What does it mean when a newborn baby has a stomachache?

The bodily functions of newborns are not fully developed, so special attention needs to be paid to their diet and daily care. In addition, parents must also have a clear understanding of some common problems that occur in newborns, especially the causes and care methods. Stomach retention is a common phenomenon in newborns. So, what should parents do if their baby has stomach retention?

With the increase in breastfeeding rates, the baby may not defecate for 2-3 days, or even 4-5 days without any pain. The stool is still yellow and soft, without any lumps, and the amount is not particularly large. This phenomenon is called abdominal retention.

This is because during the period from around one month old to two months old, the baby's digestive ability improves and can fully digest and absorb breast milk. There are not many remaining residues, which are not enough to stimulate the rectum to form a bowel movement, so the baby's bowel movements will also be reduced.

It also shows that the quality of the mother's breast milk is very good and the nutrition is balanced, and the baby's digestive ability is very good, which leads to the baby's insufficient intestinal peristalsis (because it is too easy to absorb and does not require sufficient peristalsis), resulting in the phenomenon of "stomach retention".

1. Regular bowel movement

Because the phenomenon of constipation usually begins to appear around 2 months, it is time to train your child to have regular bowel movements (such as defecating in the morning and evening every day) so that your child can form good bowel habits early.

2. Do abdominal massage every day

(1) Use your palms to gently rub the baby's abdomen, with the navel as the center, rotating from left to right 10 times. Rest for 5 minutes, then massage 10 times again. Repeat 3 times.

(2) Place the baby in supine position and hold the baby's legs to do flexion and extension exercises, stretching and flexing once, for a total of 10 times, and then flexing and extending one leg 10 times. This will help the baby's bowel movements and facilitate the discharge of stool;

3. Drink plenty of water

For fat babies with constipation, you can feed them some boiled water or vegetable or fruit juice between two feedings every day. After 6 months, adding complementary food can completely solve this bowel movement problem.

If the child's stool decreases and weight gain is not ideal because of insufficient breast milk, then you can add some formula milk to the child in time; if the baby is more than 4 months old, you can also add a little rice soup, which can better improve the stool condition;

5. Stimulate anus for defecation

Twice a day, about 20-30 minutes after the baby feeds, apply an oily topical medication (such as chloramphenicol ointment) to the baby's anus, pad it with soft paper, gently push and press the anus, and do it slowly 10 times. Generally, the baby will feel the urge to defecate or have a bowel movement soon. Dip a sterilized cotton swab in vegetable oil and gently insert it into the baby's anus to induce a bowel movement in the rectum.