two to three hours for around three days a week. It usually happens around the same time every day. However, colic should go away when your baby is three or four months old (5).
6. Needy For Attention
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Sometimes babies seek attention by the act of crying. In the first three months, this is common in most babies. This should be the reason if your baby stops crying when you pick them up and begins again when you put them down. If possible, cuddle and soothe them.
7. Tiredness
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If your baby is tired when they poop, they’ll be fussy. One reason why your baby could be tired is if they haven’t slept well. Babies sleep a lot, sometimes for about 16 hours a day (6). If your baby rubs their eyes, yawns, or is fussy as they poop, they may be too tired to make efforts to excrete. Comfort them with cuddles and rock them periodically to help them relax, poop, and then put them off to sleep.
What To Do To Stop Your Baby From Crying While Pooping?
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It can be hard to tell why your baby is crying when they excrete. However, if you notice the symptoms clearly, you can easily tell the reason upon close observation. Here are some tips to help them stop crying:
- Along with changing your baby’s diet, you must also keep your baby’s stomach full. Leaving your baby’s stomach empty can form gas.
- If you’re breastfeeding your baby, be mindful of what you eat. Avoid spicy or rich food, or it might irritate your baby’s tummy (7).
- You can also try giving your baby a gentle massage to help relieve their muscles and help them poop. You can give your baby a light rub around the stomach so they can fart and release the gas (8).
- Remember to keep your baby’s surroundings clean and disinfect the places or things your baby is most likely to touch. This can help prevent infections and even diarrhea (9).
Your baby crying when they poop should be a cause of worry if they pass blood with the stool or if they are inconsolable no matter how hard you try to soothe them. Babies occasionally cry when they poop but following a healthy diet and taking the doctor’s advice can help. Does your baby have difficulty when they poop? How do you manage your baby crying when pooping? Do share your tips with us in the comments section below.
