Baby Crying When Pooping: Reasons, When To Worry, And Remedies

Baby crying while pooping is quite common. So at first, we will say that don’t get worried about it. In newborns, if their digestive system is still developing then passing stool will cause pain.

Why do Babies Cry While Pooping?

Crying in babies while pooping may suggest a lot of things. It can be constipation or diarrhea which makes it painful to poop. Or, it can be a diaper rash that is irritating the baby. And it can be simply because your baby is new to the feeling of pooping. All of these are very normal and happen with almost all the babies.

5 Reasons For Baby Crying While Pooping

Here are some causes behind your baby’s cry when pooping:

1. Underdeveloped Abdominal Muscles

As the abdominal muscles of a newborn are still quite weak and developing, it is very common for them to cry while pooping. A breastfeeding newborn’s stool will be soft, yellow, and runny. Whereas a formula-fed newborn’s poop will be a bit firmer but not hard. So constipation doesn’t occur in newborns in general. It is their underdeveloped abdominal muscles that cause newborn babies to cry when pooping. Don’t worry it is normal and can happen for the initial few weeks. Eventually, your baby will overcome this condition.

2. Anal Fissure and Diaper Rash

Sometimes due to wearing diapers for long babies suffer from diaper rash. It can cause discomfort and irritation while pooping. An anal fissure is a small tear on the skin of the anal canal or anus that causes pain while passing the stool. An anal fissure is caused due to constipation. Colic or continuous abnormal crying is often associated with anal fissures in babies.

[Read : Why Is My Breastfed Baby Not Pooping?]

3. Constipation and Dyschezia

Most of the babies cry when pooping after starting solids because of constipation. Their body is receiving new types of food and learning to digest them. Also, their stool gets harder and takes more pressure to release.

Based on Healthcare of Utah, Dyschezia is a condition when your baby pushes the diaphragm and abdominal muscles to release the stool but holds the anus tightly closed. Thus the baby tries hard to poop but cannot. This happens as your baby is still learning how and when to release muscles for pooping.

Thus constipation and Dyschezia lead to crying in babies while passing stool. You can easily detect constipation by examining the dryness of the stool. And if the stool is soft then maybe it is Dyschezia that is causing trouble.

4. Gas Problems

Often newborn babies suffer from gas troubles. This happens most in formula-fed babies. Babies can swallow gas due to the wrong types of nipples of feeding bottles, and wrong position of feeding. This gas then causes bloated tummy and irritation while pooping. Thus babies also often cry when farting.

5. Diarrhea

Babies tend to put whatever they get in their mouths. It can be their toys or whatever they can grab in front of them. This causes diarrhea and even stomach infections. If this is the case then your baby will fall sick and cry.

[Read : Diarrhea In Toddlers: Causes, Symptoms, Treatments, And More]

What to do if Baby Cries When Pooping?

First of all, you should not panic if your baby cries while releasing stool. Then you can try to:

Find out the possible reason behind his/her crying.
If you get to know it then try to eliminate that cause. For instance, if your baby is suffering from constipation then offer him/her more fluid and fiber-rich food.
If you cannot find out the cause and the crying is increasing to the colic level then you can ask for the doctor’s help.

Top 5 Tips to Stop Baby Crying While Pooping

Usually, small babies pass their stool 2 to 3 times a day. But sometimes it gets stuck even for 3 to 4 days which can cause discomfort when pooping. So you need to know the ways to soothe your baby’s cry when pooping as well as how to initiate smooth pooping in babies. Here are some tips for you:

[Read : Giving Fruit Juices To Babies]

1. Change Your Diet

If your breastfeeding newborn or 2 to 6 month’s baby is constantly suffering from gas problems or hard stool then you should change your diet and check. Increase the amount of fiber in your diet. Drink plenty of water and homemade fruit juice. Your baby will get it all through your milk. Also, avoid coffee.

2. Change Your Baby’s Diet

If the 10-month baby cries when pooping due to constipation, then you need to change his/her diet. You can include more bananas, pears, cucumber, carrots, and broccoli in their diet as they are all rich in fiber. Instead of giving chunks, you can make a fine puree so that the baby can easily digest it.

3. Keep the Baby’s Stomach Full

Breastfeed your baby every 2 to 3 hours for 6 months. And provide 3 times wholesome meal and 2 times snack after 6 or 7 months. Do not leave their stomach empty as an empty stomach forms gas. If the baby eats sufficiently then they will poop regularly so there will be fewer chances of constipation.

4. Do the Bicycle Movement

This is very effective and helps in bowel movements. For doing the bowel movement:

Lift the two legs of your baby.
Gently move one leg forward and the other backward at the same time.
Do this for 5 to 10 minutes.
You can do it while using massage oil to the baby before bath or any other time you prefer.
You can also gently press and rub your baby’s stomach and belly button area to make them fart.

5. Maintain Cleanliness and Hygiene Around Your Baby

Clean your baby’s room every day and disinfect everything your baby touches. By this, you can reduce the trouble related to diarrhea.

When Should You Worry?

If you even find blood in your baby’s stool, or if the baby is crying inconsolably then you should immediately consult a pediatrician.

Occasional crying while pooping is quite common in babies. By following a healthy diet and massaging your baby’s belly you can easily combat poop-related problems in babies. But if the situation goes beyond your control then call your doctor without a delay.

FAQ’s

1. How Long do Babies Cry When Pooping?

It is okay for a baby to cry 2 hours a day for the first three months. Afterward, as the baby gets used to the atmosphere and with its own body, they cry less. But if your baby is crying continuously for over 3 hours for more than three days then it is a cause of concern.

2. What to do if Baby Cries While Pooping But the Poop is Soft?

This can happen in Dyschezia. You can do rectal stimulation with Q-tips or a thermometer. This will relax the baby’s anal and release the soft poop easily.

3. Is it Normal For a Baby to Cry When Farting?

Yes, it is. Sometimes gas strikes midway and causes trouble even in adults. As the baby can not talk he/she may cry to show their distress.